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00:31Good afternoon and welcome to Countdown on this Monday and luckily I'm not bandaged, I don't have any throbbing appendages.
00:40Why do I say this? Because Friday was the start of National Maintenance Week and that stretches on to Friday
00:46the 28th. It's a SPAB incentive. That's the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
00:53That was kicked off all those years ago by William Morris, the wonderful textile designer. It'll help really protect, well,
01:01in a practical way to maintain old buildings.
01:04And that's very valuable because in the words of Morris himself, and I'll just read this to you because I
01:09think it rings true with me, certainly.
01:11Put protection in place of restoration. Stave off decay by daily care.
01:17Now, I've always lived in old buildings and I just like them, but they're a bit of a problem.
01:21And very recently, the walls began to bow out. We had to have those tie bars put in.
01:28So we've got, you know, bars going right across from one end of the house to the other to hold
01:33the walls from sort of, you know, I suppose, collapsing, basically.
01:36Ah. Good luck with that. I hope they hold.
01:39So do I. What about you? Have you ever maintained an old building or...?
01:43Not maintained, but it's interesting, isn't it, the rules for what you're allowed to do to old buildings.
01:47So the college I was at at Oxford was founded in 1326. So one of my first student rooms, the
01:53fire escape was actually a rope.
01:54It was attached to a box that you're supposed to throw out the window to get out.
01:58And then go down?
01:59Apparently so. Luckily, I never had to test it.
02:01How wonderful.
02:02Yeah.
02:03How wonderful.
02:04I don't know. I might prefer a proper fire escape, actually.
02:06Anyway, Rachel, who have we got with us today? We've got Andrew Avery back again, a bank manager from Devon
02:12in Bampton, indeed.
02:14Fantastic first win on Friday, where he clinched it on the crucial conundrum.
02:18So, see how we can get on today.
02:20You're joined today by Rachel Evans. Hello, Rachel.
02:23Hi there.
02:23A hydrologist from Weatherby in Yorkshire, loves hill walking and has challenged herself to walk coast to coast.
02:29That's 190 miles, is it?
02:32It is, yes. From St Bees in Cumbria across to Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire.
02:38Good for you. Good for you.
02:39All right, let's have a big round of applause for Rachel Evans and Andrew Avery.
02:46I'm back with us again after I Trust a Peaceful Weekend, the wonderful Susie Dent.
02:51And talking of national maintenance, we could chat this always well-maintained former producer and talent agent,
02:57now author and TV personality, Michael Whitehall. Welcome back, Michael.
03:02Now then, Andrew Avery, how about a letters game?
03:07Can I start with a consonant, please, Rachel?
03:09Thank you, Andrew. Start the week with R.
03:12And another?
03:14M.
03:16And a vowel, please.
03:18I.
03:19And a consonant?
03:22F.
03:23And a vowel?
03:25E.
03:28Another vowel?
03:31A.
03:31A consonant?
03:33A consonant?
03:34H.
03:35Another consonant?
03:37N.
03:38And a final vowel, please.
03:40And a final U.
03:42And here's the countdown clock.
03:44A consonant?
03:47A consonant?
03:58A consonant?
04:01A vowel?
04:02A consonant?
04:05A CHOC?
04:06A Verb?
04:07Aкив
04:07A consonant?
04:07A consonant?
04:07Acking ape?
04:07A silent pronunciation?
04:08A様子?
04:09A�?
04:09A subscribed?
04:12A�� anch Dum?
04:13Ahait?
04:13Aoselym? A cosine?
04:14Now then, Andrew. Seven. A seven. Rachel? Six. And your six? Famine. Famine, thank you.
04:23Famine. Very good. And the corner, Michael and Susie?
04:28Mureen. Never heard of it. Do you ever meet anyone called Mureen? Mureen, maybe, but Mureen, never.
04:34It is simply the adjective relating to mice. Brilliant. Now then, so seven points for Andrew.
04:42Let's turn to Rachel now for a letters game. Rachel. Hi, Rachel. Hi, Rachel.
04:47Can I have a consonant, please? Thank you. Start with T.
04:51And another one, please. G. And another. D.
04:59And one more consonant. F. And a vowel, please. A.
05:07A. And another vowel. O. And another one. U.
05:17And a consonant, please. T.
05:22And another vowel. And the last one. A.
05:27Stand by.
05:28And another vowel.
05:29And another vowel.
05:48And another vowel.
