Countdown | Friday 8th December 2017 | Episode 6726
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00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:05APPLAUSE
00:31Well, good afternoon, and welcome to the Countdown Studio.
00:34Now, a very serious subject we need to discuss today,
00:36and it's all about homelessness.
00:38Now, tomorrow, in the Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh,
00:42the world's largest ever sleepover will take place,
00:46and it's an extraordinary thing.
00:48We've got some great people who are taking place for charity,
00:51people such as, for instance, John Cleese, Rob Brydon,
00:54and Sir Bob Geldof.
00:56And over 9,000 people will be sleeping rough
01:00to raise awareness for the homeless charities
01:03and to get money, raise money for the homeless charities.
01:06And, you know, Rachel, it's a terrible thing.
01:08I walked along Deansgate in Manchester yesterday,
01:11and the number, I think maybe ten sleeping bags,
01:16because it was mid-morning,
01:18were lining along the street within a space of 50 metres.
01:23And Milton Keynes Station is now festooned with people's belongings.
01:28And it's a terrible, terrible situation that we find ourselves in.
01:32I've never done anything about it, I'm ashamed to say.
01:36I've never put myself in the situation
01:39that other people have to live in, you know, awkwardly.
01:42But isn't it terrible? It's terrible.
01:44At Christmas, instead of buying, you know, a pair of socks
01:47or something that people don't want, you can buy boxes
01:49or donate some money to charities like Shelter or Centrepoint,
01:52and then they tell you exactly where that money's going
01:54and you get to help people and you see they're helping,
01:56so that's quite nice.
01:57And it's very good that, yeah, obviously people are,
01:59for one night, going out in the cold.
02:01Absolutely, yeah.
02:02Sobering thought.
02:04It is. Well, we've all got to work together to make sure.
02:06Now, who have we got?
02:07Chris Weldon is back, Rachel.
02:09Retired civil servant from Great Berkshire in Norfolk.
02:12Fluent Russian speaker because he lived in Moscow, I think,
02:16in the Immigration Service.
02:17Housed in the British Embassy for eight years.
02:19Yes.
02:20Yeah?
02:21And now you're here in the Countdown studio.
02:24Great debut yesterday, 93 points.
02:27How are you feeling?
02:29Better than yesterday.
02:31You did very well because you also beat, you know,
02:34a very good player who had got two wins under his belt already.
02:37So that's a great start.
02:38Now you've got to get past John Pinkney,
02:40a retired technical officer from Whitby.
02:43Likes to keep fit by walking and playing five-a-side football.
02:46Brave man.
02:4950 years, yeah.
02:50Is that right?
02:51Well, good luck to you both, to Chris and to John.
02:54Big round of applause for our two brave contestants.
03:01And over in the corner, Susie, of course.
03:04And he's back, Paul Zenon, who's been with us more than 100 times,
03:09but not in recent years.
03:10It's a warm welcome back for you, Paul.
03:12Thank you. It's been a while.
03:15Of course, magician and comedian,
03:18and now, I think, appearing in Panto, in Aladdin, in Preston.
03:24We opened last night.
03:25Excellent.
03:26Hence the evil face from us.
03:28The evil beard. How did it go?
03:30Good, yeah.
03:31Scary for the first night, but great.
03:33Yeah, it's going to be fun.
03:34Well done.
03:35More from you later, but now we turn to Chris.
03:37Chris, let us go.
03:39Thank you, Nick.
03:40Good afternoon, Rachel.
03:41Afternoon, Chris.
03:42Could I start with a consonant, please?
03:44Thank you. Start with R.
03:48Another consonant, please.
03:50M.
03:54Vowel, please.
03:56U.
03:58Consonant.
04:00G.
04:01Consonant.
04:03R.
04:05Vowel.
04:07I.
04:10Consonant.
04:12F.
04:14Vowel.
04:16E.
04:18And another vowel, please.
04:20And lastly, I.
04:22And here's the Countdown Clock.
04:43CLOCK TICKS
04:55Yes, Chris?
04:56Seven.
04:57And John Pinkney?
04:58Seven.
04:59Chris?
05:00Grimier.
05:01Now, John?
05:02Furrier.
05:04Furrier?
05:06We need three R's for furrier, unfortunately.
05:09I'm sorry.
05:10Bad luck.
05:11Now, then.
05:12Paul and Susie?
05:14Yeah, nothing more than that, really.
05:16Grimier's a good panto villain word, grimier.
05:18Seven.
05:19Yeah, but we couldn't get in more than that.
05:21That's it. Susie?
