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Broadcast on Friday 28th June 2013.
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00:31Good afternoon and welcome to Countdown on Finals Day and what a terrific run-in we've had. Eileen Taylor, the
00:40oldest octochamp in Countdown history and joining us today, the magnificent Giles, Giles Hutchings, the highest scoring octochamp ever with
00:49a record-breaking 965. Welcome, welcome Giles.
00:53And in Dictionary Corner, great new guests. We've had people like Richard Arnold, Julia Bradbury, Richard Maidley, Bill Turnbull, Helen
01:03Skelton-Dansner and, of course, the great, delightful, charming and talented Mylene Klaas, who's here today.
01:10Thank you. Great stuff. Great stuff. No, it's wonderful. Rachel, it's been a great tournament. What are your highlights?
01:18Well, you guys absolutely shell-shocked me on Tuesday. I didn't realise it was my thousandth episode and surprising me
01:24with Ryan Giggs and my present. That was just incredible. So I'd just like to say thank you now because
01:29it's too gobsmacked then to say anything.
01:30But the team here are just so lovely, all of you, and the audience that we get back over and
01:35over, and the contestants. I mean, we thought we were going to struggle getting back to regular standard after our
01:40Champions Series, but these two, there's nothing to choose between them.
01:43And there's the wonderful prize, the 20-volume OED and the MacBook Pro up for offer today for the winner.
01:48So it's just been wonderful. Thank you very much.
01:51Very good. So, let's see what we've got. We've got Giles. We know about Giles. Student at the Royal Grammar
01:57School in Guildford from Farnham in Surrey, and I think your mum's in the audience.
02:02Giles, yeah. Gained your place in the final after beating Joe McGonagall, I think, 106 to 38. You've been a
02:09tremendous competitor right through, so welcome and good luck to you.
02:12Good luck. You'll need it because you're up against Andy Platt, originally from the Wirral Working in Bilingual Sales, in
02:19the final after beating Eileen Taylor, our oldest ever Octo Champ, and what a delight she was.
02:25You beat her 120 to 65, so look out, Giles. 120, that's a pretty good score. Another great competitor. So,
02:34you know, really great good fortune to you both, and may the best man win.
02:40APPLAUSE
02:44And over in the corner, the Queen of Dictionary Corner, of course, Susie Dent, joined by the recently crowned princess
02:50of Dictionary Corner, Mylene Klaus.
02:54Apprentice, still in work here.
02:55And this is your last day here. I know it's your first week that you've ever joined us, and it's
03:00been a delight, and don't you dare, don't you dare be too busy to come back again.
03:05I thought you were going to say, don't you dare mess this up, it's the final. Thank you, I would
03:10love to come back, thank you.
03:11All right, brilliant stuff. So, gentlemen, down to business. Start your engines. Giles, let us game.
03:18Hi, Rachel. Hi, Giles. Can I have a constant, please?
03:20Thank you. Good luck to you both. Start the final with H.
03:24And another one.
03:27S.
03:27And a third.
03:30L.
03:30And another.
03:33S.
03:33And a vowel.
03:35E.
03:36And another vowel.
03:38I.
03:38And a consonant.
03:40T.
03:41And another vowel.
03:44E.
03:45And a final vowel, please.
03:47And a final.
03:48A.
03:49And here's the countdown clock.
04:16And a vowel.
04:22Yes, Giles?
04:23I think I've got an eight.
04:24An eight. Andy?
04:26Um, save seven.
04:28Save seven. Go on, then.
04:30Easiest.
04:31And Giles?
04:31Yes, shaliest.
04:33Shaliest as of a beach, for example.
04:36OK.
04:38Um...
04:40It's there, Giles.
04:41Yep, shaliest shaliest.
04:43Well done.
04:44Very well done.
04:45APPLAUSE
04:49Brilliant stuff. Well done. Good start.
04:52Now, then, what about the corner?
04:55Anything, uh...
04:57Fascinating?
04:57We have another seven. We have leashes.
04:59Yes.
05:00And Queen Susie has something, too.
05:02I'm not sure I like this Queen bit.
05:03You are the Queen.
