Countdown - Monday 26th September 2022
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TVTranscript
00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:20APPLAUSE
00:31Hello, everybody.
00:32Another week of Countdown begins now
00:34with a very special Dictionary Corner guest,
00:37but we'll keep that on ice for now,
00:39because just a stone's throw away is the one and only Rachel Riley.
00:42Hi, Rach. Hi, Colin.
00:43Now, listen, it seems weird to talk about Eurovision in September,
00:47but A, there's a reason, and B, I talk about it every day.
00:50You do. It's Marmite.
00:52People either just cannot stand it or are obsessed with it.
00:56Where do you fall? I'm in the middle.
00:58Wow, a rare in the middle. Yeah, I quite like it.
01:01Once the kids are in bed, I'll, you know, flick it on.
01:03I got in just in time for Moldova last year,
01:06which was a classic tune.
01:08But I learnt from that one, because it was in Italy,
01:10and they sung a song that I was singing at the football
01:13with different lyrics.
01:16I never knew that was a Eurovision song. Absolutely.
01:20I know that's a Patrick Vieira song.
01:22Well, it's a Nemanja Vidic song in our house.
01:24Oh, yes, it absolutely is.
01:26This year, at last, the UK had a good entry.
01:29Sam Ryder put proper respect to the tournament.
01:32He did the Tour of Europe. It was a brilliant song, Spaceman.
01:36And, you know, a huge emotional vote for Ukraine,
01:39a decent song as well.
01:41The thing is, being from Belfast, I get two entries.
01:44I cheat. Whichever one's the best, that's the flag I fly.
01:48Ireland or the UK.
01:50My favourite ever is an Irish entry, Johnny Logan, Hold Me Now.
01:53OK. You'll have to play it for me often.
01:55Would you like me to sing it? Go on. Absolutely not.
01:57We're going to move on with the show.
01:59Let's introduce the only jury that matters on Countdown.
02:02The guardian of our dictionary is back for another week, Susie Dent.
02:05APPLAUSE
02:08And beside her, as I was saying, a three-time European champion,
02:12a world champion, and this year, at last,
02:15an Olympic champion, curling legend, Yves Muirhead!
02:18APPLAUSE
02:21Thrilled to have you here. Thank you.
02:23More nervous on a rink or more nervous sitting there?
02:25Sitting here, most definitely.
02:27Well, listen, the nerves will spread through the studio
02:30because we have a rare example today of replacing an octo champ.
02:34So we have two challengers to introduce to you.
02:37First of all, it's Manchester's Mike Oliver.
02:39Welcome to the show, Mike. Great to be here.
02:41You've got the long straw, you get to sit in the champion's chair.
02:44Pressure with that.
02:46You're less Eurovision and more ACDC, right?
02:48That's correct, yeah.
02:49I played darts with them back in my own pub a few years ago.
02:52Hold on, you can't just drop that in.
02:54You played darts with ACDC? Yeah.
02:56Who won?
02:57Brian was pretty sharp, actually. He was good.
03:00You got beaten by ACDC at darts? I did, yeah.
03:02Highway to hell the whole way.
03:04Listen, best of luck to you today.
03:06You're up against Tom Stevenson from Shropshire
03:09and you're the reason why we're talking Eurovision.
03:11You make me look like a fur-weather fan.
03:13Tell me a little bit about your obsession.
03:15I don't know. I've been watching it for about 11 years now.
03:18I know most people watch it once a year.
03:21It's like a one-night event.
03:23But I pretty much follow it 365 days a year.
03:26This is unbelievable.
03:27You watch the qualifying for other countries.
03:30I do, yeah.
03:32Some countries take it really seriously.
03:35In Sweden, they have a process which goes over about six weeks
03:39or something like that,
03:40and all of their biggest artists take place,
03:42all just for the accolade of representing their country at Eurovision.
03:46It's crazy, really, how some countries take it so seriously.
03:49Listen, both of you have got to make your mind up today.
03:52One of you is going to rise like a phoenix.
03:54Let's find out.
03:55Tom and Mike, good luck.
03:59Right, let's go boom-bang-a-bang and get on with the first round.
04:02Mike, it's your letters.
04:04OK, a consonant, please, Rachel.
04:06Thank you, Mike. Start this week with T.
04:09And another.
04:11S.
04:12And another.
04:14F.
