Where are They Now ?
Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 5:49 am
I was wondering what some of the memorable Countdown Contestants are doing now like Kai Laddieman, Jeffrey Handsford and Richard Brittain.
A group for contestants and lovers of the Channel 4 game show 'Countdown'.
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He's getting more skilled at his old hobby then?Thomas Cappleman wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 9:56 am Richard Brittain (according to a conversation on Apterous some time) lives on my walk to work. Not actually spotted him, but he said he saw me one time.
Oliver Garner won CO:LON the other day. Kirk Bevins is refereeing darts games.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 9:01 am Junaid, Kirk Bevans , Jimmy Gough and Oliver Garner to name a few.
I thought Oliver Garner was dabbling in the dark arts ( Scrabble )Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 11:23 amOliver Garner won CO:LON the other day. Kirk Bevins is refereeing darts games.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 9:01 am Junaid, Kirk Bevans , Jimmy Gough and Oliver Garner to name a few.
Harvey Freeman was always a bit of an enigma, wasn't he? Nobody seems to know anything much about him at all. I've tried in the past to find out about his life outside of Countdown and have always turned up nothing. I've always thought this a bit odd, as you would think there would be some contemporary newspaper reports or something that might give a bit of background, but if there are, I can't find them. Maybe he used a pseudonym?Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 11:22 am I'm more interested in the more historic names - Harvey Freeman, Allan Saldanha, for example.
No doubt Gevin will remember all this and find a link, but I think when this came up years ago someone said he was an accountant, and they'd seen him at a job interview or something. And someone else was amazed at how mundane this was, they had always imagined that he lived in a castle, with servants. Which, to be honest, was how I pictured him as well. I think I've also seen pictures of him at Richard Whiteley's funeral.JimBentley wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 6:50 pmHarvey Freeman was always a bit of an enigma, wasn't he? Nobody seems to know anything much about him at all. I've tried in the past to find out about his life outside of Countdown and have always turned up nothing. I've always thought this a bit odd, as you would think there would be some contemporary newspaper reports or something that might give a bit of background, but if there are, I can't find them. Maybe he used a pseudonym?Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 11:22 am I'm more interested in the more historic names - Harvey Freeman, Allan Saldanha, for example.
Here it is. But it says IT.David Williams wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 7:55 pmNo doubt Gevin will remember all this and find a link, but I think when this came up years ago someone said he was an accountant, and they'd seen him at a job interview or something. And someone else was amazed at how mundane this was, they had always imagined that he lived in a castle, with servants. Which, to be honest, was how I pictured him as well. I think I've also seen pictures of him at Richard Whiteley's funeral.JimBentley wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 6:50 pmHarvey Freeman was always a bit of an enigma, wasn't he? Nobody seems to know anything much about him at all. I've tried in the past to find out about his life outside of Countdown and have always turned up nothing. I've always thought this a bit odd, as you would think there would be some contemporary newspaper reports or something that might give a bit of background, but if there are, I can't find them. Maybe he used a pseudonym?Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 11:22 am I'm more interested in the more historic names - Harvey Freeman, Allan Saldanha, for example.
Hargreaves is doing fine - I speak to him on a semi-regular basis. Robbo more I believe as I think they both end up at Huddersfield games.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:36 am Also forumites like Zeff , Sue Sanders, Mr Hargreaves,
Also various flouncers, too many to mention.( plus I've forgotten most of their names )
How did you get to know Hargreaves? He disappeared off the scene years ago didn't he?Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 12:00 amHargreaves is doing fine - I speak to him on a semi-regular basis. Robbo more I believe as I think they both end up at Huddersfield games.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:36 am Also forumites like Zeff , Sue Sanders, Mr Hargreaves,
Also various flouncers, too many to mention.( plus I've forgotten most of their names )
I did meet Zeff at a Scrabble tournament in Essex many years ago and it was only because he was an early keyboard warrior in the Scrabble community tooMarc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:36 am Also forumites like Zeff , Sue Sanders, Mr Hargreaves,
Also various flouncers, too many to mention.( plus I've forgotten most of their names )
We met at Reading 2013. Got on OK, stayed in touch. When one of us posts about something the other's interested in (usually still Countdown-related - he still watches the show) we tend to have a chat about it. Trying to convince him to come to an event or two. Good bloke.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 7:04 amHow did you get to know Hargreaves? He disappeared off the scene years ago didn't he?Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 12:00 amHargreaves is doing fine - I speak to him on a semi-regular basis. Robbo more I believe as I think they both end up at Huddersfield games.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:36 am Also forumites like Zeff , Sue Sanders, Mr Hargreaves,
Also various flouncers, too many to mention.( plus I've forgotten most of their names )
He writes a weekly Scrabble column for The Times.
