Wednesday 17th June 2026 ( Series 93 Preliminary 118)
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 7:51 pm
Happy Wednesday and welcome to another recap, it is the final heat of Series 93 and with Countdown finals week just around the corner.......and this is a battle between the returnees our champion Karen you may recognise from Series 53 and our challenger Chris from Series 65 so the question is................ who will be sitting in the champions chair at the start of Series 94 ? So without further ado let's get this show on the road
C1: Champion Karen Pearson (3 wins, 299 points.)
C2: Challenger Chris Moore.
DC: Susie Dent and Charlene White .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M T N H A E O A E
R02: S M D U I R E T R
R03: 100, 50, 75, 6, 4, 2. Target: 532.
TTT: ONECANRUN - "The voice of the TV station had a conker which weighted 28 grams"
R04: S N G U O R I D N
R05: L R L E I O S P G
R06: 100, 2, 1, 5, 10, 3. Target: 391.
R07: X S K G O I U F T
R08: N R T A O S E T C
R09: 6, 10, 3, 7, 8, 1. Target: 913.
TTT: SHELLRICE - "Dishonesty features a lot in his toolbox"
R10: N S N A I O R L U
R11: M S T B I E A L P
R12: Y F W E A E H C O
R13: R V T G E U O E P
R14: 50, 25, 1, 2, 3, 9, . Target: 281.
R15: T O E C A P S A G (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: M T N H A E O A E
Karen: ANTHEM (6)
Chris: MANATEE (7)
DC: METHANE (7)
OT: EMANATE (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
Round 2: S M D U I R E T R
Karen: RUSTIER (7)
Chris: MURDERS (7)
DC: STURDIER (8)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)
Round 3: 100, 50, 75, 6, 4, 2. Target: 532.
C1: 532. Mistake in working.
C2: 533. 6 × 100 − 75 + 4 × 2 (7)
RR: 532. (75 + 50 + 6 + 2) × 4 (10)
Score: 7–21 (max 25)
Teatime teaser: ONECANRUN -> ANNOUNCER
Round 4: S N G U O R I D N
Karen: ROUNDING (8)
Chris: ROUNDING (8)
DC: GRUNIONS (8)
OT: SOUNDING (8) UNDOINGS (8)
Score: 15–29 (max 33)
Eights all round............nothing worth complaining let's move on shall we ?
Round 5: L R L E I O S P G
Karen: SPOILER (7)
Chris: SPOILER (7)
DC: GRILLES (7)
OT: GIROLLES (8)
Score: 22–36 (max 41)
Round 6: 100, 2, 1, 5, 10, 3. Target: 391.
C1: 391. (5 − 1) × 100 − (10 − 3 + 2) (10)
C2: 391. (5 − 1) × 100 − (10 − 3 + 2) (10)
Score: 32–46 (max 51)
Round 7: X S K G O I U F T
Karen: GUSTO (5)
Chris: FIST (4)
DC: FOIST (5) GIFTS (5)
OT: GOUTS (5) KUFIS (5) KUSTI (5) TIFOS (5)
Score: 37–46 (max 56)
Game changer.........could the comeback be on for Karen ? Fives seems to be the max in this truly nasty selection of letters......but no extra points for spotting most of those
Round 8: N R T A O S E T C
Karen: CONTRAST (8)
Chris: SCATTER (7)
DC: ANCESTOR (8)
OT: CORNETTS (8) ENACTORS (8) TRANSECT (8)
Score: 45–46 (max 64)
Indeed it is and with that fantastic eight this puts Karen within a point of our challenger Chris.......it is game on !
Round 9: 6, 10, 3, 7, 8, 1. Target: 913.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 913. (8 + 6 − 1) × 7 × 10 + 3 (10)
Score: 45–46 (max 74)
Teatime teaser: SHELLRICE -> CHISELLER
Round 10: N S N A I O R L U
Karen: SAILOR (6)
Chris: RAINS (5)
DC: INSULAR (7)
OT: SOLUNAR (7) UNNAILS (7) UNSNARL (7) URINALS (7)
Score: 51–46 (max 81)
Round 11: M S T B I E A L P
Karen: TIMBALES (8)
Chris: blamiest
DC: BALMIEST (8)
OT: EPIBLAST (8) PALMIEST (8) SEPTIMAL (8)
Score: 59–46 (max 89)
Round 12: Y F W E A E H C O
Karen: CHEWY (5)
Chris: CHAFE (5)
DC: CHAFE (5) CHEWY (5)
OT: ECHOEY (6)
Score: 64–51 (max 95)
Round 13: R V T G E U O E P
Karen: POUTER (6)
Chris: POUTER (6)
DC: PROTEGE (7)
Score: 70–57 (max 102)
Round 14: 50, 25, 1, 2, 3, 9. Target: 281.
C1: 282. (50 + 25) × (3 + 1) − 9 × 2 (7)
C2: -
RR: 281. 25 × 9 + 50 + 1 + 2 + 3 (10)
Score: 77–57 (max 112)
Round 15: T O E C A P S A G
C2 buzzes on 19.75 seconds to say SCAPEGOAT which is correct.
Final Score: 77–67 (max 122)
What a fantastic contest this has been our challenger led for most of the contest however our current champion Karen slowly clawed her way back into this tight contest eventually overcoming Chris who had the last laugh by solving the conundrum. The first of our quarter finals kicks off tomorrow and it is a rematch of the heat game between the top seed Patrick Thompson and the 8th seeded Tom Bashford.......the question is who will come out on top............Karen will be the carry on champion for Series 94 but the question can she be the first octo-champ for series 94........In the meantime you can join for the next recap.......it is a wrap folks !
