But, I've decided to have a one-off and come in to assist Tracey, whilst she's on her holidays. 
So, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 30 April 2015.
C1: Champion Sue Picken (1 win, 79 points.) A retired nurse from Cramlington, Northumberland.
C2: Challenger Liam Thorne. A student from Bristol, currently on a gap year working as a supermarket assistant. He learnt the alphabet whilst watching Countdown.
Next year, he's studying maths at Exeter University.DC: Susie Dent and Chris Hollins, making his DC début today.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S B F A O R W I O
R02: R E A S H E O N D
R03: 75, 5, 8, 7, 6, 10. Target: 399.
TTT: PLOTSCAR - "Plots to stop the car by tossing these into the road"
R04: C P A U L T I A S
R05: G N M E O N T U P
R06: 100, 8, 5, 4, 4, 2. Target: 364.
R07: C T S A U O Q T A
R08: R P E O U B O X L
R09: 75, 10, 9, 8, 2, 6. Target: 609.
TTT: HUGETART - "Forgot how to do it, so was shown all over again"
R10: F M Y E I A H G T
R11: R G T E O E Z N D
R12: N I E T V A R D S
R13: W C T I E A S J R
R14: 75, 2, 6, 3, 8, 4. Target: 279.
R15: S I L V E R D Y E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S B F A O R W I O
Sue: FAIRS (5)
Liam: BOARS (5)
DC: WAIFS (5) ISOBAR (6)
OT: ARIOSO (6) BOOAIS (6) FIBROS (6) ROSBIF (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6)
A few 5's to start with, but DC up the pressure thanks to their ISOBAR.
In New Zealand, a BOOAI is a remote rural district.
In Australia, a FIBRO is a mixture of sand, cement, and cellulose fibre, used in sheets for building.
Originally among French-speakers, a ROSBIF is humorous term for an English person.
Round 2: R E A S H E O N D
Sue: REASONED (8)
Liam: REASONED (8)
DC: SOREHEAD (8)
OT: HOARSENED (18)
Score: 13–13 (max 24)
A REASONED offering by both players, but no-one spots the NINE!!!
Round 3: 75, 5, 8, 7, 6, 10. Target: 399.
Sue: 399. (5 x 75) + ((10 - 7) x 8) (10)
Liam: 399. (5 x 75) + ((10 - 7) x 8) (10)
Score: 23–23 (max 34)
Nice work by both players here.
Teatime teaser: PLOTSCAR -> CALTROPS
Round 4: C P A U L T I A S
Sue: CLAPS (5)
Liam: PLAITS (6)
DC: CAPITALS (8) PLASTIC (7) SPATULA (7)
OT: APLASTIC (8) CAPITULA (8)
Score: 23–29 (max 42)
First blood to Liam with his PLAITS.
DC pull out a couple of 7's, plus an 8 too. APLASTIC is an adjective relating to APLASIA, the failure of an organ or tissue to develop or to function normally.
A CAPITULUM (plural CAPITULA) is a compact head of a structure, in particular a dense flat cluster of small flowers or florets, as in plants of the daisy family.
Round 5: G N M E O N T U P
Sue: PUNNET (6)
Liam: NUTMEG (6)
DC: TONGUE (6) GNOME (5) PUNGENT (7)
Score: 29–35 (max 49)
The smell of success in DC might be a bit PUNGENT, but it could be made nicer with a bit of NUTMEG.
Round 6: 100, 8, 5, 4, 4, 2. Target: 364.
Sue: 365.
Liam: 364. (100 - (5 + 4)) x 4 (10)
Score: 29–45 (max 59)
Efficient numbers from Liam sees him pull further away from Sue.
Chris talks about some unfortunate bloopers he had whilst doing live early morning reports on BBC Breakfast.
Round 7: C T S A U O Q T A
Sue: OUTCAST (7)
Liam: OUTCAST (7)
DC: QUOTAS (6) STOAT (5) STOUT (5) SQUAT (5)
OT: OUTACTS (7)
Score: 36–52 (max 66)
Round 8: R P E O U B O X L
Sue: BLOOPER (7)
Liam: BLOOPER (7)
DC: ROUBLE (6)
Score: 43–59 (max 73)
A good double 7 from Sue & Liam in these last rounds.....
Round 9: 75, 10, 9, 8, 2, 6. Target: 609.
Sue: 609. (75 x 8) + 9 (10)
Liam: 609. (75 x 8) + 9 (10)
Score: 53–69 (max 83)
And an easy numbers means the game is still finely poised heading into part 3.........
Teatime teaser: HUGETART -> RETAUGHT
Round 10: F M Y E I A H G T
Sue: MIGHTY (6)
Liam: MIGHTY (6)
DC: MEATY (5) EIGHTY (6)
OT: GAIETY (6) GAMIFY (6)
Score: 59–75 (max 89)
High and MIGHTY 6's from both players, but nothing more......
Round 11: R G T E O E Z N D
Sue: TENDER (6)
Liam: RENTED (6)
DC: GENDER (6)
OT: REZONED (7)
Score: 65–81 (max 96)
Loadsa loadsa 6's here, but there is a sneaky 7 hiding away..........
In North America, to REZONE is to assign land or property to a different planning zone.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of the phrase "going to the dogs".
Round 12: N I E T V A R D S
Sue: DIVERTS (7)
Liam: RANDIEST (8)
DC: INVADERS (8) DEVIANTS (8)
OT: DETRAINS (8) SANDIVER (8) STRAINED (8)
Score: 65–89 (max 104)
Well that "interesting" offering from Liam has put him one foot into the champions' chair.........
SANDIVER is scum that forms on molten glass.
Round 13: W C T I E A S J R
Sue: RECAST (6)
Liam: WARIEST (7)
DC: WAITERS (7)
OT: CRISTAE (7) RACIEST (7)
Score: 65–96 (max 111)
And that WARIEST offering from Liam has the game sealed in his favour. A brilliant performance by the maths student so far, he's only dropped one point in the last 8 rounds as well
Round 14: 75, 2, 6, 3, 8, 4. Target: 279.
Sue: 279. Mistake in working.
Liam: 279. ((75 - 6) x 4) + 3 (10)
Score: 65–106 (max 121)
And that's the century wrapped up after Sue's elongated method ends in her being 7 away.............
Round 15: S I L V E R D Y E
No one buzzes. The answer was DIVERSELY.
Final Score: 65–106 (max 131)
Neither contestant can solve the conundrum, but that won't stop it being a great day for Liam, who has proven to be a very useful contestant. Might he be in with a chance of making the finals
As you might know or not know, for the next 2 weeks, Countdown is only being shown on Mondays and Tuesdays thanks to the horse racing, so my next recap will be on May 20th.
So, till then, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE NEXT WEEK!!!
Bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Sue:
Total score - 65
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 5
Liam:
Total score - 106
Raw score - 106
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 7.1
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 9
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72
