Tuesday 24th June 2025 ( Series 91 4th Quarter Final )
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 12:53 pm
Hello and welcome to another Tuesday recap......we are now at our fourth and last quarter final.........as you know our 5th seed Christine Smith celebrated her 80th birthday recently she is the oldest ever octo-champ to grace the Countdown studios...................Our 4th seed Amy Berry who became an Octo-champ earlier this month............let's enjoy this all Octo-champ and all female tussle ! But which one of these legends will earn the right to play the top seed Rhys Jones in the first of our semi-finals tomorrow ?
C1: Champion: Amy "The Suffolk Slayer " Berry (8 wins, 750 points.)
C2: Champion : Christine "The Chesterfield Crusher " Smith (8 wins, 739 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Bob Harris .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: H T S M I A A P R
R02: L N E G B A S F I
R03: 75, 10, 2, 5, 8, 1. Target: 706.
TTT: LIVEALOT - "You might live a lot longer without this kind of temperament."
R04: P D O L C E S H A
R05: W T K N O A S O E
R06: 25, 9, 6, 1, 7, 2. Target: 750.
R07: P Y T R I U L A N
R08: C R O Q D A T A U
R09: 100, 6, 5, 10, 5, 6, . Target: 266.
TTT: SOBERTED - "Straddled the small French restaurant perhaps"
R10: M L I C T E D E U
R11: B M S G I O A T U
R12: W R E N J E D N O
R13: S M R V E I S O N
R14: 50, 100, 75, 25, 5, 4, . Target: 673.
R15: O R B I T R A V E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: H T S M I A A P R
Amy: ARMPITS (7)
Christine: SHRIMP (6)
DC: PASTRAMI (8) IMPARTS (7)
OT: TRAMPISH (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
A great start from our fourth seed Amy with her less than desirable 7 armpits..............over in DC they get to shine with their foodie eight Pastrami...........a rather nice piece of scran with some cheese on a butty !
Round 2: L N E G B A S F I
Amy: FINAGLES (8)
Christine: BANGLES (7)
OT: SIGNABLE (8) SINGABLE (8)
Score: 15–0 (max 16) D
What a brilliant eight from our fourth seed Amy with Finagles which was my spot along with Signable !
Round 3: 75, 10, 2, 5, 8, 1. Target: 706.
C1: 706. ((75 − 5) × 10) + (8 − 2) (10)
C2: 706. ((75 − 5) × 10) + (8 − 2) (10)
Score: 25–10 (max 26)
At long last our number five seed Christine gets some points on the board with this piss easy numbers game...........but then again so does Amy
Teatime teaser: LIVEALOT -> VOLATILE
Round 4: P D O L C E S H A
Amy: CHAPELS (7)
Christine: CHAPELS (7)
DC: POACHED (7) ASPHODEL (8)
Score: 32–17 (max 34)
Sevens all round from our quarter finalists..........over in DC they get to shine with their badass eight Asphodel
Round 5: W T K N O A S O E
Amy: TOKENS (6)
Christine: TOKENS (6)
DC: TOKENS (6)
OT: ATONES (6) AWOKEN (6) OWNEST (6) TWEAKS (6) TWONKS (6) WAKENS (6) WOKEST (6)
Score: 38–23 (max 40)
Sixes all round nothing worth arguing over ! Sadly no extra points if you spot most of those
Round 6: 25, 9, 6, 1, 7, 2. Target: 750.
C1: 750. (7 − 2) × 6 × 25 (10)
C2: 750. (7 − 2) × 6 × 25 (10)
Score: 48–33 (max 50)
Another easy one for our quarter finalists.......I would rather watch paint dry.......thank you very much !
Round 7: P Y T R I U L A N
Amy: PURITAN (7)
Christine: uptrail
DC: UNITARY (7)
OT: INAPTLY (7) NUPTIAL (7) PTYALIN (7) TURNIPY (7) UNAPTLY (7) UNPLAIT (7)
Score: 55–33 (max 57)
Another fantastic piece of wordplay from our fourth seed Amy with her 7 Puritan................sadly it is not Christine's day as Susie disallows her 7 Uptrail............plenty more 7s............nothing worth an argument or a catfight.......so play nicely children !
Round 8: C R O Q D A T A U
Amy: QUARTO (6)
Christine: QUART (5)
DC: AUTOCAR (7)
OT: QUADRAT (7)
Score: 61–33 (max 64)
Our fifth seed Christine is kicking herself and realises the error that you can add an O to Quart to extend it to a 6.............over in DC they get to show off with their 7 Autocar
Round 9: 100, 6, 5, 10, 5, 6. Target: 266.
