Well at the end of a rare apterite-less week, we find ourselves with a new champion sitting in the chair in the form of Liam Thorne. He proved to be quite formidable in his first game yesterday, getting 106 on his first game. Will he continue his form into today? Robert Baxter is his first challenger. Enjoy.Countdown recap for Sunday 3 May 2015.
C1: Champion Liam Thorne (1 win, 106 points.) A student from Bristol, currently on a gap year working as a supermarket assistant.
C2: Challenger Robert Baxter. A Sales Assistant in an Off Licence from West Yorkshire, big music fan.
DC: Susie Dent and Chris Hollins.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: K D L E I O D T I
R02: C L D S E I O R I
R03: 10, 4, 5, 2, 6, 25. Target: 264.
TTT: GOOGLEMY - "I didn't use google to find out about my jewellery, I studied."
R04: E A O P V M Y A G
R05: L O E G S V O R E
R06: 7, 2, 9, 4, 4, 100. Target: 570.
R07: T S T I E S U L A
R08: N R D T E U I M D
R09: 3, 5, 8, 10, 4, 75. Target: 698.
TTT: ROBSTEAL - "To get this you need to think like a postman and rearrange the letters."
R10: U E A U J S B T O
R11: N U X T N I E I R
R12: N M P S R E A O F
R13: Q I D P F E A I T
R14: 8, 4, 3, 9, 2, 50, . Target: 213.
R15: F A T A U N T I E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: K D L E I O D T I
Liam: TODDLE (6)
Robert: DELTOID (7)
DC: DOLE KIDDIE (6)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
Liam decides to TODDLE to a 6, but Robert gets DELTOID for 7 to take an early lead.
Round 2: C L D S E I O R I
Liam: SOLDIER (7)
Robert: CLOSED (6)
DC: SCLEROID (8)
OT: IDOLISER (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 15)
Liam decides to SOLDIER on and gets 7 points as Robert CLOSED the round with only 6.
Round 3: 10, 4, 5, 2, 6, 25. Target: 264.
Liam: 264. (25 x 10) + (5 x 2) + 4 (10)
Robert: 265.
Score: 17–7 (max 25)
Robert gets 1 away with 265, as Liam gets a perfect 10 with 264.
Teatime teaser: GOOGLEMY -> GEMOLOGY
Round 4: E A O P V M Y A G
Liam: VOYAGE (6)
Robert: GAMEY (5)
DC: OMEGA (5) VAMPY (5)
OT: PAVAGE (6)
Score: 23–7 (max 31)
Liam goes on a VOYAGE for 6 points as Robert plays a GAMEY 5.
Round 5: L O E G S V O R E
Liam: RESOLVE (7)
Robert: GROVELS (7)
DC: GROOVES (7)
OT: GLOVERS (7)
Score: 30–14 (max 38)
It's 7 points each as Robert GROVELS to Liam to RESOLVE the situation.
Round 6: 7, 2, 9, 4, 4, 100. Target: 570.
Liam: 571. (4 + 2) x 100 - ((9 x 4) - 7) (7)
Robert: 572.
RR: 570. (100 + (7 x 2)) x (9 - 4) (10)
Score: 37–14 (max 48)
Liam gets 1 away with 571, whilst Robert can only get to 572. Rachel brings perfection though.
Chris Hollins talks about emails sent by viewers.
Round 7: T S T I E S U L A
Liam: tassels
Robert: SALTIEST (8)
DC: LUSTIEST (8) SALTIES (7)
OT: SITUATES (8)
Score: 37–22 (max 56)
Robert gets the SALTIEST word to score 8 points. Liam sees a 3rd 's' and declares the therefore invalid 'tassels'.
Round 8: N R D T E U I M D
Liam: MUDDIER (7)
Robert: MUDDIER (7)
DC: UNTRIED (7) INTRUDED (8) RUDIMENT (8)
Score: 44–29 (max 64)
Both players get a MUDDIER word for 7.
Round 9: 3, 5, 8, 10, 4, 75. Target: 698.
Liam: 698. (75 - 5) x 10 - (8 / 4) (10)
Robert: 698. (75 - 5) X 10 - (8 / 4) (10)
Score: 54–39 (max 74)
A perfect 10 for both players with 698.
Teatime teaser: ROBSTEAL -> SORTABLE
Round 10: U E A U J S B T O
Liam: JOUST (5)
Robert: JOUST (5)
DC: BEAUTS (6) BEATS (5)
OT: BOUTUS (6) BUTEOS (6) JABOTS (6) OBJETS (6) OBTUSE (6)
Score: 59–44 (max 80)
It's a JOUST for both players for 5 points.
Round 11: N U X T N I E I R
Liam: TINIER (6)
Robert: TINNIER (7)
DC: TRIXIE (6)
Score: 59–51 (max 87)
It's 7 for Robert with TINNIER as Liam gets a TINIER word.
Susie talks about the phrase 'go tell it to the Marines'.
Round 12: N M P S R E A O F
Liam: POEMS (5)
Robert: FOREMAN (7)
DC: PERSONA (7) MANROPES (8)
OT: PROFANES (8)
Score: 59–58 (max 95)
Liam gets POEMS for 5, but Robert gets 7 as he is the FOREMAN of this round.
Round 13: Q I D P F E A I T
Liam: FATED (5)
Robert: faited
DC: ADEPT (5) PITIED (6)
Score: 64–58 (max 101)
Liam is FATED to score 5 points here. Robert thought he was 'faited' to score 6, but you can't spell it like that.
Round 14: 8, 4, 3, 9, 2, 50. Target: 213.
Liam: 213. (4 x 50) + 8 + 2 + 3 (10)
Robert: 213. (50 + 2) x 4 + (8 - 3) (10)
Score: 74–68 (max 111)
Both players get 213 for a perfect 10 here.
Round 15: F A T A U N T I E
Robert buzzes on 21 seconds to say INFATUATE which is correct.
Final Score: 74–78 (max 121)
So we have a new champion as Robert Baxter wins on a crucial conundrum. I do feel though that maybe tiredness set in towards the end for Liam, as he was clearly a very capable player, but didn't seem at his best at times today. On that basis, his reign possibly ended a little prematurely. But take nothing away from Robert. He played well and worked hard to grind out a win. How far he will progress remains to be seen. Andy McGurn will be here on Monday. Be sure to join him then. As for me, well Countdown is not on for the next two Fridays. I am not going to bore you by moaning about the reason yet again
suffice to say that unless I am drafted in for holiday cover, or any other conceivable reason for absence, my next appearance here will be Friday 22nd May. I hope you will join me then. In the meantime, thank you very much for reading, and goodbye. Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72
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