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00:15Good afternoon.
00:28Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown Studio on another great quarterfinal day.
00:34Not only is it a great day for that, but also because the second part of the Hobbit film
00:41breaks today, premieres today. And of course, it's called The Desolation of Smaug.
00:47First of the films, The Hobbit, of course, was launched last year, first shown last year.
00:51Huge success. And both based, of course, on J.R.R. Tolkien's wonderful book, The Hobbit,
00:58published way back, I'm told, in 1937, a fantasy novel.
01:02He, of course, was an academic at Oxford, a notable character and a great book.
01:10I loved it. And the other great fantasy novel that I loved, I haven't read it for a long time
01:14now,
01:15first published in 1946, was Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast.
01:19And what a treat for the imagination Gormenghast is.
01:23How about you? Do you like these? Do you like Bilbo and Gandalf?
01:26I haven't read them, but my first week in Oxford, I did an open air bus tour around the city
01:30and they showed you his old room. It was in Broad Street and the pub that he used to go
01:34in.
01:35That's fine. Yeah, I haven't read the books, but I know what pub he used to drink in.
01:37Have you seen the films? Priorities. Have you seen the film?
01:40I haven't seen The Hobbit, but I have seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
01:43Yeah. Yeah. Wonderful stuff. Yeah, very good. Wonderful stuff.
01:46But dip into Gormenghast if you like to be frightened. It's wonderful. Brilliant stuff. Brilliant stuff.
01:52Now, we've got some more brilliant stuff here because we've got Jen Stedman,
01:56one of our quarterfinalists today. When you were last here, Jen,
02:00you made Countdown history by becoming the first female, first woman,
02:04to score more than 100 points in every game.
02:06And you achieved the highest score for a female contestant in a single game,
02:11130 points, Jen Stedman. Brilliant stuff.
02:15And the third highest scoring OctoChamp in Countdown's 30-plus year history.
02:22So, we've got a real contender with us today, and you're joined by Callum Todd
02:26in the quarterfinals after winning seven games and scoring 747 points,
02:32like the Boeing Jumbo Jet, sixth-form student from Leeds.
02:35And you just missed out on becoming an OctoChamp.
02:38So, let's see how you get on today.
02:40Both of you, terrific contestants.
02:42And let's have a big round of applause for them.
02:44It's a big day.
02:49It's a big day for them.
02:51It is indeed.
02:52And over in the corner, of course, we've got the wonderful Susie Dent.
02:56And yet again, I think for the last time this week, it's been a joy having you,
03:01Dan Walker, TV sports presenter, journalist, who, and I can't get over this,
03:05I love it, every week on BBC World.
03:08Yep.
03:09Your voice is heard in something like 358 million homes.
03:14Isn't that something?
03:15Brilliant.
03:16You can't watch it in this country, but, yeah, around the world, apparently.
03:19I'll travel abroad to hear it.
03:20There you go.
03:20All right.
03:21Excellent stuff.
03:22Now, let's get down to business.
03:23Jen Steadman, would you be good enough to kick it off?
03:27Yeah.
03:27Can I start with a consonant, please, Rachel?
03:29You can, Jen.
03:30Good luck.
03:31Thanks.
03:31Right.
03:31Start this quarterfinal with an S.
03:33And another.
03:35G.
03:36And another.
03:39R.
03:40And a vowel.
03:42O.
03:43And another.
03:45E.
03:46And a third.
03:48I.
03:49And a consonant.
03:52T.
03:53And another.
03:55D.
03:57And a final consonant, please.
04:02And a final Z.
04:03And here's the countdown clock.
04:05E.
04:07I.
04:12Here's the timeline.
04:22Here's the timeline.
04:24Oh oh oh oh.
04:34There's time some 봇 translators.
04:36Yes, Jen?
04:37Eight.
04:38And Callum?
04:38Just seven.
04:39And your seven was?
04:41Editors.
04:42Editors.
04:43Jen?
04:44Stodgier.
04:45Stodgier.
04:45Yes, good spot.
04:46Nothing stodgy about that.
04:50Well done, Susie.
04:52Susie, yes?
04:53What have we got in the corner there, Dan?
04:54Well, Dr Dent has come up with a little beauty.
