It's Sunday, more than 48 hours after this show first aired, and the comments still keep coming non-stop! So I guess I'll put up mine before I forget! A Grand Slam winner awaits us after 20 years given this is the first time in that long since there is a 100% guarantee a Series Champion and Xicount will take the title today. Also Colin, the fact that you keep mentioning the last Championship of Champions was five years ago when it was four really annoys some people (like me!). I seriously hope that you don't get flagged up for spreading "fake news" because of this!
Moving on, the last two contestants, James Haughton and Ahmed Mohamed, and if you were here in January 2019, it's the same thing in the Introduction, Rachel referencing the last 14 episodes of the Championship and the contestants as well, so pretty much of a coincidence I guess. Time to play as we determine who has been the greatest player of the last seven Series!
Letters: Good start with ESPOUSER by both in R1 (I would have risked respouse which is invalid), but then, James takes an early step back with remander disallowed (Yeah, I know it's one of those words that sound like it's valid!)
After the first Teaser, Ahmed wants to risk a five but James risks a seven with BRAVURA and it's in, meaning he takes the lead!!
Things didn't get better for Ahmed when James had ABATISED in R8 to open the gap even wider!
However, Ahmed doesn't give up, and after the final Origins of Words in the Championship, he spots MAGILUS to come back within striking distance of the coveted trophy!
The last letters round comes with both of them having REJOINED, the letters round closes off amazingly with Ahmed hoping a manageable R14 would force a crucial conundrum...
Numbers: James, sensing tough opposition today, reverts back to his 4 Large style in R3 to try and make up for lost ground, but it didn't help him as Ahmed was one away too. On the other hand, Ahmed still goes for his 1 Large and hopes for his favourite "25". Yay, it comes out in R6, but booooo, it's too easy until my face fell flat. The penultimate Numbers Round in R9, and James wants to throw Ahmed off. "Uh oh", as Rachel exclaims with two "1"s, and it does the trick with the former gaining more points and putting Ahmed into his worst position yet in his televised appearances! Damn, this is something. Finally, the last numbers round came, and for the last time, Ahmed doesn't want to risk anything and hopes a crucial conundrum comes his way. It does as both get the target straight on, leading us to the only outcome now...a tense ending!
Conundrum: The last Championship of Champions, Zarte Siempre won easily against Bradley Horrocks without forcing a crucial, but this time round, this is the fight to the death. If no one gets it or James has the answer first, he wins. If Ahmed has the answer first, he wins. The clock ticks, and I see Ahmed buzzing in. He says PULSATILE, and YES, "HE'S DONE IT!!" screamed Colin. By the cheers that followed immediately after, you can tell there was an audience who was spectating (Fiona did mention her, Phil Hulme and Adam Beach were part of that), and backstage, the reaction was "lit" as Adam put it on the Daily Chat too. The dramatic comeback that Ahmed has done, and given the fact that he solved half of the six solved conundrums in this entire Championship says a lot about him as he is officially, the 16th Champion of the Championship of Champions after a tense 35 minute game!!
What a game that was, especially that last-minute incredible comeback by Ahmed! Commiserations James, you led for most of the way, only for your chance at being crowned the Champion dashed at the very last round
However, you have been an excellent player. Being the last Grand Champion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic means a lot especially since it made me reminisce the days before the virus uprooted all of our lives. Rachel mentioned before handing you over the Richard Whiteley Memorial Trophy in December 2019, you are the "Human Dictionary and Human Calculator". Indeed, you still are three years later and putting Ahmed into such a vulnerable position during the match (even denying him a century!) is something not many people can truly say they have done so! All the best in the rest of your career as Dr. James Haughton might I say too and may you never stop thinking about Maths in your daily life too!
As for Ahmed, what can I say? Well-played all round, and you did prove Rachel right by winning eventually and of course, making her proud. Your wide range of vocabulary has astounded many viewers alike and like I mentioned two years ago, it's ok if you don't know all the definitions (although I personally prefer it so that I know what I'm writing or saying
), you knew the words existed, are valid and that was what pulled you over the line especially in tougher matches like today's one. It's ok if you don't like extreme numbers combinations, playing safe is an option and no one can question or blame you for your tactics, and that's what made you safely through to the end. Despite ending the match on a low in terms of your scores overall, you've done it by sealing your place as one of the most successful contestants in the recent history of the show! You will always be remembered as someone whose words will always make people be in awe of your abilities, letters and conundrums, and you've truly deserved your place in history!
