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00:31Hello, everybody. Welcome to Countdown, our midweek edition, our Wednesday afternoon.
00:36So whatever your week's like, we'll try and make it a little bit easier over the next 45 minutes or
00:41so.
00:41Thank you so much for tuning in. Hi, Rachel.
00:44Hi, Colin.
00:44World Lizard Day today.
00:48And I'm going to start one straight for you, right?
00:51Yeah.
00:51And it is the marine Galapagos lizard.
00:54So here we go, Uncle Albert.
00:56Let's have the Galapagos story.
00:57The Galapagos, the iguanas, the marine iguanas.
01:00Yeah.
01:01I think, yeah, there's a few different colours in the Galapagos, depending on what island and what they're eating.
01:06But yeah, the black marine ones, and they kind of spit salt out.
01:10They're beautiful.
01:11Well, it's funny you should mention the spitting, because it's their defence mechanisms that make them so wondrous.
01:18And I think the most famous one that people would know would be the geckos and the bearded dragon, where,
01:25you know, if they're under threat and they get caught by the tail, they can discard their tail.
01:29I don't think beardies can do that, can they?
01:31Let me check.
01:32I'm not arguing with you with lizards.
01:34Lizard expert.
01:35That's what I'm going to call you from the on.
01:36Yes, that's a common misconception.
01:38It's mainly just some geckos.
01:39Yeah, we've had three beardies.
01:41Beardy.
01:41Hold on a second.
01:42It's the boy.
01:43Let's rewind here.
01:43What do you mean you've had, you keep lizards?
01:45We've had loads of lizards, yeah.
01:47You know, when you learn a language.
01:48You say that like everybody keeps lizards.
01:50Like, you know, when someone goes, oh, I've got a dog.
01:51Well, you know, you learn a language as a kid and you just remember those sentences over and over.
01:54So, all I can say as an Italian is,
01:56Mi chiamo Raqueli, o tre lio certoli.
01:59My name is Rachel and I have three lizards.
02:01They died a long time ago, but I can still say it.
02:04Oh, what were they like as pets?
02:06They're lovely.
02:07I mean, Beardy was the boy.
02:09He didn't do much until we got Marmalade, who was a girl.
02:12And then they start changing colour and they start doing little dances.
02:15Wonderful.
02:15I never knew you kept lizards.
02:17Yeah.
02:17Fantastic.
02:18Have a lizard, me.
02:19All right, let's slither all over the dictionary corner
02:22and scaling the heights of that dictionary, of course,
02:25is Susie Dent.
02:26And beside her, a chameleon of screen and stage, John Thompson.
02:31APPLAUSE
02:33Good day.
02:34Lizard-like, your top tonight.
02:36Not bad.
02:37I like the lizard that does the...
02:38In the hot sand, it goes...
02:41Yes.
02:42And then it...
02:43You know, keep one bit cool and then it...
02:45Yeah, it looks like they're dancing, but they're staying cool.
02:47But dust, they're dancing.
02:49Fantastic.
02:50Well, listen, new champion who bellowed his way to 105 yesterday in his debut.
02:56Rob Barkas is back with us.
02:58How are you doing, sir?
02:59Very well, thank you.
03:00I said when you got your win up, I said,
03:02away the lads, but I don't think I mentioned earlier you're a devout Newcastle United fan.
03:06I am, yes.
03:06Yes.
03:07What's your greatest Newcastle United memory?
03:09Oh, one of two.
03:11Either Barcelona with the Tino Espria hat-trick or just recently against PSG.
03:19Yeah.
03:20A 4-1 at St James'.
03:21I was at both games as well.
03:22Oh, that's the key, isn't it?
03:24Yeah, wonderful.
03:25That's the key.
03:25Brilliant.
03:26You don't have any big Newcastle United tattoos, do you?
03:29Not at all.
03:29Not at all.
03:30All right, I won't ask you to prove it.
03:31We'll just move on.
