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00:31Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio. It's Friday the 13th of November and tonight The Lady in the
00:38Van premieres in London but no worries about this because Lady in the Van is written by one of Britain's
00:44favourite writers Alan Bennett and it's all about well a lady that lived in a van in his front garden
00:51for many many years 15 years anyway the film stars as the Lady in the Van Dame Maggie Smith so
00:57Bennett and Maggie Smith what a
00:59combination that is fantastic got me to thinking you know about people living in vans surfers on the coast waiting
01:06for the next big wave or really just sort of traveling around and I wonder whether I would ever do
01:11it and I did actually.
01:12I took off in a little car not that long ago six seven years ago and wandered around Morocco on
01:20my own in a little little car and I had the most wonderful time it's fantastic just to drive around
01:26aimlessly and I loved it Morocco beautiful country and then I went right across Central Asia.
01:30There's something very special I think to be on your own with no particular destination in mind but just traveling
01:36I think you find out a great deal.
01:38Ever take your fancy?
01:40I like the traveling bit. I'm not sure about the van bit.
01:43I think you like the luxuries a bit more than roughing it.
01:46Possibly. How long were you in the van for?
01:48Oh, I think when I went across Central Asia I was in it for 60 days.
01:52And how did you wash?
01:54Wash?
01:56When you can. It was great. It was great.
01:59And you were by yourself?
02:00Yeah.
02:00I'm imagining that wasn't a choice after 60 days of no washing.
02:04No one would have gone with you.
02:05No, a pal said he'd come and then he ducked out of it.
02:07Actually it was wonderful. I loved it. I loved it.
02:10Now, we've got people on a journey here. Matthew Tassier, statistical consultant from Ealing, four good wins under your belt.
02:19Well done. Well done indeed.
02:20And you're joined today by a student from Limerick, Owen Jardin, member of the Irish Red Cross, currently qualified as
02:27a novice and hopes to become an EFR next year.
02:31And you did a fire walk to raise money for the Special Olympics in Ireland.
02:35Do you actually just have to run very fast across this pit of red-hot ashes? And you're okay?
02:42No, you can't actually run. It has to be a walk.
02:44But beforehand there was a seminar to get us pumped up and ready to do it and everyone walked across
02:50it at ease.
02:51Really? Do you treat your feet with Vaseline or something before you go across?
02:54They are sprayed with cold water after, but...
02:56I bet you do. I bet you do. Well done. Let's have a big round of applause then for Owen
03:00and Matthew.
03:02APPLAUSE
03:04Over the corner, of course, Susie on this Friday the 13th and, of course, Sherry Hewson.
03:10Hello.
03:10Sherry Hewson.
03:12I've been on the stage and on television and for a long time. Great, great actress.
03:1745 years.
03:18Brilliant stuff.
03:19Man and boy.
03:19Good for you. Well done. All right. Now, let's get down to business here with Matthew.
03:23Matthew, Letters Game.
03:24Good afternoon, Rachel.
03:25Afternoon, Matthew.
03:26Could I have a consonant, please?
03:27You can indeed, thank you. Start today with P.
03:30E. Vowel.
03:31E. Consonant.
03:35S. Consonant.
03:38B. Vowel.
03:41A. Consonant.
03:44D. Vowel.
03:46E. Vowel.
03:50I.
03:53And a final consonant, please.
03:55And a final R.
03:56And here's the countdown clock.
03:58How?
03:59What?
04:14Oh.
04:16One.
04:17Two.
04:17One.
04:18Two.
04:18Once.
04:18Two.
04:22One.
04:22Two.
04:22One.
04:23Three.