05:48And another vowel.
05:48And another vowel.
05:48And another vowel.
05:48And another vowel.
05:49And another vowel.
05:59Yes, Rachel.
06:01Just a four.
06:02A four. How about Andrew?
06:03Four as well.
06:04Two fours, Rachel.
06:05And tout.
06:06Tout.
06:07And goat.
06:08And goat.
06:09Did we do any better in the corner, Michael?
06:12Well, we got toutog.
06:14Very good. And anything else?
06:16No, should I tell you what a toutog is?
06:18Please.
06:19It's a grayish olive edible fish.
06:22It occurs off the Atlantic coast of North America,
06:24and apparently it's an important sport fish in Rhode Island.
06:27Well, there you go.
06:28Well done, Michael. Brilliant.
06:30Eleven points to Andrew.
06:31Rachel on four.
06:33And we'll turn back to Andrew for a numbers game, Andrew.
06:36Can I have one from the top and five small ones, please, Rachel?
06:38You can indeed. Thank you, Andrew.
06:40One large, five little ones for the first numbers game this week.
06:43And they are nine, two, another two, another nine,
06:48five and seventy-five.
06:51And the target, five hundred and eighty-three.
06:54Five, eight, three.
06:55And that's the three.
07:24And that's the three.
07:25And then you've got one of the ones that we've done.
07:27Andrew 583 said with emphasis how about Rachel 586 586 so Andrew I should
07:36declare 584 oh yeah oh horrors 584 so Rachel two over two is one yep take
07:44that away from the nine to get eight yes and eight times seventy-five is 600 it
07:50is and then the other nine plus five is 14 yeah and take that away five six
07:57lovely three away well done well done three away but three ways three away
08:01Rachel 583 yes if you say nine plus two is 11 75 minus 11 is 64 64 times the
08:11other nine for 576 and then you've got another two and a five to add on 583
08:17terrific thank you Rachel wonderful as always so Andrew the slip cost you a
08:26bit 11 points apiece now as we turn to a tea time teaser which is simplest and the
08:32clue even the simplest words can be this sometimes even the simplest words can be
08:38this sometimes
08:54welcome back I left with the clue even the simplest words can be this sometimes can
08:59be what can be misspelt misspelt 11 points apiece now then Rachel your letters game I'll start with a
09:08constant please thank you Rachel ah and another m and another t and one more d and a
09:24vowel please I another a and another a and another e and another consonant
09:37and a final vowel and the last one oh stand by
09:47a
10:18Rachel I've got a six a six Andrew an eight my word so Rachel or rated or rated Andrew mediator
10:29oh mediator very good and the corner Michael and Susie Marmite Marmite but maybe Marmite
10:45doesn't count I don't know Susie it does yes it does not know it's this bread but because it has
10:51always been alluded as in where cooking pot you see it's on the jars of Marmite and so you can
10:56have
10:56it in that sense for this more M all right very good 19 points to Andrew Rachel 11 Andrew you're
11:03a bag consonant please Rachel thank you Andrew ah and a vowel e and a consonant c and another t
11:18and a
11:19vowel a oh dear a consonant b a vowel e a consonant c and a final consonant please and the
11:38last one
11:39and stand by
11:44so
11:54MUSIC PLAYS
12:13Andrew?
12:13A six. A six. And Rachel?
12:15Six. Thank you, Andrew.
12:17Canter. Rachel? Recent.
12:19Recent. Yes, tough one, this one.
12:22Oh, you'll have something, surely?
12:23Not really. No? Susie?
12:25Well, there's centre for six, and if you accumulate something, you accrete it.
12:32That's there for seven. A double C.
12:34Oh, yeah. You can have an accretion if you're not careful.
12:37Yes.
12:37Yeah, very good.
12:38Right. 25 plays. Rachel's 17.
12:42Let's go into a numbers game, shall we?
12:44Rachel?
12:45Could I have two large ones and four small, please?
12:48You can indeed. Thank you, Rachel.
12:49Two big four little coming up, and this time, the little ones are ten, two, ten, and nine.
12:57And the large two, 25 and 50.
13:00Could be tricky.
13:01Target, 302.
13:03302.
13:26Yay!
13:32Yay!
13:35Rachel?
13:36Erm, 302 but not written down.
13:39Alright, and how about Andrew?
13:41Yeah, 302.
13:42So, Rachel?
13:43Erm, well, I've gone wrong, actually.