05:04Teasles.
05:05Teasles?
05:05There as well.
05:06Yeah, T-E-A-S-E-L-S.
05:07Oh, in fur, you've got teasle.
05:09You can have those, but also they're tall, quickly plants,
05:12and they've got very spiny purple heads.
05:14Teasles.
05:14Now, then, Andy, your letter's going.
05:18Thanks, Nick. Hi, Rachel.
05:19Hi, Andy.
05:20Consonant, please.
05:21Thank you. Starts with D.
05:23Consonant.
05:25R.
05:26Consonant.
05:27R.
05:29Consonant.
05:31G.
05:32Vowel.
05:33O.
05:34Vowel.
05:36E.
05:37Vowel.
05:39O.
05:40Vowel.
05:41Vowel.
05:43I.
05:45I.
05:47Um...
05:47A final consonant, please.
05:49And a final Z.
05:51Countdown.
05:52Vowel.
05:53Vowel.
05:55Vowel.
05:56Vowel.
06:02Vowel.
06:08Vowel.
06:09Vowel.
06:10Vowel.
06:10Vowel.
06:10Vowel.
06:10Vowel.
06:15Vowel.
06:22yes Andy eight and eight and Giles just a six and you're six and Goria Goria
06:30now then Andy odorizer mmm odorizer is fine but Andy there's no odorizer there's
06:39no agent now and there I'm afraid sorry I've like sorry bad luck bad luck indeed
06:45and the corner my lean startle us I would startle you by saying that's
06:50exactly what we got and that's it that's very resting all right John's off to a
06:58rapid start there and it's your your numbers game Giles one life please thank
07:04you Giles playing it safe with the early lead there one large and five small and
07:08as always let's see how safe for the first numbers game of this final the
07:12numbers of three two nine six five and 25 and the first target 971 971
07:28so
07:54nine seven two nine seven two or one away now then Andy nine seven two or one away now then
07:59Andy I would
07:59nine seven two both of you so Giles nine times five is forty five nine times five forty five minus
08:08six thirty nine times twenty five times twenty five times twenty five is nine seven five minus three minus three
08:15four one away nine seven two and Andy
08:18to get the thirty nine to get the thirty nine to get the thirty nine to get the thirty nine
08:20to get the thirty nine I said five times six five times six plus nine plus nine plus nine for
08:23thirty nine same combinations
08:25very good but we were really after nine seven one
08:29Rachel possible and plenty of ways for one away either way but no nine seven one no nine seven one
08:35so they did as well as it could be done now then twenty one two west seven and he's off
08:40the blocks as we've been to a tea time teaser which is bipolar's and the clue dad half cooks the
08:47potatoes perhaps
08:47perhaps dad half cooks the potatoes perhaps
09:06welcome back I left you with the clue dad half cooks the potatoes perhaps and the answer is that he
09:12parboils them parboils
09:15nothing half-baked here 21 to 7 Giles in the lead and Andy your chance it's a lesser's game
09:22cheers can I have consonant please thank you Andy B
09:26uh consonant
09:28N
09:29consonant
09:31D
09:32vowel
09:35A
09:35vowel
09:37U
09:39vowel
09:40O
09:42vowel
09:43E
09:44E
09:45consonant
09:47M
09:49final vowel please
09:50and a final E
09:52E
09:53clock time
09:54E
09:55E
09:56E
09:56E
09:56E
09:56E
09:56E
10:09E
10:10E
10:10E E
10:12E
10:24Yes, Andy?
10:25Eight.
10:26An eight, and Giles?
10:27Just a six.
10:29Your six?
10:29Abound.
10:30Abound.
10:31Now then, Andy?
10:32Bemoaned.
10:33Bemoaned.
10:34Well spotted.
10:34Very good.
10:35Very good.
10:36Yeah.
10:37Well done.
10:38APPLAUSE
10:41Well done.
10:41And what else have we got over there?
10:43Now then.
10:44We have a seven hiding in there as well.
10:46Abdomen.
10:47Abdomen.
10:48We've got an eight, so it doesn't really matter.
10:50No, but we still enjoy it.
10:51Okay.
