Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:05APPLAUSE
00:31Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio on World Heart Day.
00:36Started 14 years ago by the World Heart Federation
00:40and this year the theme is creating heart healthy environments
00:45and, Rachel, the statistics actually are horrendous when it comes to heart disease.
00:50For instance, heart disease and strokes are the world's biggest cause of death.
00:54I think 17.5 million people every year
00:58are taken by a heart disease and 80% of premature deaths
01:02are down to cardiovascular disease.
01:05And what causes cardiovascular disease?
01:08Why, it's our old friend the cigarette, it's unhealthy eating,
01:12lack of exercise and harmful use of alcohol,
01:16which I suppose is abuse of alcohol, alcohol abuse.
01:20Everything in moderation.
01:21You don't smoke, do you? I don't smoke.
01:23That's a conscious decision or you've never bothered?
01:25I've never bothered. I was always really sporty at school so I didn't feel the need.
01:29And you still exercise?
01:30Yeah, I do, but I have had a heart check.
01:32You can get a free one.
01:33There's a charity called Cry, cardiac risk in the young,
01:36and you can get a free heart check because even if you are really fit,
01:39that can hide heart things.
01:41So you just go and it takes about ten minutes and they check
01:43and they give you the all clear, luckily for me.
01:45Doesn't hurt to get yourself checked out.
01:47Indeed not.
01:48So, Rachel, who have we got with us today?
01:50We've got Michael McDowell-Back, a computer programmer from your neck of the woods,
01:54from Westcliff-on-Sea, returning from last week when he notched up two wins,
01:58so he's aiming for his third today.
02:00And Michael, you're joined by Alan Chumbly, an account senior from Coventry,
02:05favourite book, Lord of the Rings,
02:07and who once, I think, rejoiced at seeing Coventry City win at Wembley.
02:14How was that?
02:15Yeah, very good, back in 1987 when I was a young man with them.
02:19And who did Coventry win?
02:21We beat Tottenham Hotspur.
02:22Tottenham, my word.
02:23Let's have a big round of applause for the giant, killing Coventry City fan,
02:28Alan Chumbly and Michael McDowell.
02:36And in the corner on this Monday, of course, Susie.
02:38I hope you had a good weekend, Susie.
02:39Great weekend, thank you.
02:40And you're joined once again by your friend and my friend,
02:42the great Margaret Mountford, who I can only really describe as a lawyer,
02:47businesswoman, friend, chum for the week, good egg, and now TV personality.
02:53Welcome back, Margaret.
02:54Thank you very much.
02:55It's nice to be here.
02:56All right.
02:57Now then, Michael, shall we roar off on a letters game, perhaps?
03:02Good afternoon, Richard.
03:04Good afternoon, Michael.
03:05Shall I start with a consonant, please?
03:07Start today with C.
03:09Another consonant.
03:11D.
03:13Vowel.
03:15A.
03:17Another vowel.
03:19I.
03:21Consonant.
03:23N.
03:25Another consonant.
03:27D.
03:29Vowel.
03:32A.
03:35Consonant.
03:37R.
03:39And a final vowel.
03:41And a final E.
03:43And here's the Countdown Clock.
04:14Michael?
04:16Seven.
04:17Seven. Alan?
04:19Seven.
04:20Two sevens, Michael?
04:21Drained.
04:22And?
04:23Both drained.
04:24I'm drained already, yes.
04:25All right.
04:26Now then, what have we got over there, Margaret and Susie?
04:30There's a beautiful eight there. Radiance.
04:33Radiance?
04:34Radiance.
04:35Very good. All right.
04:36So seven apiece, and Alan, your letters game.
04:40Good day, Rachel.
04:42Hi, Alan.
04:43Hi. Can I start with a consonant, please?
04:45Thank you. Start with N.
04:48And a vowel.
04:50O.
04:52Another consonant.
04:54T.
04:56A vowel, please.
04:58A.
05:00Consonant.
05:02G.
05:04A vowel.
05:06O.
05:09Another vowel.
05:11E.
05:14A consonant.
05:16T.
05:22And a final consonant, please.
05:25And a final Y.
05:27Stand by.
