C1: Champion Barry Smith (1 win, 79 points.)
C2: Challenger Nikki Cooper.
DC: Susie Dent and Rick Wakeman.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R E U P T S T E S
R02: N H A N R E I H O
R03: I Q M M A I L N D
R04: T G O R E L A S D
R05: 75, 3, 3, 7, 8, 10. Target: 177.
TTT: TONKOBOE - "It may contain information about your computer"
R06: R P U X C O I S L
R07: D T E F R A N M E
R08: N T O V A T R I E
R09: E F C L I A N D R
R10: 100, 1, 9, 5, 4, 8. Target: 436.
TTT: VETSPORE - "Dance too many times with Mark"
R11: W N D U A E G T E
R12: B N B A O R O S A
R13: M P A O S I J D U
R14: 25, 7, 8, 6, 5, 3. Target: 525.
R15: E V I L B I N G E (conundrum)
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Barry makes his first appearance in the champion's chair then - as Des points out in his intro he made a swift move over there at the first attempt, which I think made us all sit up and take note as it really is quite extraordinary in the world of Countdown. Today he faced Nikki Cooper, from Waterlooville in Hampshire. That's Pompey territory to a Saints fan like me, but I shall try to remain objectively impartial throughout. Anyway, Nikki's a mother of three who makes all her own greeting cards, and one of her ambitions is to sit in the Countdown champion's chair. So will this miserly skate's dreams come true? Let's see:
Round 1: R E U P T S T E S
C1: PUTTERS (7)
C2: PUTTERS (7)
DC: SPUTTERS (8)
OT: UPSETTERS (18)
I haven't credited UPSETTERS to DC because technically it was offered by Des O'Connor. Des was slightly taken aback that SPUTTERS was in, as he thought it was most likely just a mispronunciation of (or confusion with) SPLUTTERS, which were also thoughts that went through my head. It was somewhat surprising that he was then able to very confidently offer UPSETTERS, which I had also seen and discounted as being more even more unlikely than SPUTTERS.... Susie didn't even bother to check the word in the dictionary, she was more concerned that there were enough Es in the selection. But it's in. Some lame acting all round
Score: 7–7 (max 18)
Round 2: N H A N R E I H O
C1: INNER (5)
C2: HARE (4)
DC: ANION (5) HEROIN (6)
OT: HERNIA (6)
Score: 12–7 (max 24)
Round 3: I Q M M A I L N D
C1: LAND (4)
C2: INLAID (6)
DC: MINIMAL (7)
Score: 12–13 (max 31)
Round 4: T G O R E L A S D
C1: LEOTARDS (8)
C2: ROASTED (7)
DC: LEGATORS (8) LODESTAR (8)
OT: DELATORS (8) GLOATERS (8)
Score: 20–13 (max 39)
Round 5: 75, 3, 3, 7, 8, 10. Target: 177.
C1: 177.(3+7+8)*10-3 (10)
C2: 173.
Score: 30–13 (max 49)
Teatime teaser: TONKOBOE -> NOTEBOOK
Round 6: R P U X C O I S L
C1: COILS (5)
C2: SLURP (5)
DC: CURIOS (6)
OT: A few sixes here, but I can't be bothered to list them all. OXLIPS (6) made me chuckle though, but sadly they're flowers, rather than being the lips of an ox.
Score: 35–18 (max 55)
Round 7: D T E F R A N M E
C1: DEFAMER (7)
C2: MEANDER (7)
OT: FREEDMAN (8)
Score: 42–25 (max 63)
DC weren't asked for anything in this round.
Round 8: N T O V A T R I E
C1: RATION (6)
C2: varient
DC: ROTATIVE (8)
OT: TENTORIA (8)
Score: 48–25 (max 71)
Sadly for Nikki there's no such variant spelling of variant. Tentoria is the plural of tentorium, which is something in your brain, or in the head of an insect.
Round 9: E F C L I A N D R
C1: FIACRE (6)
C2: FANCIED (7)
OT: FANCIER (7) CANDLER (7) CARLINE (7) RADICLE (7)
Score: 48–32 (max 78)
A candler might be the same as a chandler, but it doesn't actually say in the dictionary, so I'm not sure. Could it BE any less useful? (One for Friends fans there.) Carline is either a thistle, or can also be some wood on a deck or something. Radicle (not to be confused with radical) is the bit of a plant embryo that develops into the root.
Round 10: 100, 1, 9, 5, 4, 8. Target: 436.
C1: 436.(100+9)*4 (10)
C2: 436.(5-1)*100+9*4 (10)
Score: 58–42 (max 88)
Teatime teaser: VETSPORE -> OVERSTEP
Round 11: W N D U A E G T E
C1: ungated
C2: TWANGED (7)
OT: NEGATED (7) UNWAGED (7) ENDGATE (7)
Score: 58–49 (max 95)
DC were not asked yet again.
Round 12: B N B A O R O S A
C1: BARONS (6)
C2: BARONS (6)
DC: BABOONS (7)
Score: 64–55 (max 102)
Round 13: M P A O S I J D U
C1: PODIUM (6)
C2: JUMPS (5)
DC: SAPID (5) PIOUS (5) SODIUM (6)
OT: PODIUMS (7)
Score: 70–55 (max 109)
Odd that nobody thought to stick the S on the end of PODIUM. Maybe they thought the plural was PODIA. Which it is, as well.
Round 14: 25, 7, 8, 6, 5, 3. Target: 525.
C1: 525.7*3*25 (10)
C2: 525.7*3*25 (10)
Score: 80–65 (max 119)
Round 15: E V I L B I N G E
C2 buzzes on 2 seconds to say BELIEVING which is correct.
Score: 80–75 (max 129)
Barry maintains the recent run of not-massively-convincing wins that has been a feature since David O'Donnell thankfully left our screens. Like Nick and Barbara, he looks like he'll be lucky to put together too many more wins. Plus, did they let Nikki sit in the champion's chair anyway, even just for a few seconds off-camera, to fulfil her ambition? I'd like to think not
Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58