C1: 266. ((5 + 5 + 6) × 10) + 100 + 6 (10)
C2: 266. ((10 ÷ 5) × 100) + ((6 + 5) × 6) (10)
Score: 71–43 (max 74)
The numbers gods have been pretty generous so far.............our quarter finalists are top of the class when it comes to this solve
Teatime teaser: SOBERTED -> BESTRODE
Round 10: M L I C T E D E U
Amy: DUCTILE (7)
Christine: DILUTE (6)
OT: LEUCITE (7) MULCTED (7)
Score: 78–43 (max 81)
More brilliance and consistent play from our fourth seed Amy with her 7 Ductile.........which happens to my spot also !...............she is racking up the points nicely in this quarter final
Round 11: B M S G I O A T U
Amy: AGOUTIS (7)
Christine: BIGOTS (6)
DC: BIGAMOUS (8)
Score: 85–43 (max 89)
Another good spot from Amy with her 7 the old Countdown favourite Agoutis......................over in DC they get show off with their 8 Bigamous.......which was my spot !
Round 12: W R E N J E D N O
Amy: RENOWNED (8)
Christine: WONDER (6)
DC: ENDOWER (7)
Score: 93–43 (max 97)
What a piece of brilliance and some excellent wordplay from our fourth seed Amy with her eight Renowned........our recap writer and DC can only manage a 7 with Endower !
Round 13: S M R V E I S O N
Amy: VERSIONS (8)
Christine: VERSIONS (8)
DC: VERSIONS (8)
Score: 101–51 (max 105)
Eights all round............nothing worth commenting on
Round 14: 50, 100, 75, 25, 5, 4. Target: 673.
C1: 675.
C2: 673. ((5 + 4) × 75) − (50 ÷ 25) (10)
Score: 101–61 (max 115)
A fantastic solve from our fifth seed Christine but it is not enough to save her..............it is game over.............our fourth seed Amy advances to the Semi-final tomorrow where she will meet the top seed Rhys Jones
Round 15: O R B I T R A V E
C2 buzzes on 27.5 seconds to say ABORTIVER which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was RIVERBOAT.
Final Score: 101–61 (max 125)
Not a bad contest by all accounts, neither contestant solves the conundrum Christine buzzes in but guesses wrongly, firstly congratulations to Amy who now advances to the semi-final where she will face the top seed Rhys Jones, secondly take nothing away from Christine who gave as good as she got she can hold her head high and be proud of what she has achieved. You can join me for the recap of the first of our Semi-finals...........in the meantime it is bye for now
C1: Champion: Amy "The Suffolk Slayer " Berry (8 wins, 750 points.)
C2: Champion : Christine "The Chesterfield Crusher " Smith (8 wins, 739 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Bob Harris .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: H T S M I A A P R
R02: L N E G B A S F I
R03: 75, 10, 2, 5, 8, 1. Target: 706.
TTT: LIVEALOT - "You might live a lot longer without this kind of temperament."
R04: P D O L C E S H A
R05: W T K N O A S O E
R06: 25, 9, 6, 1, 7, 2. Target: 750.
R07: P Y T R I U L A N
R08: C R O Q D A T A U
R09: 100, 6, 5, 10, 5, 6, . Target: 266.
TTT: SOBERTED - "Straddled the small French restaurant perhaps"
R10: M L I C T E D E U
R11: B M S G I O A T U
R12: W R E N J E D N O
R13: S M R V E I S O N
R14: 50, 100, 75, 25, 5, 4, . Target: 673.
R15: O R B I T R A V E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: H T S M I A A P R
Amy: ARMPITS (7)
Christine: SHRIMP (6)
DC: PASTRAMI (8) IMPARTS (7)
OT: TRAMPISH (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
A great start from our fourth seed Amy with her less than desirable 7 armpits..............over in DC they get to shine with their foodie eight Pastrami...........a rather nice piece of scran with some cheese on a butty !
Round 2: L N E G B A S F I
Amy: FINAGLES (8)
Christine: BANGLES (7)
OT: SIGNABLE (8) SINGABLE (8)
Score: 15–0 (max 16) D
What a brilliant eight from our fourth seed Amy with Finagles which was my spot along with Signable !
Round 3: 75, 10, 2, 5, 8, 1. Target: 706.