03:32You're up against Steve Hoyles today who lives in Cardiff Bay.
03:36How are you, Steve?
03:37Very good, thank you.
03:38You're a musician.
03:39Tell me a bit about that.
03:40So I play a little bit of guitar here and there.
03:41I used to play the clubs when I was a bit younger.
03:44Still holding on to that dream of becoming the best pop punk artist in the world.
03:47But the older I get, the more disparate and sparse, it seems to me, to be honest.
03:52You know, somebody was saying the other day,
03:54we can forget sometimes that playing football or playing a guitar is meant to bring joy,
03:59first and foremost, and career second.
04:01So you still get the joy out of it, right?
04:03Always.
04:03Brilliant.
04:04Happy days.
04:05All right, well, Steve against Rob.
04:07Let's get on with it.
04:0815 rounds.
04:11And Rob, are you picking the first notes?
04:12Hi, Rachel.
04:13Let's are off with the consonant, please.
04:15Thank you, Rob.
04:15Start today with L.
04:17And another, please.
04:19K.
04:20And a vowel, please.
04:22U.
04:23And again.
04:25E.
04:26And a consonant, please.
04:28P.
04:30And another one.
04:32C.
04:34And a vowel, please.
04:36A.
04:38And another vowel.
04:40O.
04:41And a consonant to finish, please.
04:45To finish.
04:45Ah.
04:46At home and in the studio, let's play Countdown.
04:53Oh, man.
05:00To finish.
05:17Oh, man.
05:18All right, Geddes.
05:18So...
05:18We'll get on.
05:20Rob? Seven. And Steve? Seven. Last start, Rob?
05:25Coupler. Coupler, Steve? Plucker.
05:28Oh, as a guitarist, a plucker. Of course you were going to spot that.
05:33Well done. Two sevens to start. Susie, everything OK?
05:37Both absolutely fine, yes. Wonderful. And anything else?
05:40I had a dodgy five, puke. Oh, dear, we don't want that.
05:44No. There is a nice seven earlock,
05:46which is a lock of hair just above your ear. Not in your ear, above your ear.
05:50Definitely above. OK, cos John and I were talking about
05:53how we get rid of our ear hair. No-one needs to hear that conversation on air.
05:57Let's get on with it, Steve. Hi, Rachel. Hi, Steve.
06:00Can I start with a consonant, please? You can indeed.
06:03S. And another.
06:06F. And one more.
06:08N. Can I have a vowel, please?
06:11E. And another.
06:13I. Consonant, please.
06:15D. Vowel.
06:18A. Consonant.
06:21T. And constant to finish, please.
06:23And lastly, P.
06:25And 30 seconds.
06:27P.
06:27P.
06:28P.
06:29F.
06:30P.
06:57Time's up, Steve.
06:59Just a sec.
06:59And for you, Rob?
07:01Seven.
07:01And a seven.
07:03Steve?
07:04Spined.
07:05Spined.
07:05And for Rob?
07:06Panties.
07:07And panties.
07:08Yes.
07:09Quite a lot on the show.
07:10Very good indeed.
07:11And I'm guessing a whole load of sevens for me.
07:14Yes.
07:15We had a few more.
07:16Quite a few.
07:16Painted.
07:17With the painted, you can also go sainted and fainted and just put all those consonants
07:21on the start.
07:22Yeah.
07:22Yeah.
07:23Right, there you go.
07:2514 plays seven.
07:27First numbers round.
07:28And it's Rob?
07:29Can I have one large and five more, please?
07:32You can indeed.
07:33One large five.
07:34A little coming up.
07:35First one of the day.
07:36Numbers are five, ten, four, two, six and the large one, fifty.
07:43And you need to reach 420.
07:46Four, two, zero.
07:47Numbers up.
07:47Two, zero.
08:02MUSIC PLAYS
08:18Rob.
08:19Yes, 420.
08:21And Steve.
08:21Yep, 420.
