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00:31Well, good afternoon. Welcome to the Countdown studio. My word. I've got something for the germaphobes, Rachel. I know that
00:38Donald Trump, he's a germaphobe. He said so. And if you remember Howard Hughes in the old days? Amazing. Completely
00:46besotted about keeping away from germs. Used to walk around, put his feet in shoeboxes and shuffle around. Anyway, we've
00:52got something for them because people apparently are very worried about checking into hotels.
00:57They're not altogether sure that the beds are quite as clean as they should be. Maybe there are germs lurking
01:02there. Anyway, there's a machine out. It's a small disc-shaped device that sets you going and automatically travels all
01:09around the bed sniffing.
01:10It doesn't fall off because it's got little sensors on it, but it sniffs and sniffs all around the bed.
01:15And apparently gets underneath sheets and it kills 99.99% of bacteria, germs and dust mites using its UVC
01:25lamps.
01:26What's going on in the world? What's going on in the world? Why people? Are you worried about germs in
01:30hotel beds?
01:31Surely you go to a hotel to get away from the housework and the cleaning and worrying about that. If
01:36the hotel wants to clean the bed, then brilliant. But there's no way. I mean, I just about remembered my
01:41toothbrush half the time.
01:42We don't take a lot of notice at home about things. We've had mice lying there for days.
01:50They always have, you know, stats, don't they? This million amount of bacteria. But they never mention that some bacteria
01:57is good and healthy and normal.
01:59So I don't know. I'd take someone with a pinch of salt.
02:01Who's with us? Aaron's back. Aaron Clemenson. Data scientist from Liverpool. Doing well. Two wins. Well done. 92 and 97.
02:10Mathematician? Yeah. Say hello to another mathematician. Elliot Mellor. Math student at Manchester Met University from Oldham. Tennis player?
02:18I am. That's correct. And you play at the Priory Tennis Club? In Staleybridge, yes.
02:23And you mean Staleybridge, I'm sorry. Yes. Are you a competitive player? I mean, in terms of going into competitions
02:29and so forth.
02:31When I'm in the competitions, yes. I'm extremely competitive. All right. Good. And you play both singles and doubles and
02:38all the rest of you?
02:38Yeah. I prefer to be in the world. Brilliant. And which year are you in at Manchester Met now?
02:43I'm in my first year. Enjoying it? Yeah. Probably ought to focus a bit more on that than Countdown, but,
02:49you know.
02:50No, you stick with Countdown. And have a lot of fun today. A lot of mathematicians knocking about today.
02:55Big round of applause now for Elliot and Aaron.
03:04Welcome back, Susie, of course. Thank you. And also, welcome back, Dr. Phil Hammond. Welcome back, Dr. Phil.
03:13Can I just say, I've just fed a cleanse box up my left trouser leg. I'll let you know the
03:20results at the interval.
03:21How it's getting on. Quite unusual at the moment. That's all I can say.
03:24All right. And if you suddenly jump up, we'll know that it's reached a critical point.
03:29Rachel, Aaron, off you go. Letters game.
03:33Good afternoon, Rachel. Afternoon, Aaron. May I start with A consonant, please?
03:37Thank you. Start today with D.
03:40Consonant.
03:42Doctor, R.
03:44Consonant.
03:46B.
03:48Consonant.
03:49S.
03:52Vowel.
03:54I.
03:56Vowel.
03:58E.
04:00Vowel.
04:03O.
04:06Another vowel.
04:09A.
04:10And a final consonant, please.
04:11And a final L.
04:13And here's the countdown clock.
04:15Vowel.
04:16Vowel.
04:17Vowel.
04:19Vowel.
04:27Vowel.
04:31Vowel.
04:32Vowel.
04:32Vowel.
04:32Vowel.
04:46Aaron, I'll try an eight.
04:49Elliot?
04:49Eight.
04:50Thank you, Aaron.
04:51Airloads?
04:52And Darioles.
04:56Yes, Darioles, good old countdown word for flowerpot-shaped cooking moles.
05:03And airlobes.