05:22Yeah, nope.
05:23Call it a day.
05:24So, well done there, Chris.
05:25And now, John.
05:27Could I have a consonant, please, Rachel?
05:29Thank you, John.
05:30R.
05:31And a vowel?
05:33O.
05:34And a consonant?
05:36L.
05:37And a vowel?
05:38I.
05:39And a consonant?
05:41M.
05:42And a vowel?
05:44O.
05:45And a consonant?
05:47K.
05:48And a vowel?
05:50E.
05:51And a final consonant, please?
05:53And a final D.
05:55Stand by.
05:56CLOCK TICKS
06:08CLOCK TICKS
06:28Yes, John?
06:30A six.
06:31A six.
06:32A six.
06:33To six is John.
06:34Milked.
06:35And, Chris?
06:36Looked.
06:38Yes.
06:39That's it, fine.
06:40Sixes?
06:41Can we beat that, I wonder?
06:42I think so, yeah.
06:43There's a seven with moodier.
06:45Yeah.
06:46And what was the other seven? We've got seven there.
06:48There's a moidor.
06:49M-O-I-D-O-R-E.
06:51Portuguese gold coin, current in England in the early 18th century.
06:54Well, well.
06:56Thank you for that.
06:5713 plays six.
06:58Chris on 13, and it's Chris's numbers game.
07:02Now, then, Chris.
07:03Thank you, Rachel.
07:04Could I have one large and five small, please?
07:07You can indeed, thank you, Chris.
07:08One from the top, five not from the top,
07:10and the first numbers game of the day is...
07:1210,
07:139,
07:148,
07:156,
07:164,
07:17and 100.
07:19And the target? 691.
07:216-9-1.
07:23CLOCK TICKS
07:37CLOCK TICKS
07:54Well, Chris.
07:55690.
07:57One away, John.
07:58690.
07:59Now, Chris.
08:01100 times six.
08:04600.
08:0510 times nine.
08:07Here's your 90.
08:08And add them together.
08:09Yep, there you go, one away.
08:10And John.
08:12Same way?
08:13Yep.
08:14All right.
08:15Where's that missing one, Rachel?
08:17Well, if you say 10 plus four is 14,
08:21eight minus six is two,
08:23then you can divide that for seven,
08:25and then it's easy.
08:26Times that for 700 and take the nine.
08:29Oh, so good.
08:31Lovely.
08:33So, crystal in the lead 20 to John's 13,
08:36as we turn to our first Tea Time teaser,
08:38which is tale privy.
08:40And the clue.
08:41He didn't want anyone else becoming privy to his tale,
08:44so he shared it discreetly.
08:46He didn't want anyone else becoming privy to his tale,
08:49so he shared it discreetly.
09:00APPLAUSE
09:02APPLAUSE
09:06Welcome back.
09:07I left with the clue,
09:08he didn't want anyone else becoming privy to his tale,
09:12so he shared it discreetly.
09:14He did so privately.
09:17Privately is the word we're after there.
09:19Now, 20 points to 13.
09:21Chris is in the lead.
09:22John, letter scheme.
09:24Can I have a consonant, please, Rachel?
09:26Thank you, John. R.
09:28And a vowel?
09:30A.
09:31And a consonant?
09:33P.
09:34And a vowel?
09:36I.
09:37And a consonant?
09:38T.
09:39And a vowel?
09:41O.
09:42And a consonant?
09:44L.
09:45And a vowel?
09:47A.
09:48And a final consonant, please?
09:49And a final X.
09:52Stand by.
10:01CLOCK TICKS
10:23Yes, John?
10:24A five.
10:25A five, Chris?
10:26Six.
10:27And a six. Now then, John?
10:29Pilot.
10:30Pilot and...
10:31Patrol.
10:33And patrol.
10:34Yes.
10:35Very good.
10:36Any more sixes, Paul?
10:38Another six with oxtail.
10:40Yes.
10:41And a seven with partial.
10:43I was thinking, actually, the repeater lax,
10:46the whole lot actually,
10:47sounds like a fast-acting laxative, doesn't it?
10:50But apparently not in the dictionary,
10:52so partial's the best we got there.
10:54Well done. And Susie, that's it?
10:55That was our best.
10:56Well done. All right.
10:5726 plays 13. Look at that.
10:59Chris? Letters game.
11:01Consonant, please, Rachel?
11:03Thank you, Chris. R.
11:05And another consonant?
11:07T.
11:09And a vowel, please?
11:10E.
11:12Consonant?
11:13P.
11:15Consonant?