08:22Off you go, Rob.
08:23So, 50 minus 6 plus 2.
08:2650 minus 6 plus 2 for 42.
08:29Times 10.
08:29So many ways for this one.
08:32Steve.
08:32So, I did 5 plus 2 is 7.
08:34Yep.
08:35Times 6.
08:3642.
08:37Times 10.
08:38420.
08:38Lovely.
08:39Nice.
08:41First Tea Time teaser this Wednesday afternoon.
08:44A bit of a baseball theme which I like.
08:46Smooth on.
08:47Smooth on.
08:48He was a smooth player on the diamond, often hitting this.
08:51He was a smooth player on the diamond, often hitting this.
09:11That would be a moonshot.
09:17A moonshot which I only know with a big crack in baseball and you hit it out of the park.
09:22And I love the imagery of it, it almost hits the moon.
09:25But what's the origin of it?
09:27Because it can mean a long shot as well, can't it?
09:29Yes, it can mean lots of different things.
09:30An ambitious project, for example.
09:32But this baseball centre is a lovely story which you probably like, which was the US baseball
09:36player, Wally Moon, who had this fantastic technique of hitting the ball over the left field.
09:41I had no idea.
09:43OK.
09:43You taught me a baseball story.
09:45It was a real moonshot.
09:45Oh, I just assumed it was because of how high you hit it.
09:48I think it all worked together.
09:49It all came together beautifully.
09:50Yeah, it did indeed.
09:51Right.
09:52As it is today for champion and challenger.
09:54And Steve, you're picking these.
09:55Start with a consonant, please, Rachel.
09:57Thank you, Steve.
09:58G.
09:59And another.
10:01N.
10:02One more.
10:04W.
10:05A vowel, please.
10:07I.
10:07One more.
10:09A.
10:09Another consonant.
10:11S.
10:13A consonant.
10:15G.
10:16Vowel.
10:18E.
10:19And a final consonant, please.
10:21A final H.
10:23Thanks, Fritz.
10:23Take care.
10:38Take care.
10:45See you next time.
10:46Bye-bye.
10:46Bye-bye.
10:47Bye-bye.
10:47Bye-bye.
10:49Bye-bye.
10:51Bye.
10:53MUSIC PLAYS
10:54Steve? Seven. And Rob? Seven.
10:58Yeah. Steve? Washing.
11:00I'm guessing we might have two washing lines here.
11:02Yeah, perfect. And we do.
11:04Well, it always comes out in a wash.
11:06Seven points each, one of the most obvious words we'll see all day
11:09in Countdown today, but anything to add?
11:12Not too much, but gashing, gashing your leg.
11:15Geisha for six. Geisha.
11:16And that's it.
11:1831.24. And you're choosing these letters, Rob.
11:23Can I have a consonant, please, original? Thank you, Rob.
11:25M. And another, please.
11:28S. And a vowel.
11:31U. And again, please.
11:33E. And again, please.
11:36I. Consonant, please.
11:39L. And again.
11:42N. And again, please.
11:47J. And another consonant, please.
11:49Lastly, F.
11:51And half a minute.
11:52The End
12:05MUSIC PLAYS
12:23Rob?
12:24Six.
12:25And for Steve?
12:26Six, then.
12:28OK, OK. Rob?
12:29Muslin?
12:30Yes, the material. And Steve?
12:33Muesli.
12:33And muesli, the cereal?
12:35Yes.
12:36John Thompson?
12:37I had muesli.
12:38Yeah.
12:38Well, muesli, yeah.
12:40Flumes.
12:40Like a log flume.
12:41Exactly.
12:42I like guys. I don't like roller coasters, but if it's on water, I'm all right.
12:44I didn't mind it.
12:4637, 30, second numbers round of the day.
12:49Steve, we need some digits from you.
12:51Can I have three from the top, please?
12:53You can, indeed.
12:54Three large, three little, the lesser picked option.