05:04Airlobes?
05:05Airloads.
05:06Loads.
05:06Airloads would be quite interesting.
05:09Is not there, I'm afraid, Aaron.
05:12Sorry.
05:13Good luck.
05:14Well done, Elliot.
05:15Obviously a countdown player.
05:17Now, Dr Phil and Susie, what have we got?
05:20We've got Darioles.
05:21Yes.
05:22But we couldn't beat that.
05:23That's a good old countdown word, that, though, isn't it?
05:25It really is, yeah.
05:26All the time it comes rolling into the studio.
05:29Yeah.
05:30Extraordinary.
05:31Nothing else?
05:31Nothing else.
05:32OK.
05:33Now, Elliot, that's a fair start.
05:36Your letters game.
05:37Start with a vowel, please, Rachel.
05:39Thank you, Elliot.
05:40E.
05:41And another.
05:42A.
05:43A third.
05:44A third.
05:45U.
05:46A consonant.
05:48M.
05:49Another.
05:50N.
05:51Third.
05:53S.
05:54And a fourth.
05:56F.
05:57And another.
05:59H.
06:02And a final consonant, please.
06:05Final Y.
06:07Stand by.
06:09And a fourth.
06:09And a fourth.
06:25And a fourth.
06:29And a fourth.
06:29And a fourth.
06:29And a fourth.
06:29And a fourth.
06:36And a fourth.
06:39Elliot?
06:40I'll stick on a six.
06:42Yes, Aaron?
06:44I'll try an eight.
06:47Elliot?
06:48Unsafe.
06:49Now then.
06:51Unsheaf?
06:53No.
06:54I'm just wondering how you're spelling it.
06:56U-N-S-H-E-A-F.
06:58I've just realised it's actually a seven.
07:00Yeah, that's why I was getting confused.
07:01It's not in, I'm afraid.
07:02Aaron, sorry.
07:04What could we have?
07:05Dr Phil?
07:07Well, we've got humans, or humane is in there, and hyenas.
07:10But we can't beat six, I don't think, can we?
07:12We can't, no.
07:13Six is the most we've got.
07:15All right.
07:16Well done, Elliot.
07:17Fourteen.
07:17So first numbers game for you, Aaron.
07:20May I have four large and two small, please?
07:22Your favourite.
07:23Four large, two small.
07:25Pick the two maths geeks off against each other.
07:28And for this first time, they are nine and eight.
07:31And then we have 75, 100, 25 and 50.
07:36And the target, 775.
07:39775.
07:40And then we have five.
08:10MUSIC PLAYS
08:12Aaron?
08:12775.
08:13Yes, Elliot?
08:14775.
08:15Off we go.
08:168 times 100.
08:18800.
08:18Attract 25.
08:20That's my neighbor.
08:21Elliot?
08:22Yeah, same way.
08:23Same way.
08:24All right.
08:25Easy starting there.
08:26Let's have a tea time teaser.
08:29First of the day is Hot Crusts.
08:31And the clue?
08:31She bakes hot pies but cheats and uses ready-made pastry.
08:35She bakes hot pies but cheats and uses ready-made pastry.
08:56Welcome back.
08:58I left with the clue.
08:58She bakes hot pies but cheats and uses ready-made pastry.
09:02In fact, she takes shortcuts.
09:06Shortcuts.
09:07So 10 to 24, Elliot.
09:09Good start there.
09:10And now it's your letters game.
09:11I'll have a vowel, please, Rachel.
09:13Thank you, Elliot.
09:13O.
09:14A second.
09:16E.
09:16And a third.
09:18I.
09:19A consonant.
09:21N.
09:22Another.
09:24R.
09:25Another.
09:26S.
09:27A fourth.
09:29T.
09:30A vowel.
09:32O.
09:33And a final vowel, please.
09:37A final U.
09:38Stand by.
09:39A vowel.
09:40A vowel.
09:55A vowel.
09:57A vowel.
09:57A vowel.
09:57A vowel.
10:06A vowel.
10:10Elliot.
10:11Eight.