Finally, I'd like to end off by giving thanks to each and every one of the 16 contestants together with the reserved contestants for this Championship. To the former group, no matter how long ago your shows were aired, be it pre-pandemic, pandemic or endemic, all of you still played like pros on-screen. Thank you for giving us so much fun amidst the competitive atmosphere for the last three weeks and it's nice to see how some of you have moved on in life after your initial appearances. All of you were brilliant in each of your own unique ways, and may you never stop playing Countdown, for I'm sure all of you have forged unforgettable friendships be it within this Championship, online on Apterous or offline. May those friendships last a lifetime, and nevermind that 15 of you lost, the fact you made it here shows you are part of the cream of the crop and you should be proud of yourselves! Give yourselves a pat on the back! To the latter group, while you may not have had a chance to be seen on television again, you have been excellent in giving many of these contestants moral and mental support and I'm sure they would have appreciated your efforts cheering them on in the background. Overall, I hoped that all of you have those precious memories from the three days of filming between 07 and 09 November 2022, for I'm sure this is a Championship that will never be forgotten for a very, very long time to come. Series 87 starts proper on Monday, 23 January 2023 with our incumbent five-time winner Peter Burke returning, and this will mark the start of the search for the next 16 contestants for the Championship of Champions XVII!
Progress:
Preliminary 1 (02 January 2023):
Florence Cappleman-Lynes (Series 84 Runner-Up) vs Leo Smith (Series 82 Semi-Finalist) (
100 - 69)
Preliminary 2 (03 January 2023): Dinos Sfyris (Series 80 Grand Champion) vs
Elliott Mellor (Series 80 Runner-Up) (88 -
110)
Preliminary 3 (04 January 2023):
Ahmed Mohamed (Series 84 Grand Champion) vs Edward Byrne (Series 86 Runner-Up) (
121 - 76)
Preliminary 4 (05 January 2023): Stu Harkness (Series 84 Semi-Finalist) vs
James Haughton (Series 81 Grand Champion) (97 -
111)
Preliminary 5 (06 January 2023): Tom Stevenson (Series 86 Grand Champion) vs
Adam Latchford (Series 83 Grand Champion) (95 -
97)
Preliminary 6 (09 January 2023): Martin May (Series 79 Runner-Up) vs
Luke-Johnson Davies (Series 82 Grand Champion) (90 -
117)
Preliminary 7 (10 January 2023): Steve Hyde (Series 85 Semi-Finalist) vs
Dan Byrom (Series 85 Grand Champion) (70 -
108)
Preliminary 8 (11 January 2023): Matt O'Connor (Series 85 Runner-Up) vs
Sam Cappleman-Lynes (Series 82 Runner-Up) (78 -
101)
Quarter-Finals 1 (12 January 2023):
Florence Cappleman-Lynes (Preliminary 1 Winner) vs Sam Cappleman-Lynes (Preliminary 8 Winner) (
95 - 93)
Quarter-Finals 2 (13 January 2023): Elliott Mellor (Preliminary 2 Winner) vs
Dan Byrom (Preliminary 7 Winner) (102 -
106)
Quarter-Finals 3 (16 January 2023):
Ahmed Mohamed (Preliminary 3 Winner) vs Luke Johnson-Davies (Preliminary 6 Winner) (
132 - 100)
Quarter-Finals 4 (17 January 2023):
James Haughton (Preliminary 4 Winner) vs Adam Latchford (Preliminary 5 Winner) (
109 - 102)
Semi-Finals 1 (18 January 2023): Florence Cappleman-Lynes (Quarter-Finals 1 Winner) vs
James Haughton (Quarter-Finals 4 Winner) (91 -
100)
Semi-Finals 2 (19 January 2023): Dan Byrom (Quarter-Finals 2 Winner) vs
Ahmed Mohamed (Quarter-Finals 3 Winner) (111 -
121)
Championship Final (20 January 2023): James Haughton (Semi-Finals 1 Winner) vs
Ahmed Mohamed (Semi-Finals 2 Winner) (96 -
99)