05:41MUSIC PLAYS
06:00Now then, Alan.
06:02Five.
06:04A five. How about Michael?
06:05Just five.
06:06Two fives. So, Alan.
06:08Knotty.
06:10A knotty. Michael?
06:12A tone.
06:13A tone.
06:15A tone, absolutely fine.
06:17You were spelling the knotty without the K.
06:19I think it does need the K, I'm afraid.
06:22Yeah.
06:23Sorry.
06:24A knotty problem. Now, what has the corner got to offer us?
06:27Notate and gentoo, the countdown penguin, almost.
06:30Ah, the gentoo, yeah, indeed.
06:3212 points to Alan. Seven, and it's Michael's numbers game.
06:36Michael.
06:37I'll have one large and five small, please.
06:39Thank you, Michael. One from the top row.
06:41And five little ones for the first numbers game to date.
06:44And these ones are five, three, eight, two, ten,
06:51and a large one, 100.
06:53And the target, 900.
06:55Nine, zero, zero.
06:57MUSIC PLAYS
07:09MUSIC CONTINUES
07:29Yes, Michael?
07:30900.
07:31Thank you. And Alan?
07:32900.
07:33So, Michael?
07:35Eight plus three minus two...
07:37Is the nine.
07:38I'm multiplying by the 100.
07:39Easy one.
07:40And Alan?
07:41Three minus two is one.
07:43Take that off the ten and multiply it by the 100.
07:46Lots of ways for this one, not 30 seconds needed.
07:48Not too difficult at all.
07:50So, there we are, 22 plays 17 as we go into a tea time teaser,
07:54which is Drab Rose and the clue,
07:56they don't go home after school, they go surfing.
07:59They don't go home after school, they go surfing.
08:03MUSIC PLAYS
08:09APPLAUSE
08:19Welcome back. I left you with the clue,
08:21they don't go home after school, they go surfing.
08:24And the answer is borders.
08:26Clever. Borders.
08:28So, 22 plays Alan, 17.
08:31Alan, try a letters game.
08:34Start with another consonant, please.
08:36Thank you, Alan.
08:37S
08:39Vowel.
08:41A
08:44Consonant.
08:46G
08:49Vowel.
08:51E
08:54Consonant.
08:56L
08:58Vowel.
09:00A
09:02Consonant.
09:05G
09:07And a...
09:09Another consonant, please.
09:12T
09:13And a final vowel.
09:14And a final...
09:16U
09:17And it's Countdown.
09:19MUSIC PLAYS
09:38MUSIC STOPS
09:49Well, Alan?
09:52Erm, I've got a dodgy, very dodgy seven.
09:54A dodgy seven. How about Michael?
09:56Just a five.
09:57A five. Your five?
09:58Stage.
09:59Now then, Alan, your dodginess?
10:01Er, laggates.
10:03Laggates.
10:04Laggates.
10:05Erm...
10:07Not there, it's...
10:08Laggates is the usual one.
10:10The member of the clergy is a laggate.
10:12Sorry, Alan.
10:13All right.
10:14And the corner.
10:15Now then, Margaret, Susie?
10:16Erm, the plural of gâteau, the French cake,
10:19can be with an X or an S, but you can use the S.
10:22Can't be with an S.
10:23Sorry.
10:25It's because it's come over into English.
10:2727 points to Alan, 17.
10:30And Michael, your letters game.
10:32A consonant, please.
10:33Thank you, Michael.
10:34B
10:35And another.
10:38S
10:39And a third.
10:41R
10:42A vial.
10:44O
10:45Another vial.
10:47U
10:48Consonant.
10:50P
10:52A vial.
10:54E
10:57Consonant.
10:59L
11:01And the final consonant.
11:03And a final R.
11:05Stand by.
11:36Mmm.
11:37Michael?
11:38Six.
11:39Yes, Alan?
11:40Six.
11:41Two sixes.
11:42Yep.
11:43Michael?
11:44Probes.
11:45Alan?
11:46Blouse.
11:49We happy enough about that?
11:50Yes, very happy.
11:51And one offering from the corner.
11:53Susie and Margaret.