10:52Abdomen for seven, thank you.
10:53Anything else?
10:54Nothing else.
10:55Nothing else.
10:55No, we'll stick with the abdomen.
10:5721 to 15.
10:59Andy creeping up behind you, Giles, and it's your letters game.
11:02Consonant, please.
11:04Thank you, Giles.
11:05P.
11:06And another one.
11:08F.
11:09And another.
11:11N.
11:12And a vowel.
11:15A.
11:15And a second.
11:17O.
11:18And a consonant.
11:20S.
11:21And another consonant.
11:24R.
11:25And a vowel.
11:27I.
11:28And another vowel piece.
11:30And the last one.
11:32O.
11:33Count it down.
11:36My.
12:01And a vowel.
12:02I am.
12:03And a vowel.
12:04Yes, John's in seven and Andy seven as well
12:09Giles and Soprano Soprano
12:12Andy Parison
12:14Thank you
12:15Parison yes, that's all about glassmaking. I see the round glass ball happy on both counts making yet very good
12:2228 plays 22 and
12:24my lane
12:26There's also pianos in there
12:28Why not why not anything else they're two very appropriate musical terms very good all right 28 to at 22
12:36and
12:37It's a numbers game for you Andy
12:39Okay, four large please. I thought you might say that Andy in the red corner with four large
12:45Thank you after this numbers game the two little ones are two and nine and the four large
12:51100 25
12:5250 and 75 as usual and the target
12:56Six hundred and eighty three six eight three
13:30Yes, Andy six eight three and Giles six eight three
13:35Okay, Andy I'm 75 times nine
13:3875 times nine is six hundred and seventy five hundred divided by 25 is four
13:43Four times two is eight and I don't and that's perfect six eight three. Thank you Giles. Same way
13:50Same route
13:52Very good
13:58Just six points in it 38 to 32 as we turn to my lean
14:03My lean our last little chat and
14:08I think you know
14:09Very unusual young woman talented, but also you know exotic in a way and you came from Norfolk not a
14:16county known for
14:18Exotic thing
14:20I think they'd I think they disagree with that
14:22Um, yeah, I grew up in Norfolk. I've got a mum from the Philippines. Yes, and my dad from Austria
14:29But they settled in Norfolk and I mean obviously everyone thinks their upbringing is normal until they look back and
14:35it's quite unconventional looking back
14:37So my dad he
14:40He had a diving business. He's a salvage diver
14:42And so my dolls house would be a decompression chamber
14:47It was an inconvenience to take all your dolls out when they wanted to put a diver in but
14:51Yes, it was quite an unusual way to grow up and later on I went to see with him because
14:56he was also in the merchant Navy
14:57So my job would be as the ship's writer
14:59Yeah
15:00I would help keep the log and that's where my my love of astronomy started off because he would show
15:05me how they'd use sextants and how the sailors of old would
15:09Um guide themselves by the stars, so it was a nice way to grow up
15:13That's quite an exciting sort of childhood frankly
15:16Well it is but at the time you don't appreciate it. I didn't appreciate living by the sea
15:19I didn't appreciate all the
15:22Well all any comment my daddy would make to me always had some other sort of sea connotation or naval
15:28connotation
15:28You're like a ship without a rudder that kind of thing
15:30But now I look back on it with a lot of humor
15:33So he was a salvage diver in one of those sort of heavy suits or was he with?
15:38Yeah, like the Kirby Morgans and all sorts
15:40Yeah, again in the garden my job would be to move all the bricks that would be the weights that
15:45the divers would wear themselves down with
15:47And then again, I would build like wendy houses or dolls houses with it
15:50But again a nice way to grow up before that he was in the Royal Navy and later the Merchant
15:54Navy
15:55So I got to see the world the trade route and I think that's probably why I feel quite nomadic
15:59and I why I want my own children to travel because
16:02It opens your eyes up to everything. Oh broadens the mind. Absolutely. It really does. Absolutely. It does indeed. Great
16:07stuff.