04:29Matthew seven seven only a five and that five beads thank you Matthew praised praised now then
04:40well we have beardies which I think is such a sweet name what it says it is it is it
04:49wasn't
04:49always used very very nicely and it was a bearded man especially one regarded as lacking in style
04:55but I think now with a hipster look I think baby might be in so it might be a good
04:59turn now thank
05:01you very much Owen let us game hi Rachel hi Owen how could I have a vowel please you can
05:06thank you
05:07start today with e and another hi and another oh and a constant m and another see and another see
05:22and another x and a vowel e and a final consonant please and a final f countdown
05:37so
05:42so
06:05Owen only a five again a five and a six and a six Owen a toxic toxic and Matthew
06:13exotic exotic toxic what else we got cherry well the thing is I often wonder what you do with an
06:20ex it's not much you can do what especially my ex anyway we got you exotic well done Susie I
06:31got a
06:31few six is actually excite is another one with the accent and comforts do you remember licorice comforts
06:36they're sweet I remember licorice all sorts okay and I might tell you I actually had some last week
06:44and be very careful here I had too many oh they're very good for you that way what else we
06:54got
06:54well this probably goes with what you were saying emetic is there as well that's a substance that makes you
07:00sick
07:01emetic e n-e-t-i-c thank you very much 13 plays uh oh in well yet to score
07:07actually and it's matthew's
07:08numbers game uh kind of six more numbers please you can thank you matthew six little ones coming up and
07:15for the first time today your numbers are two nine six five seven and eight and the target 430 430
07:27zero
07:29so
07:38so
07:58matthew
07:59430
08:00rowan
08:02not close enough
08:03no
08:03too far away matthew
08:05i did nine times eight
08:07nine times eight 72
08:09and multiply that by the six
08:11multiply by six for 432
08:14and take away the two
08:15lovely 430 well done
08:16well done indeed
08:20well done
08:22so
08:23let's have a tea time teaser it's cream bun
08:26and the clue
08:27he wouldn't do this to you he's your brother
08:30he wouldn't do this to you he's your brother
08:46and the answer is encumber
08:56to burden
08:57restrict or impede you in some way
08:58very good well done
08:59thank you 23 points to uh matthew
09:01owen yet to score but bags of time
09:04owen
09:05letters came
09:06here to uh could i have a vowel please
09:08thank you owen
09:09o
09:10and another
09:12a
09:13and another
09:15e
09:15a
09:16and a consonant
09:18t
09:18and another
09:20d
09:21and another
09:24j
09:24and another
09:27b
09:27and a vowel
09:30o
09:31and a final consonant please
09:33and a final
09:34k
09:34and here's the countdown clock
09:37for more
10:08Yes, Owen?
10:09A six.
10:09A six, Matthew?
10:11A six, too.
10:12Two sixes, Owen?
10:13I bought it.
10:15And Matthew?
10:15I bought it, also.
10:16There we go.
10:18And what of the corner?
10:20Well, something that I haven't had for about 25 years, a date book.
10:26Anybody willing?
10:28A date book can just be like a little diary in the engagement calendar rather than a hot date.
10:34I've forgotten what that is to see a hot date.
10:38All right.
10:39Matthew, how about a letters game?
10:41Consonant, please.
10:42Thank you, Matthew.
10:44B.
10:45Vowel.
10:46I.
10:48Consonant.
10:49G.
10:51Consonant.
10:53M.
10:54Vowel.
10:56E.
10:58Consonant.
11:00W.
11:02Vowel.
11:03O.
11:06Vowel.
11:09A.
11:10And a consonant, please.
11:13And lastly, S.
11:15Countdown.
11:16Vowel.
11:18I.
11:19Is.
11:40MUSIC PLAYS
11:45Matthew.
11:47Seven.
11:47A seven.
11:48Owen, a five.
11:49And a five.
11:51Yes, Owen.
11:52I have poems.
11:53Thank you, Matthew.
11:54Magpies.
11:56Magpies.
11:56It's a good one for Friday the 13th, that.
11:58Yeah.
11:59Very good.
11:59Well, I've got meow.
12:01Oh, that's nice.
12:02You can put a S on it.
12:03Yes.
12:03Meow.
12:04Meows.
12:05You can.
12:05Yes, very good.
12:06All right.
12:07So, numbers time now, Owen.
12:09Two larger, please, Rachel.
12:10Thank you, Owen.
12:11Two from the top.
12:12And, fuck, four little ones.
12:15And for this round, the little ones are three, four,
12:18four, another four, seven.
12:20And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:23And the target, 826.
12:25Eight, two, six.
12:27And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:31And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:39And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:39And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:39And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:41And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:45And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:45And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:46And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:47And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:47And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:47And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:47And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:47And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:48And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:49And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:50And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:51And the big one, 75 and 50.