04:15And a vowel.
04:17A.
04:18And another vowel.
04:19O.
04:20And another vowel.
04:22I.
04:23And a consonant.
04:25N.
04:26Another consonant.
04:28T.
04:29And a final vowel.
04:31Final...
04:32A.
04:33At home and in the studio, let's play Countdown.
05:04I love games like this cos the dynamic is exactly the same.
05:08Both a little nervous. Mike, how did you get on?
05:10A seven.
05:11And Tom?
05:12Also a seven.
05:13It's a nice set of letters, first time up.
05:15I think we know what you've got, but Mike?
05:17A station.
05:18Yes, Tom, show them.
05:19Yeah, station as well.
05:21OK, yeah.
05:22There you go, tuned into the same station.
05:24Nice, easy one, Eve, to settle the nerves.
05:26It was, yeah. Even I got station.
05:29Wonderful, wonderful stuff.
05:32And, Susie, fantastic. Anything else in there?
05:35Well, you say fantastic.
05:37Fantast is there.
05:38It's a little bit more innocent or neutral than fantasist.
05:41It's simply an impulsive person or a dreamer.
05:44Thank you very much, Susie.
05:45Great start, seven points each.
05:47And, Tom, it's your turn to pick the letters.
05:49Hi, Rachel. Can I start with a vowel, please?
05:52You can, indeed. Start with I.
05:54And another one.
05:55E.
05:56And a third, please.
05:57O.
05:58A consonant.
06:01R.
06:02And another.
06:03H.
06:04And a third, please.
06:06N.
06:07A consonant.
06:09R.
06:11Another consonant.
06:13V.
06:14And a final vowel, please.
06:16And a final A.
06:1830 seconds.
06:30MUSIC PLAYS
06:49Time's up. Tom?
06:51Safe seven.
06:52Yeah, and Mike?
06:53Just five.
06:54Just a five. Mike, what is it?
06:56Haven.
06:57Haven. And, Tom?
06:59Hornier.
07:00You're not alone.
07:01I had that as well. Eve?
07:03You could have had an eight. Overhair?
07:06Overhair?
07:07Is that when the bangs grow too far?
07:10What's overhair?
07:11I know, it sounds bizarre,
07:13but you will find it in many mammals on their fur.
07:16So they've got relatively long hairs,
07:18which are called the guard hairs,
07:20growing over the sort of short hairs covering their body.
07:23Wow, there you go. Never heard that word before.
07:25If you got that fantastic eight points.
07:27Hornier, though, scores for Tom.
07:29It's 14-7.
07:31Mike, though, what's your numbers?
07:33Two from the top, please, Laetrile.
07:35Thank you, Mike.
07:36Two large, four little, the first numbers of the week.
07:39This round is five, four, eight, another eight,
07:45and the large one's 50 and 100.
07:48And your target, 313.
07:50313. Numbers up.
07:52MUSIC PLAYS
07:58MUSIC CONTINUES
08:23313, Mike.
08:25Yeah, 313.
08:26And Tom.
08:27Also 313.
08:28Marko, go with Mike.
08:29OK, eight times 50.
08:318 x 50 is 400.
08:33Minus the 100.
08:34300.
08:35Plus the other eight and the five.
08:37Lovely, 313.
08:38And Tom, what way do you go?
08:39Exactly the same way.
08:41APPLAUSE
08:44Right, really nice start today.
08:4617 plays 24, and here's your first teatime teaser.
08:50A large gin.
08:51Large gin.
08:52Telling amusing stories after a drink.
08:55Telling amusing stories after a drink.
08:58MUSIC PLAYS
09:05APPLAUSE
09:12Welcome back too early in the day for this.
09:14A large gin.
09:15Large gin.
09:16Telling amusing stories after a drink.
09:18The teatime teaser, Regaline.
09:20Now, if you would like to become a Countdown contestant,
09:23you can email Countdown at channel4.com
09:26to request an application form,
09:28or you can write to us at contestantapplications,
09:31Countdown, Leeds, LS31JS.
09:35Just a little bit in it today, two newcomers, Mike and Tom.
09:38And Tom, it's your letters.
09:40Thanks. Can I go for a consonant, please, Rachel?
09:42Thank you, Tom. L.
09:44And a vowel?
09:45E.
09:46Consonant, please?
09:47T.
09:48And another?
09:50Q.
