June 29, 2026

 

Welcome to my blog.  This blog is a live, play-by-play analysis of each episode of Countdown.  It will have my opinions as well as facts about the show.  Also, I plan to inject some humor into it.

So, without further ado, let's get to it!

Jon Culshaw, the very funny comedian, is in Dictionary Corner this week.

Colin, Rachel and Susie talk about the last series, and how the final had the highest combined score of any Countdown game in the history of the show (274.)  Colin works out that Series 100 will be at exactly this time in 2029.  He also works out that Susie has been on Countdown since Series 30, and that Rachel has done 35 complete series' up to this point. She says she doesn't look a day over 18! She also reminds us that Patrick Thompson, this past series' champion, did not win om his first attempt (back in Series 72,) but then came back to win the whole series.  Susie says that the reasons people watch the show forever and don't apply is under-confidence.  They do fun tests; make sure everyone is comfortable and even pay for hotels! To email the show's staff and crew, email them at countdown@channel4.com.

Our first contestant in Series 94 is the holdover contestant from Series 93, Karen Pearson.  She is another loyal friend and true (RIP Bob Barker) of Countdown, having appeared on Countdown back in Richard Whiteley's last series (Series 53) and losing her first game.  She is back to try to make it again today and try to become an Octochamp.  She has won 4 games thus far.  She says that she applied after watching the first ever episode of Countdown back in 1982. She was in sixth form at the time.  She watched the show back when the reception was horrible and there was snow all across the screen.  She decided to apply for her 40th birthday which was during the aforementioned final series of Richard Whiteley (Series 53.)  She was going to apply last year, for her 60th birthday, but didn't get the chance.  Now, here she is at 61, halfway to becoming an Octochamp, and doing much better. 

The first challenger of Series 94 is Richard Walker.  He was born in Hull and is a Hull KR superfan.  Hull KR is a rugby team who compete in the Super League and were the champions in it just last year.  He says that he used to watch Countdown with his grandma before being picked up by his mom at her house.  He has been watching Countdown for 35 years or more.

Let's get on with the game!

Take a stab at Karen's first letters selection:  DTNEOIESK.

Karen declares DENOTES, while Richard declares TOKENIZED.  Good news for Richard.  TOKENISED is in the dictionary! It means to treat a member of a minority group as if they've been chosen by way of tokenism.

What a start for Richard!

Richard's first letters selection is as follows: RPAHOENUR

Richard declares PHONE, while Karen declares POURER.  POURER is in, so Karen gets 6 points.  Jon offers PHONER, but it's not in.

Karen's first numbers selection is 1 large.  The numbers are 50, 10, 3, 6, 7 and 9, and the target is:  690

Karen and Richard both declare 690

Karen's method is:

6/3 = 2

2 x 7 = 14

14 x 50 = 700

700 - 10 = 690

Richard's method is:

50 + 9 = 59

59 + 7 = 66

66 + 3 = 69

69 x 10 = 690

Both of them get 10 points.

The first Teatime Teaser is DAMNLION and the clue is: You can play it with your fingers, but not the kitchen variety.

The solution is:MANDOLIN

Susie explains that a kitchen mandolin is a utensil for slicing vegetables.

Richard's next letters selection is: TSEDGNAEO

Richard declares DENOTES.  Karen declares DONATES

Jon offers TANGOES, GOATEES, and ENDGATES.  Endgates are tailboards on a car.

Karen's next letters selection is: WSMRUEAUD

Richard declares DRAWS

Karen declares SWARMED

Jon has REMUDAS, which are herds of horses that have been saddle broken in a ranch hand where they choose their mount.

Richard's next numbers solution is:

75, 9, 2, 4, 4 and 8, and the target is:100

Richard's method is:

2 x 8 = 16

16 + 9 = 25

25 + 75 = 100

Karen's method is:

4 x 8 = 32

9 - 2 + 7

32 - 7 = 25

25 + 75 = 100

Both of them score 10 points.

Jon says that he is relaxed at the beginning of the World Cup, but later he gets nervous.  The World Cup he was the fondest of was the World Cup Italy won in 1990.  He was rooting for Bobby Robson.  Jon adored Bobby.  A few years later, he did a sports comedy quiz where he had a conversation with Jimmy Hill.  The two of them were eulogizing about Bobby Robson.  They were talking about a particular team, in the early days of when teams spent a lot of money on players.  They were speculating on how to get the players to play cohesively.  Off the cuff, he was thinking about talking to Jimmy Hill, and he had the idea of Bobby Robson talking about how the players needed to play in the cohesive way.  He had lived in the apartment that was once home to David Baddiel and Frank Skinner around the time of the Three Lions.  Around the neighborhood, there was a lot of folklore about Three Lions.  He lived in the apartment where Three Lions was written, and he remembers talking to Ian Broudie and telling him said fact.  Ian denied that fact and said he wrote Three Lions in Liverpool.

Karen's letters selection is: GNPIOIQNE

A tough letters selection, if I do say so myself

Karen declares OPENING

Richard declares OPINING

Richard's next letters selection is: RSOLTIELG

Richard declares GLORIES

Karen declares LOITERS

Jon has TROLLIES and ROLLIEST, which means enough to make a ship roll in turbulent seas.

Karen's next numbers selection is: 50, 1, 2, 4, 5 and 4

Karen declares 651, while Richard declares 650

Karen's method is 4 + 4 + 5 = 13 x 50 = 650

650 + 1 = 651

It is at this point that Karen takes the lead.  The score is now 64-59.

The next Teatime Teaser is: SLAMBOOT and the clue is:  When it comes to summer fairs, these are just the ticket.

The solution is: TOMBOLAS, which comes from the Italian word meaning "to turn or somersault."

Richard's next letters selection is:

SRONIEFLR

Richard declares LORRIES, while Karen declares LORINERS, which are makers of horses' saddles.

Karen's next letters selection is HRNOAIOTN

Karen and Richard both declare ORATION

Susie and Jon declare the same.

For Origins of Words, Bernie Flood from Elsmere Port wants to know the origin of the word sidekick.  Sidekick originally meant someone to walk with, but sidekick is also a word in criminal slang, meaning the easiest pickpocket to find when stealing, because you can spot it right away.  Nowadays, sidekick has a slightly pejorative meaning -- it means to consider someone inferior to you.

Richard's next letters selection is RJEFYCUID

Karen declares CURED, while Richard declared JUICED

You can have JUICED and JUICER, but not JUICERY

Karen's last letters selection is TTLREAUEP

Karen declares PLATTER, while Richard declares PRATTLE

Susie and Jon have PRELATE, which is a bishop.

Richard's last numbers selection is 1, 5, 8, 6, 1 and 7, and the target is 384.

Richard nervously declares 382 while Karen, also unsure, declares 384.

Karen's method is 8 x 6 = 48 x 8 =384.

The conundrum is PINMYCLOG, Karen buzzes in with COMPLYING, which is correct.

What a comeback by Karen! She was trailing for about 2/3 of the game and came back to win in the final third.

Her score is 111.

Karen will be back tomorrow to try to win another game.  Until then, bye for now.