Wednesday 17th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 102)

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Rhys Benjamin
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Wednesday 17th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 102)

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Annedown CI and I'm on the verge of yet another breakdown. Is there anyone I haven't pissed off today?

Countdown recap for Wednesday 17 November 2021.

On this day, the soundtrack of the film "The Bodyguard" was released - the best-selling soundtrack of all time. I suspect that's more to do with Whitney Huston and less to do with singer-turned-Drag Race judge Michelle Visage.

C1: Champion Ben Caird (1 win, 71 points.) From Edinburgh. Looks after boiler installers.
C2: Challenger Jack Millard. "Baby contestant" at 17. Doing A Levels. Has watched Countdown for 10 years. Gosh, that makes me feel old, that he was only 7 or 8 in the Stelling/Hewer handover... I also suspect that the make-up team have slightly overdone the make-up on him, although that could just be my iPad.
DC: Susie Dent and Christopher Biggins.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D S R A E T N I H
R02: D T R O E E N I C
R03: 25, 50, 100, 10, 7, 5. Target: 451.
TTT: TEMPERIN - "His temper was questioned when he spoke in this way."
R04: T P L A I E S I W
R05: R G C N A O A I P
R06: 75, 2, 3, 8, 10, 4. Target: 834.
R07: G V N E E O S Y T
R08: R M P E I O B I T
R09: 75, 50, 25, 8, 6, 9. Target: 900.
TTT: IDASGONE - "Ida's gone to ask the doctor to identify her problem."
R10: S N S E O O R U M
R11: I E T F G L M A C
R12: T R L O U O N A B
R13: S D K O U F T E L
R14: 100, 9, 7, 6, 2, 5. Target: 602.
R15: E C O S P H O O R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: D S R A E T N I H

Ben: HARDEST (7) (stick with)
Jack: STRAINED (8)
DC: TARNISHED (18) HAIRNETS (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 18, jos 18)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)

Jack takes an early lead with a good old RETAINS stem, but you can actually double-stem it and Christopher overcelebrates that fact.

Round 2: D T R O E E N I C

Ben: RECITED (7)
Jack: ORIENTED (8)
DC: ERECTION (8)
OT: RECONDITE (18)
Score: 0–16 (max 36, jos 28)
Darren-o-meter: 2/2 (100%)

Jack doubles his lead with Ben still yet to score. Suspect edit here as not one singular word is said about Christopher's ERECTION.

Round 3: 25, 50, 100, 10, 7, 5. Target: 451.

Ben: 450. (not written down) (50 − 5) × 10 (7)
Jack: 450. 50 × 7 + 100 (7)
OT: 451. (50 + (100 − 10) ÷ 5) × 7 − 25​ (10)
Score: 7–23 (max 46, jos 35)

According to Quantum Tombola, there are 142 possible methods for 450, but Rachel fails to find any of the methods to go one better.

Teatime teaser: TEMPERIN -> IMPERENT

Round 4: T P L A I E S I W

Ben: pilates (capitalised)
Jack: pilates (capitalised)
DC: WILIEST (7) (mispronounced as WILEST!)
OT: ALPISTE (7) APLITES (7) LAITIES (7) PLATIES (7) SPILITE (7) TALIPES (7) WAPITIS (7)
Score: 7–23 (max 53, jos 42)
Darren-o-meter: 2/3 (67%)

PILATES^ one of those often-declared invalid words, so nul points here for the contestants and just the one seven in the corner, albeit mispronounced.

Ben is asked about his golfing and poker-ing hobbies.

Round 5: R G C N A O A I P

Ben: aircon (two words)
Jack: PACING (6)
DC: ORGANIC (7) PARAGON (7)
OT: PARANOIC (8)
Score: 7–29 (max 61, jos 49)
Darren-o-meter: 3/4 (75%)

Ben has a second word disallowed in a row, thus allowing Jack to extend his lead, and has yet to even reach double figures!

Round 6: 75, 2, 3, 8, 10, 4. Target: 834.

Ben: 834. Mistake in working.
Jack: 835. (8 + 3) × 75 + 10 (7)
RR: 834. 75 × (8 + 3) + 10 ÷ 2 + 4​ (10)
Score: 7–36 (max 71, jos 59)

This round is super easy. So naturally, both contestants miss it. 83 x 10 + 4? Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Think, McFly, think!

Christopher says he was rejected for a book on the history of pantomime, and talks about a time when she asked a girl (on Boxing Day) what Father Christmas bought her, and got the rather awkward response of "nothing, I'm Jewish". Yikes. Somehow, that made the edit. He also says he does his own make-up, and takes him only 30 minutes to get into drag - some of the girls on Drag Race could take a few tips. Crikey, that's the second time I've mentioned that programme in this recap.

