Countdown | Tuesday 27th June 2023 | Episode 8048
This episode was (kindly) donated by Chloe Jones.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:04APPLAUSE
00:31Hello, everybody.
00:32Tuesday afternoon and our first semi-final of series 87 of Countdown.
00:37Listen, we enjoy every single day,
00:39but it just goes up a notch, doesn't it, at the end of every series.
00:43So thank you very much for tuning in.
00:45It's something we never, ever take for granted.
00:48Rachel Riley, special day, semi-final.
00:51It's interesting, semi-final, for a quiz,
00:53because we only really associate semi-finals with sport, really.
00:58If I say semi-finals to you, what pops into your head outside of Countdown?
01:03Well, I mean, what man in United fan doesn't want to talk about 1999
01:06every five minutes?
01:07Even I know about that one.
01:09It's your 2-0 down to Juventus. Yeah.
01:12We should mention Snooker because the semi-finals of the World
01:14Championships have produced so many great games.
01:16And actually, it was this year, the new champion, the Belgian bullet,
01:19Luka Brassel, in his semi-final, Brassel reeled off 11 frames in a row
01:25against C for one of the greatest comebacks of all time.
01:28But, you know, Countdown, that's where it is.
01:31That's where it's at. That's the most important thing.
01:33But if Susie Dent misbehaves today, red card,
01:37she's not going to be here for the final in two days.
01:41Go shopping. Simple.
01:43Simple as that. Our G of the D, Susie Dent.
01:45And back alongside her, forget the sky at night,
01:48it's all going to do with Countdown during the day,
01:50Maggie Adderham-Pocock's here.
01:55OK, our number one seed is back, Ronan, the Hurricane, Higginson.
02:00If you don't follow the season all the time
02:03and you only tune in for the finals, well, Ronan is the second highest
02:06score ever for an OctoChamp when you add his eight wins together.
02:10You're not the only ones back. Let's go to Mum's back.
02:13Yep. Yes, in the studio. Hi, Mum.
02:15And you brought the sister for the first time. I did, yeah.
02:18Why would you do that? I've just got loads of embarrassing stories
02:21about you. I love it. Well, it's so good to have them in.
02:24And you're up against Adam Dexter now.
02:26He got revenged, didn't he, yesterday?
02:28Because you only won seven, I say only.
02:30What an achievement.
02:32And, of course, Graham stopped you becoming an OctoChamp.
02:34You beat him yesterday.
02:36And it is a family affair too,
02:37but the kids, a bit young to bring them into the studio, I think.
02:40Yeah, so I've got Chloe, seven, and Oliver, who's two.
02:43Just so you know, Chloe is closer in age to Ronan than you are, Adam.
02:48Yeah.
02:49But I love that because we talk about great semifinals.
02:52I suppose snooker and darts would go into this category as well.
02:56That's what I love about Countdown.
02:57All generations welcome at once.
03:00Good luck to both of you. Our first semifinal, Adam and Ronan.
03:03APPLAUSE
03:06Well, it's always our highest seed that gets us under way.
03:09There are none higher than Ronan, so off we go.
03:11Afternoon, Rachel. Afternoon again, Ronan.
03:13Start with the consonant, please.
03:14Start the first semifinal with W.
03:18And another.
03:20L.
03:21And another.
03:23F.
03:24And a vowel.
03:26O.
03:27And another.
03:29E.
03:30And another.
03:32A.
03:33Consonant.
03:35M.
03:36Vowel.
03:40E.
03:41And a consonant, please.
03:44And a final N.
03:46At home, Ronan in the studio. Let's play Countdown.
03:51ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS
03:53ELECTRONIC MUSIC CONTINUES
04:20Ronan, a six.
04:22A six for you and Adam.
04:24Risk a seven.
04:25You're going to risk a seven.
04:27Ronan? Low knee.
04:29Yes, and Adam? Wolfman.
04:31Right, this is big, because I've never beaten Ronan in a round,
04:34ever, and I wrote wolfman down. Come on, Suze.
04:38Oh, it was the very first thing I looked up to.
04:40Wolfman, wolfman, not in, I'm afraid.
04:43No, werewolf is the closest we'd have, isn't it? Sorry.
04:47We should have known the minute Ronan opened his mouth and said six
04:50that we were all a-hiding to nothing. You and me both, Adam.
04:55Maggie, could we have beaten him?
04:56I don't think so. I've got a flaming six, but...
04:59Yeah.
05:00Yeah, that's a priest serving a particular god in Roman times.
05:04But six was the top for us.
