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Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:18 am
by David Williams
Although they could be a bit same-y I used to enjoy reading these on Mike Brown's website, and it would be interesting to hear what it's like these days. I know I was a little disappointed with my day at the 30th birthday championship. No bar, which I knew about, but also no photos - in fact I never even got to speak to Nick or Rachel. Maybe it was because it was the first day in Salford, maybe they thought it was unnecessary as we'd all been before, maybe I was just miserable because I was eviscerated by Chris Davies. But it would be good to hear what it's like now they are back to normal.

Incidentally, isn't the new letters/numbers format so much better than the old one.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 6:19 pm
by Graeme Cole
David Williams wrote:Although they could be a bit same-y I used to enjoy reading these on Mike Brown's website, and it would be interesting to hear what it's like these days. I know I was a little disappointed with my day at the 30th birthday championship. No bar, which I knew about, but also no photos - in fact I never even got to speak to Nick or Rachel. Maybe it was because it was the first day in Salford, maybe they thought it was unnecessary as we'd all been before, maybe I was just miserable because I was eviscerated by Chris Davies. But it would be good to hear what it's like now they are back to normal.
I'd definitely like to see some more entries on the Experiences page. I vaguely remember coming across Mike Brown's website years before I applied for the show - it must have been about ten years ago. The Experiences page was a good and interesting read. Then when I was preparing to apply I happened across the page again. The contestants' own descriptions of their experiences were very useful to me - it spelled out what to expect at every stage, from application to audition to recording. However, the most recent article on there is Kirk's from 2009, and a few things have changed even since I was on in 2011, so there isn't really any equivalent for prospective contestants nowadays searching the web to find out more about the process.

I'm sure Mike mentioned after CoHud last year that there were more experiences waiting to be published, unless I've misremembered that. Let's all lobby Mike to put them online. :-)
David Williams wrote:Incidentally, isn't the new letters/numbers format so much better than the old one.
Yes.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:14 pm
by Dan McColm
You're not imagining it Graeme, Mike definitely said there were some unpublished experiences.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:12 pm
by Charlie Reams
I too would really like some more of these. I remember finding them quite inspiring when I was a newbie, and it's quite nice to know what to expect when you get to the studio and stuff. Get on it, recent contestants!

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:16 pm
by Zarte Siempre
Charlie Reams wrote:Get on it, recent contestants!
Can't be arsed.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:36 pm
by Ben Wilson
I've actually done an update to my experiences following the 30th birthday championships and have been intending to email it to Mike for a while now, but seeing as my experience is the only one to have been split up into 5 parts, I need to be reassured that I haven't waffled on enough already.

(Yes, I deliberately typed this post in the most waffly way possible.)

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:51 pm
by Jack Worsley
If Mike's prepared to publish some more, I'll more than happily do one myself. I enjoyed reading them a while back too and would love to read some more.

Ben, I've read all five parts of your experience and I'd still like to read some more, so it's certainly not too waffly. :P

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:01 am
by David Williams
Charlie Reams wrote:I too would really like some more of these.
Jack Worsley wrote:I'll more than happily do one myself.
I hope Mike Brown wouldn't mind too much if a new 'Countdown - Experiences' section appeared on the C4C site. There seems to be the makings of it.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:36 pm
by Eoin Monaghan
I did actually intend to do one of these over the summer... but forgot. :oops:

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:39 am
by Dave Preece
Zarte Siempre wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:Get on it, recent contestants!
Can't be arsed.
LOL!

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:57 pm
by Jack Worsley
I've contacted Mike and he's happy to add some more when he gets some free time, most likely next month. Who's up for writing one then?

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:37 am
by Gavin Chipper
Jack Worsley wrote:I've contacted Mike and he's happy to add some more when he gets some free time, most likely next month. Who's up for writing one then?
I'm quite happy to write one but I've never been on Countdown.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:43 am
by Jennifer Steadman
Meeeeeeee meeeeeeee meeeeeeeeee

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:48 pm
by Ben Wilson
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Jack Worsley wrote:I've contacted Mike and he's happy to add some more when he gets some free time, most likely next month. Who's up for writing one then?
I'm quite happy to write one but I've never been on Countdown.
There's an easy way to fix that...

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:52 pm
by Ben Wilson
In all seriousness though, it'd be good to see experience reports from people who appeared on the show after first coming to co-events or appearing on apterous. As stated above there haven't been any experiences from contestants more recent than 2009, and it'd be really interesting to compare the different ways people have arrived on the scebne (for want of a better of putting it) since that time.

Also, it'd be good to finally read Mike's own experience, which is something like 11 years overdue at this point.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:38 pm
by Jack Worsley
Ben Wilson wrote: Also, it'd be good to finally read Mike's own experience, which is something like 11 years overdue at this point.
+1

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:21 am
by David Williams
Bump.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 4:15 pm
by L'oisleatch McGraw
Fascinating!
I just spent some time reading through the "experiences" page.
Kirk's was great.

It's been 8 years since an update...
Perhaps if the appetite is there, it might make sense to just start a thread here (or use this one), for people to share stories?

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 5:45 pm
by Euan Slatter
I won a school 3 round numbers game once. BEAST. MODE. ACTIVATED.

Re: Countdown Experiences

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:32 pm
by Elliott Mellor
Just gonna bump this thread, as I'd also love to see some more added here. I've read through them and they're very fascinating. Does Mike still linger anymore?