16:08The wonderful Mylene
16:10Now then 38 to 32 Giles in the lead Giles your letters game
16:16constant please
16:17Thank You Giles
16:18M
16:20And another one
16:21Y
16:23And another
16:25N
16:27And a fourth
16:29P
16:30And a vowel
16:32E
16:33And another vowel
16:35I
16:35And a consonant
16:38V
16:39And another consonant
16:42Another P
16:43Another P
16:43And a vowel please
16:44And the last one
16:45A
16:46Standby
16:47Or
17:15And another
17:17Which
17:17Is
17:18mm-hmm Giles six a six and Andy six Giles pie man hi man two pie men yeah
17:27exactly two pie men here any more pie men four four five five men went to
17:35market anything else just five apart from that all right all right very good
17:41tough tough selection 44 to 38 and we look to you Andy come on now you're only
17:48inches away thanks constant please thank you Andy and consonant T consonant C
18:01oh oh oh oh oh oh consonant T a vowel e a final consonant please and a final end
18:52and they're off
18:56Andy six a six and Giles six all right Andy cotton cotton yes Giles cotton as
19:07well all right two cottons two cottons all right and in the corner cotton cotton
19:13and just um for five motet which is a piece of sacred choral music oh thank
19:19you very good tough selection today 50 plays 44 and we turn into a numbers game
19:27Giles another one large please another one large thank you Giles and five little
19:32ones and we'll see how good that tactical decision was right the five little ones
19:36seven five six eight and four and the large one 100 and the target seven hundred
19:45twenty-nine seven to nine
19:46the
19:47the
19:49the
19:53the
19:54the
20:00the
20:03the
20:04the
20:05the
20:06the
20:07the
20:08the
20:17yes Giles and seven to nine seven to nine
20:20Andy seven to nine as well okay Giles a hundred plus four one hundred plus four
20:26one
20:26four times by seven is seven hundred and twenty eight six minus five is a one yes
20:31that's one way to get seven to nine thank you Andy a slightly different I'm a
20:36hundred plus five
20:37one hundred plus five one hundred and five times by seven times by seven seven
20:41hundred thirty five take away six and that's another way well done
20:44very good both of you well done
20:51still that's six points between you as we go into a tea time teaser which is Ken Manic
20:56and the clue Manic Ken isn't really what is called it's a moniker Manic Ken isn't really
21:03what is called it's a moniker
21:18welcome back welcome back I left you with the clue Manic Ken isn't really what is called it's a moniker
21:24and the answer of course is it was a nickname a nickname
21:2960 to 54
21:31that elusive six points Andy it's your letters game
21:36thanks Nick
21:37consonant please Rachel
21:38thank you Andy
21:38Q
21:40better one
21:43S
21:44consonant
21:46G
21:47vowel
21:49A
21:50vowel
21:52E
21:53vowel
21:55O
21:55vowel
21:59I
22:00consonant
22:01R
22:04Final consonant please
22:06and a final S
22:08Countdown
22:10T
22:11T
22:11T
22:12T
22:12T
22:12T
22:12T
22:12T
22:12T
22:13T
22:14T
22:14T
22:14T
22:15T
22:15T
22:15T
22:16T
22:16T
22:16T
22:16T
22:16T
22:17T
22:18T
22:18T
22:18T
22:18T
22:19T
22:20T
22:20T
22:20T
22:21T
22:22T
22:22T
22:23T
22:24T
22:25T
22:42Yes, Andy.
22:43Seven.
22:44Seven, Giles.
22:45Eight.
22:46Andy.
22:47Gassier.
22:48Gassier.
22:49And Giles.
22:51Argosy.
22:52Argosy.
22:53My dictionary poised.
22:55I knew something good was coming up here.
22:59I'm pretty sure it's in, Giles.
23:01I don't want to keep you hanging on desperately.
23:05And I'll tell you what it is when I get there.
23:08Yeah, and Argosy is a literary term.
23:09The plural is Argosys, and it's a large merchant ship,
23:12originally one from Ragusa, which is now Dubrovnik, of course.
23:15Very good.
23:18Well done, Giles.
23:21Well done indeed.
23:2268 to 54 now.
23:24And we go on into your letters game, Giles.
23:28A consonant, please.