04:57Also, a goitard, which is something to do with the thyroid.
04:59It is.
05:00It's only seven, so it's not as good as Stodgier.
05:01I've got carried away, sorry.
05:03Yes, if you're goitard, you have a swelling of the thyroid gland.
05:06If you're goitard?
05:07Yes.
05:08Is that how it's...
05:09Yes, not very nice.
05:10You've got a goitard position, you're goitard.
05:13Yes.
05:13Pleasant, yeah, thyroid.
05:15All right, Callum, letters game.
05:19Can I start with a consonant, please?
05:20Thank you, Callum.
05:22N.
05:22And another.
05:24T.
05:25Another consonant.
05:27L.
05:28And another.
05:30D.
05:31Vowel, please.
05:32A.
05:33Another.
05:35U.
05:36Another vowel.
05:38E.
05:40A consonant, please.
05:42R.
05:43And a final vowel, please.
05:45And a final O.
05:46Stand by.
05:47A consonant, please.
06:19Yes, Callum?
06:20Nine.
06:21A nine, Jen?
06:22Yep, nine as well.
06:23Both of you.
06:24I bet it'll be the same word.
06:25Come on, Callum.
06:26Outlander.
06:28Yes?
06:28Exactly the same.
06:30Outlander.
06:31And Dan's got it too?
06:32Well, yes.
06:34Well done.
06:37All right.
06:38And your nine, Dan?
06:40Exactly the same.
06:41Yes.
06:42Yeah, we can't believe that.
06:43I nearly thought we had the Manchester City strike at Aguero,
06:46but we're missing it.
06:46We're missing a G.
06:48Yeah, sadly, he's got a capital A as well.
06:50I know.
06:50Apart from that, anything else?
06:51No, just tell you what an Outlander is.
06:53It's a foreigner or stranger, at least in America.
06:55Yes.
06:56All right.
06:56Very good.
06:57Very good.
06:5726 to 18.
06:59Jen in the Leeds at the moment,
07:00but now it's a numbers game.
07:02That may upset things.
07:03Jen?
07:04My old favourite.
07:05One large and five small piece.
07:06Thank you, Jen.
07:07Keep it simple.
07:07Hopefully, one large one.
07:09Five little ones coming up.
07:10And for the first time in this quarterfinal,
07:12their numbers are 1, 9, 5, 3, another 1, and 75.
07:20And the target to reach 829.
07:23829.
07:23829.
07:54nolan jen 829 829 callum 829 thank you jen um nine plus three is 12. yep minus one is 11.
08:04okay 11. uh 11 times 75 is eight to five uh add the five and minus the one well done
08:11829 critically done callum exactly the same same rude yeah that's why they're
08:20that's why they are where they are quarter finalists my word now then time for tea time teaser
08:26and it's our rices and the clue might they deliver our rices and our main courses
08:51welcome back i left you the clue might they deliver our rices and our main courses and the answer is
08:58couriers couriers now where are we general on 36 callum on 28 callum we're with you off you go let
09:07us go constant please thank you callum f and another s and another b another constant please g a vowel
09:22a and another e and another u another vowel please i and the final consonant and a final r
09:37stand by
10:08now then callum eight and eight jen no just six and that would be bruise thank you now then callum
10:17argufize right i'll pass that one over to dr dent yeah it's brilliant um to argufy it's kind of humorous
10:28is to um argue or quarrel as you might expect and it's um a fanciful formation which is a little
10:35bit
10:35like speechify you talk about somebody's speech anyway very very good well done
10:40very good draws you level 236 all but before we uh peel away we look to dan for his contribution
10:50down yes a few sixes in there a braise um barges but also uh we think there's another eight in
10:57there
10:57firebugs as well so firebugs yeah firebugs not quite as articulate as callums but firebugs
11:02nonetheless brilliant stuff though they're actually arsonists they're not they're not beautiful
11:06insects as i thought they're actually arsonists a firebug is an arsonist yeah firebugs not very nice
11:11individual no certainly not 36 points all now then jen letters game start with a constant please
11:18thank you jen t and another v and another p and a vowel e and another o and another i
11:35and a
11:37consonant v and another consonant v and another consonant v and another consonant please and lastly s
11:50thank you
12:23Yes, Jen?
