- 24 minutes ago
This episode's repeat was broadcast on Monday 4th May 2020.
Reuploaded with a "clideo" watermark, due to the original upload being unexpectedly taken down.
Reuploaded with a "clideo" watermark, due to the original upload being unexpectedly taken down.
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TVTranscript
00:16Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown Studio
00:19and a very happy new year to you all.
00:22So here we are, the beginning of a new Countdown series,
00:26series 68, and have we got something lined up for you.
00:30For the next two months, you will see the results of our researches
00:34because we have combed our records over the past 30 years
00:39and we have brought forward some of the great winners
00:42and some of the great runners-up.
00:44So, Rachel, we are in for a hile time.
00:48We are.
00:48Some of these faces would be very familiar to you, perhaps not to me.
00:52Yeah, and to Susie.
00:54And to Susie, indeed.
00:55What are we to expect?
00:57Brilliance.
00:59Yeah, you know, it's nice.
01:01Hopefully, it's expected lots of gossip
01:02because there's lots of people before my time
01:04who know a lot of the old characters, including our producer upstairs.
01:09I know.
01:10People were on with him when he had hair that long ago.
01:13So, yeah, 30-year celebration this series
01:15and we've got people from the last 30 years.
01:17That's brilliant.
01:18So, we'll ask some pertinent questions, shall we?
01:21Yes.
01:22All right, well done.
01:23Thank you, Rachel.
01:23So, who have we got with us today?
01:25We have got a rather extraordinary young man, Tom Hargreaves,
01:29a recruitment consultant from Reading.
01:32Any chance of a job?
01:33No, I'm afraid not.
01:34And you play in goal for a five-a-side team of professionals.
01:37And this is the extraordinary thing, Rachel.
01:39This young man was the series runner-up ten years ago.
01:43How old were you then?
01:4416.
01:45You're a 16-year-old.
01:47That was good, wasn't it?
01:48Yeah.
01:48My gosh, you must have been a bit of a hero at home.
01:50And you are joined and will compete against Nicky Sellers,
01:55a primary school teacher from Swindon, my old hometown.
01:59And everybody, I hope you're all watching,
02:01all you chaps, youngsters at St. Francis Primary School.
02:05Are they all watching?
02:06They are, all 400 of them, I hope.
02:08You're under a bit of pressure today, Nicky.
02:10I am, yes.
02:11All right.
02:12And Nicky, you're relatively new, of course.
02:13You were here when?
02:14Two years ago?
02:15Two years ago, 2010.
02:16Two years ago, well done.
02:18And you're a groupie, apparently.
02:20And this worried me when I read the notes,
02:21but you're a groupie for the rest of the family
02:23who are all in the same band.
02:26What's this band called?
02:27It's called Cover Story, and my husband plays bass.
02:29I've got a daughter who sings and another who plays the keyboard.
02:33And as I'm not musical at all, I just run around after them.
02:35You're the groupie, as it were.
02:36I am, yes.
02:37And do they play just around Swindon, or they travel?
02:39They'll play anywhere, but mostly just around Swindon.
02:43Excellent.
02:43Two offers.
02:44Excellent.
02:44A big round of applause, warm round of applause,
02:47for Tom and Nicky.
02:56So, Susie, peaceful weekend?
02:58Peaceful weekend, and I'm so looking forward to this.
03:00A big nostalgia trip for me.
03:02Oh, that'd be wonderful.
03:03And you've got to inform me, at points, I guess,
03:06to tell Rachel a little bit, nuggets of information about a contestant.
03:11I will.
03:11All the stories.
03:12All right.
03:12And you're joined, blessed be his name, by Dave Myers,
03:17who's broken off from his tour to join us.
03:19You're in the middle, I think, Dave.
03:21I've got about months filming, then I go back into the theatre in February.
03:25We did a load before Christmas, and it's a 99 stage tour.
03:28It's been going very well.
03:29It's good fun.
