So, enjoy all you can.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 2 October 2013.
C1: Champion Callum Todd (3 wins, 232 points.) An Apteforumite and 6th form student from Leeds. He enjoys Game Of Thrones, which is mostly set in Northern Ireland.
C2: Challenger Breda Sexton. A nurse from Mullagh, County Clare, Republic of Ireland. Her favourite book is David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. She also enjoys watching Munster rugby club, recently watching their big match against Biarritz.
DC: Susie Dent and Michaela Strachan, making her DC début.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P H T M A E O F L
R02: K R B N U I E W T
R03: 6, 7, 5, 7, 8, 8. Target: 423.
TTT: DAMNDUDE - "When you think you've read everything, this crops up"
R04: J S T A I O G E R
R05: B D C X U A E N D
R06: 50, 9, 8, 4, 4, 2. Target: 888.
R07: S R N M I A E N R
R08: S N L O I Q R E S
R09: 6, 2, 5, 9, 7, 6. Target: 541.
TTT: RICEDUST - "You'll need these if you're going for a dip"
R10: R S T L A U O D A
R11: R L T H E I O R P
R12: N G V D A E I G O
R13: T P C M U I A E S
R14: 25, 8, 2, 8, 7, 6. Target: 320.
R15: S I L V E R U N O (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: P H T M A E O F L
C1: HAMLET (6)
C2: METAL (5)
DC: MATH (4)
OT: APOTHEM (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)
Well, a HAMLET might be small, but it's big enough to send Callum into an early lead today. Interesting that DC missed APOTHEM after spotting it in yesterday's show (although this episode was recorded 2 weeks after yesterday's, so I'll let Susie off.
)An APOTHEM is a perpendicular from the centre of a regular polygon to one of its sides.
Round 2: K R B N U I E W T
C1: WINTER (6)
C2: BUNKER (6)
DC: TRIBUNE (7) TWINER (6) TURBINE (7)
Score: 12–6 (max 14)
It's not quite WINTER, so no need to go into the BUNKER yet, but it's 6 apiece for the contestants, and 7 apiece for DC.
Round 3: 6, 7, 5, 7, 8, 8. Target: 423.
C1: 420. (8 + 7 - 5) x 6 x 7 (7)
C2: 428.
RR: 423. ((5 x 8) + 7) x (7 - 6 + 8) (10)
Score: 19–6 (max 24)
Callum sticking to his guns with the 6 small, which gets him to within 3, while Rachel needs extra time, after being 1 away originally.
Teatime teaser: DAMNDUDE -> ADDENDUM
Round 4: J S T A I O G E R
C1: GORIEST (7)
C2: gariest
DC: GAITERS (7) STAGIER (7)
OT: AGISTER (7) GOITRES (7) ORGEATS (7) OSTERIA (7) STORAGE (7) TOERAGS (7) TRIAGES (7)
Score: 26–6 (max 31)
For the 2nd time in 2 weeks, gariest is once again sent to the sin bin, letting Callum's GORIEST offering extend his lead to a score.
An ORGEAT is a syrup or drink made originally from barley, but later from almonds, prepared with sugar and an extract of orange flowers.
Round 5: B D C X U A E N D
C1: UNDEAD (6)
C2: CANED (5)
DC: ADDUCE (6)
OT: BANDED (6) CAUDEX (6) DANCED (6) DAUBED (6)
Score: 32–6 (max 37)
An excellent offering from Callum here, I hope that's not a reference to him............
A CAUDEX is the main stem of a tree, especially a palm or tree fern.
Round 6: 50, 9, 8, 4, 4, 2. Target: 888.
C1: 887.
C2: 888. (2 x 9 x 50) - (8 + 4) (10)
Score: 32–16 (max 47)
Oh dear, a poor miss from Callum, and Breda takes full advantage, cutting his advantage down to 16 points.