C1: Champion Karen Pearson (3 wins, 299 points.)
C2: Challenger Chris Moore.
DC: Susie Dent and Charlene White .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M T N H A E O A E
R02: S M D U I R E T R
R03: 100, 50, 75, 6, 4, 2. Target: 532.
TTT: ONECANRUN - "The voice of the TV station had a conker which weighted 28 grams"
R04: S N G U O R I D N
R05: L R L E I O S P G
R06: 100, 2, 1, 5, 10, 3. Target: 391.
R07: X S K G O I U F T
R08: N R T A O S E T C
R09: 6, 10, 3, 7, 8, 1. Target: 913.
TTT: SHELLRICE - "Dishonesty features a lot in his toolbox"
R10: N S N A I O R L U
R11: M S T B I E A L P
R12: Y F W E A E H C O
R13: R V T G E U O E P
R14: 50, 25, 1, 2, 3, 9, . Target: 281.
R15: T O E C A P S A G (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: M T N H A E O A E
Karen: ANTHEM (6)
Chris: MANATEE (7)
DC: METHANE (7)
OT: EMANATE (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
Round 2: S M D U I R E T R
Karen: RUSTIER (7)
Chris: MURDERS (7)
DC: STURDIER (8)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)
Round 3: 100, 50, 75, 6, 4, 2. Target: 532.
C1: 532. Mistake in working.
C2: 533. 6 × 100 − 75 + 4 × 2 (7)
RR: 532. (75 + 50 + 6 + 2) × 4 (10)
Score: 7–21 (max 25)
Teatime teaser: ONECANRUN -> ANNOUNCER
Round 4: S N G U O R I D N
Karen: ROUNDING (8)
Chris: ROUNDING (8)
DC: GRUNIONS (8)
OT: SOUNDING (8) UNDOINGS (8)
Score: 15–29 (max 33)
Eights all round............nothing worth complaining let's move on shall we ?
Round 5: L R L E I O S P G
Karen: SPOILER (7)
Chris: SPOILER (7)
DC: GRILLES (7)
OT: GIROLLES (8)
Score: 22–36 (max 41)
Round 6: 100, 2, 1, 5, 10, 3. Target: 391.
C1: 391. (5 − 1) × 100 − (10 − 3 + 2) (10)
C2: 391. (5 − 1) × 100 − (10 − 3 + 2) (10)
Score: 32–46 (max 51)
Round 7: X S K G O I U F T
Karen: GUSTO (5)
Chris: FIST (4)
DC: FOIST (5) GIFTS (5)
OT: GOUTS (5) KUFIS (5) KUSTI (5) TIFOS (5)
Score: 37–46 (max 56)
Game changer.........could the comeback be on for Karen ? Fives seems to be the max in this truly nasty selection of letters......but no extra points for spotting most of those
Round 8: N R T A O S E T C
Karen: CONTRAST (8)
Chris: SCATTER (7)
DC: ANCESTOR (8)
OT: CORNETTS (8) ENACTORS (8) TRANSECT (8)
Score: 45–46 (max 64)
Indeed it is and with that fantastic eight this puts Karen within a point of our challenger Chris.......it is game on !
Round 9: 6, 10, 3, 7, 8, 1. Target: 913.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 913. (8 + 6 − 1) × 7 × 10 + 3 (10)
Score: 45–46 (max 74)
Teatime teaser: SHELLRICE -> CHISELLER
Round 10: N S N A I O R L U
Karen: SAILOR (6)
Chris: RAINS (5)
DC: INSULAR (7)
OT: SOLUNAR (7) UNNAILS (7) UNSNARL (7) URINALS (7)
Score: 51–46 (max 81)
Round 11: M S T B I E A L P
Karen: TIMBALES (8)
Chris: blamiest
DC: BALMIEST (8)
OT: EPIBLAST (8) PALMIEST (8) SEPTIMAL (8)
Score: 59–46 (max 89)
Round 12: Y F W E A E H C O
Karen: CHEWY (5)
Chris: CHAFE (5)
DC: CHAFE (5) CHEWY (5)
OT: ECHOEY (6)
Score: 64–51 (max 95)
Round 13: R V T G E U O E P
Karen: POUTER (6)
Chris: POUTER (6)
DC: PROTEGE (7)
Score: 70–57 (max 102)
Round 14: 50, 25, 1, 2, 3, 9. Target: 281.
C1: 282. (50 + 25) × (3 + 1) − 9 × 2 (7)
C2: -
RR: 281. 25 × 9 + 50 + 1 + 2 + 3 (10)
Score: 77–57 (max 112)
Round 15: T O E C A P S A G
C2 buzzes on 19.75 seconds to say SCAPEGOAT which is correct.
Final Score: 77–67 (max 122)
What a fantastic contest this has been our challenger led for most of the contest however our current champion Karen slowly clawed her way back into this tight contest eventually overcoming Chris who had the last laugh by solving the conundrum. The first of our quarter finals kicks off tomorrow and it is a rematch of the heat game between the top seed Patrick Thompson and the 8th seeded Tom Bashford.......the question is who will come out on top............Karen will be the carry on champion for Series 94 but the question can she be the first octo-champ for series 94........In the meantime you can join for the next recap.......it is a wrap folks !