09:51Vowel?
09:53O.
09:54Another vowel, please?
09:57I.
09:58Consonant?
10:00N.
10:02A vowel?
10:04O.
10:05And a final consonant, please?
10:07Final D.
10:09Go.
10:10MUSIC PLAYS
10:18MUSIC CONTINUES
10:42Bernstein, Tom?
10:44I'll try a seven.
10:45And Mike?
10:46I'll risk an A.
10:47So you're both not sure. The seven?
10:50Lentoid?
10:51Lentoid. A mutant lentil, I'm assuming.
10:54Mike?
10:55Lotioned.
10:57Lotioned. Let's get straight to Susie Dent.
11:00Um...
11:01Oh, it's not there as a verb,
11:03which is very unlucky,
11:05because I can totally see where you were going with that.
11:08But it's not in, I'm afraid. Sorry about that.
11:11Lentoid? Lentoid, yeah.
11:12Quite a regular Countdown word.
11:14It means lens-shaped lenticular.
11:16I had lentoid as well. Oh, unlucky.
11:18Sorry, Mike.
11:1917 plus 31. More letters now with Mike.
11:22Consonant, please, Rachel?
11:24Thank you, Mike. S.
11:25And another?
11:27R.
11:28And another?
11:30P.
11:31And a vowel?
11:33E.
11:35And another vowel?
11:36U.
11:38And another vowel?
11:39O.
11:41And a consonant, please?
11:43G.
11:44And another?
11:46D.
11:47And one more vowel.
11:49And the last one?
11:51E.
11:52Good luck.
12:13MUSIC PLAYS
12:23Tom?
12:24Eight.
12:25Mike?
12:26I'll try an eight.
12:27Are you sure, Mike?
12:28OK, what is it?
12:29Groupers.
12:30Groupers.
12:31And Tom?
12:32Super Ego.
12:33Super Ego.
12:34I think Mike might have ruled us out before Tom even said his.
12:38Again, let's get over to Susie.
12:40Yeah.
12:41Oh, yes, two Rs you need. I'm sorry, Mike.
12:44But Super Ego, excellent eight.
12:46Anything else in Dictionary Corner?
12:48We had sevens like perused or podgers,
12:50which are levers used to open box banners,
12:53but can't beat Super Ego.
12:55Very good. Right, Tom, fly in the flag for Shropshire.
12:58Let's get some numbers.
12:59One large, please, Rachel.
13:01Thank you, Tom. One for the top and five little ones coming up.
13:05And for the second time today, the number selection is...
13:11..three.
13:12And the large one, 100 this time.
13:14And your target, 262.
13:17262. Numbers up.
13:41DRAMATIC MUSIC
13:49Tom? 262, I hope.
13:51And Mike? 262.
13:53OK, well, let's see if the hope turns into ten points.
13:56100 take ten for 90.
13:57That's a good start. 90.
13:59Multiplied by the three. 270.
14:01And deduct the eight. Indeed.
14:04Few ways to go on this. Did you go a different way, Mike?
14:07Same way. Same way indeed. Brilliant.
14:09Ten points each.
14:13Well, let's hit the pause button and have a chat
14:15with our very special Dictionary Corner guest,
14:18here all week, Eve Muirhead.
14:20And I know from interviewing you before,
14:22we've got so much more than curling to talk about
14:24between now and Friday.
14:25But if you would indulge everyone, we could start there,
14:28because it was an incredible career that took you
14:31to that gold medal in Beijing.
14:34Yeah, like, it was my fourth Olympic Games
14:37and having a bronze in Sochi in 2014 before,
14:41it kind of made me hungry to go back and keep trying
14:44until I hopefully got that gold medal.
14:46And as I got older, I kind of saw that dream
14:49getting further and further away.
14:51And from qualifying to the Winter Olympics last year in Beijing,
14:56having to go through the pre-qualifier,
14:58we weren't a favourite going in.
15:01We were kind of one of the lower-ranked teams
15:03and, yeah, just kind of came under the radar.
15:06Played fantastic all week.
15:08The semi-final was a game that was a bit nerve-racking
15:12for all the people watching and, I guess, us as well,
15:16being four down, which is a very, very slim chance
15:19of winning after being in that situation.
15:22But, yeah, stepping on that podium,
15:24hearing the anthem was, honestly, it was a dream come true.