12:58And the three small ones for you.
13:00Eight, seven, two.
13:02And the big ones?
13:03One hundred, twenty-five and fifty.
13:06And the target?
13:07Oh, small.
13:08One, two, four.
13:10One, two, four.
13:10Numbers up.
13:11One, two, three, four.
13:15One, two, three.
13:42One, two, four, Steve.
13:44Yeah, one, two, four.
13:45Yeah, Rob.
13:46Yes, one, two, four.
13:47It's been an all right week for numbers, really has been.
13:50Steve?
13:50Well, I'm glad I gambled now, to be honest.
13:53100 plus 25 is 125.
13:56Eight minus seven is the one.
13:57Didn't get much of a challenge out of this one.
13:58No, same way.
13:59Yeah.
14:00Yeah, of course.
14:01Right, well done.
14:02APPLAUSE
14:02I don't mind that being fickle,
14:04because we've been loving John Thompson's favourites topic all week,
14:08because it just brings everyone into the conversation.
14:10Right, so let me think.
14:11Favourite condiments was unbelievable.
14:14Favourite spa treatment was yesterday.
14:16Some men don't embrace that world, really.
14:18They think it's not for them.
14:20And what about today?
14:21Children's book.
14:22Favourite children's book?
14:23Yes.
14:24Off you go.
14:24I had two.
14:25So when I was really little, there was a book...
14:28It was the Dr Seuss library, and it was just called Snow.
14:32And it was the snow.
14:33The snow.
14:33Look at the snow.
14:34But my dad used to...
14:35I knew it verbatim, off by heart, but my dad would change the words,
14:39and I'd go, hey!
14:40No.
14:41I'll pull my dad up.
14:42So that...
14:42I've still got it.
14:43You had quite a deep voice when you were a child, didn't you?
14:45Very deep.
14:47That's why I get all them voiceovers.
14:49It broke when I was three.
14:51And, um, I had all this as well.
14:54Um, and then when I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,
14:58it's the only time I've ever actually finished a book
15:01and then started it again.
15:03Well, just straight away?
15:05Yeah.
15:05But again, I thought, this is just so magical.
15:07But then I read Glass Elevator, and it was a bit...
15:10It's a bit...
15:11Yeah.
15:12I don't know.
15:13I think other people I speak to say the same about the Glass Elevator.
15:16Yeah.
15:17It's that difficult second album.
15:18Mm.
15:19I love, as an adult, going back, especially these days,
15:22they're always doing a lot of very, really special hardback covers
15:25on the books of your childhood.
15:27So, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wizard of Oz,
15:30got a beautiful version of that recently.
15:32Um, but I think you're right, that's the one.
15:34And as a kid, you just...
15:36So...
15:37I don't know, what's the adult equivalent?
15:38You'd read a book as an adult, maybe, that's a spy novel,
15:41and it takes you there.
15:42And as a kid, you don't have that arsenal in your brain to do that.
15:45No, exactly.
15:46But that book was every kid's fantasy.
15:48It's fantastic.
15:49So good.
15:50So good.
15:51Any others?
15:52Yeah.
15:52Favourite children's books?
15:54Um, mine was Noel Stretfield's Thursday's Child.
15:59Thursday's Child?
15:59Yes, which was all about orphans.
16:02Something about orphans, I think, when you were young.
16:05Yeah.
16:06Yeah.
16:06And we love talking about children's books.
16:08I think we've done it a few times, I don't care.
16:10Rachel?
16:10Well, I'm still in them.
16:11My kids are two and four, so, you know,
16:13I know Tiger Who Came to Tea off by heart.
16:15Yes.
16:16Yeah, we had that.
16:17We had that for the Tiger Day.
16:18Yeah.
16:20Well, I've said it many times,
16:21but Shirley Hughes and Dogger was my favourite.
16:24Oh, yeah, Shirley Hughes.
16:25I remember that illustration.