10:12An eight and?
10:13I'll try an eight as well.
10:15Thank you, Elliot.
10:16Routines.
10:17Routines.
10:19Outrisen.
10:23No, outrase is there, but not outrise.
10:26I'm sorry, Aaron Dictionary's not liking you today.
10:28Bad luck.
10:29Bad luck.
10:29Dr Phil.
10:30I don't think we can beat that.
10:32We had routines as well.
10:33Stoney is in there for seven, but routines was our best.
10:37That was it.
10:38That's it, isn't it?
10:39Ten plays 32.
10:41Aaron, now then, we're going to have to stamp on this.
10:44Let us go.
10:45Consonant, please.
10:46Thank you, Aaron.
10:48Q.
10:50Consonant.
10:51C.
10:53Consonant.
10:55D.
10:58Consonant.
10:59S.
11:01Vow.
11:02A.
11:04Vow.
11:05I.
11:07Vowel.
11:10E.
11:12Consonant.
11:14R.
11:17And the final consonants, please.
11:19Final S.
11:21Stand by.
11:22D.
11:24Vowel.
11:24subir luminos.
11:40DEMON Hopper.
11:41Vowel.
11:42Vowel.
11:45Bye.
11:46I.
11:47See you then.
11:49Bye.
11:49Bye.
11:53Aaron.
11:54Six.
11:55A six.
11:56Now then, Elliot.
11:56Seven.
11:58Aaron.
11:58Raised.
12:00And?
12:00Cardies.
12:02Cardies.
12:03Yes.
12:03Nice cardigans.
12:05Susie has an impressive eight.
12:07Good.
12:08What is it?
12:09Sidecars.
12:10Very good.
12:16It's a cocktail too, isn't it?
12:18A sidecar.
12:19Oh, it should be.
12:21I've not had one.
12:22What's it having it?
12:22Yes, it is.
12:23No idea.
12:24Brandy, lemon juice and orange liqueur.
12:27Ooh.
12:27A sidecar.
12:28Sidecars all round.
12:29Indeed.
12:30Triples all round.
12:3139-10.
12:33Elliot is strongly in the lead and now it's a numbers game for a young mathematician.
12:37One large, please, Rachel.
12:39Potentially keeping it simple.
12:41Couldn't have been much simpler than that last one, so let's see.
12:43Five little ones.
12:45Are four, six, three, eight, two.
12:49And a large one, 100.
12:51And the target, 339.
12:53Three, three, nine.
12:54One large, two, three.
12:56Five little times.
12:59I'll just rate my relación.
12:59One large.
13:01I'll just rate my, three.
13:02Three, nine.
13:17One large, six, six, nine.
13:26Elliot 339 yes Aaron 339 as well off we go Elliot I've done 4 times 8 4 8 32 subtract
13:356
13:35minus 6 26 divide by 2 divide by 2 is 13 at the 100 113 and multiply by 3 and
13:45you haven't used a
13:463 lovely well done oh quite different so 8 times 2 8 times 2 16 100 take away 16 84
13:56multiplied by 4
13:58multiplied by 4 4 336 and then add 3 perfect well done again very good well done guys 49 to
14:1020 Elliot
14:12turn 49 as we turn to dr. Phil yes doctor how you doing I'm alright excellent as I've been saying
14:19I'm up at the Edinburgh Fringe this year doing a couple of shows one called a people's plan for
14:23the NHS where members of the public give their suggestions on how to improve and save the NHS
14:28I'll just give you a couple of suggestions one is change the numbers for calling an emergency
14:33ambulance and don't tell anyone it would come down on nuisance calls wouldn't it I quite like that one
14:38and the second one which really pickled me everyone in the NHS should be rechristened with
14:43carry-on type names for all the stuff just to cheer everyone up so I'd be Dr. Biggins and Susie'd
14:49be
14:49nurse 90 fits tightly or something wouldn't that cheer people up in hospital hello I'm Dr. Biggins your
14:53doctor would that would that news you or not well it would raise a laugh yeah let's move on to
14:58my
14:58second show which is the great health con and I'm talking about how we spend trillions on health we
15:02don't really understand what we mean by it and we have public health and global health and men's
15:06health and women's health and sexual health what does it all mean I was pondering this because I
15:11had a patient once a man who was a farmer who came to see me he was a tough old
15:15farmer salt of the earth