05:05So, no wolfman or wolfmen. What about leaf women?
05:09I don't think so. No, it's not going to be there.
05:12You know now not to look them up.
05:14Adam, nine more letters, please.
05:15Afternoon, Rachel. Afternoon, Adam.
05:17Can I start with a consonant, please?
05:19You can. Starts with D.
05:21And a second.
05:24N. And a third.
05:28M. And a vowel.
05:30O. And a second.
05:33O. And a third.
05:36A. And a consonant, please.
05:40G. And a vowel.
05:44I. And a final consonant, please.
05:47A final N.
05:4930 seconds.
06:18MUSIC STOPS
06:21How many, Adam? Seven.
06:23How many, Ronan? Seven as well.
06:24What have you got, Adam? Dumbing.
06:26And, Ronan? Monody.
06:28A monody to dictionary corner.
06:30Susie, we thought that was going to be easy with the ING,
06:33but we'll have to look that up. We did. Monody, absolutely brilliant.
06:36It's the same as a monody, a musical composition
06:39in which there is a single melodic line.
06:41Good. Very, very good. Maggie, how did you get on?
06:44So, just two more sevens. Goodman. Yes.
06:46And also mooning.
06:48Ah, the burfish cheek of that.
06:5013-7, first numbers round of the day. Ronan?
06:54I'm going to change this time. Let's go for four large.
06:56You're right. Yeah, stepping up a gear, aren't you?
06:5875. Let's just get in the four large out.
07:00We're going to see how many tricks Ronan knows.
07:03And Adam, for that matter. Right, first one of this semi.
07:06Two, one. Uh-oh.
07:0850, 25, 75 and 100.
07:14And the target, 667.
07:16667, numbers up.
07:47BUZZER
07:49Surely not. Ronan?
07:50672. And Adam?
07:52Also 672. There you go.
07:54Let's have it, Ronan. 100 minus 75.
07:57100 minus 75, 25.
07:59Times the other 25 is 625.
08:02Yep, 625.
08:03Add 50, 675. Yep.
08:05And take off the two and the one.
08:06And I bet that took all of three seconds
08:08and you spent the rest of the time scrabbling.
08:11Adam? Um, exactly the same.
08:15Yep. There you go.
08:16So is that as good as it gets, as Jack Nicholson might say?
08:19Well, I think as soon as we saw the one and the two,
08:21we knew this could be tricky.
08:22You could have got to 663, but, you know, fantastic effort.
08:26It was impossible. Not able to get there.
08:28Thank you so much, Rachel.
08:29Let's get the first tea time teaser of this semifinal.
08:32It's Ended Bird.
08:33Something to think about during the break. Ended Bird.
08:36He ended his hobby of birdwatching
08:38when he could no longer get up.
08:40He ended his hobby of birdwatching
08:42when he could no longer get up.
08:45APPLAUSE
09:00Welcome back. He ended his hobby of birdwatching
09:03when he could no longer get up.
09:04Ended Bird becomes bedridden.
09:08Last four of series 87 of Countdown,
09:10so it's tight as you would imagine.
09:12Let's just enjoy it, Adam. Off we go.
09:15Can I have a consonant, please? Thank you, Adam.
09:18G. And a second.
09:21S. And a third.
09:24L. And a vowel.
09:26E. And a second.
09:28I. And a third.
09:31U. And a consonant.
09:34H. And a vowel.
09:37A. And a final consonant, please.
09:40And a final S.
09:42Mm. Another S. Thanks, Rachel.
10:16Adam? Seven, not written down.
10:18Ronan? A seven.
10:19Adam, what's not written down? Slaves.
10:22And what is?
10:24Slaves as well.
10:25They count just the same.
10:27Seven points each over the dictionary corner.
10:30Susie and Maggie.
10:31Yeah, so we've got a seven.
10:33Silages. Silages.
10:35Silages is there, too.
10:37Ronan, let's get more letters.
10:39Start with a vowel, please, Rachel. Thank you, Ronan.
10:41O. And another.
10:45E. And another.
10:47A. And a consonant.
10:50T. And another.
10:53S. And another.
10:55N. And another.
10:57H. A vowel.
11:00O. And finish with a consonant, please.
11:04And a final L.
11:07Here we go. Half a minute.
11:15ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS
11:39Ronan? I'm going to try an eight.
11:41Adam? Oh, I'll also try an eight, then.
11:43Here we go, Ronan.
11:45Anathols. Anathols, same word, Adam.
11:47Ethanols. Ethanols and anathols.