Ben is asked whether anyone is "in the studio" (not "the audience"!) and he says his partner is there. "Are you going to marry her", quips Anne, which he rightly opts to dodge!

Round 7: G V N E E O S Y T

Ben: stoney
Jack: venges
DC: SEVENTY (7)
OT: VOTYEENS (8)
Score: 7–36 (max 79, jos 66)
Darren-o-meter: 4/5 (80%)

Ben's horror show continues, but as for Jack, VENGES^ is only there as a suffix (avenges, revenges, etc.) and not in its own right. Nul points!

Round 8: R M P E I O B I T

Ben: potier (try)
Jack: MOPIER (6)
DC: PERMIT (6) IMPORT (6)
OT: PRIMITE (7)
Score: 7–42 (max 86, jos 72)
Darren-o-meter: 5/6 (83%)

That's five rounds in a row where Ben has an X next to his name. Oof.

Round 9: 75, 50, 25, 8, 6, 9. Target: 900.

Ben: 900. (75 + 25) × 9 (10)
Jack: 900. (75 + 25) × 9 (10)
Score: 17–52 (max 96, jos 82)

thank u, next (boy, oh boy, did Ben need that or what!?)

Teatime teaser: IDASGONE -> DIAGNOSE

Round 10: S N S E O O R U M

Ben: SOONER (6)
Jack: SOONER (6)
DC: ENORMOUS (8) SUNROOMS (8)
OT: MOUSSERON (18)
Score: 23–58 (max 114, jos 90)
Darren-o-meter: 6/7 (86%)

Six for both contestants (Ben's first valid word since round two!), eight for Dictionary Corner, but the computer beats everyone yet again.

Round 11: I E T F G L M A C

Ben: CLIMATE (7)
Jack: METAL (5)
OT: ALGETIC (7) GAMETIC (7) MALEFIC (7) MALEFIT (7) METICAL (7)
Score: 30–58 (max 121, jos 97)
Darren-o-meter: 6/8 (75%)

Ben finally wins a round, hoping to change the CLIMATE of the game and somehow is within touching distance at 22 points down.

OOW Susie gives us some origins of pantomime terms, including the word pantomime itself.

Round 12: T R L O U O N A B

Ben: BLUNT (5)
Jack: BRUTAL (6)
DC: TOOLBAR (7) ORTOLAN (7)
OT: BUTANOL (7) OUTBORN (7)
Score: 30–64 (max 128, jos 104)
Darren-o-meter: 6/9 (67%)

TOOLBAR "very modern" according to Susie. I mean, it's about 25 years old, but sure, "very modern".

Round 13: S D K O U F T E L

Ben: LOUDEST (7)
Jack: LOUDEST (7)
DC: FLOUTED (7)
OT: FOULEST (7) TOUSLED (7)
Score: 37–71 (max 135, jos 111)
Darren-o-meter: 6/10 (60%)

And Jack wins himself a teapot by scoring a max in this round and keeping the gap at 34: Ben needed a nine here, which was unlikely to happen when the K came out.

Round 14: 100, 9, 7, 6, 2, 5. Target: 602.

Ben: 602. 100 × 6 + 2 (10)
Jack: 602. 100 × 6 + 2 (10)
Score: 47–81 (max 145, jos 121)

thank u, next

Round 15: E C O S P H O O R

Ben buzzes on 3.5 seconds to say PHOSPHOROUS which is, obviously, incorrect.
Jack does not buzz.
The answer was HOROSCOPE.
Final Score: 47–81 (max 155, jos 131)

A fitting way for Ben to round off what was, and I'm afraid there's no sugarcoating it, an awful performance. The four invalid words and the numbers cock-up eliminating his chances of winning this game.

As for Jack, he now will become the next person to try their luck in what is become a revolving door of champion's chair occupiers - it's the fourth game in a row where the challenger has won.

He will be back tomorrow. As will I. Probably. (Suspect I may fall asleep as soon as I get in from work. Again.)


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84
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Peter Allan
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Re: Wednesday 17 November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 102)

Post by Peter Allan »

Hi Rhys - on the make up point, I'm going next week and have been told to arrive 'hair and make-up ready' - it says you will get a 'dustover' but that is all. Don't know if that is a post covid thing or it was always like that.
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Rhys Benjamin
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Re: Wednesday 17 November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 102)

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

It’s definitely post-Covid, or at least post-2015, I had my makeup done next to Susie!

He just seemed overly made-up to me, and it didn’t look like it was deliberate. I recall that I have often struggled in the past when caked in an unnecessary foundation layer.
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