15:16lived all his life on the land and he came to see me because he was growing breasts and he
15:20couldn't
15:20understand why and we sent him to hospital and he was scanned and the endocrinologist and the cancer
15:25people got very excited total body scan they couldn't find a an estrogen secreting tumor and we just
15:30weren't sure where this mystery came from but he was becoming previously very aggressive quite angry
15:36man becoming quite placid and happy and didn't really mind his breasts about a week or so later
15:41the pharmacist came in and said that his wife's HRT prescriptions were going through the roof and
15:47here's what had happened they were going to some farming do and by mistake the husband had sat down
15:52on one of his wife's hormone replacement therapy patches it had stuck to his buttock and his wife had
15:58observed his behavior over the course of the next week or so and he calmed down and he was much
16:02less
16:02demanding less aggressive and she decided she rather liked this new husband so she was secretly
16:07sticking hormone replacement therapy patches on his buttocks in his sleep but actually having
16:12lunch to behave more like a woman I guess he was slightly more estrogenized he decided he preferred
16:17that type of behavior and even when we took the patches off he became less aggressive so I thought
16:23instead of Henry Higgins and his why can't a woman be more like a man I think we should switch
16:27it around
16:27why can't a man be more like a woman see if we can learn the behaviors of women more collaborative
16:32less aggressive without having to wear hormone replacement therapy patches thank you
16:4149 to 20 Aaron your letters game may I start with a consonants please thank you Aaron
16:47D and another T and another R and another N vowel I another vowel U vowel A consonant R and
17:16final vowel please
17:18a final E stand by
17:21a person to say
17:220
17:220
17:230
17:240
17:270
17:290
17:300
17:320
17:330
17:340
17:340
17:340
17:51Aaron, seven. Elliot, eight. No, Aaron. Unrated. Yes, Elliot. Urinated. Yes, very good.
18:03Excellent. Urinated, Dr. Phil. Yes, the intruder urinated on my back doorstep, so intruder is in there as well. Well
18:10done. Tarried. I haven't come across it. What does tarried mean? I love that one. Tarried is just a sort
18:14of dawdle a little bit. Tarried on the way. He tarried on the way. He dallied and dawdled. Tarried. 57
18:20to 20. Elliot, your letters game. Start with a vowel, please, Rachel. Thank you, Elliot. A. And a second. U.
18:30A third.
18:31E. A consonant. T. And another. C. And a third. R. And a fourth. P. And a vowel. I. And
18:47a final vowel, please. Final A. Stand by.
18:52T. And a vowel, please. Final A. Stand by.
19:23Yes, Elliot. Eight. An eight, Aaron. Seven. And your seven is? Picta. No, Elliot. Not certain on the pronunciation, but
19:31Tayapure. How are you spelling that, Elliot? T. A. I. A. P. U. R. E.
19:39Well, that's absolutely brilliant, and it is new to me. It's a coastal fishing area, isn't it? T. It's the
19:45pronunciation. Yeah, in New Zealand. Do you know about this?
19:47I just read it off your computer. Oh, coastal fishing area of special significance to Maori people. Brilliant.
19:59You weren't guessing, were you? I wasn't fully sure, but I thought I'd seen it.
20:06Wow, that's amazing. Quite extraordinary. Anything else over here in the corner? Well, I feel slightly humbled by that, but,
20:12yes, Capture, and what's the other one you put there? Picrate?
20:16Picrate, a salt of picric acid, which is used in explosives, but, yeah, we are well beaten by Elliot. Extraordinary.
20:23All right.
20:24Really good.
20:2465 to 20. Aaron, your numbers game. May I have four large and two small, please?
20:31Your usual. Four from the top. Too little. Let's try and get a more interesting one. Third time's the charm.