12:24Seven.
12:24Seven, Callum?
12:26Six.
12:26And your six?
12:28Pivots.
12:29Pivots, Jen?
12:30Votives.
12:31Votives.
12:32Yeah, our little church candles again.
12:34They are, yes.
12:35Objects offered in fulfilment of a vow, such as a candle.
12:39Yeah, very good.
12:40Well, she's stolen a march on you again, Callum.
12:42What are you going to do?
12:43It's your numbers game now.
12:44Can I have a six smile, please?
12:46You can.
12:47Thank you, Callum.
12:48Gamble time.
12:49Six little ones coming up.
12:52Right, this challenge is ten, one, eight, six, four, and two.
13:00Lots of evens.
13:01The target to reach 688.
13:03Six, eight, eight.
13:35Six, eight, eight.
13:36Callum.
13:36Six, eight, eight.
13:38Six, eight, eight.
13:39Jen?
13:40I know where near it.
13:41No?
13:42Nope.
13:42Right, Callum.
13:44Ten times four.
13:45Ten times four, 40.
13:46Times two.
13:47Times two, 80.
13:48Plus six.
13:4986.
13:50Times that by eight.
13:51Good gamble.
13:52Six, eight, eight.
13:53Well done.
13:54Well done indeed.
13:57So you're back in charge, Callum.
13:59Only by three points, though.
14:0046 to 43.
14:02But now we're going to have a final chat with Dan, who tomorrow, I think, is off to meet the
14:07troops.
14:07I'm glad it's not today.
14:09Friday the 13th.
14:10Not the best day to travel.
14:11You travel safely tomorrow.
14:13Thanks for that.
14:13Yeah.
14:14All right.
14:14I want to talk to you about grammar, if that's all right.
14:17I am a bit of a stickler for correct grammar.
14:19I don't mind people correcting me either, you know, if I make a mistake, as Lady Jen does occasionally here
14:24and there.
14:25It's important, I think, to make sure standards don't slip too far.
14:29I do occasionally like to correct people's grammar on Twitter as well, particularly when they insult me, saying, you know,
14:34you're this or you're that.
14:36If they don't say Y-O-U-R-E.
14:39Absolutely.
14:39Very easy to go back to them with that one.
14:41But I think it's important that you don't take these things too far.
14:45I have three children, and we all went on holiday earlier this year.
14:50You know what kids are like.
14:51They often say things slightly incorrectly when they're learning to speak.
14:54I rot it.
14:55I borted it.
14:57Look what I've drawn.
14:58And I think as a parent, you gently encourage them to say things in the right way.
15:02As I said, we're on a holiday, and our youngest is three, and he was splashing about in the pool.
15:08And I think he got into slightly deeper water than he first intended to be in there.
15:13And he looked across at me, and he said, Daddy, Daddy, mine can't swim.
15:18Now, obviously not the time to point out his grammatical error or his incorrect use of the personal pronoun.
15:24But, you know, the parental instinct at that point kicks in rather than the sort of need to point out
15:29a grammatical error.
15:30And I sort of dived in and saved him from the watery dilemma.
15:35But I always remember my English teacher, Mr. Clubb, used to say, I've written this down.
15:39I've always remembered it.
15:40Grammar is king in fact everything.
15:43Study it well or you've not learned to think.
15:46I think Mr. Clubb was perhaps correct.
15:48But there are more important things than grammar, particularly when you're saving a young lad from a watery emergency.
15:53I'm sure of that.
15:54You told him once you'd pulled him to the bank.
15:56Yes.
15:56Never say that again.
15:57It's I can't swim, not mine can't swim.
15:59And the next time you fall in, thrashing about, remember this.
16:03Daddy, Daddy, I can't swim.
16:06And also a good opportunity to teach them to swim.
16:08Isn't it terrifying?
16:09I've got grandchildren and I heaved a sigh of relief when they could swim because there's an enduring terror that
16:18they'll fall in.
16:19And the young children do fall in.
16:20Yeah, it's a very important skill to master, isn't it?
16:23Absolutely.
16:23At school, despite being sort of long and swimmery, I was never particularly that good a swimmer.