12:58826 thank you Matthew 826 fire away Owen 7 plus 4 is 11 yep times by the 75 to get
13:06825 and 4
13:08minus 3 is 1 the other one well done 826 good man and Matthew exactly the same there we go
13:15you're
13:16happy all right all to play for 46 days 16 as we turn now to Sherry Sherry you're nicely settled
13:27over there you haven't damaged furniture yet but apparently you have a bit of a reputation for
13:33this sort of thing I do I'm the clumsiest person in the world but that well the first one was
13:39well
13:39the first one I could remember now was loose women which I started 14 or 15 years ago I've
13:44been on loose women which is a long time isn't it you don't realize it's been going so long
13:48but we did a pilot for it at ITV and I was actually there was four of us sitting there
13:54so they went to a take and as he said turn over I was sitting talking to somebody and as
14:01I turned
14:02that way the stool went that way and I went that way and landed on the floor and that was
14:06the
14:06beginning of the loose women thing coronation street my very first day on coronation street
14:12I was working in better buys if you remember better buys with Ivy Tilsley and I had to go behind
14:19a
14:19counter you know to sit on the till and it had one of those stools that winds like that yeah
14:25and as I
14:25said action I went behind and sat first day first day sat down the stool wound itself and threw me
14:32upwards and straight up the top of the thing on my head no and the third one was blankety blank
14:39with
14:39Paul O'Grady and again I was on the stool and I was on a really dodgy stool and as
14:45I leant back as
14:46he walked towards me to say Sherry and what is your answer I felt like that and all he could
14:51see was legs
14:52and knickers yeah and you can imagine what Paul would have said to that so I'm very wary now when
14:58I sit on anything in case I go flying over the counter
15:01fortunately these are nice and soft and secure no we've we've got a team actually because we knew about
15:07all this
15:11you're um loose women it's a great show actually it is an amazing show I think it's a very important
15:16show as well it's very unique you know everybody relates to one of those women somewhere along the
15:22line we've all had difficult lives we've all had you know tragedies that's why we're on it and somebody
15:28out there will relate to you somehow you know that they've been through what you've been through and
15:32they they like the fact that we talk about it and we're open about it so long may it rain
15:37absolutely
15:38bring round of applause come on for Sherry Houston
15:4646 plays Owen 16 and it's Matthew's letters game
15:50uh consonant please Rachel thank you Matthew
15:53uh vowel I consonant s consonant t vowel a consonant n vowel you vowel
16:17E and a final consonant please and a final n stand by
16:24please and a final consonant Jasmine
16:29where he uses красofarlath…
16:31Well it's not the answer right now.
16:43so
16:47just
16:47Oh I can't wait
16:52there's no half
16:53Yes, Matthew eight and eight own only a five and that five are raised and
17:01Matthew you're an eight
17:02You're an eight. Yes. We're happy with that. Shelly. Yes. Well, can I just give you some advice?
17:09Whenever you're in the you know in the public on walking on the road, and you would like to go
17:13for a wee
17:15The law says that if you stand up and shout relief relief relief
17:21That makes it law so you're allowed to weave in the road, and when did you last do this?
17:27I haven't tried it yet because you never know
17:31But I have re-stain. Oh, yeah, you can have real real estate. Yes. Yeah, very good. Susie
17:37There is a nine as well saturnine if you're gloomy
17:42After saturn the planet the saturn because he was associated with lead and alchemists thought that was all about gloom
17:48and doom
17:49Saturne. That's fine. That's that's nine
17:51very good
17:55Now 54k 16 Owen let us go. Have our please Rachel. Thank you. I
18:01You and another I
18:04And another oh
18:07And a constant
18:10F and another
18:13V and another
18:16And another and and and a vowel
18:23E and a final consonant, please and a final tea stand by
19:00And a half a five a five Matthew a six oh in a pivot
19:04Thank you, Matthew motive motive
19:09There we go. Yeah, what else have we got there?
19:11Susie
19:12Motive was about the only six or a
19:14In fact anything to be had for any length. Yeah
19:16Is it yeah 60 plays 16 Matthew numbers game grab four large numbers, please you can indeed
19:22Thank you Matthew four from the top and two little ones this time and these little ones are one and
19:28Three and the big ones as we know 50 25
19:35175 and the target
19:38576 five seven six
19:42You
20:10Matthew
20:11Five seven six and oh in a five seven five five seven five so Matthew I
20:18Did a hundred minus seventy five one hundred minus seventy five twenty five multiply it by the other twenty five
20:24six hundred and twenty five
20:25subtract the 50 five hundred and seventy five and then add on the one five seven six well done very
20:30neatly done
20:31Hold on
20:33Thank you Matthew very good
20:35Seventy two at sixteen as we turn for another tea time teaser second of the day
20:41It's Ken cared and the clue Ken cared for his apple trees, but sadly they were this
20:47Ken cared for his apple trees, but sadly they were this
21:13Sadly they were cankered they had cankers
21:18so
21:19What exactly is a canker?