15:28And I don't even think to this day it really has quite sunk in yet,
15:33but it was a very special week.
15:35Brilliant. And what I love is when all this was happening
15:38and you were finally at your fourth Olympics winning gold,
15:42what was your dad doing?
15:44Oh, yeah, I know.
15:45I'm pretty sure he was playing a club game, was he not,
15:47for my local club, Dunkel?
15:49Yeah, and I think my little brother was maybe playing as well
15:52because they had the... It wasn't when the final was.
15:54I think it was closer to the semi and they had the laptop
15:57on at the end of the sheet, kept checking the scores.
16:00I love that. Yeah.
16:01So, in the Muirhead family,
16:02the local competition doesn't even stop for the Olympics.
16:04It doesn't, no. They keep going.
16:06And I think, actually, when I won my bronze medal in Sochi
16:09when the game was going on,
16:10my two brothers were actually at the market selling sheep.
16:13I love it. I absolutely love it.
16:16It's one of my favourite Olympic moments of all time
16:19just because it was such a long journey to get to that moment,
16:22so we were sort of all on your shoulder for it.
16:25Eve, wonderful stuff. Thank you. Thank you.
16:27APPLAUSE
16:30Wonderful. Great to see you finally realise your dream.
16:33And no dream impossible for Mike and Thomas.
16:35We continue with today's programme.
16:37And, Mike, you're up for some letters.
16:39A consonant, please.
16:41Thank you, Mike.
16:42T
16:43And another.
16:45R
16:46And another.
16:48M
16:49And another.
16:51S
16:52And a vowel, please.
16:54I
16:55Another vowel.
16:56A
16:57And another.
16:59I
17:00And another.
17:03U
17:04Ooh, and a final consonant.
17:06A final H.
17:08Thanks, Rachel.
17:29MUSIC PLAYS
17:40Time's up, Mike.
17:41Just five.
17:42And Tom?
17:43Eight.
17:44Ooh, the five, Mike.
17:46Er, smart.
17:47Right.
17:48And let's look at down the storm. What have you got?
17:51Tiramisu.
17:52Oh, wow!
17:53LAUGHTER
17:55That's my favourite dessert. I can't believe I didn't see it.
17:58Yeah, Eve had that.
17:59Did you have tiramisu?
18:00Yeah.
18:01It was when I first saw the TRM and I was like,
18:03this could be tiramisu.
18:05LAUGHTER
18:06Who thinks that?
18:07I thought this could be Storm. Let's have an O.
18:09Yeah, yeah.
18:10Now it's brilliant.
18:11And it's got such a lovely origin, doesn't it?
18:13Cos he's picked me up.
18:14It does.
18:15Yeah, that's what tiramisu means in Italian.
18:17Coffee-soaked.
18:18Yeah.
18:19Fantastic.
18:20Well done, Eve.
18:21Well done for spotting that.
18:22Brilliant.
18:23And, Tom, that gives you a 30-point lead.
18:25Very well done indeed.
18:28All right, Tom, let's get nine more letters.
18:30Vowel, please, Rachel.
18:31Thank you, Tom. O.
18:33And a consonant.
18:35W.
18:37And another consonant, please.
18:39F.
18:40A vowel, please.
18:42E.
18:44Consonant.
18:45S.
18:47Consonant.
18:49C.
18:50And another consonant, please.
18:53R.
18:54A vowel.
18:57I.
18:58And a final consonant, please.
19:00A final T.
19:02Here we go.
19:26Tom?
19:27Seven.
19:28A seven.
19:29And, Mike?
19:30Just six.
19:31What's the six?
19:32Fresco.
19:33Fresco.
19:34And, Tom?
19:35Swifter.
19:36Swifter.
19:37There you go.
19:38That'll be another seven points.
19:40Mike, you've got to say to yourself,
19:42I've never given up, there's a long way to go.
19:44Eve, how did you get on?
19:45We also had a seven.
19:47Cowries.
19:48Coyories.
19:49Yes.
19:50Now, you mentioned sheep,
19:51but I'm going to say cowries.
19:53Coyories.
19:54Yes.
19:55Now, you mentioned sheep earlier,
19:57so I have to even go to Susie for a definition here, Eve.
20:00You do.
20:01Brilliant.
20:02Coyories.
20:03Not unless Eve is a marine biologist.
