Impossible Numbers Rounds

[Mark Bly]

I feel that just recently there have been some really hard numbers rounds that Rachel has been unable to solve. I know some people may be wondering if this is something that Carol Vorderman would have done in 30 seconds, but what about the rounds that are just impossible?

It wasn't until I found an online version of the numbers game that will solve the puzzles for you, that indeed some puzzles are just impossible to solve. After all, it is a random number generator. I just wondered if this would seem like just a bit of bad luck that Rachel has had to take on these really tough rounds where being just one away was as close as anyone could get.

Any thoughts?

[Kirk Bevins]

Bad luck mixed with having to better championship of champion contestants which is always going to be hard. Just wait till Series 60 starts properly tomorrow and see how many she solves then. I'm told she'll blow you away.

[Mark Bly]

I will look forward to that! I will seem to think it is unfair on Rachel if the numbers games are not possible to solve, what then? It may be me but if it just randomly generates a number that isn't possible then even the best maths can't get you there!

Besides, i've recently read that when Carol started she only did every other day checking the numbers. Poor Rachel has had a lot of pressure!

[Martin Gardner]

I will look forward to that! I will seem to think it is unfair on Rachel if the numbers games are not possible to solve, what then? It may be me but if it just randomly generates a number that isn't possible then even the best maths can't get you there!

Besides, i've recently read that when Carol started she only did every other day checking the numbers. Poor Rachel has had a lot of pressure!

I don't think that's true - what's your source? And if the numbers game is impossible, so what? It happened to me twice, nobody apart from us Internet geeks even notice it, and even then, only after the game.

[Vikash Shah]

This would make Rachel feel better:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-VPwL9tbZ80&NR=1

I got that one before the clock started

[Phil Reynolds]

This would make Rachel feel better:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-VPwL9tbZ80&NR=1

I got that one before the clock started

Haha. I remember seeing that one and watching in slack-jawed disbelief when Carol couldn't get it. I think probably at that point a substantial proportion of the audience at home must have been yelling at their TV sets.

[Mark Bly]

Yep, interesting! guess I need to sharpen my numbers skills too! I didn't get that

[Jennifer Turner]

Besides, i've recently read that when Carol started she only did every other day checking the numbers. Poor Rachel has had a lot of pressure!

I don't think that's true - what's your source?

She alternated (probably on recording days rather than broadcast days) with Linda Barrett (Doctor Linda Barrett, I think): http://www.countdownwiki.com/Linda_Barrett

[Mark Bly]

I may be mistaken, but I read that on http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.p ... =Countdown ;

"The original hostesses were Kathy Hytner and Beverley Isherwood, who used to select the letters and numbers cards respectively. Either Linda Barrett or Carol Vorderman was wheeled on twice a show (they did alternate programmes) to check the calculations for the numbers game. Isherwood and Barrett were early casualties, but it wasn't until 1989 that all these jobs came under the purview of a single hostess, when the third "letters girl" Lucy Summers left and Vorderman was put in charge of the lot. "

That was a good few years ago!

[Gavin Chipper]

This would make Rachel feel better:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-VPwL9tbZ80&NR=1

I got that one before the clock started

Haha. I remember seeing that one and watching in slack-jawed disbelief when Carol couldn't get it. I think probably at that point a substantial proportion of the audience at home must have been yelling at their TV sets.

It's weird she didn't get it considering she said she went up to 900. It's almost impossible not to get it if you do that especially considering if you took away the 1 first, you still get the answer just as easily.

Someone in the comments suggested it was fixed so he'd get the chance, but you can't fix the contestants screwing it up though.