20:36These numbers are one and four, and the large one's 75, 25, 150, and the target, 598.
20:47Five, nine, eight.
20:49Five, nine, eight.
21:19Aaron, five, nine, eight. And Elliot? Five, nine, eight. So, Aaron?
21:24100, add 50. 100 plus 50, 150. Multiply by four. 600. And then 75 over 25 is three. Is three.
21:32Subtract that and add one. Perfect. Five, nine, eight.
21:37And Elliot? The same way. Same way. Okay.
21:45So, 75 to 30, Elliot leads, as we turn to our second tea time teaser, which is tense chub. And
21:53the clue, it sounds like these edible treats are huge fans of the seaside. It sounds like these edible treats
22:00are huge fans of the seaside.
22:22They would be beach nuts. Beach nuts. So, 75 to 30. Elliot, strong.
22:32Long performance here. Letters game. Start with a vowel, please, Rachel.
22:37Thank you, Elliot. I.
22:38And another.
22:40A.
22:41And a third.
22:42E.
22:43And a consonant.
22:45W.
22:46A second.
22:47S.
22:48A third.
22:49N.
22:50A fourth.
22:52L.
22:52A vowel.
22:55A vowel.
22:56A vowel.
22:57And a final vowel, please.
23:00A final I.
23:03And here's the countdown clock.
23:05A vowel.
23:07A vowel.
23:09A vowel.
23:14A vowel.
23:16A vowel.
23:21A vowel.
23:23A vowel.
23:24A vowel.
23:25A vowel.
23:26A vowel.
23:27A vowel.
23:28A vowel.
23:29A vowel.
23:30A vowel.
23:33A vowel.
23:34A vowel.
23:34A vowel.
23:36Elliot seven seven and six and you're six saline now then in Wales yes in Wales indeed becoming
23:47another good old countdown word that one and yes they're structural pieces on the inside of a boat
23:52thank you well done now dr. Phil and Susie no in Wales was our best all right so 82 plays
24:0130 Aaron
24:02oh Aaron that is game consonant please thank you Aaron K consonant T consonant C consonant V Vowel O Vowel
24:22you
24:23Vowel O consonant G final consonants please final J don't buy
24:43so
25:10Aaron may as well risk a seven I'll stick with five
25:14and that five I'll go thank you Aaron out chuck oh that absolutely deserves to be one can I just
25:23say
25:23that Aaron even if it's not I'm gonna out jock you um so close out jockey is there to outwit
25:29by
25:30deception but not to out jock sorry shame it's close what a shame what can we have dr. Phil we
25:37couldn't we only go as far as out go mm-hmm so that's the best we could find that was
25:41it yeah
25:42all right well they'd Elliot 87 to 30 Susie give him a rest it's your origins of words I have
25:51a
25:51couple of questions for you or from from viewers which I'm very happy to try to answer and the first
25:56is from Jim Baines in Aberystwyth who asks what are aspersions and why do we cast them now to cast
26:04aspersions is to spread disparaging reports about someone to defame them even to troll them if you're
26:10talking about social media and um it's got a very heavily religious origin this one because originally
26:15aspersion was the action of sprinkling somebody with something usually water um commonly used as a
26:21form of christian baptism and of course we still do that uh today comes from the latin verb asperger
26:26meaning to sprinkle but around the middle of the 17th century um aspersion began to refer to a kind of
26:33figurative idea that a person was sprinkling false rumors around the neighborhood about a particular
26:39person so damaging imputations false statements that kind of thing so they were casting them as
26:44though they were water so little droplets that um eventually kind of grew and then became really
26:50really defamatory so that was the idea there um the second question is from Tricia Southall because
26:55you might cast aspersions on somebody who's lily livid so somebody who's cowardly or weak
27:01uh why lily livid um Tricia asks well the answer is the ancient greeks used to sacrifice animals um as
27:08most of us know particularly before battle and the liver of the animal was regarded as um an omen
27:15if it was red then all was fine but if it was pale then that was really really sort of
27:21bringing bad
27:21tidings if you like so eventually the idea was it was all to do with did you say fatty livers
27:27a fatty
27:27liver they could have cirrhosis or fibrosis it would mean there'd be less blood supplies and be less
27:31pink and paler okay so maybe not quite so brave because they weren't feeling up to it um but the
27:36idea certainly picked up by shakespeare was that if you were lily livid you were a coward you had no
27:41sort of strong estaminate within you is that where it was first noted yes shakespeare was the first
27:45midsummer night stream i think it was no it was macbeth lily livid lily livid yeah
27:50oh brilliant
27:5687 to 30 elliott here we go your letters game uh start with a vowel please rachel thank you elliott
28:04e and another i and the third e consonant m another
28:14n a third s and another r and a vowel o final consonant please final t
28:28stand by
28:46and a third s and another rachel
28:47so
28:47so
28:47so
29:02Yes. Elliot. Nine. A nine. Aaron. Seven. And your seven is? Mentors. Now then, Elliot.