20:05They're marine mollusks,
20:06and they've got these beautiful, glossy, brightly coloured shells.
20:09Brilliant.
20:10Good stuff.
20:11Coyories for seven as well.
20:12Let's get some more numbers now, and, Mike,
20:14you get to control this.
20:15Let's try three big ones.
20:17Let's try...
20:18Yeah, I like this.
20:19You have to gamble if you want that teapot.
20:21Three little ones are 2, 5, 8.
20:25Three big ones, 25, 175.
20:28And the target, 649.
20:31We're looking high.
20:326, 4, 9.
20:34Numbers up.
20:52CLOCK TICKS
21:05Time's up. Mike?
21:07650.
21:08650. And Tom?
21:09Also 650.
21:10650. OK, Mike, off you go.
21:128 x 75.
21:148 x 75, 600.
21:16And then 100 divided by 2.
21:17Here's your 50.
21:19Take it away.
21:20Oh, sorry, add it on.
21:21That's the one, yeah.
21:23650.
21:24We'll allow you that slip-up, Tom.
21:268 take away 6...
21:28Sorry, 8 take away 2 is 6.
21:30Yep.
21:31Times by the 100.
21:32600.
21:33And then 75 minus 25 is 50, and add it on.
21:36Yep. Another one away.
21:38Seven points each.
21:39Rachel, can you go one step further?
21:41I can.
21:42With 5 minus 2 is 3.
21:45Add that to 75, or 78.
21:48And then times that by 8 for 624.
21:52And add on the 25.
21:54649.
21:55APPLAUSE
21:58Another tea time teaser for you.
22:00A late cue.
22:01A late cue is N-C-U-E.
22:03Is this type of insect a fan of the police?
22:06Is this type of insect a fan of the police?
22:10MUSIC
22:17APPLAUSE
22:24Welcome back.
22:25I'm guessing this tea time teaser kept most people occupied
22:28for the entire break.
22:29A late cue.
22:30Is this type of insect a fan of the police?
22:33Aculiate.
22:34I can pronounce it, but Susie Dent,
22:37you're going to have to fill me in.
22:39Yes, you will get the police reference once you know the definition,
22:42which is of an insect to have a sting.
22:45Very good indeed.
22:46Well, it's Mike needs to get out of prison at the moment,
22:49but the gap's not insurmountable.
22:517134, as it stands.
22:54Tom, you're in the lead, and it's your letters.
22:56Consonant, please, Rachel.
22:58Thank you, Tom.
22:59S.
23:00And a second.
23:01L.
23:02A vowel, please.
23:04E.
23:05Consonant.
23:06Z.
23:07A vowel.
23:08A.
23:10Consonant.
23:12N.
23:13A vowel.
23:15A.
23:16Consonant, please.
23:18T.
23:19And a final consonant, please.
23:21A final.
23:22C.
23:23Countdown.
23:24MUSIC
23:36MUSIC
23:55Tom.
23:56Possible eight.
23:57Possible eight.
23:58And Mike?
23:59Six.
24:00Six.
24:01OK, Mike, what's the six?
24:02Canals.
24:03Might still count, just hold that thought.
24:05Analects.
24:06Analects.
24:07Over to Susie Dent.
24:08I think, given your track history so far, Tom,
24:11you can be pretty sure it is in the dictionary.
24:13It is analects, plural,
24:15a collection of short literary or philosophical extracts.
24:18Wow.
24:19APPLAUSE
24:21You say wonderful things, my friend.
24:23Another eight points for you.
24:25How are you getting on, Eve?
24:26We had a seven.
24:28Cantles.
24:29Cantles, yes, one for horse riders.
24:31The raised part at the back of a saddle.
24:33All right, let's trot on, get some more letters.
24:35Mike?
24:36A consonant, please.
24:37Thank you, Mike.
24:38M.
24:39And another.
24:41B.
24:42And another.
24:44G.
24:45And a vowel.
24:46O.
24:48And another.
24:50I.
24:51And another.
24:53E.
24:54And a consonant.
24:56N.
24:57And another.
24:59R.
25:00And a final consonant, please.
25:02A final T.
25:0430 seconds.
25:33Time's up. Mike?
25:35Er, seven, I think.
25:37And Tom?
25:38Yep, seven as well.
25:39What do you think, Mike?
25:40Tooming.
25:41And what do you know, Tom?