21:21It's a lesion in the tissue of a plant humans can get cankers as well
21:25And it's linked to cancer if you go all the way back because cancer
21:29Actually comes from a word for crab because of the veins that come away from a tumor look a bit
21:36crab like yes
21:37Thank you very good
21:3970 to 16 and it's owen's letters game owen have I will please Rachel. Thank you
21:45you and another oh
21:48and another
21:50a and a consonant
21:53P and another
21:56S and another and another and and another
22:02L and a vowel
22:05a
22:06and a final consonant please and a final are stand by
22:12So
22:12I
22:12I
22:24I
22:25I
22:25I
22:41I
22:41I
22:42I
22:45I
22:46I
22:46I
22:46I
22:47I
22:47I
22:47I
22:49I
22:49I
22:52I
22:57I
22:58I
22:58I
23:00I
23:16I
23:17I
23:30I
23:34I
23:42I
23:44I
23:49I
23:50I
23:51Vowel. A. Vowel. E. And a final consonant, please. And a final D. Countdown.
24:35Yes, Matthew? A. Seven. A. Seven. Owen? A. Six. And that's six. A. Seated. A. Seated and? A. Aviated. A.
24:43Aviated. Yes. I'm pretty sure aviate is there as a verb. It is. Highly to fly in an aircraft. Very
24:50good.
24:50Sherry? Well, I've got staved. That is a word, isn't it? That's good. Yeah, that's very nice. And advised is
24:59there as well. But there is an A, actually. It's quite an unusual one. It's Deva Darcy. So it's D
25:06-E-V-A-D-A-S-I. And it is a female dancer in a Hindu temple. Very good. Thank
25:12you. Well done, Susie.
25:17Another bit of brilliance from Susie Dent. And we're back for more. We've come back for more. Susie, your origins
25:24of words.
25:24Well, it's Friday the 13th, and this is the day when you don't chance your arm, you don't chance your
25:29luck. But where did the idea of chancing your arm come from? Well, it seems to have first appeared in
25:36military novels and stories about the army poetry, too.
25:41A good example is in The Middle Parts of Fortune, which was a story of 1916 by Frederick Manning. He
25:48talks about fighting on the Somme. And a soldier says,
25:51What does it matter if you're killed? You've got to die someday. You've got to chance your arm in this
25:56life. And a damn sight more in your arm, too, sometimes.
25:59So that was the original context in which it seems to have appeared. But there is a lovely, lovely story
26:04attached to it, which happened some, well, good five centuries or four centuries earlier.
26:10Go back to the 1500s, 1492 to be exact. And it was a very famous incident during a feud between
26:17two very prominent Irish families called the Ormans and the Kildares.
26:21And what happened is at one point, Sir James Butler, who was the Earl of Ormond, took refuge with his
26:27followers in this big battle in the chapter house of St. Patrick's Cathedral, still standing in Dublin.
26:33And after a while, the Earl of Kildare, fighting on the other side, came to realise that this feud was
26:39just nonsense. It had been going on for years and years and years.
26:41People were being killed left, right and centre, and it was time to make peace. And in order to prove
26:47that he meant no villainy at all,
26:49and that he really did want reconciliation and peace, he cut a hole in the door and put his arm
26:56through to show that it was bare and unarmed.
26:58And in St. Patrick's Cathedral today, you can still see this door of reconciliation, which was this big, wonderful door
27:04with a big sort of gap in it.
27:05It's a fantastic story. Many believe that it's the origin of chancing your arm. The only problem is there's nothing
27:11between 1492 and the early 1900s when it came about.
27:15But who knows, perhaps as the story became better and better known, the idea sort of, you know, propelled it
27:21into English.
27:21We may never know, but I think it's a wonderful story, and the door of reconciliation, as I say, is
27:26still there to be seen.
27:27In St. Patrick's Cathedral.
27:29Right.
27:30Great.
27:32So, the score's standing 85 to 16 in Matthew's favour, and Owen, it's your letters game.
27:39A vowel, please.
27:40Thank you, Owen.
27:41A.
27:42And another.
27:44I.
27:45And another.
27:47E.
27:47And a consonant.
27:49T.
27:50And another.
27:52R.
27:53And another.
27:54N.
27:55And another.
27:57L.
27:59And a vowel.
28:01A.
28:02And a final consonant, please.
28:04And a final G.
28:06Tung-tung.
28:08Tung-tung.
28:37Um, Owen.
28:39Nothing.
28:40No.
28:41Matthew?
28:42Eight.
28:43An eight?
28:44And?
28:45Triangle.
28:46Oh, very good.
28:47Triangle.
28:48Did you get triangles, Sherry?
28:49Yeah, we did, yeah.
28:50Got triangle, yeah.
28:52Anything else?
28:53There were a few eights there, actually.
28:54Relating, altering, alerting.
