c4countdown

Well, Leo secured his finals place yesterday, but will he make it 8 octochamps out of 8 yet again....

Countdown recap for Wednesday 2 December 2020.

C1: Champion Leo Smith (7 wins, 773 points.) A pest controller from London.
C2: Challenger Nicola Newton. An administrator from Edmonton, Greater London. She loves Sorrento, Italy, mainly cos her grandmother originally came from there.
DC: Susie Dent and making her DC debut, Nina Wadia.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: O E I M K D T A R
R02: N G S O U E C T A
R03: 25, 100, 50, 75, 9, 2. Target: 727.
TTT: SCARYSET - "Emotional in a theatrical sort of way."
R04: R D B I E O S X L
R05: A I E P C R U W G
R06: 75, 4, 9, 10, 2, 2. Target: 666.
R07: N S L I A I O Y H
R08: R P F E O A S G N
R09: 6, 10, 10, 3, 9, 3. Target: 411.
TTT: SUESMITH - "To all the Sue Smiths out there, peas be with you."
R10: D H P E I A C B J
R11: U E O R N S A L M
R12: W R T I E O V S M
R13: R F L A E O A S T
R14: 6, 10, 9, 5, 6, 3. Target: 865.
R15: L A R G E H I N D (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: O E I M K D T A R

Leo: MEDIATOR (8)
Nicola: MEDIATOR (8)
DC: MORDITA (7)
OT: TIDEMARK (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

Round 2: N G S O U E C T A

Leo: OUTAGES (7)
Nicola: OUTAGES (7)
DC: ONSTAGE (7) TOUCANS (7) UNCAGES (7)
OT: COGNATES (8)
Score: 15–15 (max 16)

Round 3: 25, 100, 50, 75, 9, 2. Target: 727.

Leo: 727. (75 x 9) + 50 + 2 (10)
Nicola: 727. (75 x 9) + 50 + 2 (10)
Score: 25–25 (max 26)

Teatime teaser: SCARYSET -> ACTRESSY

Round 4: R D B I E O S X L

Leo: SOLDIER (7)
Nicola: SOLDIER (7)
DC: DISROBE (7) BOILERS (7) BROILED (7) OXBIRDS (7)
OT: BOLIDES (7) BORIDES (7) BRIDLES (7) LIBEROS (7) REBOILS (7) SOLIDER (7)
Score: 32–32 (max 33)

Round 5: A I E P C R U W G

Leo: PACIER (6)
Nicola: PACIER (6)
DC: EARWIG (6) GAWPER (6) gawpier
OT: APERCU (6) CAGIER (6)
Score: 38–38 (max 39)

Round 6: 75, 4, 9, 10, 2, 2. Target: 666.

Leo: 666. (75 - (2 / 2)) x 9 (10)
Nicola: 666. (75 - (2 / 2)) x 9 (10)
Score: 48–48 (max 49)

Nina talks about her early career in the theatre, including starring alongside Mark Rylance and Jane Horrocks in "The Scottish Play".

Round 7: N S L I A I O Y H

Leo: LIAISON (7)
Nicola: LIAISON (7)
DC: HOISIN (6)
OT: LINHAYS (7) NOISILY (7) OILYISH (7) SHINILY (7)
Score: 55–55 (max 56)

Round 8: R P F E O A S G N

Leo: ORANGES (7)
Nicola: FORAGES (7)
DC: GRAPES (6) PERSONA (7)
OT: PARENGOS (8) PROFANES (8)
Score: 62–62 (max 64)

Round 9: 6, 10, 10, 3, 9, 3. Target: 411.

Leo: 411. ((10 - 3) x 6 x 10) - 9 (10)
Nicola: 412.
Score: 72–62 (max 74)

Teatime teaser: SUESMITH -> MUSHIEST

Round 10: D H P E I A C B J

Leo: aphide
Nicola: BEACH (5)
DC: APHID (5) JEHADI (6)
OT: EDAPHIC (7) PEDICAB (7)
Score: 72–67 (max 81)

Round 11: U E O R N S A L M

Leo: ALMONERS (8)
Nicola: SOLEMN (6)
DC: MORSEL (6) NUMERALS (8)
OT: ENAMOURS (8) MELANOUS (8) MENSURAL (8) NEUROMAS (8) RAMULOSE (8) ROMULEAS (8)
Score: 80–67 (max 89)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "droves".

Round 12: W R T I E O V S M

Leo: WORMIEST (8)
Nicola: WORMIEST (8)
DC: WRITES (6) OVERSWIM (8)
OT: MISWROTE (8) REVOMITS (8) VOMITERS (8)
Score: 88–75 (max 97)

Round 13: R F L A E O A S T

Leo: FLOATERS (8)
Nicola: FLOATERS (8)
DC: REFLOATS (8)
Score: 96–83 (max 105)

Round 14: 6, 10, 9, 5, 6, 3. Target: 865.

Leo: -
Nicola: -
RR: 865. ((((6 + 9) x 6) - 3) x 10) - 5 (10)
Score: 96–83 (max 115)

Round 15: L A R G E H I N D

Nicola buzzes on 2.5 seconds to say HERALDING which is correct.
Final Score: 96–93 (max 125)

Phew, Leo survives by the skin of his teeth, he might have lost his record of centuries, but I don't think he cares too much about that, and bad luck to Nicola, who definitely showed very similar characteristics to Leo, and might've won a few herself...

So, we have 8 octochamps for the second series in a row, and Leo's total of 869 points puts him as our #3 seed, meaning he'll be back on our screens in 12 days time, when he takes on Phil Hulme.

So, our finals lineup is the following:

QF1 - Thursday 10th December: #1 Luke Johnson-Davies v #8 David Kempshall
QF2 - Friday 11th December: #2 Sam Cappleman-Lynes v #7 Damien Doughty
QF3 - Monday 14th December: #3 Leo Smith v #6 Phil Hulme
QF4 - Tuesday 15th December: #4 Ian Volante v #5 Ryan Styles
SF1 - Wednesday 16th December: Winner Of QF1 v Winner Of QF4
SF2 - Thursday 17th December: Winner Of QF2 v Winner Of QF3
Final - Friday 18th December: Winner Of SF1 v Winner Of SF2

Statistics Corner

Leo:
Total score - 96
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 77
Raw % of max - 77
Total average score per round - 6.4
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 10

Nicola:
Total score - 93
Raw score - 106
Total % of max - 74
Raw % of max - 85
Total average score per round - 6.2
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 9

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82