25:42Bromine.
25:43Let's get over to Dictionary Corner.
25:45We'll check both of those.
25:46Yeah.
25:47Er, those are both fine.
25:50Absolutely fine in Jamaican English, actually.
25:52Tooming is a ceremony carried out sometime after the funeral is given.
25:57And it's sealed.
25:58Tooming. OK.
25:59Eve, you've had a great day.
26:01You've had a great run to start over there.
26:03I'm not surprised.
26:04How did you get on?
26:05Nine.
26:06What?
26:07OK, let's have it.
26:08Retooming.
26:09Oh, they are in the front.
26:11Brilliant.
26:14Retooming.
26:15Fantastic for nine.
26:16Well done, Susie and Eve.
26:17Mike, you're not dead and buried yet.
26:19I'm going to take a little pause.
26:21I'm going to head over to Dictionary Corner
26:23and Susie's origins of words.
26:26Well, you're speaking to another Eurovision fan over here.
26:29So, a little bit about songs and music for you.
26:33And singing has sort of woven this golden thread
26:36through English forever, really.
26:39I can give you some of the expressions related to songs.
26:41You might say, if something is on sale,
26:43that it's going for a song, meaning very cheaply.
26:46So, why are songs so cheap?
26:48But we think it may come back to the practice of fairs long ago,
26:53where people would sell ballads and they would...
26:56This was very much how folk music, for example, was popularised.
26:59So, people would sell these sheets of music, often quite cheaply,
27:02and then they would get picked up and become popular
27:05way before modern media.
27:07Or you might sell it for an old song,
27:09which is another expression or similar expression.
27:12And that probably, again, same history,
27:15goes back to the fact that an old ballad
27:17would sell for less than a new one.
27:19So, they had their newest hits even then.
27:22And going for a song, I think, was really popularised in the 1970s.
27:25It was the name of a TV quiz show
27:27where people would guess the value of antiques,
27:29or the precursor of many of the antique shows that we have today.
27:32If we make a song and a dance about something, we make a right fuss.
27:35That goes back to US vaudeville acts.
27:38But I talked about this wonderful thread.
27:40Some of them are more obvious than others.
27:42You have to enchant, which was to hold under a spell, through music.
27:46And, of course, it's got chanté, the French, to sing within it.
27:50To sort of hold someone's spellbound through music, I think, is lovely.
27:54But, weirdly, it's also behind an incentive.
27:58That cantare from Latin is still there.
28:01It meant originally to set the tune of something.
28:04And the idea was of kind of inspiring or stirring the passions again.
28:08So, everyday word, but has singing at its heart.
28:11And behind all of them, this is what I love,
28:13is a really ancient root that seems to have meant
28:16the bird that sings at sunrise.
28:18Beautiful.
28:19APPLAUSE
28:21I love it.
28:22Every day, Susie Dent will shine a light on the origins of words.
28:25My favourite, favourite part of this show.
28:27But let's get back to the competition.
28:29And, Tom, you're in the driving seat and it's your letters.
28:32A vowel, please, Rachel.
28:34Thank you, Tom. A.
28:35And a consonant.
28:37G.
28:38And a second, please.
28:39S.
28:40A third.
28:42R.
28:43And a fourth.
28:45R.
28:46A vowel, please.
28:47O.
28:48And another.
28:50U.
28:52Another vowel, please.
28:54A.
28:56And a consonant, please.
28:58And the last one.
28:59D.
29:01Let's play Kite Dive.
29:20MUSIC PLAYS
29:32Time's up. Tom?
29:33Seven.
29:34And Mike?
29:35Just six.
29:36Just six. Listen, it's very strong.
29:38He's just doing brilliant at the moment. What's the six?
29:40Good.
29:41Very good. And Tom?
29:42Saguaro.
29:43Saguaro. It could be another dessert, as far as I'm concerned.
29:46Let's find out.
29:48No, it's actually a giant cactus that can grow to ten metres in height
29:52and looks a little bit like a cantaloupe plant style.
29:55Very good.
29:56You wouldn't want to be eating that.
29:58Saguaro. Fantastic.
29:59Sounds like a new striker, maybe, that Man City have bought.
30:03Mike, let's move on and get more letters.
30:05Consonant, please, Rachel.
30:06Thank you, Mike.
30:07T.
30:08And another.