Michaela talks about the time she was bitten by a lemur in Madagascar, and was taken to a hospital, where the GP thought she had a broken femur
Round 7: S R N M I A E N R
C1: REMAINS (7)
C2: REMAINS (7)
DC: rainers MARINERS (8) SEMINAR (7)
Score: 39–23 (max 55)
The REMAINS are picked up by the contestants, while DC are all at sea with their darrenic MARINERS for 8.
Round 8: S N L O I Q R E S
C1: SENIORS (7)
C2: LIONS (5)
DC: LIONESS (7) INSOLES (7)
OT: LESIONS (7) LORISES (7) RISSOLE (7) SONSIER (7)
Score: 46–23 (max 62)
Callum's score is now double Breda's again, although she will kick herself for missing LIONESS, when she had LIONS..............
SONSIER comes from SONSY, an adjective meaning strong and healthy, robust, agreeable or good-natured.
Round 9: 6, 2, 5, 9, 7, 6. Target: 541.
C1: 541. (9 x 6 x 5 x 2) + 7 - 6 (10)
C2: 541. (9 x 6 x 5 x 2) + 7 - 6 (10)
Score: 56–33 (max 72)
A fairly straightforward 6 small numbers game for once.
NEXT 
Teatime teaser: RICEDUST -> CRUDITES
Round 10: R S T L A U O D A
C1: ASTRAL (6)
C2: ALOUD (5)
DC: ADULATORS (18)
Score: 62–33 (max 90)
If Callum thought he was going into orbit with ASTRAL, he'll have been brought down to earth with DC's 9.
Round 11: R L T H E I O R P
C1: PORTLIER (8)
C2: HOLIER (6)
DC: HELIPORT (8)
Score: 70–33 (max 98)
A fantastic 8 spot from Callum there. The game is surely his now.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "plutocracy".
Round 12: N G V D A E I G O
C1: EVADING (7)
C2: devoid
DC: diego
OT: GOADING (7)
Score: 77–33 (max 105)
Nothing seems to be going right for Breda today, she sees a phantom D, but even if it was there, she'd have still lost out to Callum's EVADING offering anyway. And just to rub further salt into the wounds, that 7 has wrapped up the win for Callum.
Round 13: T P C M U I A E S
C1: CAMPEST (7)
C2: PACIEST (7)
DC: CAMPSITE (8)
OT: CAMPIEST (8)
Score: 84–40 (max 113)
Both contestants go for risky 7's, but both are fine, but Nick interestingly asks about CAMPIEST, which Susie says no, but we disagree..............
Round 14: 25, 8, 2, 8, 7, 6. Target: 320.
C1: 321. ((7 + 6) x 25) - (8 / 2) (7)
C2: 324.
RR: 320. (25 + 7) x (8 + 2) (10)
Score: 91–40 (max 123)
Another horror miss by the contestants, but at least Callum is in line to try and get a century in his 4th game.
Round 15: S I L V E R U N O
C2 buzzes on 10.5 seconds to say UNIVERSE which is incorrect.
C1 buzzes on 13.25 seconds to say REVULSION which is correct.
Final Score: 101–40 (max 133)
Dear oh dear, a horror guess from Breda there, but after some shoddy camera work, it doesn't take Callum too much longer to find the answer, and indeed get his first century of his run, which has now taken him to half-octochampdom.
Join James R tomorrow, that's James Roper, not me, as I'm busy seeing a Chaser doing his day job in a Huddersfield theatre. (You can probably work out what I'm doing from that.
)So, I'll be back next Wednesday, by which time, Callum will have left the stage, as will Michaela Strachan, who will be replaced by Kate Adie in DC.
See you all next week then. Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Callum:
Total score - 101
Raw score - 108
Total % of max - 76
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 7.2
Number of maxes - 7
Breda:
Total score - 40
Raw score - 80
Total % of max - 30
Raw % of max - 60
Total average score per round - 2.7
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69