11:55Couple of sevens, rubles and leprous,
11:58to be affected by leprosy.
12:00Oh, leprous.
12:01What a terrible word.
12:0233 plays, 12 wins.
12:0433 plays, 23, ten points ahead for Michael.
12:07Alan, your numbers game.
12:09OK, can I have one large and five small, please, Rachel?
12:12You can indeed.
12:13Thank you, Alan.
12:14One large one again and five little ones again.
12:16And this time around, the selection is
12:18nine, six, four, eight, five, and the big one, 50.
12:25And the target to reach, 669.
12:27669.
12:34BELL RINGS
13:00Yes, Alan?
13:01669.
13:02And Michael?
13:03I think I have a 669.
13:04All right, so, Alan?
13:07I've gone for four plus nine for 13.
13:11Four plus nine is 13.
13:13Times by 50.
13:14650.
13:15And then add on all the remaining numbers.
13:17So, five, eight, and six. Lovely.
13:21Very good. And Michael?
13:23Eight plus six is 14.
13:26Eight plus six, 14.
13:27Then times 50.
13:29Times 50 is 700.
13:32Nine times four.
13:33Nine times four, 36.
13:35Subtract.
13:36Minus... Oh, take that away.
13:38Then add the five.
13:3964, 669. Lovely.
13:41APPLAUSE
13:43Well done.
13:46But still that ten-point lead for Michael, 43 to Alan's 33.
13:51But now we turn to Margaret.
13:54Margaret, you abandoned me on The Apprentice.
13:57I did.
13:58And you swept off to take your doctorate in Greco-Roman studies,
14:03and I think this week you're going to regale us with some stories,
14:07perhaps drawn from your studies.
14:09Well, certainly drawn from Greek myth,
14:11because there's been quite a lot of references
14:13from Greek myths in the press recently,
14:15and I thought it was quite interesting to see why.
14:18And a few weeks ago there were lots of reports
14:21about Miranda Kerr being squabbled over
14:24by Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber,
14:26and she was described as a modern Helen of Troy.
14:29So I thought, well, who exactly was Helen of Troy?
14:31And, of course, we don't know exactly,
14:33because these stories go back so long,
14:35they go back to before there was writing,
14:37and they changed over the years.
14:39But the one principle myth about Helen
14:41is that she was very, very beautiful,
14:43and her father was Zeus, who was the top god,
14:46and her mother was a mortal called Leda,
14:49and Zeus disguised himself as a swan to seduce Leda.
14:52So I think that's one of the reasons
14:54why you should not go too close to swans
14:56if you're going along a canal.
14:58But Helen was married to a king called Menelaus,
15:01who was a king of a place called Sparta in the south of Greece,
15:04and she was stolen from him by Paris,
15:08who was a prince from Troy, which was on the Aegean coast.
15:11And he took Helen away to Troy,
15:14and the Greek kings, all the Greek kings,
15:16were annoyed about this, and they went to get Helen back.
15:19And so they went to Troy, and they besieged Troy for ten years.
15:23With a huge army and a huge fleet.
15:25So hers was the face that launched a thousand ships.
15:28So even the queen probably hasn't managed that.
15:31But Sparta was a rather brutal, basic state
15:34where Helen had been living with Menelaus,
15:37who was always portrayed as a rather sort of rough chap.
15:40And Paris, one thinks of as being rather pretty
15:44and effeminate, possibly, but certainly young and handsome.
15:50And so there is a question, really,
15:52as to whether Helen was taken away by Paris
15:56or went of her own free will.
15:59But I think what's interesting, when you look at the Miranda Kerr analogy,
16:02is that it was Orlando Bloom who played Paris in the film of Troy in 2004.
16:08So possibly there's a bit of role reversal,
16:11because I can't really see Justin Bieber as a latter-day Menelaus.
16:15And the swan thing.
16:17And, of course, the great myth about the swan,
16:20which is a sort of a...
16:22It's a bit old, really, isn't it?
16:24Well, there we go. Bird fanciers.
16:28Just be careful where you are when you're sunbathing by the river.
16:32Now, then, 43 points to Michael and Alan on 33.
16:36And, Michael, it's your letters game.