03:30This is called Larger Than Life.
03:32Yes.
03:33Yes.
03:33It's a bit of a nod to all variety.
03:35We do some cooking and chat, and we just generally have a good time.
03:39It's good fun.
03:40So, you're having a little bit of a break, and then, I think, in February,
03:43you open up again in Durham, is that right?
03:45Yeah, Durham, at the Gala Theatre there.
03:47We've got two nights there, and then we're basically all over the place,
03:50Manchester, Brighton, and we end up in Belfast in April,
03:55and Derry, which should be rather fine.
03:58Good fun.
03:59Actually, Belfast's a great town these days.
04:01Oh, yeah, it's great.
04:02St George's Market is fantastic.
04:04Yeah.
04:04You know, it's a proper event on a Saturday.
04:06But it's lovely to be here, too.
04:08It's a very special occasion.
04:08Well, you're very welcome, because you're a very popular guest of ours.
04:12Thank you very much, Nick.
04:13Bless you.
04:13Very good.
04:14Now then, Tom, would you get proceedings underway?
04:17Hi.
04:17Good afternoon, Rachel.
04:18Afternoon, Tom.
04:19Hi.
04:19Can I start with A consonant, please?
04:21Of course.
04:22Start the special series with G.
04:24And another one?
04:26V.
04:27And another one?
04:29T.
04:30And one more, please.
04:32S.
04:33And a vowel?
04:35O.
04:36And another one?
04:38I.
04:39And another one?
04:42A.
04:43And a consonant?
04:46R.
04:48And another vowel, please.
04:50And the last one.
04:51O.
04:52And here's the countdown clock.
04:55And a vowel.
04:57And a vowel.
05:13And the vowel.
05:17And a vowel.
05:24now then tom six and nikki six tom ratios ratios ratios there yep now then and then in the corner
05:35day yes we've got a seven nick we've got viragos one virago is quite enough this is a pair of
05:42viragos oh what could be worse a trio i suppose should i give you the definition domineering
05:47violent or bad-tempered women yeah didn't they come from the hills or something well it says they
05:52were once female warriors or women of masculine strength oh not very busy all right six all and
05:59we now turn to you nikki off you go rachel lovely to see you again you too nikki can i
06:04start with a
06:04consonant thank you starts with d and another l and another h and a vowel please
06:17e and another vowel u a vowel i consonant please t vowel o and another vowel please and the last
06:39one
06:39a stand by
06:48so
06:57so
07:12Yes, Nicky?
07:13A seven.
07:14A seven. Tom?
07:16Seven.
07:16Two sevens. Nicky?
07:17Loathed.
07:18Loathed.
07:19Hideout?
07:21Hideout?
07:22Perfect. Well done.
07:24Very good indeed. Well done.
07:25Two good ones there. Dave?
07:27Any news?
07:27Susie's got one.
07:29Thold, which I don't know what it is.
07:31Yeah, it's a term from Scotland.
07:33It's there for six, but it's a nice one.
07:35If you thold something, you endure it without complaint or resistance.
07:38So the opposite of a virago, really.
07:41And thold is a possible six.
07:43All right. Very good. Anything else?
07:45No, we had a load.
07:45That's it. Well done. Thirteen.
07:47All. I turn to you, Tom. Letters game.
07:49A consonant, please.
07:51Thank you, Tom.
07:52R.
07:52And another one?
07:55P.
07:55And another one?
07:58N.
07:59And one more, please.
08:01L.
08:02And a vowel?
08:04U.
08:05And another one?
08:07I.
08:08And another one?
08:10O.
08:12And a consonant?
08:14J.
08:16And another consonant, please.
08:18And lastly, S.
08:20And it's clock time.
08:22And a consonant, please.
08:49I don't know.
08:50We'll be right after this one.
08:50I don't know.
08:52Yes, Tom?
08:54Eight.
08:55Fine.
08:55Nicky?
08:56Eight.