11:51And Susie Dent.
11:52OK, I'm going to start with anathol,
11:55cos I wasn't aware of this one.
11:57And it is in chemistry.
12:00You can spell it with an E at the end or another E or not.
12:02It's a fragrant liquid which you'll find in essential oils
12:06like anise, fennel and some other plants, which is quite nice.
12:09Very good. Absolutely fine to put the S on that.
12:12It's also fine, although I think not typical
12:14to put the S on the end of ethanol.
12:17It doesn't say it's a mass found in the dictionary.
12:19Catalyst, volatile, flammable liquid.
12:22Don't think you'd often use it with the S, but we can allow it.
12:25Fantastic eight-point seats.
12:26You'll have to be honest and say, I only got six.
12:29How did you get on, Maggie?
12:30Ethanols.
12:32There we are. Still six points to the difference.
12:34Second numbers round.
12:35Ronan went for four large.
12:37What are you going to do, Adam Dexter?
12:38I go for six small, please.
12:41We've had four large, now we're having six small.
12:43Let's see if we can find a possible one.
12:45This round is five, ten, one,
12:49seven, nine and four.
12:53And the target to reach with them, 843.
12:56843, numbers up.
13:11ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS
13:29That's time up. 843, Adam.
13:32844.
13:33Just the one away, Ronan.
13:34844 as well.
13:35And 844 as well.
13:37So close today. Adam, off you go.
13:39Ten plus five.
13:41Ten plus five, 15.
13:42Times seven.
13:43Times seven, 105.
13:45Nine minus one is eight.
13:47Yeah.
13:48Multiply.
13:49840.
13:50And add the four.
13:51Four one above, 844.
13:53Few ways to get there, Ronan. How do you go?
13:55Seven times ten, 70.
13:56Seven times ten, 70.
13:58Take five, 65.
13:59Yes, 65.
14:01And then nine plus four is 13.
14:04Yep. Times them together, 845.
14:06And take the one.
14:08Yep. 844, one above again.
14:11There you go. How do we get to 843, or is that it?
14:13Well, I could show you another way for 844,
14:15but 843 was impossible.
14:17Another one.
14:18So there you go. That is as good as you can get.
14:20Yeah. 42 plays 36.
14:23That's six-point difference.
14:25The crucial Countdown Conundrum territory remains
14:29as we once again get informed and entertained
14:31by Maggie Aderin-Polcock.
14:33Where are you taking us today?
14:35Well, it's one of the questions that's been fundamental
14:37throughout my life, and that's the question,
14:39when will we get into space? Yeah.
14:41Because I grew up watching the Clangers,
14:43I wanted to go and visit them.
14:44I watched lots of Star Trek.
14:45I am a Trekkie, so I live long and prosper,
14:47but I want to get out there.
14:49And so we're in an exciting time,
14:51but the problem is, just to visit our next-door neighbour,
14:53Star, that is 40 trillion kilometres away.
14:57And travelling with the fastest technology we've got,
14:59that's 16 kilometres a second,
15:01that journey would take 76,000 years.
15:03But there's a new project called Breakthrough Starshot,
15:05and with Breakthrough Starshot,
15:06they're using an existing technology,
15:08but in a different way.
15:09In the past, we've used rocket propulsion and things like that,
15:12but there's also something called a solar sail.
15:14And a solar sail is just like a sheet of metalised plastic.
15:16And in the past, we've used light from the sun
15:18to accelerate the solar sail,
15:19but now we want to use lasers.
15:22We're going Star Wars. Wow.
15:23And the idea is to have this sort of sitting in space,
15:26you fire up lasers,
15:27they transfer their energy to the solar sail,
15:30and you can accelerate to about the fifth
15:32of the speed of light.
15:34If you do this, that journey of 76,000 years
15:37won't take 76,000 years.
15:38You could do it in just 20 years. Wow.
15:41You can't send people.
15:42The weight of the whole package
15:44can be no more than a few grams.
15:46So I'm not getting out there any time soon.
15:48But it does mean we can start sort of looking
15:50at these what we call exoplanets,
15:52planets going around other stars,
15:54and seeing what's out there.
15:55So I'm quite excited.
15:56So 20 years of having lasers shot at you from Earth?
15:59Oh, no. No, you see, it's just an initial burst.
16:02Because once you've accelerated it,
16:04then it continues.
16:05There's no air resistance in space.
16:06So you get that initial boost,
16:08and then it just continues, hopefully, in the right direction.
16:10So the thing will be, I suppose, for it to scale up,
16:13where it can eventually fire, say, for example,
16:16a tonne or two tonnes or three tonnes.