16:28I devised a great technique, sort of sink to the bottom and then pull yourself along on the tiles on
16:34the bottom of the swimming pool.
16:35Well, I could remarkably fast, actually, but it's much more efficient than the front court.
16:39It seems to be a very sort of painful way of getting along.
16:43Genuinely, if there's an Olympic sport, I think I might have a chance for a medal.
16:46I've perfected it over the years.
16:47Excellent.
16:48But no swimming pool anyway.
16:49You've always got your head at six foot six.
16:51Yes.
16:52You're not in a great danger.
16:55So, Callum, 46 to Jen's at 43.
16:58And we're off again.
16:59Letters game.
17:00Jen.
17:01Start with a consonant, please.
17:03Thank you, Jen.
17:04P.
17:04And another.
17:06D.
17:08And another.
17:10N.
17:11And a vowel.
17:14A.
17:15And another.
17:17E.
17:18And another.
17:20O.
17:22And a consonant.
17:25K.
17:27And another.
17:29S.
17:31And a final vowel.
17:34E.
17:35And a final E.
17:37Countdown.
18:07And we'll be back mới happen.
18:08We'll be back Jessica.
18:08And a little yak Madagascar.
18:09Yes, Jen. Seven. A seven. Callum. Seven. Jen. Spanked. Spanked. Callum. The same. Two spankers here in the corner. Susie.
18:21No spanking going on over here. What have we got? We do have a countdown favourite though. Dapsone. And what
18:28is that again? It's the, well, to do with leprosy, isn't it? Yes, it's the ointment used to treat. Leprosy
18:34wounds.
18:34So, Callum on 53, Jen on 50. Callum, you're back again. Letters game. I'll start with a consonant, please. Thank
18:41you, Callum. N. And another. M. Another. H. Another. R. A vowel, please. I. Another vowel. E. And another. O.
19:01Another vowel.
19:04I. And a final vowel, please. And a final A. And here's the countdown clock.
19:10I. And a final vowel.
19:40I. And a final vowel.
19:42Callum. Seven. Seven, Jen? Yep, seven. Two sevens. Callum. Moraine. Moraine and Jen. Same word. Moraine. Yes. And in the
19:52corner, Dan? We had a bit of moraine as well. You could change the M and the R around and
19:56make romaine as well, which is a lettuce. Indeed. Now, Rachel's been up for some mischief over there. What have
20:02we got here, Rachel? Yeah, well, it was Hanukkah a couple of weeks ago, so it's menorah. Menorah. What does
20:07that mean?
20:07Menorah is the candelabra that you light at Hanukkah. Yes, yes. Of course, of course. 60 points to 57. Callum's
20:16in the lead. Numbers game for you, Jen?
20:21I was an English student. I can't count, so I'm just going to go one large, please. One large. Okay.
20:26It was a tough decision, obviously. It's a close contest. Thank you, Jen. One large, five small. You can count.
20:32And for this round, they are five, seven, another five, three, one, all the odds, and 75. And the target,
20:41873.
20:43873.
20:45873.
20:46873.
20:46873.
20:49873.
21:14Yes, Jen?
21:14Yeah, 873.
21:16And Callum, 873.
21:18So, Jen?
21:2075 minus 1 is 74.
21:2275 minus 1, yep, 74.
21:247 plus 5 is 12.
21:26Yep.
21:27Times the 2.
21:29For 888.
21:31And then 3 times 5 is 15.
21:343 times the other 5.
21:35Yeah, well done.
21:36873.
21:37Very good.
21:38And Callum?
21:39Totally different.
21:4075 times 3.
21:42Yep, 75 times 3, 225.
21:44Take away 5.
21:45Take away 5, 220.
21:47And the other 5 minus 1 is 4.
21:49Yep.
21:50Times the 2 together.
21:51880.
21:52And take away 7.
21:54Lovely.
21:55Perfect.
21:55Well done.
21:59Well done.
22:00So, still that 3-point lead for Callum.
22:03We're going to be a tea-time teaser, which is cream tea.
22:07And the clue, it's much easier to swallow if you make it soft.
22:11It's much easier to swallow if you make it soft.
22:28And the answer is macerate.