11:17P.
11:19Vowel?
11:21A.
11:23Consonant?
11:25T.
11:27Vowel?
11:29E.
11:31And a final vowel, please?
11:33And a final O.
11:36Con-con.
12:00Yes, Chris?
12:01Seven.
12:02A seven, John?
12:03Seven.
12:04Operate.
12:05And, John?
12:06Same.
12:07Same. Would you care to show it to Chris?
12:11Yeah.
12:13Nah.
12:14Paul?
12:15Mm.
12:16There's a cheeky eight there, not too dissimilar to operate,
12:19which is operetta.
12:21Operetta.
12:22Operetta.
12:23Operetta.
12:24Operetta.
12:25Operetta.
12:26Operetta.
12:27Operetta.
12:28Operetta.
12:29Operetta.
12:30Operetta.
12:31Operetta.
12:32Operetta.
12:33Operetta.
12:34Operetta.
12:35Operetta.
12:36Operetta.
12:37Operetta.
12:38Operetta.
12:39And the final consonant of operate, which is operetta.
12:42Indeed. Operetta.
12:43Yeah.
12:44APPLAUSE
12:45Very good.
12:46Susie, anything else?
12:47No, that's brilliant, eight.
12:49Very good. Well done, Paul.
12:5133 plays 20 and it's numbers for John Pinkney.
12:54John?
12:55Can I have one large and five small, please, Rachel?
12:56175 and the target 712 7 1 2
13:26Yes, John, just seven two four seven two four and Chris seven one zero. All right, Chris
13:42eight minus
13:44One plus one is two. Yep, eight divided by two is
13:50Four mm-hmm and I've gone wrong. Oh
13:54Bad luck over to you Rachel 7 1 2 and
13:58This was possible if you say 6 plus 1 is 7 times 2 is 14
14:04Add that to 75 for 89 and then times it by 8 7 1 2
14:1633 place 20 Chris on that 33 as we look over to Paul
14:22Zenon Paul Pantos
14:24Pantos, yeah, as I said, we're just kind of opened in Aladdin, which is the best one, of course
14:30And as you might guess I'm playing the villain who's Abba Naza and the first time I saw Aladdin
14:37I must have been about 10 years old and I'd been a precocious child
14:40I went backstage to meet the guy who played Abba Naza because he was a magician and I'd started out doing magic at that point
14:46And he's a guy called Leslie Melville and we've been friends ever since 40 odd years
14:50So he's coming to see us in Panto and he showed me a little trick when I went to see him backstage
14:56He gave me a bit of advice as well as a magician, which was
14:59Read all you can and try to be original
15:01but I'm not gonna be original cuz I'm going to show you the same trick that he showed me and he had this little stack of
15:06cards and
15:08Printed on here was a little message which said as a picture of Aladdin's lamp there or it might be the countdown teapot
15:13Who knows and it says write your initials on the lamp and think of a card
15:18So that's what I'm gonna get Susie to do I'm gonna get you stick your initials in the in the lamp there
15:23But as well as you know, obviously, I know your initials in advance
15:26So put another squiggle anywhere on the card there just some mystical symbol so we know that it's not me cheating
15:32Like I'd do such a thing now. Are you thought of a card?
15:35Have you know just don't think of an obvious one
15:37a lot of people think of the Ace of Spades if you say think of a card or
15:40The Queen of Hearts is a common choice. So and not the Joker. You still got 50 choices. So you got one
15:46Okay, now there's another message on the on the back of the card here and what it's got on here is if the genie appears
15:53Your wishes will come true. Okay. So for the first time now, I didn't actually to actually physically take a card
15:59Just think of one fix it in your mind. So I want you to tell me what card you're thinking of
16:03I can tell you eight of spades
16:06eight of spades
16:08Interesting. Now look you put your initials there and a little squiggle now make your wishes
16:14We don't want to know what they are, but look
16:16The genie does appear and the interesting thing about the genie's if you stare into his eyes
16:21You'll see two little digits and eight
16:36Very good, very good and you started really performing at 11 years old. Yes
16:42I think I was about 11 years old the first show and yeah, I was a child bride
16:47Very good, so you kicked off yesterday first night yesterday and you go through until just after Christmas, that's right
16:53I think we've got a couple of days off in the whole run. But it's yeah, it's quite it's like two and a half hour show
16:58So yeah, I'm kind of it's gonna be fun. I think
17:01Excellent stuff fun in Preston now 33 plays 20 Chris on 33 and it's Chris's letters came. Yes, Chris. Thank you
17:10Consonant please Rachel. Thank you Chris W and another one
17:15T and a vowel, please a
17:20Consonant H
17:24Consonant C vowel I
17:32Consonant N
17:36Consonant another W
17:39and a vowel, please and lastly a
17:44Standby
18:09Yes
18:15Yes, Chris, I'll try a six a six John seven now then Chris
18:22wahine
18:24wh-i-n-e and
18:26John win chat. Oh
18:29a bird oh
18:31It's win with the HWH I n-c-h-h-e. So you need two H's
18:37That was a really good try that luck. Yeah and
18:40Paul Susie Paul
18:43Yeah, we couldn't beat that. I don't think a few
18:45various fives with which and watch and
18:48Six with whiten, but that was about it. Yeah, and wahine is yes. It's a Maori woman or wife New Zealand term
18:56Okay, where's my wahine?