08:57Gosh, you two are good.
08:58Right, Tom, per loins?
09:00Yes.
09:01I've got per loins as well.
09:02We've both stolen it from each other.
09:04Very good.
09:08Now, what news, Dave?
09:10We had per loins on eight as well.
09:12We've also got juniors on a seven.
09:15Yeah, why not?
09:16Juniors, very good.
09:1821 all.
09:19Now then, Nicky?
09:21Can I start with a consonant, please?
09:24Thank you, Nicky.
09:25D.
09:26And another.
09:28M.
09:29And another.
09:31T.
09:32And a vowel, please.
09:35E.
09:36And another.
09:38O.
09:39And another.
09:41I.
09:42And a consonant, please.
09:45D.
09:47A vowel.
09:49A.
09:51And a consonant, please.
09:54And the last one.
09:55L.
09:56Tick tock.
09:58And a consonant, please.
10:02And a consonant number one.
10:24And a consonant, please.
10:24And a consonantå•Š.
10:26jusqu'hi, soli一-
10:27Nicky six and Tom seven right Nicky moated thank you Tom dilated dilated
10:37yeah very good indeed Dave anything from the corner we've got deltoid yeah seven
10:44and malted on a six very good yeah meaning triangular we talk about the
10:49deltoid muscles yeah triangular muscles excellent stuff so commonly 28 to 21 and
10:57we go into a numbers game and that'll be Tom's game just one and five please
11:01right just one of five I was expecting something tricky thank you Tom kick the
11:05series off with one big one and five little ones and it could be tricky let's
11:08see the numbers are six seven four one eight and the large one 75 and the target
11:19two hundred and eighty seven two eight seven
11:24so
11:52now then Tom two eight seven two eight seven Nicky two eight seven two eight
11:56seven very good Tom seventy five fours of three hundred they are and then seven
12:03plus six is thirteen yeah and take it away nice and straightforward to kick us off
12:07very good Nicky I did it the same way yeah you're happy there very good
12:16cracking pace 38 plays Nicky's 31 as we turn to you Dave now then Dave what you need to talk
12:23about well I think we talk about the theatre really which is a something I never aspired to do we
12:31did a
12:31stage tour about about two years ago that was very successful it's mostly stand up and we've kind of
12:36developed it and it's what we're in the middle of now it's a bit of a variety
12:40thing but I didn't meet my nemesis last November in Watford so I do a bit of
12:46escapology now I've lost a bit of weight you know I always say I'm too fat to
12:49kidnap but I'm not too fat to escape but I won't padlock too many in Watford and I
12:56kind of got locked in really it wasn't a good experience it's a lot of failure and I
13:01think I'll stick to cooking really very good and how long are you on stage for now for this we
13:08were
13:08on stage till next April we finish in Belfast and Derry we're going around around the country and then
13:15back to filming we're doing a series on the Industrial Revolution nothing to do with food
13:19I'm really excited about and then I think we're going off on our travels again on the bikes on another
13:24nice big epic trip so we've got a good year coming up this year oh good for you very excited
13:29about yeah
13:29and what a way to start excellent stuff but when you're I think you're going to Durham aren't you
13:33we talked yeah we start off the tour are you on for a couple of hours or yeah we do
13:38about an hour and a
13:38quarter in the first half and an hour in the second half and there's plenty of time for everybody to
13:43have a drink in the interval there's a bit of a nod to all variety as well as a bit
13:46of singing and
13:47we're not very good at it but we give it a shot and there's a lot of tales and you
13:51know it's the
13:52bikers we first started in 2004 and so there's been quite a lot of tales and adventures and and bits
13:58and pieces that that the viewers don't see and that's that's something we can open up with in
14:03the theatre sounds a lot of fun thank you very much thank you I'll be there brilliant great now
14:13we've got time for tea time teaser and the teaser is darn deep and the clue gave in to the
14:19whims of
14:19the animal perhaps gave in to the whims of the animal perhaps welcome back I left with the clue
14:39gave in to the whims of the animal perhaps and the answer is pandered pandered mmm what is this pandered
