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Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 1:04 pm
by Jennifer Steadman
Graeme Cole wrote:
Thomas Carey wrote:Pisses me off that they have to mention he's a countdown champ every few paragraphs, but otherwise I'm glad.
The BBC story does better, referring to him as an "author" in the headline, and mentioning Countdown once.

However, newspapers have this thing where stories have to have an "angle". You'd think "creepy stalking author tracks down and violently assaults someone who gave his book a bad review" would be enough of a story, but not for the Daily Wail, who refer to Countdown eight times in the one article. Countdown is completely irrelevant to the story, but hey, at least they've got their angle.

Perhaps they're trying to beat the number of times he called himself a Countdown champion in that video of his?
'Creepy stalking author' probably isn't a unique story angle, whereas 'creepy stalking Countdown winner and author' is, I would assume, unique. #journolife

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 pm
by Matt Morrison
I get that you want to protect Countdown but ridiculous to be offended or surprised at it being worked into a story.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:00 am
by Gavin Chipper
Matt Morrison wrote:I get that you want to protect Countdown but ridiculous to be offended or surprised at it being worked into a story.
Exactly. It's his main claim to fame. If the Queen punched someone in the face for insulting her dog, they're not going to just call her a dog lady and ignore the fact that she's the fucking Queen.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:27 am
by Ian Volante
Jennifer Steadman wrote: 'Creepy stalking author' probably isn't a unique story angle, whereas 'creepy stalking Countdown winner and author' is, I would assume, unique. #journolife
It's the author bit that makes it.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 1:14 am
by Graeme Cole
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I get that you want to protect Countdown but ridiculous to be offended or surprised at it being worked into a story.
Exactly. It's his main claim to fame. If the Queen punched someone in the face for insulting her dog, they're not going to just call her a dog lady and ignore the fact that she's the fucking Queen.
I can understand it being mentioned, just not belaboured in the way the Mail have done.

Your analogy isn't quite the same thing. Everyone knows your hypothetical punching dog lady as the Queen. However, if you told Joe Public this story and said Richard Brittain was the perpetrator, and Joe Public asked "who's Richard Brittain?" and you said "you know, the winner of series 55 of Countdown back in 2006", Joe Public is probably not going to reply "Oh, him!"

The fact that he won Countdown is a curiosity, and perhaps helps distinguish him from other, innocent, people with the same name, but there's no need for the article to bang on about it like it's the most noteworthy thing about the story.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:02 pm
by Dave Preece
Keith Bennett wrote:"Callum's set the bar pretty high tbf, so who knows"

But at least nobody was hurt in the making of the Immoral Octochamp's records. There's misguided, and then there's pure evil.

Still, better hadn't say too much given the type of character RB might spend the next few years making friends with....
What's this about Callum about please?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:32 pm
by Mark Deeks

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 2:37 am
by Dave Preece
Dave Preece wrote:
Keith Bennett wrote:"Callum's set the bar pretty high tbf, so who knows"

But at least nobody was hurt in the making of the Immoral Octochamp's records. There's misguided, and then there's pure evil.

Still, better hadn't say too much given the type of character RB might spend the next few years making friends with....
What's this about Callum about please?
Anyone?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 11:54 am
by Philip Wilson
Dave Preece wrote:
Dave Preece wrote:
Keith Bennett wrote:"Callum's set the bar pretty high tbf, so who knows"

But at least nobody was hurt in the making of the Immoral Octochamp's records. There's misguided, and then there's pure evil.

Still, better hadn't say too much given the type of character RB might spend the next few years making friends with....
What's this about Callum about please?
Anyone?
Wondering that too....

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 12:32 pm
by Graeme Cole
Dave Preece wrote:
Dave Preece wrote:
Keith Bennett wrote:"Callum's set the bar pretty high tbf, so who knows"

But at least nobody was hurt in the making of the Immoral Octochamp's records. There's misguided, and then there's pure evil.

Still, better hadn't say too much given the type of character RB might spend the next few years making friends with....
What's this about Callum about please?
Anyone?
Philip Wilson wrote: Wondering that too....
Callum was cheating on apterous for a few months around 2013-2014. This got found out and everyone was like:

Image

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 2:36 pm
by Dave Preece
Oh right! Quite ironic then that Abdiz – or what ever his name was – cheated him to his only defeat?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 3:42 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Worth a prison sentence all by itself.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:08 am
by Gavin Chipper
Graeme Cole wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I get that you want to protect Countdown but ridiculous to be offended or surprised at it being worked into a story.
Exactly. It's his main claim to fame. If the Queen punched someone in the face for insulting her dog, they're not going to just call her a dog lady and ignore the fact that she's the fucking Queen.
I can understand it being mentioned, just not belaboured in the way the Mail have done.