28:57So it wasn't too bad, that selection.
28:59No, triangle's pretty good.
29:00Yeah, very good.
29:01Very good.
29:02All right.
29:03So then, Matthew, your letters came.
29:07Last one for today.
29:09Consonant, please, Rachel.
29:10Thank you, Matthew.
29:11S.
29:12Vowel.
29:14Vee.
29:15Consonant.
29:17N.
29:18Consonant.
29:19T.
29:21Vowel.
29:23A.
29:24Consonant.
29:25D.
29:27Vowel.
29:29O.
29:31Another vowel, please.
29:34U.
29:35And a final consonant.
29:38And a final G.
29:39Countdown.
30:10now then Matthew seven seven oh a risky six and that six is it doughnuts I'm not
30:18sure if it's an Americanism doughnuts Susie will soon tell us on that front
30:22Matthew out saying at sang what does mr. and think about that doughnut would be
30:31fine in North America and you do find that spelling occasionally over here but
30:36it we're not allowed US spellings as you know and so I'm very sorry about that I
30:40have to say no and you can out sing somebody sing better or louder than
30:45them so it's it's it's it's volume rather than duration yes okay usually yes I
30:52suppose you can well a bit longer than someone else but and it's in the
30:55dictionary well anybody Sherry Hewson we've got tongue
31:00tongue tongue it's a word isn't it it's a word what have you got you've got
31:05donate so haven't you yes that's a good word very good well done and tongueed 100
31:11plays well done Matthew 100 again to own on 16 oh and that's no no bad thing
31:17because Matthew is some big player he's looking as he heads to his fifth win but
31:22let's just deal with this numbers game oh it too large please Rachel thank you I
31:27mean two from the top and four little for the last time this week and this Friday
31:31the 13th these four little ones are four two seven and another seven and large on
31:3875 and 25 and the targets 316 316
31:48so
31:59so
32:01so
32:15Yes, Owen.
32:16316.
32:17316 and...
32:18And 316.
32:19316.
32:20Owen.
32:2075 times 4.
32:22300.
32:23Plus the 7 and the other 7 and the 2.
32:25Well done.
32:26316.
32:26There we go.
32:27Matthew.
32:28Yes, the same way.
32:29That's it.
32:30All right.
32:32Here you go, then.
32:36And you're standing at 110, Matthew,
32:39and your highest score to date is 110.
32:41Let's see whether you can increase that
32:43with a win on the conundrum.
32:46Or will it be Owen's conundrum today?
32:48Let's see.
32:49Fingers on buzzers.
32:49Let's reveal today's countdown conundrum.
32:56Matthew.
32:57Is it plaintiff?
32:59Plaintiff.
33:00Let's see whether you're right.
33:01Very quick on the buzzer there.
33:03Plaintiff.
33:03Well done.
33:09Well done indeed.
33:11Smashing score.
33:12120.
33:12Your highest to date.
33:14Owen.
33:1426 points.
33:15That's no bad thing.
33:16Because I'll tell you this.
33:17This chap on five wins is unlikely to miss out on an octo champ place in the finals.
33:23But we shall see.
33:23Things happen.
33:24But for you, not today.
33:26When do you finish your six form studies?
33:29Next June.
33:31And that's when you want to go off and become an EFR.
33:34What does that mean?
33:35Emergency first responder.
33:36Good.
33:37So it's volunteering.
33:38I already volunteer at rugby matches and events in my local area.
33:42Yeah.
33:42This is just a next level up where I'll have more responsibilities.
33:44Well, we wish you every luck with that.
33:46Thank you very much.
33:47And Matthew, terrific stuff.
33:49We shall see you on Monday.
33:51Well done.
33:51Well done indeed.
33:52Have a quiet weekend because things can change, Murphy.
33:55I can't tell you how fast they can change.
33:58Sherry, will you come back and see us on Monday?
34:00Oh, I can't wait.
34:01Yes.
34:01Brilliant.
34:01And Susie too, of course.
34:03Definitely.
34:03We're not letting you escape.
34:05And Rachel, of course.
34:06See you on Monday.
34:07See you Monday.
34:07Same time, same place.
34:08You'll be sure of it.
34:09A very good afternoon.
34:11You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com,
34:15by Twitter at C4Countdown,
34:17or write to us at CountdownLeavesLS31JS.
34:22You can also find our webpage at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
34:28The athletics drug scandal, Strictly Come Dancing, The Hunt,
34:32if it's been in the news or on the telly,
34:35they've definitely seen it.
34:36Gogglebox, tonight at nine.