30:10M.
30:12And another.
30:14S.
30:15One more.
30:17C.
30:18And a vowel.
30:20E.
30:21And another.
30:22U.
30:23And another.
30:25I.
30:27And a consonant.
30:29Y.
30:30And another consonant.
30:32And a final P.
30:34Start the clock.
30:47CLOCK TICKS
31:06Tom, how did you get on?
31:07Seven.
31:08And Mike?
31:09Seven, I think.
31:10What's the seven, you think?
31:11Mistype.
31:12Mistype.
31:13And Tom?
31:14Imputes.
31:15And imputes.
31:16Any time I get a think, I look straight at Susie down.
31:18Absolutely fine.
31:19Yeah, both very good.
31:20Two very good sevens.
31:21Right, one more numbers round to go on today's countdown.
31:23And, Tom, you're picking it.
31:25Two from the top, please, Rachel.
31:27Thank you, Tom.
31:28Two large, four not.
31:29And the final numbers of the day are three, one, two, seven.
31:35And the big ones, 50 and 75.
31:37And the target to reach, 355.
31:40Let me say it again.
31:41Three, five, five.
31:42Last numbers.
31:45MUSIC PLAYS
31:48MUSIC STOPS
32:13Time's up. Mike?
32:15Yes, 345.
32:16Brilliant. And Tom?
32:17Also 355.
32:18Well, you're not saying anything yet. Mike?
32:20Three plus one is four times 75.
32:24300.
32:25Plus the 50.
32:27350.
32:28And then seven minus two is five.
32:30Yes.
32:31Perfect.
32:32Three, five, five.
32:33Love it. Ten points in the bag. Tom?
32:35750 is 350.
32:36750 is 350.
32:38And then three add two is five and add on.
32:40Lots of different ways for this one.
32:42Really?
32:43APPLAUSE
32:47Always intriguing when you've got two newcomers on Countdown
32:50after saying goodbye to an OctoChamp.
32:52Well, it's over as a competition, but a big ten points here, Mike.
32:55So let's get your finger on the buzzer.
32:57Tom, you too. You're going to have 120 on your debut.
33:00So still a lot to play for as we reveal today's Countdown conundrum.
33:09Tom?
33:10Spaceship.
33:11Very good. Let's have a look.
33:13APPLAUSE
33:16Right, we've come to the end of this Monday's Countdown.
33:19Huge score for Tom on 120, but, Mike, let me be the one to say
33:23it's been great to have you here.
33:25You played with a smile on your face. Have you enjoyed the experience?
33:28Oh, brilliant.
33:29I'll take the goodie bag with you. Thank you.
33:31And you didn't get an old pie, you got 58,
33:33which is very respectable indeed.
33:35Well, Tom, there you go.
33:36You get to move chair into the Champions Chair.
33:38You must be absolutely delighted with that.
33:41Yeah, just happy to be here, really.
33:43Well, you'll be happy to be here again tomorrow. Congratulations.
33:46Thank you very much.
33:47APPLAUSE
33:51Eve, if I'm impressed with Tom, it goes double for you.
33:54Fantastic work in Dictionary Corner. Thank you.
33:56Good. We'll see you again tomorrow, Susie?
33:58Yeah, see you then. Lovely.
33:59Rach, well done.
34:00I bet the audience have noticed you sprinkling a few Eurovision
34:03Easter eggs into this competition.
34:05How many song names have you managed to wedge in today?
34:08In terms of UK entries between 1956 and 2020?
34:12Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
34:1418.
34:1518?!
34:1618, yeah.
34:17That's not bad.
34:18I think I speak for the nation when I say Waterloo to shoehorning.
34:21LAUGHTER
34:22Very good. We'll leave it at that, though,
34:24but you can guarantee that Rachel, Susie and I will be back tomorrow.
34:27You can count on us.
34:28I know we're here every day, but it's better the devil, you know?
34:3119.
34:32APPLAUSE
34:34You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com
34:38or write to us at countdownleaguesls31js.
34:42You can also find our web page at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
34:50Camping connoisseurs touring top holiday regions
34:52who will secure the five-star rating
34:54and which campsite will be given the title of the perfect pitch
34:57back for a fresh run this afternoon from half-fine.
35:00A bit further overseas next, though,
35:02the Bulgarian beach is calling for a place in the sun.
35:08APPLAUSE