Your analogy isn't quite the same thing. Everyone knows your hypothetical punching dog lady as the Queen. However, if you told Joe Public this story and said Richard Brittain was the perpetrator, and Joe Public asked "who's Richard Brittain?" and you said "you know, the winner of series 55 of Countdown back in 2006", Joe Public is probably not going to reply "Oh, him!"

The fact that he won Countdown is a curiosity, and perhaps helps distinguish him from other, innocent, people with the same name, but there's no need for the article to bang on about it like it's the most noteworthy thing about the story.
Well maybe it's not quite the same thing, but it's the most notable thing about him other than what the story's about. I don't really see the problem and why people care. If anything, calling him an author is worse because it implies he might be some sort of professional rather than just some guy who wrote a book.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:14 pm
by Philip Wilson
Graeme Cole wrote:
Dave Preece wrote:
What's this about Callum about please?
Callum was cheating on apterous for a few months around 2013-2014. This got found out and everyone was like:

Image
Ah right, thanks.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 10:00 am
by Gavin Chipper
Other Countdowners in the news are available.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 3:07 pm
by Matt Morrison
I reckon you cease to become a countdowner when you're more famous for something else. Especially something TV-based anyway.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 3:53 pm
by JimBentley
And he would have gotten away with it if wasn't for that pesky fact that he wrote about it in his autobiography!

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 4:29 pm
by Gavin Chipper
JimBentley wrote:And he would have gotten away with it if wasn't for that pesky fact that he wrote about it in his autobiography!
It was just freak chance that anyone actually read it.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 6:15 pm
by Graeme Cole
Gavin Chipper wrote:
JimBentley wrote:And he would have gotten away with it if wasn't for that pesky fact that he wrote about it in his autobiography!
It was just freak chance that anyone actually read it.
I wondered why he'd only been arrested now, when the autobiography came out a year ago. This is the best explanation yet.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 1:16 pm
by James Laverty
Graeme Cole wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:
JimBentley wrote:And he would have gotten away with it if wasn't for that pesky fact that he wrote about it in his autobiography!
It was just freak chance that anyone actually read it.
I wondered why he'd only been arrested now, when the autobiography came out a year ago. This is the best explanation yet.
It was a "European arrest warrant" and he was arrested at Heathrow, so I think it was him going to Heathrow that caused it.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 4:43 pm
by Gavin Chipper
I wasn't sure where to put this, but I might as well use the de facto Richard Brittain thread. Does Richard Brittain have a brother? Go to this week's Question Time at about 12:56.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 5:49 pm
by Jon O'Neill
Gavin Chipper wrote:I wasn't sure where to put this, but I might as well use the de facto Richard Brittain thread. Does Richard Brittain have a brother? Go to this week's Question Time at about 12:56.
This is a brilliant shout. I urge people to check it out. I would send a screencap but it's the mannerisms that are basically spot on.

He does have a brother but I don't think this is him?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 11:03 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Jon O'Neill wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:I wasn't sure where to put this, but I might as well use the de facto Richard Brittain thread. Does Richard Brittain have a brother? Go to this week's Question Time at about 12:56.
This is a brilliant shout. I urge people to check it out. I would send a screencap but it's the mannerisms that are basically spot on.

He does have a brother but I don't think this is him?
What do you know about his brother? Have you met him?

Edit - I'm guessing Charlie has met him, so I'll "tag" him in.
Charlie Reams wrote:

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 11:50 pm
by Graeme Cole
Jon O'Neill wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:I wasn't sure where to put this, but I might as well use the de facto Richard Brittain thread. Does Richard Brittain have a brother? Go to this week's Question Time at about 12:56.
This is a brilliant shout. I urge people to check it out. I would send a screencap but it's the mannerisms that are basically spot on.
Appearance: check.
Glasses: check.
Voice: check.
Question Time Guy wrote:The assumption that we are trading our membership of the single market for ability to control our borders and gaining our sovereignty is a strange one, because I think there's a strong positive case for leaving the single market, in that we are leaving a world of regulation and entering a world of markets which seem to be creating trade deals with far greater success.
Delusional fantasist: check.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 12:11 pm
by Ian Volante
Graeme Cole wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:I wasn't sure where to put this, but I might as well use the de facto Richard Brittain thread. Does Richard Brittain have a brother? Go to this week's Question Time at about 12:56.
This is a brilliant shout. I urge people to check it out. I would send a screencap but it's the mannerisms that are basically spot on.
Appearance: check.
Glasses: check.
Voice: check.
Question Time Guy wrote:The assumption that we are trading our membership of the single market for ability to control our borders and gaining our sovereignty is a strange one, because I think there's a strong positive case for leaving the single market, in that we are leaving a world of regulation and entering a world of markets which seem to be creating trade deals with far greater success.
Delusional fantasist: check.
Is he out yet, or would this count as an educational trip for the purposes of extra remission?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:39 pm
by Martin Hurst
Dan McColm in the news today........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-38687837

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:33 am
by sean d
Martin Hurst wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:39 pm Dan McColm in the news today........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-38687837
Missing from 5:30pm on Thursday until the early hours of Friday? That's a night out isn't it, rather than a missing person hunt?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:43 pm
by Ian Volante
sean d wrote: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:33 am
Martin Hurst wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:39 pm Dan McColm in the news today........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-38687837
Missing from 5:30pm on Thursday until the early hours of Friday? That's a night out isn't it, rather than a missing person hunt?
How random. I've been 'missing' in someone else's bed for longer than that.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:39 pm
by Mark Deeks
That was you? Explains a lot. At least cuddle me next time.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:33 pm
by Marc Meakin
According to Ricky Tomlinson, Richard Whitely was a 'spook '.
It's on the BBC website

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:36 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:33 pm According to Ricky Tomlinson, Richard Whitely was a 'spook '.
It's on the BBC website
Link?

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:07 pm
by Marc Meakin
I am on my phone not good with links.
However there is a website called Google which is quite useful.
Type Richard Whitely in the news section and it is the first story
I also pointed you in the direction of the BBC news website.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:02 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:07 pm I am on my phone not good with links.
However there is a website called Google which is quite useful.
Type Richard Whitely in the news section and it is the first story
I also pointed you in the direction of the BBC news website.
It wasn't high on Google when I looked or prominent on the BBC.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:41 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Here is a Mirror article on it anyway.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:58 am
by Marc Meakin
Thanks for doing that.
I think it's a non story really, with no substantiation.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:12 am
by Rhys Benjamin
(Personally think this warrants its own topic)

Telegraph article: https://www.facebook.com/TelegraphEnter ... 8516229908

I agree... think it's a non-story.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:26 pm
by Rhys Benjamin
This was the lead story on two of the "red top" papers today...

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 2:32 pm
by Martin Hurst
A few Countdowners in the news this week:

A report on Phyl Styles, who was recently part of the Series Championship-winning Verbivores team on BBC2 quiz show Only Connect http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/north-norfo ... -1-4968435

Countdown calendar puzzle-setter and former series champions Stewart Holden has taken over quizmaster duties at a Northern Ireland pub (guessing it was a very slow news week in Lisburn!) http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/whats-on/ ... -1-7901855

Story about Richard Brittain on the OK website http://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/1040 ... ices-devil

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:07 pm
by Noel Mc
The pub quiz he is taking over is one of the best in the greater Belfast/Lisburn area. You need to turn up about an hour beforehand to have any hope of a seat. Class pub too.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 10:06 pm
by Martin Hurst
Series 76 quarter finalist and former Apterite James Slater standing for the Labour Party at the Camden Council elections....... http://camdennewjournal.com/article/cou ... -mhadsteap

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:52 am
by James Laverty
I see Vorders is rehashing an old story again http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/countdown/ ... owed-back/

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:57 pm
by Philip Wilson
Not exactly in 'the' news but on "Have I Got News For You" Mark Nyman just got a mention. It was in relation to Scrabble rather than Countdown.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:32 am
by Martin Hurst
Tragic news regarding series 75 contestant James Thomson http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... icide.html