29:10Neo-terrorism. We were looking for the nine, Elliot, and you found it. Yes, it means modernity, novelty or innovation.
29:22Very, very good.
29:23Oh, please. Well done. Well done, Elliot. And your nine in the corner?
29:33It lowly eights, I'm afraid. Monetised and tiresome. We couldn't get the nine. We thought there were probably a nine
29:38there, but we couldn't see it.
29:39Well done. Well done. 105, Elliot. Fantastic. Aaron, your letters game. Consonants, please.
29:47Thank you, Aaron. S. Vowel. U. Consonant. V. Vowel. E. Consonant. M. Vowel. I. Consonant. F. Vowel.
30:09O. And the final consonant, please. Final M. And it's countdown.
30:16O. And the final consonant, please.
30:47aaron nine thank you elliott i'm on six six let's have your six movies
30:58aaron not sure about this but sue them i from
31:07well i think so today it's not there
31:10whatever the type of wine what have we got miss move was our best miss movies a wrong move seven
31:20a miss move all right final numbers game elliott off we go one large and five small please you're
31:26on for a massive debut score thank you elliott the final numbers of the day are nine seven
31:34one five four and a large one twenty five and the target four hundred and forty six four four six
31:45so
31:57so
32:12elliott four four six thank you aaron four four six off we go elliott
32:17twenty five times nine twenty five times nine two two five seven minus five seven minus five is
32:24two multiply them multiply them together for 450 and take the four perfect four four six well done
32:31aaron quite different so twenty five times four times five twenty five times four times five five
32:37hundred uh seven take one is six yep multiply by nine four fifty four and subtract perfect well done
32:50fabulous so look at this 121 to 40 what a what a what a way to start elliott extraordinary
32:57fingers on buses good luck to you both here's today's countdown conundrum
33:09elliott testified testified let's see whether you're right
33:14and here we are
33:15you got your cheap pot yeah and you scored 92 97 and 40
33:31you came up against an extraordinary young man but you listen you're going home with your goodie bag and
33:37your teapot and that's the important thing and you played very well and also remember you beat
33:40somebody who had already won five games so you're a player i've had a brilliant time thank you very
33:45much i'm glad you were i'm glad you did well done elliott's fantastic thank you fantastic you keep it up
33:52amazing we'll see you tomorrow you will terrific wowzer i think the expression is yes i feel elliott could
33:59be with us for some time i think he might that's my guess i think he might we'll see you
34:02both tomorrow
34:02yeah indeed come on rachel well i thought aaron was going to be with us for some time yeah he
34:07had
34:07fantastic openness but it shows how good elliott is i think elliott's been practicing i think his
34:12maths has been slacking at uni i think his professors are going to be worried if they see you on
34:15here
34:17elliott's good we'll see you tomorrow see you then join us then same time same place you be sure of
34:21it
34:22a very good afternoon you can contact the program by email at countdown at channel 4.com
34:28by twitter at c4 countdown or write to us at countdown leads ls31js you can also find our
34:36web page at channel 4.com forward slash countdown
34:40you