Spoilers for Wednesday 11th June 2025 (Series 91, Heat 113)

[Philip A]

I’m pretty sure 6 vowels in the letters games isn’t allowed.

[Gavin Chipper]

Slipped through the net. AGOUTIS as a better word than AUTOGAS to match DC on that round.

[samir pilica]

Rather strange game today. The lad seemed eager to do as badly as possible. Declaring 700 in the last numbers game was just weird.

[Jon Stammers]

Yeah he did have a poor game, and picked the 6 vowels, but it came out at the end he’d basically been dragged off the street as a backup contestant so that makes sense.

Also in last numbers game Colin announced 6 points to Joanne…

[Philip A]

Let’s just call this episode an off day, then.

[Fiona T]

Yeah he did have a poor game, and picked the 6 vowels, but it came out at the end he’d basically been dragged off the street as a backup contestant so that makes sense.

Also in last numbers game Colin announced 6 points to Joanne…

Backup contestants are local applicants that pass the same audition process as everyone else, and are on standby in case there's an octochamp and an extra contestant is needed. If they're not needed, then they're normally invited for the next filming block. Seemed a nice enough lad, but some of his misses really were a bit strange (like the last numbers). We'll put it down to nerves I guess.

The 6 vowel thing was presumably an oversight - Rachel normally corrects a contestant that makes the wrong last pick.

[Toby McDonald]

APERCUS in R2

[Jon Stammers]

Yeah he did have a poor game, and picked the 6 vowels, but it came out at the end he’d basically been dragged off the street as a backup contestant so that makes sense.

Also in last numbers game Colin announced 6 points to Joanne…

Backup contestants are local applicants that pass the same audition process as everyone else, and are on standby in case there's an octochamp and an extra contestant is needed. If they're not needed, then they're normally invited for the next filming block. Seemed a nice enough lad, but some of his misses really were a bit strange (like the last numbers). We'll put it down to nerves I guess.

The 6 vowel thing was presumably an oversight - Rachel normally corrects a contestant that makes the wrong last pick.

But I don’t know, the way Colin described it at the end sounded like he was more than just a normal backup contestant. They’d caught him midway through running a half marathon in the local area or something…. Maybe I should check again what he actually said, who knows…

[Howie Myers]

Slipped through the net. AGOUTIS as a better word than AUTOGAS to match DC on that round.

and OUTAGES

[Gavin Chipper]

Yeah he did have a poor game, and picked the 6 vowels, but it came out at the end he’d basically been dragged off the street as a backup contestant so that makes sense.

Also in last numbers game Colin announced 6 points to Joanne…

Backup contestants are local applicants that pass the same audition process as everyone else, and are on standby in case there's an octochamp and an extra contestant is needed. If they're not needed, then they're normally invited for the next filming block. Seemed a nice enough lad, but some of his misses really were a bit strange (like the last numbers). We'll put it down to nerves I guess.

The 6 vowel thing was presumably an oversight - Rachel normally corrects a contestant that makes the wrong last pick.

But I don’t know, the way Colin described it at the end sounded like he was more than just a normal backup contestant. They’d caught him midway through running a half marathon in the local area or something…. Maybe I should check again what he actually said, who knows…

He said they always have a backup and he was running a 10k. Presumably he had his phone on him and it rang. If they were going to stop someone at random in the street, would they a) pick someone standing around or b) chase after a runner, rugby tackle them to the ground and ask if they want to appear on Countdown in 5 minutes?

[Jon Stammers]

Backup contestants are local applicants that pass the same audition process as everyone else, and are on standby in case there's an octochamp and an extra contestant is needed. If they're not needed, then they're normally invited for the next filming block. Seemed a nice enough lad, but some of his misses really were a bit strange (like the last numbers). We'll put it down to nerves I guess.

The 6 vowel thing was presumably an oversight - Rachel normally corrects a contestant that makes the wrong last pick.

But I don’t know, the way Colin described it at the end sounded like he was more than just a normal backup contestant. They’d caught him midway through running a half marathon in the local area or something…. Maybe I should check again what he actually said, who knows…

He said they always have a backup and he was running a 10k. Presumably he had his phone on him and it rang. If they were going to stop someone at random in the street, would they a) pick someone standing around or b) chase after a runner, rugby tackle them to the ground and ask if they want to appear on Countdown in 5 minutes?

Um…. Is the answer b?

[Jon Stammers]

I guess I’m just keen to accept any narrative that would explain why poor old “Cohal” seemed so unfamiliar with the basics of the game and yet managed to get there. Mere nerves don’t explain it.