16:38I'll start with a vowel this time, please.
16:40Thank you, Michael. U.
16:42And another?
16:44I.
16:45Consonant?
16:47V.
16:49Consonant?
16:51D.
16:52Consonant?
16:54N.
16:56Vowel?
16:58E.
17:00Consonant?
17:02T.
17:04Consonant?
17:07P.
17:09And a vowel?
17:11And the last one?
17:13I.
17:14And the clock starts now.
17:45Now, Michael.
17:47Seven.
17:48A seven. Yes, Alan?
17:50Just a five.
17:51And that five?
17:52Timid.
17:53Timid. Michael?
17:54Imputed.
17:56Imputed.
17:57Excellent, yes.
17:58If you ascribe or attribute a crime to somebody, for example,
18:01you impute it to them. Very good.
18:03Very good indeed. Now, then.
18:05What brilliance from the corner?
18:07We decided six, otherwise, which was tedium.
18:10Tedium?
18:11Yes.
18:12All right, thank you both for that.
18:14Now, then, Alan, letters game.
18:16All right, Jo, can I start with a consonant, please?
18:18Thank you, Alan.
18:19T.
18:21And a vowel?
18:23E.
18:25And a consonant?
18:27L.
18:29Vowel?
18:31I.
18:32Consonant?
18:34B.
18:37Consonant?
18:39R.
18:41Vowel?
18:43A.
18:47Consonant?
18:49S.
18:51And a vowel, please?
18:52And the last one?
18:54O.
18:55Stand by.
19:11MUSIC PLAYS
19:27Yes, Alan?
19:29Seven.
19:30A seven, Michael?
19:32Seven.
19:33So, Alan?
19:34Broiled.
19:35Broiled. And?
19:37Bridles.
19:38Bridles.
19:39Yes, very nice.
19:40Very good. Now, what have we got there?
19:42Margaret, Susie?
19:43There is an eight.
19:45A dariole. I shouldn't put the S on it.
19:47Darioles for eight.
19:48They're cooking pots which are often in flower-shaped moulds.
19:52You're welcome.
19:53Now, then.
19:54It's numbers time.
19:55Michael, numbers game.
19:57Same as before, please, Rachel.
19:59One large and five small.
20:00Thank you, Michael.
20:01Same as before.
20:03Exactly. One large, number five little ones.
20:05And these little ones are four, six, nine.
20:09Another nine.
20:10And another six.
20:11And a large on 100.
20:13And the target, 945.
20:15945.
20:17MUSIC PLAYS
20:40MUSIC STOPS
20:48Michael?
20:49945.
20:51Yes, Alan?
20:52944.
20:53944. So, Michael?
20:55100 plus four.
20:57100 plus four, 104.
20:59Times nine.
21:00Times by nine, 936.
21:02Add the other nine.
21:03945. Lovely.
21:05Very good. Well done.
21:07APPLAUSE
21:09Elegantly done.
21:11That gives you a reasonable lead now, then.
21:1427 points, 67 to 40 points as we go into a tea-time teaser,
21:18which is Age In The Sun.
21:20And the clue...
21:21He spent an age in the sun and his face turned this.
21:25He spent an age in the sun and his face turned this.
21:30MUSIC PLAYS
21:38APPLAUSE
21:46A warm welcome back, Tyler, for the clue.
21:48He spent an age in the sun and his face turned this.
21:52It turned sanguine.
21:5467 points to 40 for Alan.
21:56Alan, your letters game.
21:59Hi, Rachel. Can I have a consonant, please, for that?
22:02Thank you, Alan.
22:03K.
22:06And another consonant.
22:08S.
22:10A vowel.
22:12A.
22:14Another consonant.
22:16L.
22:18A vowel.
22:20E.
22:21Another vowel.
22:23O.
22:25Another vowel.
22:27A.
22:30A consonant.
22:32Z.
22:35Any other consonant, please?
22:37And lastly, G.
22:39And here's the countdown clock.
22:41CLOCK TICKS
23:05MUSIC PLAYS
23:13Alan.
23:15Just a five.
23:17A five and Michael.
23:18Five.
23:19Two fives.