C1: 706. ((75 − 5) × 10) + (8 − 2) (10)
C2: 706. ((75 − 5) × 10) + (8 − 2) (10)
Score: 25–10 (max 26)
At long last our number five seed Christine gets some points on the board with this piss easy numbers game...........but then again so does Amy
Teatime teaser: LIVEALOT -> VOLATILE
Round 4: P D O L C E S H A
Amy: CHAPELS (7)
Christine: CHAPELS (7)
DC: POACHED (7) ASPHODEL (8)
Score: 32–17 (max 34)
Sevens all round from our quarter finalists..........over in DC they get to shine with their badass eight Asphodel
Round 5: W T K N O A S O E
Amy: TOKENS (6)
Christine: TOKENS (6)
DC: TOKENS (6)
OT: ATONES (6) AWOKEN (6) OWNEST (6) TWEAKS (6) TWONKS (6) WAKENS (6) WOKEST (6)
Score: 38–23 (max 40)
Sixes all round nothing worth arguing over ! Sadly no extra points if you spot most of those
Round 6: 25, 9, 6, 1, 7, 2. Target: 750.
C1: 750. (7 − 2) × 6 × 25 (10)
C2: 750. (7 − 2) × 6 × 25 (10)
Score: 48–33 (max 50)
Another easy one for our quarter finalists.......I would rather watch paint dry.......thank you very much !
Round 7: P Y T R I U L A N
Amy: PURITAN (7)
Christine: uptrail
DC: UNITARY (7)
OT: INAPTLY (7) NUPTIAL (7) PTYALIN (7) TURNIPY (7) UNAPTLY (7) UNPLAIT (7)
Score: 55–33 (max 57)
Another fantastic piece of wordplay from our fourth seed Amy with her 7 Puritan................sadly it is not Christine's day as Susie disallows her 7 Uptrail............plenty more 7s............nothing worth an argument or a catfight.......so play nicely children !
Round 8: C R O Q D A T A U
Amy: QUARTO (6)
Christine: QUART (5)
DC: AUTOCAR (7)
OT: QUADRAT (7)
Score: 61–33 (max 64)
Our fifth seed Christine is kicking herself and realises the error that you can add an O to Quart to extend it to a 6.............over in DC they get to show off with their 7 Autocar
Round 9: 100, 6, 5, 10, 5, 6. Target: 266.
C1: 266. ((5 + 5 + 6) × 10) + 100 + 6 (10)
C2: 266. ((10 ÷ 5) × 100) + ((6 + 5) × 6) (10)
Score: 71–43 (max 74)
The numbers gods have been pretty generous so far.............our quarter finalists are top of the class when it comes to this solve
Teatime teaser: SOBERTED -> BESTRODE
Round 10: M L I C T E D E U
Amy: DUCTILE (7)
Christine: DILUTE (6)
OT: LEUCITE (7) MULCTED (7)
Score: 78–43 (max 81)
More brilliance and consistent play from our fourth seed Amy with her 7 Ductile.........which happens to my spot also !...............she is racking up the points nicely in this quarter final
Round 11: B M S G I O A T U
Amy: AGOUTIS (7)
Christine: BIGOTS (6)
DC: BIGAMOUS (8)
Score: 85–43 (max 89)
Another good spot from Amy with her 7 the old Countdown favourite Agoutis......................over in DC they get show off with their 8 Bigamous.......which was my spot !
Round 12: W R E N J E D N O
Amy: RENOWNED (8)
Christine: WONDER (6)
DC: ENDOWER (7)
Score: 93–43 (max 97)
What a piece of brilliance and some excellent wordplay from our fourth seed Amy with her eight Renowned........our recap writer and DC can only manage a 7 with Endower !
Round 13: S M R V E I S O N
Amy: VERSIONS (8)
Christine: VERSIONS (8)
DC: VERSIONS (8)
Score: 101–51 (max 105)
Eights all round............nothing worth commenting on
Round 14: 50, 100, 75, 25, 5, 4. Target: 673.
C1: 675.
C2: 673. ((5 + 4) × 75) − (50 ÷ 25) (10)
Score: 101–61 (max 115)
A fantastic solve from our fifth seed Christine but it is not enough to save her..............it is game over.............our fourth seed Amy advances to the Semi-final tomorrow where she will meet the top seed Rhys Jones
Round 15: O R B I T R A V E
C2 buzzes on 27.5 seconds to say ABORTIVER which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was RIVERBOAT.
Final Score: 101–61 (max 125)
Not a bad contest by all accounts, neither contestant solves the conundrum Christine buzzes in but guesses wrongly, firstly congratulations to Amy who now advances to the semi-final where she will face the top seed Rhys Jones, secondly take nothing away from Christine who gave as good as she got she can hold her head high and be proud of what she has achieved. You can join me for the recap of the first of our Semi-finals...........in the meantime it is bye for now