16:26It was, like, in the 70s.
16:28Yeah.
16:28I remember seeing it, and it sort of takes you back.
16:30Yeah.
16:30Yes.
16:31Yeah.
16:32Yeah, the sister had the seven dolls,
16:35and the one was hanging outside of the bed.
16:36And I had four, I think, growing up.
16:39So I had a monkey and a clown,
16:42and then sort of two indiscriminate,
16:45sort of just old-fashioned dolls.
16:47But, yeah, I still have them.
16:48Do you have your child...
16:49What have you kept from your childhood, John?
16:51I've not thrown anything away.
16:54But I had a flood, so it needs to be...
16:56I've got a lot of collectibles.
16:58I'm a bit of a hoarder.
16:59Yeah.
16:59A bit of a hoarder.
17:00Fine line between being a collector and a hoarder.
17:03Yeah, there is.
17:04Yeah.
17:04I've never...
17:04Books I've always kept.
17:06Every book.
17:07I've got annuals going way back.
17:08I've got comics.
17:09Annuals.
17:10Monster fun from 1973,
17:12but they're paper ones,
17:13so I really need to put them in the plastic,
17:15you know, because they've gone a bit yellow.
17:16But they're in the garage.
17:17Yeah, well, they're in the basement, but, yeah.
17:20My eldest daughter looked at my house and went,
17:22Dad, when are you going to do this up?
17:24And when it is done up,
17:24she went, it's like Ripley's Believe It or Not.
17:28Brilliant.
17:29Great memories.
17:30Thank you very much.
17:34John told me what tomorrow's favourite is,
17:36and it's another one of those you could talk about
17:38just all afternoon,
17:40so I can't wait for that.
17:42We'll be talking about this after the show,
17:44because another close encounter,
17:45seven points in it,
17:46and, Rob, you're choosing the letters.
17:49Cut off with the consonant, please.
17:50Thank you, Rob.
17:51D.
17:52And again, please.
17:54W.
17:55And a vowel.
17:57E.
17:58And again.
18:00O.
18:01And a third.
18:03I.
18:04And a consonant, please.
18:07N.
18:08And again, please.
18:10S.
18:11And a vowel.
18:13O.
18:15And finish with another consonant, please.
18:20Finish with D.
18:21And here we go again.
18:22Let's pray.
18:23Okay.
18:43Thank you.
18:45Bye.
18:49Weird.
18:5015.
18:50In him.
18:50Bye.
18:51Bye.
18:53Rob? Eight. And Steve? Only a seven.
18:56A seven? Swooned. It's never only a seven, right.
18:59That's fantastic. And Rob? Disowned. Disowned.
19:03Very good indeed. APPLAUSE
19:06I think you needed a big moment like that. Welcome to you.
19:09Decent letters, Mr Thompson. Very good. An eight. Downside.
19:13Downside. Downside.
19:15Disowned and downside and a 15-point gap.
19:18So, Steve, you're needing an upside here on your letters.
19:20I'll start with a consonant, please. Thank you, Steve.
19:24N. And another. G.
19:29A vowel, please. A. And another. E.
19:33Consonant. S. Consonant. G.
19:39Vowel. U. And another. A. And a consonant to finish, please.
19:46And lastly, L. And start the clock.
19:55BOOMER.
19:56A vowel, please.
20:10A vowel, please.
20:19Think of a vowel, please.
20:19The actual vowel, please.
20:20And you'll be right back.
20:22And then there's a vowel, please.
20:23Steve?
20:24Angles.
20:24Angles, Rob?
20:26Gauges.
20:26So, hold on a second.
20:30What's going on there?
20:31Either you've just found a comic from 1973,
20:33or you've got a nine-letter word.
20:35I've got a nine.
20:36Straight in, it's an anagram, it's languages.
20:39APPLAUSE
20:42Now you're speaking ours.
20:44Wow, there you go.
20:45Well spotted, well spotted.