23:20Yes, Alan.
23:22Gales.
23:24Michael.
23:25Lakes.
23:27Gales and lakes.
23:28And in the corner, Susie and Margaret.
23:30There is a seven.
23:32A materials capacity for soakage, if you were technically minded.
23:36Soakage is there for seven.
23:38Soakage?
23:39Yeah, absorbency, I suppose.
23:41Yeah, OK.
23:4372 pays 45, Michael in the lead.
23:46And Michael.
23:48Take us away on a letters game.
23:51Consonant, please, Rachel.
23:53Thank you, Michael.
23:54S.
23:55And another.
23:57N.
23:58And a third.
24:00T.
24:01A vial.
24:03I.
24:05Consonant.
24:07N.
24:09Vial.
24:11A.
24:13Another vial.
24:15I.
24:17Consonant.
24:19T.
24:22And a final vial.
24:24And a final E.
24:27Stand by.
24:29Stand by.
24:59Michael.
25:00Six.
25:01Six.
25:02Alan.
25:03Six.
25:04Michael.
25:05Staton.
25:06Yes.
25:07Alan.
25:08Tennis.
25:10Tennis.
25:12Yep.
25:13And the corner, what offerings?
25:16Any improvements there?
25:17No, we were looking for words that weren't there.
25:19I was looking for tartine and you were looking for...
25:22I was looking for sentient, but it wasn't there.
25:26Absent.
25:27That's it.
25:28So we failed, I'm afraid.
25:29Never mind.
25:30It's not a grievous offence.
25:3178 pays 51.
25:33And now it's Susie's time for origins of words.
25:36Susie.
25:37Well, after that round where we failed,
25:39you might say to me that my name is Mud, Nick.
25:42In other words, I'm in a lot of trouble or I'm completely disgraced.
25:46And I'm going to tell you the story of a man whose name really was Mud,
25:50said to be the origin of our expression.
25:53And that man was Samuel Mud, who was a physician who was convicted
25:58and imprisoned for conspiracy in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
26:03back in 1865.
26:05John Wilkes Booth, who was the assassin,
26:07met Samuel Mud in late 1864 at Mud's farm.
26:12Booth told him that he was interested in property investments
26:15and he wanted to have a look around,
26:16although in reality he might just have been planning his escape route.
26:20Anyway, Booth shot President Lincoln, as we know, April 14, 1865.
26:26And he stopped at Mud's house, running away from the scene,
26:29at about 4 a.m. the next morning.
26:32He'd broken his leg from jumping down from the stage.
26:37Mud sat, he was a physician, remember, he sat and splintered the leg,
26:41in his mind probably simply helping an injured person who was in distress.
26:46But it was when he went into town the next day
26:48that he heard all about Lincoln's assassination
26:50and he heard the news that Booth was the killer.
26:53He returned home, but he was arrested later for conspiracy
26:58and he was jailed.
27:00He spent a long time trying to clear his name, trying to protest his innocence,
27:03and he was later reprieved and he was released from jail by President Johnson.
27:07But it's said that Mud and his descendants spent over a century
27:11trying to have the original conviction overturned
27:14and the Mud honour returned.
27:17And thanks to the notoriety of his case,
27:19Your Name Is Mud came to be what it means today.
27:22Well, well. Perfect stuff. Thank you, Susie.
27:29It really rings true, doesn't it?
27:31It does.
27:32The name was Mud.
27:3378 to Alan's 51.
27:35Michael in the lead. Alan, your letters game.
27:38Hi, Rachel. Can I have a consonant, please?
27:41Thank you, Alan. H.
27:43And a vowel.
27:46A.
27:48Consonant.
27:51N.
27:53Consonant.
27:55R.
27:57A vowel.
27:59I.
28:01Vowel.
28:03E.
28:06Another vowel.
28:09O.
28:11A consonant.
28:15And another consonant, please.
28:17And the last one. S.
28:20Countdown.
28:44BELL RINGS
28:54Now, then. Alan.
28:56Seven.
28:57Seven.
28:58Alan.
28:59Moners.
29:00Moners. And...
29:02Remains.
29:04Now, nothing to argue out there.