14:46has it got a dodgy meaning as well uh yeah it certainly used to have um to panders to indulge
14:51somebody and usually in something that's not always the the greatest of desires and in the
14:56olden days it was a person who was a pimp essentially who assisted the immoral desires or evil designs of
15:01others oh dear yes I think I think it's still a crime in the states it's called pandering okay I
15:07think although I know nothing 38 plays 31 well done Tom and Nicky come on now uh start with a
15:16consonant please Rachel thank you Nicky G and another K and another S and a vowel please you and another
15:32vowel
15:32E and another I consonant please are consonant V and a consonant please and lastly M standby
15:52stood out by ohh
16:15so
16:16I
16:16yeah
16:16yeah
16:22are
16:24now they're Nicky dodgy six dodgy six and Tom I'll stay with the six all right Nicky skiver
16:33Tom givers right skiver and we all talk about skivers don't me yeah and they're in the dictionary
16:44anything else now then yes I mean we can manage a seven muskier more muscular than thou for instance
16:51possibly very good very good 44 page 37 now then Tom take it away let us gain a consonant please
16:59thank
16:59you Tom P and another one T and another one L and one more ah and vowel oh and another
17:15one a and another
17:18one e and a consonant s and another vowel place and the last one I and they're off
17:33so
18:05Nicky only an eight and your eight polarize Tom nine epilators epilators well done 62 plays 37 now then Dave
18:25we've got riposte on a seven and Susie's got a petiola on eight I'm sorry to hear that what is
18:31it
18:32petiola is a botanical term the petiola is the stalk that joins a leaf to a stem so it's the
18:40adjective to
18:41do excellent stuff well done Nicky's Sam this little bear is he giving you help or is he hindering you
18:48oh he's giving me some help what's his name Francis bear Francis bear school mascot excellent come on
18:54Francis help Nicky a bit yeah off you go Nicky consonant please right thank you Nicky G and another
19:01B and another B and another R and a vowel please E and another A and another O consonant please
19:22T
19:25consonant please F and a final consonant please and a final X here's the clock
19:39so
19:52so
19:53so
20:08Nicky I'll risk a seven Tom I'll try seven as well all right Nicky box gate box gate Tom
20:18a ball gate box gate I'm not sure we're going to be lucky with Nicky not there I'm afraid and
20:24ball gate or borgata excellent it's a plural of borgata and they are organized branches of the
20:30mafia all right well done 69 plays 37 as we ask Tom consonant please thank you Tom L and another
20:41one H and another one G and one more place D and vowel I and another one E and another
20:56one you and a
21:00consonant ah and a another consonant please and the last one F countdown
21:14so
21:25so
21:40Tom eight Nicky just seven and your seven guide us guide us Tom sluggier sluggier we happy with that
21:51very descriptive yes actually sluggier very good well done well done high scoring there now Dave what
22:00news we've got gilders on an eight gilders gilders from Holland gilders from Holland before the euro
22:05yeah yes you just need that L Nicky very well done 77 plays 37 my word Tom you're putting up
22:13a good
22:13performance here but now we turn to Susie Susie's origins of words staggers Susie well I'm on a food
22:23theme unsurprisingly because I have Dave sitting next to me and I'm just going to touch on various
22:28themes within food as far as language is concerned this week and I'm going to start with body parts
22:33because you might be surprised to learn that a lot of foods are actually named after parts of the body
22:38almost every conceivable part of the anatomy has inspired at least one term I start at the top if
22:44you take the cabbage that comes from the Latin for head because of its shape and there are pasta
22:50shapes orechietti which mean little ears and linguine which mean little tongues and the nasturtium which
22:56is the flower that you can eat that comes from the same root as nostril and it has a nose
23:01in it thanks
23:01to its pungent smell the coconut comes from a Portuguese word meaning grinning face and if you look at it