20:47That would have been just for anyone who's new to this show,
20:50and there's always new comers to count down.
20:52And you get double points for that.
20:53I always get messages about that.
20:55They go, what happened to the scores?
20:56So, if you get that, you get 18.
20:5961 plays 46.
21:00The gap remains 15.
21:02And we're back to numbers already.
21:04My goodness, Rob.
21:05Here we go.
21:05Can I have one large and five some more again, please?
21:08You can indeed.
21:08One large five, little.
21:10And this time around, your selection is nine, seven, ten, five, two.
21:18And the large one, 75.
21:20This time, 320.
21:23Three, two, zero.
21:24Numbers up.
21:553-2-0, Rob.
21:57Yes, 3-2-0.
21:58What about you, Steve?
21:59Yeah, 3-2-0.
22:00Well done. Hold and strong. Off you go, Rob.
22:0375 minus 9 minus 2.
22:05Minus 9 minus 2, 64.
22:08Times 5.
22:08Yeah, so many ways for this one.
22:10So many. I didn't see that one. Steve?
22:12Slightly differently.
22:149 minus 5 is 4.
22:16Yep.
22:16Times 75 is 300.
22:182 times 10 is the 20. Add it on.
22:22One of many.
22:24Ten points. Well done.
22:25APPLAUSE
22:26And that means even though a challenger has such an impressive 56
22:30going into our second break, he's got a few points to make up
22:33on our champion, Rob.
22:34As we give you this tea-time teaser,
22:36I slip gum.
22:38I slip gum.
22:39I slip the gum shield in before engaging in a spot of this.
22:44I slip the gum shield in before engaging in a spot of this.
23:06It's the boxing, isn't it?
23:07It's the pugilism.
23:08The pugilism.
23:10Right, we'll have none of that here.
23:11Just a fair metaphorical fight.
23:14And, Steve, you're very much still in this one.
23:16Championship rounds now.
23:17Your letters.
23:17I'll start with the consonant, please, Rachel.
23:19Thank you, Steve.
23:20D.
23:21Another, please.
23:23T.
23:24Another.
23:26S.
23:27A vowel, please.
23:29E.
23:30And another.
23:31I.
23:33One last vowel, please.
23:34A.
23:36Consonant.
23:37N.
23:38Consonant.
23:40C.
23:41And vowel, please.
23:43And lastly, another I.
23:45And good luck, everybody.
24:17All right, then, Steve.
24:19Risky eight, not written down.
24:20Rob.
24:21Yes.
24:22He's written it down.
24:23Hopefully that's the same as your risky eight, not written down, then.
24:25Steve.
24:26Danciest.
24:27Oh, danciest.
24:29Rob.
24:30Anagram distance.
24:31Yeah, distance, very good indeed.
24:33There is no danciest.
24:35I love the idea of being the dancy person, but it's not there.
24:37Steve, I'm sorry.
24:39You know, some people call Susie the fun police.
24:42Not me.
24:42Not me, Steve.
24:44But, you know, who doesn't want to have the danciest?
24:46But you're definitely going the distance, Rob.
24:48Well done.
24:49Anything else in Dictionary Corner?
24:50Well, I started with a six for the vegan devil worshipper's favourite food,
24:54seitan.
24:55Yeah.
24:56Yeah.
24:57And then sainted for seven, but...
24:59And you can finish with a nine.
25:01Another nine in this one.
25:03Indicates.
25:04Wow.
25:05That's right.
25:07That's one all between you two, then, in the nines.
25:10Because languages was all you and your own, John.
25:12All by myself.
25:13Yeah.
25:13Well, you are now, because you didn't get that one.
25:15Right, more letters.
25:17Rob.
25:18Consonant again, please.
25:19Thank you, Rob.
25:20G.
25:21And again.
25:23S.
25:24And a vowel, please.
25:25E.
25:26And another.
25:28A.
25:29And a consonant, please.
25:30H.
25:31And another.