22:35Macerate.
22:36Well, macerate, why not?
22:3870 points to 67.
22:40Callum in the lead.
22:42Callum, you're back on with the letters game.
22:44Can I have a consonant, please?
22:45Thank you, Callum.
22:46H.
22:47And another.
22:49S.
22:50And another.
22:51H.
22:52And another.
22:54R.
22:55Vowel, please.
22:57E.
22:58Another vowel.
22:59U.
23:00And another.
23:01O.
23:03Another.
23:05A.
23:06And the final consonant, please.
23:09And the final Y.
23:10Stand by.
23:11Bye-bye.
23:12Bye-bye.
23:14Bye-bye.
23:25Bye-bye.
23:30Bye-bye.
23:31Bye-bye.
23:31Bye-bye.
23:31Bye-bye.
23:33Bye-bye.
23:37Bye-bye.
23:42Callum, six, and Jen? Six. Callum? Arouse. Arouse. Jen? Horse, with the A. Horse. Horse.
23:52And what have we got in the corner there? We couldn't bet a six, actually. A shore was
23:57another six that we had. Put him a shore. Anything else? Nothing else. All right. Still
24:03at three points. 76 to 73. Jen, come on. Let us go. Can I start with a vowel, please?
24:12Thank you, Jen. O. And another. E. And another. O. And a consonant. N. And another. T. And
24:28another. S. And another. D. And another. W. And a final consonant, please. And a final R.
24:45Stand by.
24:46Walk.
25:15Walk.
25:17Yes, Jen? Seven. Seven, Callum. I'll stick with seven, yeah. OK, Jen? Downers. And Callum? Swooned. Swooned. Yes. Good words.
25:28Very good words. Good words. Swooned. Dan? You could have thrown the plural of rodent in there as well. Rodents
25:33is another seven. Indeed. Excellent stuff. 83 to 80. And now, Susie Dent, Origins of Words. Come on, cheer us
25:43up on this Friday the 13th.
25:46Save our bacon. Come on. Well, I'm not sure how cheering this is going to be. I was going to
25:49talk about medical terms, which we tend to think of as being quite complex and based on Latin and Greek.
25:56Actually, there's a lot of words in English that started off with a very specific medical use and then became
26:04more figurative or fell into wider use.
26:06If you think about abbreviation, and we talk about abbreviations all the time today, but it was originally used to
26:12refer to a reduction in size or a contraction of a muscle or a similar part of the body, because
26:17it's all to do with shortening.
26:20Attraction actually began as a medical term used to refer to the intake of breath.
26:25This is all to do with drawing in. So when you attract somebody, you draw them to you.
26:30Catharsis, you know, to mean purging or cleansing in some way.
26:34That started off as not very nice, as a physical purging of the body, such as vomiting.
26:39Sorry about this. I'm not really chewing you up.
26:41Which leads us to drastic.
26:43And drastic, right in the very early days, was a medical treatment that was really strong or potent.
26:50So it led, again, to the similar sort of thing as that catharsis.
26:55Mortifying, you might guess, as far as I said, mortifying comes from the Latin for death and the body that
27:04was afflicted by some horrible disease, such as gangrene, that was particularly destructive.
27:10Recipe began, it comes from Latin meaning to receive.
27:13And that was used very specifically at the top of medical prescriptions.
27:17And it was telling people how they should take their medicine.
27:20Those are the first recipes.
27:21And finally, refrigerate, fridge and refrigerator were used for medicines that had a cooling effect on a fevered brow.
27:30Very good. Very good. Interesting.
27:3383 to 80 points.
27:35And Callum, you're back on with your letters game.
27:38Consonant, please.
27:39Thank you, Callum.
27:40M.
27:41And another.
27:43T.
27:44And another.
27:46T.
27:47Another consonant.
27:49S.
27:50And a vowel, please.
27:52A.
27:53Another vowel.
27:54E.
27:56Another.
27:57O.
27:59Another vowel.
28:02I.
28:03And the final consonant, please.
28:05And a final J.
28:07Countdown.
28:13A vowel, please.
28:16And a vowel.
28:23It's a passar you're out for, right?
28:37나오나 Province, please.
28:42A vowel.