23:07the
23:07three holes look exactly like that and the avocado is named after an Aztec word for testicle
23:13and sorry about that mouths are a frequent inspiration too if you take saltimbocca which
23:19is spiced stuffed meat its name literally means leap it leaps into the mouth and the lollipop comes
23:25from a northern dialect word lolly which means tongue and the pop bit is the pop that it makes the
23:30sound
23:30that it makes when you take it out of your mouth and finally the pretzel which we got from the
23:34Germans
23:35and use their name from it it comes from a Latin word meaning little arm and the twisted biscuits were
23:40apparently designed by European monks as symbols of arms that were obediently folded in prayer
23:52brilliant cabbage cabbage is ahead yes Latin for head is cap pot I think capital yes so 77 plays Nikki's
24:0437
24:05Nikki it's your numbers game there's Rachel not a time to take risks just one from the top please Rachel
24:11you must have seen Tom back in the day then thank you Nikki
24:14one large one five small ones again and for this round the five small are six five eight one and
24:24four and a large one 75 and the target 433 433
24:30about three
24:30and
24:58I'll see you next time
25:02now the Nicky 433 I hope 433 Tom 433 all right Nicky shows okay 75 take away 435 yeah take
25:13away
25:13471 times 6 times 6 426 plus the 8 take away the 1 well done 433 very good well done
25:24Tom 75
25:256 of 450 75 times 6 450 then 8 plus 5 plus 4 is 17 yeah and take it away
25:33very good indeed
25:36very good indeed well done Tom well done Nicky but it's 87 plays 47 as we go into a tea
25:43time teaser
25:43and the teaser is Viola Penn and the clue it's where you might sit when you're out or before
26:08you're in welcome back welcome back I left you with a clue it's where you might sit when you're out
26:15or before you're in and the answer of course is a pavilion a pavilion now if you'd like to become
26:23a
26:23countdown contestant you can email countdown at channel4.com to request an application form or
26:30write to us at contestants applications countdown leads LS 3 1 J S 87 plays 47 and Tom
26:42your chance to increase your lead a constant place thank you Tom n and another one w and another one
26:52c and one
26:56one more d and a vowel oh and another one a and another one e and a consonant t and
27:12another vowel place and lastly you stand by
27:46also live in the way
27:46so
27:48now then tom seven seven nicky i'll risk a seven all right tom uh counted thank you nikki untoad
27:58untoad susie um not there unfortunately you have to be so careful with these unwords bad lucky
28:04all right now what else dave well we've got an unword as well but we've got uncoated
28:13well done okay nearing the ton there tom 94 to 47 and we turn to you nikki for letters game
28:24uh consonant please rachel thank you nikki n and another d and another m and another consonant
28:37please s vowel o another vowel i another vowel e another vowel a and finish with a
29:00vowel please and finish with e and here's the clock
29:09so
29:21so
29:22so
29:36Thank you, okay, I'm gonna risk a nine
29:39Very good Tom man just eight all right, and you're eight demon eyes demon eyes
29:45Nikki I put the a in that Susie. I'm pretty sure it doesn't give that it's it's very unfortunate because
29:52Demon can be spelled two ways dae, which is the old-fashioned spelling or de
29:56But for demon eyes that that the alternative would have to be specified in it's not
30:01We have to try one really unfortunate water, sorry, but brave try very brave. Yeah, and you was robbed now
30:08Then what else have we got Dave?
30:11Amends on a six. Thank you and domains
30:15With an e actually you can put it in some men, which are vineyards in France. Yeah
30:20Yeah, very good indeed 102 well done Tom you're over the
30:24100 102 to 47 and we look to you Tom for a letters game a consonant, please. Thank you Tom
30:32P and another one
30:33B and another one
30:38Why and one more and and a vowel
30:45You and another one I and another one oh
30:52Oh and another one I and another consonant place and to finish and and it's clock time
31:03A
31:15MUSIC PLAYS
31:33How was it, Tom?