18:58I
19:00Keep watching the witch
19:0339 plays 20 Chris on 39 John. Let us go have a consonant. Please Rachel. Thank you, John s and a vowel a
19:13and a consonant
19:15D and a vowel
19:17U and a consonant
19:20T and a vowel I
19:23and a consonant
19:25N and a vowel
19:28Hey and a final
19:33Consonant play a final P
19:36standby
19:58I
20:06Yes, John
20:08six Nick
20:09Chris six. Yes, John paints and
20:15unpaid and
20:18Unpaid yeah, that's it. You're fine Susie Paul
20:21And
20:22color sevens there with
20:24patinas
20:25And dustpan can't have dustpan without a brush. I'm sorry
20:30Susie any else
20:32You have to be careful with this one a word from French putin and you can put an s at the end
20:37It's putin is a strumpet a bit stronger in French that it is in English. But as I say be careful
20:41Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, not a good word. No
20:45Uses a swear word as well
20:47All right, so dustpan. Thank you for that 45 days 26 and
20:53Numbers have rolled round again. Yes Chris
20:57One large five small please Rachel. Thank you, Chris
21:00Same again, and we'll see what we end up with this selection is six eight
21:06five
21:07four another eight and one hundred and
21:10And your target 488 for 88
21:40Yes
21:45Yes, Chris
21:47Four eight eight and John four eight eight Chris
21:52100 multiplied by five five hundred
21:56Eight plus four is twelve and subtract. Yeah simple that one four eight eight and John exactly the same way
22:03Yes
22:1136
22:12Crystal in the lead as we go to our second tea time teaser
22:15Which is iced doughnut and the clue is nothing to do with doughnuts, but it does involve a takeaway
22:22It's nothing to do with doughnuts, but it does involve a takeaway
22:41I
22:42Welcome back. I left with the clue. It's nothing to do with doughnuts, but it does involve a takeaway
22:48and the answer that one is
22:51deduction
22:53deduction
22:54So 55 days 36 Chris in the lead now and John don't let him escape
23:00Let us go. All right. Now a constant place Rachel. Thank you John V and the vowel
23:05Oh
23:07You and the consonant
23:10G and the vowel Oh
23:13and the consonant n and the vowel I
23:18and the consonant n and the vowel Oh
23:26And a final vowel place and a final e
23:32Standby
23:35a
24:03Yes, John
24:04Five Nick now Chris also five
24:08John onion
24:10Onion, thank you. I'm Chris two onions here on you two onions any more onions
24:17No, not a lot of anything there. Really. That's a tough one. Yes, we didn't know our onions in that one
24:23Then let's cry about it. All right 60 phase 41 Chris on 60 now
24:28Letters came for Chris
24:30Constant please Rachel. Thank you Chris T and another one
24:36D and the vowel place a
24:41The consonant
24:45Consonant
24:49Vowel a
24:53Consonant H
24:57Vowel
24:59You and the final vowel please and a final e
25:05Standby
25:29I
25:38Guess six John seven Chris mashed mashed and steamed
25:49Any more cookery
25:52Nothing else in the culinary department, they're just one of the seven with headset. Thank you very much
26:00Mash and steam 60 plays 48 and it's Susie we turn to Susie. What have you got for us today?
26:06I have a prefix which sounds on the face of it. Very boring and
26:12lexicographies love prefixes and
26:15Knowing your prefixes allows you to open a whole new world of words and to realize where they came from
26:21especially if you know your classics and this prefix is also
26:26And also heads up a whole host a family of modern English words. It means straight or
26:32Perpendicular, it's Greek based
26:35metaphorically to it can imply integrity correctness or
26:39Standard in some way and the many many medical zoological botanical terms that have this at their beginning. So
26:47Orthoptera is a family of insects including the grasshoppers and locusts and
26:52Various other insects that have straight wings. So that also meaning straight is there already?