23:29Thank you, Giles.
23:31J.
23:32And another one.
23:34H.
23:35And another one.
23:37R.
23:39And another one.
23:40R.
23:41And a vowel.
23:43I.
23:44And another vowel.
23:46A.
23:47And another vowel.
23:49E.
23:50And a consonant.
23:53X.
23:54And another vowel, please.
23:56Not the best selection.
23:57A final U.
24:00Countdown.
24:02And another vowel.
24:03And another vowel.
24:19And another vowel.
24:20And another vowel.
24:20And another vowel.
24:20And another vowel.
24:20And another vowel.
24:22And another vowel.
24:33Yes, Giles?
24:34Only five.
24:36Andy?
24:36Can't even get that. Four.
24:38Four. It's a tough selection.
24:40And your four?
24:41Hair.
24:42Giles?
24:43Um, hi-u.
24:45How are you spelling that?
24:46H-E-I-A-U.
24:48I think it's like a Hawaiian hut or something.
24:52It is. It's an ancient Hawaiian temple, actually,
24:55more than a hut or sacred site.
24:56So it's H-E-I-A-U. Fantastic.
24:59Very good indeed.
25:06Amazing. Amazing.
25:07And in the corner, now then, Maileen?
25:10We're just in the corner on that.
25:12That's it?
25:13I was trying for hurrah without the second H,
25:16but that wasn't there, so we failed.
25:18Most unusual, but Giles certainly did it
25:21with that brilliant word.
25:23And 73 plays 54 now,
25:25as we go into Susie's origins of words.
25:28Susie, I'm breathless.
25:30Well, those of us with young children,
25:32we've just been talking about this,
25:33know that one of the first signs of a high temperature
25:36is very, very flushed cheeks.
25:38I'm just about to give a medical diagnosis here.
25:41I'm going to talk about the origin of a word.
25:42Ancient Greek parents as well noticed this in their children.
25:46And some patients, even adult ones actually,
25:49seemed to have continuously flushed cheeks.
25:52And a Greek physician called Galen,
25:54a very famous one, noted it.
25:56And he termed the condition hektikos,
25:58which meant habitual,
25:59because the patient's cheeks were constantly red.
26:03And centuries later,
26:04this condition was recognised as a disease.
26:06It was called hectic fever,
26:09later became known as consumption,
26:11because it consumed all the tissues in the body.
26:13And of course, today we know it as TB,
26:14or tuberculosis.
26:16But the term hectic fever is still around,
26:19and it's used by doctors
26:20for the fever that accompanies TB,
26:22also a kind of septic poisoning.
26:24And a key symptom is these very flushed cheeks,
26:27very bright, abnormally bright eyes,
26:29but also a nervous sort of excitability in the patient.
26:33And because of this excitability,
26:35the ancient medical term hectic,
26:37which meant habitual or continuous,
26:39acquired a completely different meaning.
26:41Of course, today it means wild,
26:43excitable, or simply chaotic.
26:44So when we talk about a hectic day,
26:46these days we'll usually recover from it.
26:48But in the ancient Greeks' times,
26:50that wasn't always the case.
26:51Perfect.
26:57Wonderful stuff, Susie.
26:58Perfectly constructed.
26:59A joy to listen to.
27:00Now then, 73 to 54,
27:03says Andy has got to move fast now.
27:06It's your letters game, Andy.
27:08Yeah, cheers.
27:08Can I just kind of a consonant, please?
27:10Thank you, Andy.
27:11Thank you, Andy.
27:12A consonant.
27:14L.
27:15Consonant.
27:16G.
27:17Vo.
27:20O.
27:20Vo.
27:22A.
27:23Vo.
27:24E.
27:26Consonant.
27:29N.
27:30Consonant.
27:32W.
27:33Final consonant, please.
27:36And a final N.
27:38Countdown.
27:40Countdown.
27:41A.
27:41A.
27:42C.
27:42A.
27:42A.
27:42B.
27:42B.
27:42A.
27:56A.
27:56B.
27:59A.
28:10Yes, Andy?
28:11Eight.
28:12And eight, Giles?
28:13Eight as well.