25:33Y.
25:34And another.
25:36N.
25:38And a consonant.
25:40Q.
25:41And finish off with a vowel.
25:44Finish with E.
25:45And kind down.
25:56I'll check out.
25:57Okay, we'll get it here.
25:59We'll see you next.
26:02Or break the word.
26:03Sounds good.
26:16We'll be real quick.
26:16One time.
26:17Rob?
26:18Six. And Steve? Five.
26:21The five is? Hangs.
26:23Difficulties, Rob? Hyenas.
26:25Hyenas. Well spotted.
26:26Very good indeed. Well done, mate. You're laughing now.
26:29More points for you. Anything else?
26:30A seabird, a simple shag.
26:33Oh, there you go. Beautiful.
26:35Hyenas and seabirds and all sorts coming out in the wash there.
26:3985 plus 56.
26:41Four rounds left to play with Rob and Steve.
26:44But first of all, we will get our origins of words.
26:47Well, Colin, you asked, so I'm going to try and deliver.
26:51You were wondering where cakewalk comes from,
26:54to describe something that's almost absurdly easy.
26:58And it has slightly dark origins.
27:00You have to go back to the mid-19th century
27:02and to southern slave plantations in the US
27:06where dance competitions were held.
27:09And they were incredibly popular.
27:10You know, some say they were actually parodies
27:12of the white slave owners' own kind of balls
27:16and high society events.
27:19But they really took off.
27:21And once, thankfully, slavery ended,
27:25they sort of remained in society.
27:27And, in fact, they were in Madison Square Gardens.
27:30They were sort of regular cakewalk competitions.
27:33The reason they were called cakewalks
27:34is that some people say cakes were awarded as prizes.
27:37And it shifted to mean something incredibly easy,
27:41probably because of the dancers' fluid,
27:43very elegant movements all the way through.
27:46The music was wonderful.
27:48It was kind of predecessor to ragtime, really,
27:51that accompanied it.
27:52It went into Europe.
27:53So these were really quite sort of big
27:55in the popular imagination, if you like.
27:57And so cakewalk, meaning something wonderful, smooth,
28:00as I say, crept into English.
28:02But it didn't stop there,
28:03because we say that something is a piece of cake,
28:07and that probably reverberated from there.
28:09And originally, we would say something takes the cake,
28:12or took the cake, rather than took the biscuit.
28:15And, of course, we kind of Britishised it, if you like,
28:18and changed it to biscuit.
28:20But that came later in the 1880s.
28:22Originally, it was, well, that really takes the cake.
28:24Nice, thank you.
28:25APPLAUSE
28:29Well, Rob's having his cake and eating it, isn't he?
28:31So far, 85.56.
28:33Not over yet, young Steve.
28:34Let's get back to it.
28:35I'll start with a consonant, please, Rachel.
28:37Thank you, Steve.
28:38R.
28:39And another.
28:41M.
28:42And another.
28:44D.
28:45A vowel, please.
28:46O.
28:47And another.
28:48A.
28:50Consonant, please.
28:51T.
28:53And a vowel.
28:55O.
28:56And another.
28:58E.
28:59And a consonant, please.
29:00And lastly, P.
29:02And start that clock.
29:04That.
29:32And a consonant.
29:33And maybe?
29:34All done there, Steve? Just a six.
29:36And for you, Rob? Eight.
29:38An eight, the 60? Roamed.
29:40An eight, please. Promoted.
29:42Promoted, yes. Well spotted.
29:44I think John had that as well, because I saw you punch the air.
29:49Yes, yeah, I got promoted too.
29:52Nice one. Anything else?
29:53Yeah, there's one more. Musical instruction, moderato,
29:56at a steady, moderate pace.
29:58Everything a moderato, that's what I say.
30:00More letters, please. Last letters, actually, now.
30:03Rob? I'll start with a consonant, please.
30:05Thank you, Rob. T.
30:07And another.