13:45Erm, 25 times 10.
13:48Yeah, 25 times 10, 250.
13:51Erm, plus the 50.
13:52300.
13:53Plus the 2.
13:54Yep, you haven't gone wrong, 302.
13:55Well done.
13:56Ooh, quickly recovered there.
13:59A beating heart, I think.
14:01Andrew?
14:01Yeah, exactly the same way.
14:02The same way? Just check it out there.
14:04Yep.
14:04Alright, well done.
14:07Well done.
14:09So we stand at 35 points to Rachel's 27.
14:13We've now turned to Michael.
14:15And for many years, Michael, you were a talent agent
14:18and represented some of the big stars.
14:20In fact, most of the big stars.
14:21What was it like?
14:23Erm, well, the bit I was going to tell you about
14:26was this man called Mr Lewis.
14:29Yes.
14:30I never knew his Christian name.
14:31He was a painter and decorator.
14:34And one day, I asked him to come up to my office
14:37and do a little bit of painting.
14:39And when he arrived at sort of 10 o'clock in the morning,
14:43he said to me,
14:43I've been so excited about coming up here
14:46because, you know, I've only ever been to your house
14:49and I know it's going to be full of stars and everything.
14:52And I said, oh, Mr Lewis, I'm sorry to have to disappoint you
14:56because all I do is sit behind this desk
14:59and sign contracts and make boring phone calls
15:04and make deals and nothing ever happens here
15:07and you'll be very bored.
15:10And Mr Lewis said, oh, I'm sure I won't
15:12as he climbed up his ladder.
15:14At which point the doors burst open
15:16and in rushed this policewoman
15:19and she sang to me,
15:22I'm here to thank you for being the best agent in London
15:27and to thank you for To the Manor Born.
15:30And as she did that, all her clothes fell off.
15:33And she was a stripper-gram dressed as a policewoman
15:38and behind her was Peter Bowles
15:41in a white suit and a white hat.
15:44And he had come to thank me for doing his deal
15:48for To the Manor Born and getting him the part and all that
15:52and the stripper-gram was sort of part of the thank you bit.
15:56So I introduced Mr Lewis,
15:58who by then was up the top of the ladder sort of wobbling
16:01because he'd had the stripper-gram
16:03and now Peter Bowles, who was very famous.
16:05And I said, do you know Peter Bowles, Mr Lewis?
16:09He said, no, I don't know.
16:10And then Peter said goodbye and lovely to see you.
16:13And as he went out, he bumped into Sir Laurence Olivier,
16:18who was meeting my partner in the other room.
16:21And Laurence Olivier came into my office
16:24and I said, oh, hello, Larry, how are you?
16:27And he said, oh, Michael, darling, how are you?
16:29And gave me a big hug.
16:30And I said, um, do you know Mr Lewis?
16:34Mr Lewis said, no, no, I don't think we've met.
16:36He said, Mr Lewis, Sir Laurence Olivier.
16:39And Laurence Olivier said, hello, darling.
16:42And then he went out and then Mr Lewis came down
16:46because now it was sort of late in the afternoon.
16:49And Mr Lewis said, oh, Michael, I just wanted to say,
16:53I mean, it's been one of the most exciting days in my entire life.
16:57And I don't know how to thank you.
16:59So I was very pleased to have given him an exciting day.
17:03Such a day.
17:04What a lovely story.
17:06Lovely.
17:08Lovely.
17:10Now then, Andrew, letters.
17:14A consonant, please, Rachel.
17:15Thank you, Andrew.
17:17R.
17:18And another?
17:21Y.
17:21And a third?
17:24S.
17:25And a vowel?
17:27I.
17:29And another vowel?
17:30E.
17:31And a third?
17:34O.
17:34And a consonant?
17:37D.
17:39Another consonant?
17:41N.
17:44And a final vowel, please.
17:47And a final A.
17:49Stand by.
17:52And a third?
18:20Now,
18:20we'll be right back.