28:14Andy?
28:15Mangonel.
28:16Mangonel and Giles?
28:18I've got the same.
28:19Two of them.
28:20Two of them.
28:21Now, what do you make of that?
28:22You'll like this one, Nick, I think.
28:24A mangonel in historical times was a military device for throwing stones and other missiles,
28:30so maybe like a giant catapult.
28:31Oh, right, OK.
28:33Very good.
28:34All two, yeah.
28:38And what has Mylene got for us?
28:40Exactly the same.
28:42I just think a mangonel is a two-year-old, though.
28:45That's very, very true.
28:47They could hurl those stones for miles, apparently.
28:49You know, and the old cannon, you know, in the 17th century could propel a decent-sized
28:55cannibal for a mile and a half.
28:57It's extraordinary, isn't it?
28:58Anyway, there we are.
28:59Mangonel.
29:00Very good.
29:0081 plays 62 as we go into Giles' last letters game.
29:05Giles?
29:06In consonant, please.
29:07Thank you, Giles.
29:09D.
29:10And another one.
29:12T.
29:13And another.
29:16S.
29:17And a fourth.
29:18D.
29:19And a vowel.
29:21O.
29:22And another vowel.
29:24I.
29:25And another one.
29:27A.
29:28And a consonant.
29:30H.
29:32And a final vowel, please.
29:34And a final E.
29:36And bye.
29:38Bye.
29:38Bye.
29:40Bye.
30:07Charles to seven a seven Andy seven as well okay trials iodates iodates yeah
30:16no surprise two of those I had eight and the improvements not really an improvement did
30:25we know you have a seven as well hoisted hoisted very good and toddies hot toddies oh yes very good
30:3388 to 69 it's been a tough old game hasn't it the selections have been very difficult but there
30:39we are 88 to 69 and we move into the final numbers game Andy thanks I've got to win 10
30:46to zero I was thinking about going six more but I'll go four large four large I thought you might
30:49yep penalty shoots out time like you say to be in with the chance for the crucial conundrum
30:53right let's see if we get you a tough one for the last time in this final the numbers are
30:58nine
30:58and seven and the large ones we know 50 175 and 25 and the very all-important target 967 967
31:10so
31:25so
31:25so
31:25so
31:25so
31:26so
31:26so
31:39well Andy it's game over because I can't get it nine six eight not written down not written down
31:46Giles nine six eight all right let's hear from Andy 100 times nine 100 times nine nine hundred
31:55plus 75 take away seven plus 75 and take away seven four one away yeah and Giles same thing same
32:02route
32:02all right I trust you but we were desperately searching for nine six seven Rachel possible
32:08well to put the boys out of their misery it was actually impossible well done so they did as well
32:13as they anybody could he had no chance with all right well done guys 95 to 76 as we enter
32:19the final
32:20round of the final conundrum time chaps so fingers on buzzers let's reveal today's countdown conundrum
32:33Andy incipient incipient let's see whether you're right not often fooled incipient well done
32:44well done two great competitors two great competitors on the day and he got pipped but
32:53not by much not by much so you've got your Crips night you've got your goodie bag and you've got
32:59our real congratulations and our best wishes cheers it's been awesome good for you good for you thanks
33:04but there's only one champ and he's sitting over there he's young Giles Hutchings so let's give
33:10him a huge round of applause well done well done well done well Andy Andy all I can say is
33:25commiserations
33:26great competitor but you don't go away empty-handed you've got a cracking laptop to take with you
33:31and our best wishes great competitor cheers and now then Rachel hand it over well very fittingly you
33:39are number one seed for the series you've got the highest total score ever in the history of
33:43countdown so it gives me great pleasure you've won that lovely set of dictionaries a macbook pro
33:46and the Richard Whiteley Memorial Trophy thank you so congratulations Giles very well done well done well done well done
34:00Giles well done a worthy winner a worthy winner and now from the countdown studio it's farewell from me from
34:07Rachel thank you so much Mylene and of course
34:10the queen of victory you join us back same time on Monday we're off on another wonderful series
34:18series of countdown good afternoon
34:20good afternoonzer
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