29:06Nothing at all.
29:07And what offerings from the corner there? Susie, Margaret?
29:11I haven't, but Susie has.
29:13Yes, Susie?
29:14There are two nines, Nick. Harmonies and harmonise.
29:17Oh, very good.
29:21Very good. Well done.
29:23Well done, the corner.
29:2585 to 58.
29:27Alan on 58.
29:28And it's the last letters game. Michael.
29:31A consonant, please.
29:33Thank you, Michael. Q.
29:35And another one.
29:37T.
29:39Consonant.
29:41L.
29:42Vowel.
29:44E.
29:46Another vowel.
29:47U.
29:49Consonant.
29:51S.
29:53Consonant.
29:55N.
29:57Vowel.
29:59E.
30:01And a final consonant.
30:03And a final T.
30:05Countdown.
30:07MUSIC
30:37Well, Michael?
30:38Six.
30:39Six. And Alan?
30:40Seven.
30:41Michael?
30:42Queens.
30:44Yes, Alan?
30:45Nettles.
30:46Nettles. Good one.
30:48Very good.
30:49Queens and nettles. Now then.
30:52Offerings from the corner. Susie?
30:54There were nutlets for seven.
30:57Yes.
30:58Or lunettes, which are arched windows, especially in a domed ceiling.
31:03Lunettes, as in spectacles.
31:06APPLAUSE
31:09Very good. All right, 85 days, 65.
31:12Alan, numbers game, last one of the day.
31:15OK, two of the finest large ones, please, Rachel.
31:17And four small.
31:18Thank you, Alan. Two large, four small,
31:20and you can still nick the teapot, just about.
31:22Right, good luck.
31:23The last numbers game today is...
31:258, 6, 1, 10.
31:28And the large two, 25 and 75.
31:31And the target, 596.
31:345-9-6.
32:05Yes, Alan?
32:075-9-6.
32:085-9-6, Michael?
32:095-9-6.
32:10Both of you. So, Alan?
32:13100 minus 1.
32:15Where's your 100?
32:17Sorry, 75 plus 25 for 100.
32:2075 plus 25 minus 1 for 99.
32:23And multiply by 6.
32:25Multiply by 6 for 594.
32:27And then you've got the 10 minus the 8 for 2.
32:29You do indeed. Well done. 5-9-6.
32:32Thank you. And Michael?
32:3475 times 8.
32:35For 600.
32:37And subtract 10 and add 6.
32:39Yep, well done. Same result.
32:41Very good.
32:46So, briskly done. So, 95 plays 75.
32:49Final round, conundrum time.
32:51Michael, Alan, fingers on buzzers.
32:53Let's reveal today's Countdown Conundrum.
33:03BUZZER
33:13Alan?
33:14Egotism.
33:16Let's have a look.
33:18No, over to you, Michael.
33:20BUZZER
33:33BUZZER
33:36Foxed and stumped up here,
33:39but in the audience I know.
33:41A forest of hands. Yes. Yes, sir?
33:44Smoggiest.
33:46Smoggiest. Let's see whether you're right.
33:51Very good. Well done.
33:53Well done.
33:57So, there we are. Very good.
34:00So, 95, pretty good score.
34:02And Alan, 75 against 95 is a pretty good score too,
34:05but not quite good enough today.
34:07Didn't get the best selection today.
34:09So, back to Coventry with your goody bag and our very best wishes.
34:12And Michael, we shall see you tomorrow.
34:14Well done. Well done.
34:16Susie, tomorrow. Margaret, more tales from Greek mythology tomorrow.
34:20I hope so.
34:22All right, see you tomorrow. See you tomorrow.
34:24See you then. Rachel. All right.
34:26Join us tomorrow, same time, same place.
34:28All right. Very good afternoon.
34:30You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com,
34:34by Twitter at C4Countdown,
34:36or write to us at CountdownLeadsLS31JS.
34:40You can also find our web page at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
34:49From five o'clock this evening, it's brand-new Four In A Bed,
34:52followed by brand-new Come Dine With Me.
34:55Think of it as a kip, followed by breakfast, followed by dinner.
34:58Next, it's deal or no deal.