31:35Five. Five.
31:37Nicky? Only a four.
31:39And your four? Puny.
31:41Puny. Don't wince now.
31:43Tom? Amino.
31:46Amino? Amino acid, yes.
31:48Very good.
31:48Tough selection. What else have you got there, Dave?
31:51Mopani worm. It's an edible worm from Africa.
31:55Have you tried it?
31:56I have, actually, yes.
31:57It tastes like, if you could imagine,
32:00rotting beef crossed with a teenager's trainer
32:02going off in the back of your head.
32:05It's a major source of protein,
32:06but you can have it as a beer snack.
32:09No intention of having a snack of those.
32:11What else have you got, Susie?
32:12Well, there is a lovely six, actually,
32:15which is bunyip, and that's from Australia.
32:18It's a mythical amphibious monster
32:20said to inhabit inland waterways.
32:22It's a great word, isn't it?
32:23Things you come up with.
32:25Quite extraordinary.
32:26But now it's time for a numbers game, Nicky.
32:30Same again, please.
32:31Same again. Thank you, Nicky.
32:32One from the top.
32:33And five little ones for you.
32:35And for the last time today,
32:37the five small ones are five, six, five, one,
32:41and another one.
32:43And the large one, 25.
32:45And your target, 931.
32:47931.
32:48One.
33:19Nicky?
33:20931, I think.
33:22Well done.
33:23Tom?
33:23No, just 925.
33:24Right then, Nicky.
33:25Come on, show him.
33:26OK.
33:2725 plus 1.
33:2925 plus 1, 26.
33:31Times 5 plus 1.
33:335 plus 1 is 6.
33:35Times the two together for 156.
33:38Times by 6 again.
33:39Times by 6 for 936.
33:41And?
33:42Take away the 5.
33:43And you've got another 5.
33:43Very well done.
33:45Well done.
33:45Well done.
33:49Very good.
33:51Well done.
33:52107 plays 57.
33:54As we go into the final round, it's conundrum time.
33:57So fingers on buzzers.
33:58Let's reveal today's countdown conundrum.
34:07Now then.
34:08Is it communard?
34:10Communard.
34:11It is too.
34:12Well done, Tom.
34:18That is a cracking score, Tom.
34:22117.
34:22So, Nicky, you were bitten by Tom.
34:24Why, word, was he on fire today?
34:26He was excellent, but very happy to be here.
34:28So, back to Swindon, take Francis with you, and also take this, our carefully crafted piece
34:34of hugely valuable kryptonite to show to the children back at St. Francis' primary school.
34:41Thank you, yes.
34:42So travel safely with our blessing.
34:43Thank you very much.
34:44It's been lovely.
34:45Tom, we're going to propel you into the future.
34:47We'll see you in a few weeks' time.
34:48As you know, you know, this is a competition over eight weeks, and we'll end up, in a sense,
34:52with the champion of champions over the last 30 years, and you're on your way.
34:57Tom's on his way.
34:58Very well done.
34:59See you tomorrow.
35:00See you tomorrow, Nick.
35:01See you tomorrow, Dave.
35:01See you, Nick.
35:02Look forward to it.
35:03Not bad, eh, Rach?
35:04Yeah, very good.
35:05And nice to have some familiar faces back and some new ones.
35:08It's going to be a fun few weeks.
35:09I think we can have a lot of good sport.
35:12See you tomorrow.
35:13See you tomorrow.
35:13And tomorrow, we look forward to seeing you.
35:14We'll be here, same place, same time.
35:17Join us then.
35:18You'll be sure of it.
35:30Well, who better to give you advice on what you should be reading than book club aficionados
35:35Richard and Judy.
35:36Their brand-new series starts today at half five.
35:39Next seat on Channel 4, Costa del Sol's The Destination.
35:43What a place in the sun.
35:52You
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