Friday 7 October 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 70)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 7 October 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 70).

C1: Champion Nikki Roberts (1 win, 79 points.)
C2: Challenger June McGregor.
DC: Susie Dent and Anneka Rice.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

New champion Nikki Roberts takes on newcomer June McGregor in this Friday game. June hails from Swindon where she works for Relate. Her favourite place is Tenerife; she’s also a bit of a music lover and enjoys seeing tribute bands playing at her local pub. Without further ado, it’s time to see what happened...

R01: Y T R E O E F W P
R02: L O A M G S E U T
R03: S H T E A E V Z N
R04: R S M U E O L T A
R05: 50, 3, 8, 10, 7, 8. Target: 493.
TTT: TOOPLAIN - "If it's too plain, you can add some extras - the choice is yours."
R06: Q D T E O I B F E
R07: V K D U I E H S C
R08: D N R I A E P C A
R09: R G L I A O L S A
R10: 100, 1, 6, 7, 10, 4. Target: 905.
TTT: MAINPOLO - "You might see this horse at a main polo event."
R11: C S W O I A O T N
R12: E I E G N D G I R
R13: N B T U E A S R E
R14: 100, 2, 10, 8, 6, 5. Target: 819.
R15: D R Y H E A T E R (conundrum)

Countdown is sponsored by Vitabiotics Pregnacare.

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Jeff mentions the most common causes of disputes amongst neighbours, which leads Rachel to reveal that she’s always bouncing her balls over the fence and into her neighbour’s garden. It’s all to do with her getting ‘over-vigorous’ when playing with her cat, apparently.

Round 1: Y T R E O E F W P

C1: POETRY (6)
C2: POETRY (6)
DC: PEWTER (6)
OT: TORPEFY (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

The contestants spot a word not popular with Rachel. Everyone misses the darren; well done to those of you ‘at home’ who spotted it.

Round 2: L O A M G S E U T

C1: OUTAGES (7)
C2: GLEAMS (6)
DC: SOULMATE (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)

Nikki spots a bit of a Countdown favourite, while DC spot the lovely word SOULMATE, more of which later.

Round 3: S H T E A E V Z N

C1: HEAVENS (7)
C2: teazes
DC: SEVENTH (7)
Score: 20–6 (max 22)

June appears to get her ‘teases’ mixed up with her ‘teazels’, although Susie notes that it used to be legitimate to spell ‘tease’ with a ‘z’. Not any more, unfortunately.

Round 4: R S M U E O L T A

C1: moulters
C2: MOUSER (6)
DC: SOULMATE (8) EMULATORS (18)
Score: 20–12 (max 40)

I told you there would be more of SOULMATE later, and here it is! It’s Nikki’s turn to make a fruitless gamble, while DC spot the niner.

Round 5: 50, 3, 8, 10, 7, 8. Target: 493.

C1: 493. (50x10)-7 (10)
C2: 493. Mistake in working.
Score: 30–12 (max 50)

June gets her calculations wrong, which allows Nikki to extend her lead.

Anneka tells us of the time when she was painting on a remote Norfolk island and was too embarrassed to let an ‘amorous couple’ know they were in her eyeline and ended up hiding behind a bush and getting a different boat back to the mainland. She’s been good value in DC and it led me to think that Joanna Lumley would also make a good guest – if she could spare the time between going to Greece, making episodes of Ab Fab and saving the Gurkhas!

Teatime teaser: TOOPLAIN -> OPTIONAL

Round 6: Q D T E O I B F E

C1: BEFIT (5)
C2: BETIDE (6)
DC: FOETID (6)
OT: TIEFED (6)
Score: 30–18 (max 56)

To TIEF is to thieve.

Round 7: V K D U I E H S C

C1: CHIDES (6)
C2: CHIDES (6)
DC: SHUCKED (7) DUCKIES (7)
OT: DUCHIES (7)
Score: 36–24 (max 63)

To SHUCK means either (a) to remove the husks from maize or shellfish or (b) to fool someone.

Round 8: D N R I A E P C A

C1: PAINED (6)
C2: candier
DC: RADIANCE (8) CAPRINE (7)
Score: 42–24 (max 71)

Another dodgy gamble from June sees her slip further into the red.

OoW: Susie mentions some insulting words that she suggests Jeff might like to add to his vocabulary.

Round 9: R G L I A O L S A

C1: GIRASOL (7)
C2: GRILLS (6)
DC: GORILLAS (8)
Score: 49–24 (max 79)

Nikki’s either been watching Countdown or playing apterous, as she comes up with GIRASOL, while DC spot a word I always miss when it’s in the selection – GORILLAS.

Round 10: 100, 1, 6, 7, 10, 4. Target: 905.

C1: 905. ((10-1)x100)+4+7-6 (10)
C2: 905. ((10-1)x100)+4+7-6 (10)
Score: 59–34 (max 89)

10 points all round – nice.

Teatime teaser: MAINPOLO -> PALOMINO

Round 11: C S W O I A O T N

C1: ACTIONS (7)
C2: COAST (5)
DC: SNOWCAT (7) WAINSCOT (8)
Score: 66–34 (max 97)

DC come up with WAINSCOT for 8 – wall, I never.

Round 12: E I E G N D G I R

C1: grinder
C2: GINGERED (8)
Score: 66–42 (max 105)

Nikki’s seven has an extra R, but no one seems to mention it (not that it was of any import), while June gets what Jeff later calls ‘one of the words of the game’ (and I’m inclined to agree) with GINGERED, which simply means to add ginger to something.

Round 13: N B T U E A S R E

C1: BERATES (7)
C2: BARNETS (7)
DC: TURBANS (7) BANTERS (7) EASTERN (7)
OT: AUSTERE (7) BEANERS (7) BEATERS (7) BEAUTER (7) BURNETS (7) EARNEST (7) NATURES (7) NEAREST (7) NEUTERS (7) REBATES (7) RETUNES (7) SAUNTER (7) STERANE (7) TENURES (7) TUREENS (7)
Score: 73–49 (max 112)

Flat as they come... and it’s game over.

Round 14: 100, 2, 10, 8, 6, 5. Target: 819.

C1: 819. (100x8)+10+6+5-2 (10)
C2: 818.
Score: 83–49 (max 122)

Round 15: D R Y H E A T E R

No one buzzes. The answer was REHYDRATE.
Final Score: 83–49 (max 132)

There must have been a few dry mouths in the studio, as neither of the contestants spotted REHYDRATE, but someone from the audience does and presumably takes home a mug for their troubles. Nikki will be back on Monday to defend her crown, while Dr Phil Hammond returns to Dictionary Corner – hurrah! It’s also the start of Deal Or No Deal Live – I wonder if Countdown will ever get the same treatment? Anyway, that’s all for now – ta-ra until next weekend!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65