Took over from Allan (cheat ) Simmons
What happened?Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 5:18 pmTook over from Allan (cheat ) Simmons
Made the NY Times!Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 7:20 pm He got caught cheating last year and has been banned for two years and had to give trophies back but not prize money AFAIK.
I believe he repeatedly overdrew tiles and palmed or cherry picked them.
I think it made the newspapers.
Probably not the Times though.
He hasn't admitted guilt nor apologised.
Also not contesting the ban.
It's a very sensitive and divisive situation as he is or was a well respected member of the ABSP and has written many books.
I can't believe a man of his calibre (probably one of the ten best players in the UK ) needed to do it
He hasn't got one for being chucked out the ABSP for his , shall we say, colourful opinions on HIS own Facebook page.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 4:41 pm A bit off topic, but I found myself looking into Scrabble stuff - Craig Beevers appears to be the only world champion not to have his own Wikipedia article.
More details please! Though I'm still not sure why that would affect him having a Wikipedia article.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 5:37 pmHe hasn't got one for being chucked out the ABSP for his , shall we say, colourful opinions on HIS own Facebook page.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 4:41 pm A bit off topic, but I found myself looking into Scrabble stuff - Craig Beevers appears to be the only world champion not to have his own Wikipedia article.
You are right I was just being flippant.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 8:24 pmMore details please! Though I'm still not sure why that would affect him having a Wikipedia article.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 5:37 pmHe hasn't got one for being chucked out the ABSP for his , shall we say, colourful opinions on HIS own Facebook page.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 4:41 pm A bit off topic, but I found myself looking into Scrabble stuff - Craig Beevers appears to be the only world champion not to have his own Wikipedia article.
Edit - He has got one, but it wasn't linked to on that other page.
Valid point but to put it into contextMark Deeks wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 1:53 am He does have the right to post any shit he likes - well, sorta - but they also have a right to not want to be associated with a person who does that.
I think he has a thing about cheats. He was berating John Higgins at the snooker this year (I believe he was once found guilty of throwing games ).Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 9:29 am I think most word games would rather do without islamophobes AND cheats, it's not like they need to choose whichever is worse and only remove one lot.
From what I remember of Beevers on here, something tells me his efforts to out a cheat would have served some personal gain rather than been purely for the love of the game too.
Not sure, but he turned up at my quiz a few years ago if I remember right, I suspect he was grumpy that one of his team-mates outed him, don't think he's returned since.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 8:39 am If I recall rightly, Fell himself is working as a lawyer nowadays?
I seem to remember someone from the Countdown world contacting him once and he threw a fit about it. "How the Hell did you find my e-mail address?" etc. That was the story anyway.Ian Volante wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 11:37 amNot sure, but he turned up at my quiz a few years ago if I remember right, I suspect he was grumpy that one of his team-mates outed him, don't think he's returned since.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 8:39 am If I recall rightly, Fell himself is working as a lawyer nowadays?
There was quite a lot of this online during the World Championships last month, but wasn't it just one the News of the World's entrapments by "fake sheikh" Mazher Mahmood? The "video proof" will have been edited to look as damning as possible, because that was always the evidence that supposedly backed up the stories, but as far as I know the unedited footage has never been publicly seen. Given that Mahmood actually went to prison for perverting the course of justice due to misleading "evidence" that he presented in a court case relating to a later story, I don't really know why so many people automatically assume that Higgins was guilty at all.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 10:38 amI think he has a thing about cheats. He was berating John Higgins at the snooker this year (I believe he was once found guilty of throwing games ).
Sweyn Kirness was in the year above me at university. He (presumably) graduated from Heriot-Watt ten years ago in actuarial maths, but don't know anything since then.....Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 3:37 pm Sweyn Kikness gets my vote as best contestant name ever