30:09R.
30:11And a vowel, please.
30:13A.
30:13And another.
30:15I.
30:16And a consonant, please.
30:18T.
30:19And another.
30:22V.
30:23And a vowel, please.
30:26O.
30:27And another.
30:30A.
30:30And a final consonant, please.
30:34Final L.
30:36And last letters.
30:38B.
30:39I.
30:41And a vowel.
30:41And another.
31:00And a anyone at that.
31:01I,
31:01and a vowel, would you see it yet,
31:01and a vowel?
31:01In the Honduras.
31:01Well, I am.
31:01And a vowel.
31:04And a vowel.
31:05I am.
31:05By a vowel, would you see it?
31:05Well, your heart...
31:05Fantastic!
31:08Rob?
31:09Seven. And for you, Steve?
31:11I've got five, then. The five is? Ratio.
31:14The seven? Aviator, yeah.
31:16Aviator, were you thinking of that? Yeah.
31:19Sometimes 30 seconds just isn't enough.
31:22Oh, goodness me. Right, OK, talk to me, dictionary corner.
31:26We're on the same wavelength. I've got Aviator.
31:28All done. Seven. Brilliant.
31:30And there is variola, not so nice, technical term for smallpox.
31:34All right. Wow, Rob, back-to-back centuries. Congratulations.
31:38Let's get on with it, though, Steve.
31:40Last numbers. Keep racking up the points.
31:42Can I have an inverted T, please, Rachel? You can indeed.
31:44Inverted T for the road. One from the top and five little.
31:48And the final numbers today are three.
31:50One. Seven. Three. Five.
31:54And the large one, 25.
31:56And the target, 330.
31:59330. Numbers up.
32:04One. Three. Three. Zero was the target, Steve?
32:33Yeah, 330. And for you, Rob?
32:36Yes, 330. Same way I'm betting.
32:38Anyway, let's find out, Steve.
32:39So, 25 plus five plus three is 33.
32:43Yep.
32:43Seven plus three is ten.
32:45Seven and the other three.
32:46Loads and loads and loads of ways for this one.
32:48330. Rob?
32:49That didn't do the same, actually.
32:50It was 25 plus five.
32:5125 plus five is 30.
32:54Seven plus three plus one is 11.
32:55Yep. And then we'll apply them together.
32:57Well done.
32:58330. Nice.
33:01And look at this, Steve.
33:02You could still get 76 and lose.
33:05Rob, it could be a mega 120 for you.
33:07Fingers on the buzzers.
33:09Last ten points of this Wednesday afternoon.
33:11Up for grabs in our Countdown Conundrum.
33:16And it is, Rob.
33:18Vegetated.
33:18Let's have a look.
33:23The highest score of Series 90 so far.
33:26Rob, big dog Barkas has struck again with the 120 and two wins.
33:33You're a contender, let me tell you.
33:35Wonderful.
33:35Well done to you, mate.
33:37Well done.
33:37And Steve, you know, he really did go into proper champion of champions mode,
33:41didn't he?
33:42A little bit, yeah.
33:42I think you've got a good future ahead for this, I think.
33:45He done well.
33:46Steve, keep plucking away and we'll see you again, baby.
33:49Lovely.
33:51John, Susie, see you tomorrow.
33:52You tomorrow.
33:53And listen, any lizards we haven't talked about before we finish?
33:57You're the expert.
33:57You kept them as pets.
33:58Oh, you said they're fearsome.
33:59The only poisonous lizard is the Komodo dragon.
34:02Really?
34:03So if you see them walking around Salford, go the other way.
34:05How many of those did you have?
34:07No, no, no.
34:08They're a bit big.
34:09You need a bigger house for that.
34:10Absolutely.
34:11Right, all done for us.
34:13Tongues will be wagging again tomorrow, same time, same place.
34:15You can count on us.
34:18You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com.
34:22You can also find our webpage at channel4.com forward slash countdown.