26:57That was a bit obscure maybe but there are so many other words including ortho which once you understand that straightness
27:03They make absolute sense
27:04So an orthodontist is somebody who will straighten your teeth at the dentist part obviously meaning that teeth
27:11So they are a tooth straightener an orthopedist on the other hand to talk about orthopedics
27:16The person who deals with abnormalities in bones and joints, especially in children and the pedestric comes from the Greek for child
27:24But etymologically and they are can really concerned with the straight development of children's bones. So again the idea of straightness and
27:32Orthodox as somebody who has an orthodox opinion
27:35Conforms to the standard if you like they are perhaps more conventional in their beliefs and subscribe to a particularly
27:41standard type of
27:43Doctrine related to whatever it is, whether it's religion or a custom so orthodoxy
27:49Appearing in English in the 1500s means literally a straight or correct opinion
27:54So that also simply meaning straight will give you a way into so many words on the face that look actually very difficult
28:00But they're not
28:05I
28:10Should mention orthography as well because that's the conventional spelling
28:14Wonderful. Thank you so much Susie now
28:1660 place of 48 John off we go again. It's a letters game. Have a constant please Rachel. Thank you, John D
28:25Neville Oh
28:27and the consonant
28:29and Neville
28:32E and the consonant
28:34V and a vowel a
28:37and a constant T and a vowel a
28:43And the final consonant place and a final s
28:47standby
29:01I
29:19Well John seven a seven seven also seven from Chris yes John donates and
29:27Donates
29:29Best we could get is another seven with no veins, which is a legal term legal term
29:34Yes to put a new contract in place of an old one. All right. Thank you. Thank you Susie now Chris final letters game
29:43Constant, please Rachel. Thank you. Chris Zed. Oh a better one, please
29:51Val
29:53You consonant
29:56Ah
29:58Consonant s vowel Oh
30:05Consonant
30:10Val
30:12E and the final vowel, please and a final you
30:20Goodbye
30:25I
30:27Now what did you get out of that Chris five five John five
30:57Mm-hmm, Chris sours
31:01Something soon. There we go
31:04Two good players there Paul and Susie. It's not gonna be a high scoring one when he would have said under Q there
31:10No, I think the only one we got
31:13Was the six with rousers?
31:16Rousers, yeah
31:18If you want to use the Q that is queso q u e s o from Mexican Spanish short for chili con queso
31:24Which is a dish with cheese queso is cheese. Thank you very much
31:29All right, 72 to 60 and now John it's the final numbers game have one large and five small
31:37Twelve points in it
31:38Ten for this game. We'll see if you can get a crucial conundrum. Thank you
31:42John final numbers game of the week is one two, four eight
31:47another eight and
31:49fifty and the target two hundred and forty one two
31:53Four one
32:24Oh
32:26Yes, John two four two two four two Chris two four two
32:32two four two also John
32:36Four plus one five times fifty four plus one five. Yep, two fifty minus eight four one away
32:45So it's back to Rachel then Rachel they've done it again
32:50Where is it?
32:51Well, if you say fifty plus eight plus two is sixty times by four four two hundred and forty
32:58and at the one
33:06So 79 plays 67 we surge into the final round fingers on buzzers gentlemen
33:13Let's roll today's countdown conundrum
33:19Yes
33:25Yes, Chris endurance, let's see whether you're right
33:3789 to John 67 good stuff John but today belongs to Chris Weldon. Well done indeed
33:44So John back to Whitby with you with this goodie bag and our very best wishes. Thank you
33:50But we'll be seeing you on Monday young man. We'll do to have a restful weekend. Thank you. There's two good wins. Well done
33:57Now Paul, well, we'll see you on Monday. Indeed. Peaceful weekend and Susie to of course, all right and Rachel
34:04So you've been finding the ones as it were. Yes, I'll put that on my job description
34:09One finder. All right. Thank you. I wish to see you on Monday
34:13We'll all see you on Monday join us then same time same place. You'll be sure of it. Very good afternoon
34:18You can contact the program by email at countdown at channel 4.com
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34:29You can also find our web page at channel 4.com
34:32forward slash countdown
34:34You
34:38Well 15 to 1 is back
34:40Do you have what it takes to win the title of grand champion and a massive thousand pounds?
34:4540,000 pounds even go to channel 4.com slash take part next up here in Channel 4 rescue missions in lost and found