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 1:57 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Very sad news.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:54 pm
by Elliott Mellor
Very sad indeed. Condolences to his family and friends.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:54 pm
by Tom S
It is an absolute tragic story. Stories like that should encourage people to just ask anyone they know, whether it be a family or a friend, it is so important to just ask people simple things like that. As someone who is suffering from anxiety and being agrophobic, I have experienced similar things, but not suicide, yet some find it incredibly hard to even confide in their parents, so if someone says they are anxious, don't dismiss it as "we all are", talk to them and offer advice, send them some websites to some great charities (No Panic is a great one I have used), that conversation could be a genuine conversation which could tell you the real way that person is feeling. RIP James.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 10:49 am
by Tracey Anne Mills
Very sad news. RIP James

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 3:36 pm
by Mark Deeks
Aye, that's bad. The Venn diagram between Countdowners/Apterites and such struggles contains massive overlap, and is something we should perhaps think about.

I'll say this, though. Having until very recently worked in 16-19 welfare, as the person struggling young people would come to, I have had a lot of first-hand, face-to-face experience with the impact that it has on a child or young adult when they come to you and the first thing they want to know is "will you tell my parents?", and you say "no". It is often a huge relief for them. Often (but certainly not always) because it is the parents they want to talk about, but also because they don't really want anyone to know. There are myriad reasons why they would want this kept from parents, and while any good parent will want to know, it is often so hugely vital that they don't have the right.

It changes if you think someone is a legitimate threat unto themselves or others, but the article makes no mention of such a threat being perceived by anyone.

The story here is framed around parents wanting to know why they weren't informed, and of course they will want to know that. What news to take, especially if you didn't know anything about it beforehand. But the law has its reasons here and the beneficial side goes unreported.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:09 pm
by Gavin Chipper
^^ Good post.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:26 pm
by Elliott Mellor
Gavin Chipper wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:09 pm ^^ Good post.
Seconded.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 1:23 am
by Thomas Carey
Elliott Mellor wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:26 pm
Gavin Chipper wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:09 pm ^^ Good post.
Seconded.
Thirded. This hits worryingly close to home for me, with the guy being in pretty much the exact life position that I'm in :( RIP James

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:58 pm
by Rhys Benjamin
Thomas Carey wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2018 1:23 am
Elliott Mellor wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:26 pm
Gavin Chipper wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:09 pm ^^ Good post.
Seconded.
Thirded. This hits worryingly close to home for me, with the guy being in pretty much the exact life position that I'm in :( RIP James
Fourthed. To some extent, the fact this is a very real problem being faced - and all-too-often dismissed - by many. I believe suicide is the biggest killer of men under 40. If any of Mark's patients (for want of a better word) were on this forum, they would not want to write about their struggles on here, as it is public-facing and about 90% of us use real names. Such things are often overlooked.

On a brighter note, there are some fantastic people and charities and such out there. Sky News gave considerable airtime to this topic a year or so ago, and it really helped to raise awareness. The work of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) in particular is exceptional.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:12 pm
by Marc Meakin
Having suffered on and off for years I can say that 'outsiders' can have no way of what's going on inside your head it's like drowning in treacle when everyone else thinks you are wading in water and you don't have the gumption to let people know. In my lowest days I wanted to die but was too much of a coward to carry it out.i have told people what my triggers are so I can do my best to prevent further slides into deep depression. But it has taken me the best part of 40 years to for the most part, contain it. I'm all for DNA testing on babies if it can pinpoint those that are most likely to suffer. Because in a lot of cases it's not always triggered by obvious triggers like grief and loneliness

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:39 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Possibly someone with the same name, but someone called Damian Eadie gets mentioned in this BBC article.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 2:53 pm
by Mark Deeks

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 8:28 am
by Andy Platt
A popular series 68 octochamp became the mayor of Leeds in January.
She's changed her look slightly since she appeared on the show. New haircut or something probably.

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 9:24 am
by Zarte Siempre
Andy Platt wrote: Wed May 01, 2019 8:28 am A popular series 68 octochamp became the mayor of Leeds in January.
She's changed her look slightly since she appeared on the show. New haircut or something probably.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Thu May 23, 2019 1:28 pm
by Tom S
Elliott has now made it into the Daily Fail, cannot copy the link across.....

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:12 pm
by Andy McGurn
I was just watching BBC news and an anti-Trump protestor called Leo Murray was just interviewed. I am almost certain it was this guy: http://wiki.apterous.org/Leo_Murray

Re: Countdowners in the news

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:13 pm
by Marc Meakin
Rachel got married