28:43Callum? Atomize. Atomize. Both of you? Same word. Both atomized. Yes, Dan? Another seven, but again,
28:53not quite as intellectual as that one. Toasty. Toasty. Very good. Anything else? No, that was
29:00our favorite seven. Toasty and two atomizers. All right, 92.8. My word, we're careering towards a
29:07crucial conundrum, I think. Now then, Jen, let us go. Can I start with a consult, please, Rachel?
29:12Thank you, Jen. S. And another. M. And another. L. And a vowel. U. And another. E. And another.
29:27O. And a consonant. T. And a vowel. A. And a final consonant, please. And a final N.
29:42Stand by.
29:43We'll see you then, again, we'll see you.
29:48Wha-
30:13Yes, Jen?
30:14Eight.
30:15And eight, Callum?
30:16Eight.
30:18Yes, Jen?
30:19Seamount.
30:20And, Callum?
30:21Soulmate.
30:23Soulmate.
30:23Oh, yeah.
30:25Very good.
30:26And a seamount?
30:27A seamount is a submarine mountain, so a mountain under the sea.
30:31Really?
30:32Yes.
30:33Very good.
30:34Well done.
30:37Well done.
30:38And, Dan?
30:39Yeah, we only had a seven.
30:41If you believe in the dangers of Friday the 13th, it might require some sort of amulet.
30:45Amulet will get you a seven, yeah.
30:47Well done.
30:47Anything else?
30:48No.
30:48All right.
30:49So, still that wretched three points as we go into the final numbers game.
30:54That's one for Callum.
30:55Callum?
30:56I'll stick with six small, please.
30:58In other words, Jen was dreading six small.
31:00Hopefully, the neutral wants a crucial conundrum.
31:04Good luck.
31:04Right, the last numbers game of the day is nine, two, another nine, ten, seven, and one.
31:12And the target to reach 361.
31:15So, 361.
31:17So, 361.
31:18361.
31:42So, 361.
31:49Thank you, Jen.
31:50361.
31:51Okay.
31:51Take it away, Callum.
31:52Nine minus seven.
31:53Nine minus seven is two.
31:55Add the other two.
31:56Add the other two for four.
31:57Times by the other nine.
31:5836.
31:59Times by 10.
32:01360.
32:02And add one.
32:02Well done, 361.
32:04Very neat.
32:05And?
32:05Jen?
32:06Exactly the same.
32:06Slightly different order, but same.
32:10Happy?
32:11Yes?
32:11All right.
32:13APPLAUSE
32:16So, the dreaded crucial conundrum has arrived.
32:20105 to 108.
32:22Callum just three points ahead.
32:24But here we go.
32:25Fingers on buzzers, please.
32:26Let's reveal today's crucial countdown conundrum.
32:39CALLUM
32:40Callum?
32:40Is it sloganing?
32:43Let's have a look.
32:45No.
32:46Back to you, Jen.
33:09all right no fox let's see what it was
33:13sing along sing along moan along more likely well well well callum you're back you're back by three
33:22points and indeed you're back on thursday the 19th of the semi well done bad luck jen he's a very
33:29good
33:29history well you're a pretty good player too but there's only three points in it but on the day
33:34on the day callum takes it and you take the kryptonite and the goodie bag back home thank
33:40you very much indeed for joining us great competitor well done well done see you thursday the 18th all
33:46right take it easy so we'll see you on monday sadly we won't see you you be very careful i
33:52will i think
33:52you're doing a great job out with the troops yeah it's uh you know it's great to be able to
33:57get out
33:57there and and you know give them a good time because they're doing a good job and a difficult
34:01job well thanks for having me again it's been a pleasure yeah well you come and see us again soon
34:05travel safely above all you travel safely have a lovely weekend you too see you on monday yeah
34:11friday the 13th got the better of our lady did sadly there we are contest day there we are
34:16join us on monday for yet another quarterfinal day here in the countdown studio same time we'll
34:23be waiting for you you'll be sure of it good afternoon
34:3510 past three monday for the next countdown pensioners turned art thieves derren brown the
34:40great art of robbery nine o'clock tonight the must you see it now you don't on channel four
34:44deal or no deal
34:46you