18:21Andrew five
18:23Sounding disappointed Rachel. I think I've got an eight my word Andrew your five Daisy
18:30Daisy Rachel
18:32aneroids
18:33Yeah, aneroid barometers, of course is absolutely fine very very well done. That's exactly what they are well spotting
18:40Well done
18:44Draws you level with Andrew to 35 points apiece
18:47But before we carry on what news from the corner Susie Michael sardine
18:54That's nice very good and one more eight is an anodizer
18:58Which is something that coats metal with a protective oxide layer. Yeah, indeed
19:03All right 35 points apiece Rachel your letters game. I must start with a consonant, please. Thank you, Rachel
19:10W and another one
19:13P and another
19:17G and another
19:21R and a vowel please e and
19:27another I and another
19:32E and another vowel o and
19:37And a final consonant, please and a final T
19:42Stand by
19:43I and a p
20:15yes Rachel six a six Andrew and a six not not written down there and your six
20:21computer computer I've got the same words well done very good all right now
20:28then ah the corner what have we got over there he went a peewit little bird
20:35it's a northern lapwing yeah it's named after it's cool which apparently sounds
20:39like a peewit though I never think it quite does and whenever I hate one yeah
20:43I'm going to it's there for six and so quite a few sixes very good now what's
20:48Rachel been up to prodigy in Susie's honor of course
20:53protégé yeah fantastic very good very good indeed 41 points apiece and we're
20:59with the numbers Andrew thanks Nick one for the top and five small ones please
21:03you can thank you Andrew one large five little coming up and this round is nine
21:09seven another nine ten five and the large one twenty-five and the target 370
21:18three seven zero
21:22so
21:34so
21:36so
21:36so
21:49well Andrew 370 370 Rachel 369 369 so Andrew let's try you first 25 plus the
21:595 plus the 7 plus the 5 plus the 7 is 37 and then times it by the 10 yeah
22:04370
22:05slickly done well done well done so 10 point lead there for Andrew 51 to Rachel's 41 as we go
22:15to a
22:15tea time teaser which is a lunatic and the clue he's not a lunatic but things are all at sea
22:22he's
22:22not a lunatic but things are all at sea welcome back I left you with a clue he's not a
22:42lunatic but
22:43things are all at sea and the answer is nautical nautical very good 51 to Andrew Rachel just 10
22:52points behind and Rachel has your chance to catch up I'll start with a consonant please thank you
22:59Rachel n and a vowel please I and a consonant n and a vowel please a consonant s
23:17another consonant l a vowel e another vowel u and a final consonant and a final v countdown
24:05I'll see you next time
24:06you
24:08Rachel a seven a seven and six a six your six saline saline Rachel unveils unveils yes very
24:19nice what else have we got over in the corner um I've got a very strange seven yeah if you'll
24:24forgive me for it it is unalive dead lacking in vitality not lively that sort of lacking in
24:34you could actually say unalive to the fact of such and such couldn't you exactly unaware of yeah
24:40thank you very much 51 to 48 now then Andrew slim lead now Andrew letters consonant please thank
24:50you Andrew s and a vowel e a consonant j a consonant l a vowel i a consonant s a
25:09vowel o consonant r
25:14r and a final consonant please and a final t countdown
25:25so
25:52now then Andrew sudden a seven and Rachel
25:56seven Andrew stories and Rachel I had sorties sorties yes good absolutely Michael ending
26:04there I don't know whether your mother did my mother used to make a lovely rest soul
26:10oh I remember the results bread crumbs over them apparently oh do they yes compressed mixture of
26:16meat and spices coated in breadcrumbs and fried mine wouldn't have had spices my mother wouldn't
26:22have known what a spice was all right 58 to Rachel's 55 Andrew slim lead but now we turn to
26:30the
26:31wonderful Susie Dent Susie what have you regale us with your origins of words well
26:37Dewey Jones tweeted at c4 countdown for anyone and he wants to send in a query because we love to
26:43get them and he tweeted to
26:45ask if there is a link between peasant and pheasant and pheasant and pheasant and pheasant and pheasant
26:52and pheasant goes back to the French pheasant which was itself borrowed from a latin word
26:55pagus that's where we get pagan from meaning a country laborer a rustic and in other words
27:01but pheasant goes back to ancient Greek and that meant relating to the river faces which was a river
27:07um east of the black sea and that's because the bird was thought to have originated there
27:12it might well have done but that was where pheasant came from um and it got me thinking about other
27:17words that are rooted in ancient Greek culture um and forgive me if I've done some of these already
27:23but they are some of my favorite there's um barbaros which is the root of our word barbarian and it
27:28literally means not Greek uh rhubarb is the same thing for the Greeks it was a very foreign strange
27:33looking plant and that's got the same the same root in it electron was a word used in ancient Greek
27:40to
27:40mean amber or pale gold and amber if you rub it um creates uh creates static electricity and we get
27:48electricity from that um old Greek word and finally letha um letha meant forgetfulness and she
27:54was a goddess she was a daughter of eris um and we get lethargy um from her uh because of
28:01her story
28:01but there's just so many words in English that go back to all their beliefs that this sort of
28:05amazing belief system and also their very colorful ideas fantastic lovely stuff
28:13well done 58 to uh rachel's 55 as we race towards the uh finishing line rachel let us game start
28:22with a
28:22consonant please thank you rachel h and another one s and another p and another g and a vowel please
28:37i
28:40and another one a and another a and another vowel please u and a final consonant and the last one
28:56p stand by
29:01so
29:14so
29:15so
29:15so
29:29Yes, Rachel?
29:31Just a four.
29:32A four, Andrew?
29:33Likewise, a four.
29:34My word, Rachel.
29:36A ship.
29:37Ship and?
29:37Same word, ship.
29:38Two ships.
29:39Anything else?
29:39We got six.
29:43Hippos, which is a spasmodic contraction of the pupil of the eye,
29:47and it's a symptom of various neurological diseases or conditions.
29:52Conditions?
29:53Yes.
29:53I was always told as a young man,
29:56if a girl's eyes dilated when you were talking to her,
30:00it showed a flicker of interest.
30:03Did you ever hear that?
30:04I did hear it.
30:05I never believed it, but I did hear it.
30:07You believed it, did you?
30:09I, I, I relied on it.
30:11Yeah.
30:12Nothing else to go on.
30:14Nothing else to hang on to.
30:15Exactly.
30:16Thank you very much, Susie.
30:18All right, 62 plays 59,
30:21and we turn to Andrew for the last letters game.
30:24Andrew.
30:24Can I start with a consonant, please, Rachel?
30:26Thank you, Andrew.
30:27T.
30:28And another?
30:29S.
30:30And a third?
30:32D.
30:33And a vowel?
30:35E.
30:37Another vowel?
30:38Vowel?
30:38O.
30:40A consonant?
30:42L.
30:44Another consonant?
30:46N.
30:47A vowel?
30:49I.
30:51And a final vowel, please.
30:54And a final E.
30:57Countdown.
30:58A vowel.
31:08Aophile.
31:26A vowel.
31:27A vowel.
31:28Andrew six a six how about Rachel six Andrew soiled soiled and stolen soiled and stolen and
31:37in the corner some Michael's using iron I think no I think somebody near you fairly near me very
31:45Susie and deletions you might talk about deletions if you were editing a document
31:57well done so 68 plays 65 just three points in it so Rachel numbers game last of the day
32:06um I'll take a risk I'll have four large and two small please thank you Rachel gambling time
32:10last numbers of the day four large ones two little ones and they are four and nine and then the
32:17large
32:17four twenty five one hundred fifty and seventy five and the target for the gamble eight hundred and
32:24seventy eight seven zero
32:57yes Rachel eight seven one eight seven one Andrew eight seven one as well my word Rachel
33:04nine times a hundred nine times one hundred nine hundred um twenty five plus four is twenty nine
33:11yeah take that away for one away eight seven one and Andrew yeah exactly the same way same way now
33:17then Rachel eight seventy impossible impossible one's the best yep oh right okay well well done you
33:23do very well thank you Rachel thank you 75 plays 72 that takes us into crucial territory so things on
33:32buzzers please let's reveal today's crucial countdown conundrum
33:40Rachel is it reveling reveling let's see whether it is what have we got look at that
33:47so fast well done
33:54well done fantastically fast too well done Rachel we shall see you tomorrow sadly not you Andrew indeed
34:02so it's a teapot and a goodie bag for you and back to uh bampton and devon with our best
34:08wishes thank
34:09you all right see you tomorrow Rachel see you tomorrow and tomorrow too for you two in the corner
34:15we'll be here see you tomorrow good stuff a new a new uh champ i know we're going through them
34:21like
34:21water these days aren't we though giving out too many teapots i know be careful about it see you
34:26tomorrow same time same place you sure of it good afternoon contact us by email at countdown at
34:33channel4.com by twitter at c4 countdown or write to us at countdown leads ls3 1js you can also find
34:41our web page at channel4.com forward slash countdown a new cds in one of britain's most deprived areas
34:50east marsh in grimsby skint is tonight at nine next day keep the quizzes coming it's 15 to 1
35:03two to 1