16:17Yes, with people, machines,
16:19everything you might need to start a new colony.
16:21Board games?
16:22LAUGHTER
16:23It's a good time to come crashing back down to Earth.
16:26Thank you, Maggie.
16:27APPLAUSE
16:30OK, back to this first semifinal of series
16:34Ronan, let's get more letters.
16:36Start with a vowel, please, Rachel.
16:38Thank you, Ronan.
16:39A
16:40And a second.
16:41I
16:42Third.
16:43E
16:44Constant.
16:45X
16:46And another.
16:49T
16:50And another.
16:51R
16:52And another.
16:53S
16:54A vowel.
16:56A
16:57And a vowel, please.
16:59And lastly, E.
17:01Here we go.
17:03E
17:04E
17:05E
17:06E
17:07E
17:08E
17:09E
17:10E
17:11E
17:12E
17:13E
17:14E
17:15E
17:16E
17:17E
17:18E
17:19E
17:20E
17:21E
17:22E
17:23E
17:24E
17:25E
17:26E
17:27E
17:28E
17:29E
17:30E
17:31E
17:32E
17:33R
17:34Rounding.
17:35Seven.
17:36Adam.
17:37Seven.
17:38Two sevens.
17:39Ronan.
17:40Air eights.
17:41Air eights.
17:42And Adam?
17:43Exactly the same.
17:44Very good.
17:45Yep.
17:46Excellent.
17:47Retaxes. Retaxes.
17:50Anything else? Nothing beyond that, no. Seven's all round.
17:53Right, let's keep rocking and rolling, Adam. Get nine more letters.
17:56I'll start with a consonant, please. Thank you, Adam.
17:59D. And a second.
18:02S. And a third.
18:05N. And a vowel.
18:07O. And a second.
18:10A. And a third.
18:12I. And a consonant.
18:15C. And a vowel.
18:18E. And a final consonant, please.
18:20And a final.
18:22D. Start the clock.
18:45INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS
18:54Mr Dexter. Eight.
18:56Eight. And Mr Higgins? Eight as well.
18:57Eight as well. Cannot separate you in these letters. What have you got?
19:00Anodised. Anodised. And, Ronan?
19:02Diocesan. Yes, diocesan.
19:05I think we would normally say absolutely brilliant.
19:07It's a bishop, essentially, of a diocese.
19:09Anything else in Dictionary Corner?
19:11Just adenoids for eight.
19:13Sticks in your throat, that one.
19:1657, 51.
19:18Third time around on the numbers.
19:21It's been tricky so far. Here we go, Ronan.
19:23Let's try four large again, please, Rachel.
19:25Back to the four large, see what we can find.
19:28Not much in it, you two.
19:29Let's see if the numbers can separate you more.
19:31Nine, five, 25, 50, 100, 75.
19:37And your target.
19:39140.
19:41140. Numbers up.
20:13140, Ronan? Yeah, 140.
20:15And Adam? 140.
20:17140. Off you go, Ronan.
20:18100 plus 75?
20:20175.
20:21Take 25, 150?
20:23Yep. And then 50 over 5 is 10 to take off.
20:26That is one way to get there.
20:28Straightforward enough. Is it another way for Adam?
20:31Totally different. 75 minus 5?
20:33That's the one I saw. 70!
20:35Times 100? 100.
20:387,000. And then divide by 50.
20:40Divide it by 50.
20:41Well, yeah, same result. 140.
20:43There you go.
20:44APPLAUSE
20:47What a stand group today.
20:4867 plays 61,
20:51and we're just getting to our second break of today's semi-final.
20:54We didn't expect anything else.
20:57It's Sarah's gin. Sarah's gin.
20:59Sarah's had too much gin and it's starting to upset people.
21:03Sarah's had too much gin and it's starting to upset people.
21:14APPLAUSE
21:22Welcome back. Sarah's gin.
21:24She's had too much gin and it's starting to upset people.
21:26Sarah's gin becomes harassing. Harassing.
21:29Right, six points in it.
21:31Six rounds left.
21:32Ronan Higginson and Adam Dexter bidding for a place
21:36in the Series 87 final.
21:38Adam, your letters.
21:40I'll have a consonant, please.
21:41Thank you, Adam.
21:42R
21:43A second.
21:45B
21:46And a third.
21:47F
21:48And a vowel.
21:50O
21:51And a second.
21:53U
21:54And a third.
21:55O
21:56And a consonant.
21:58N
21:59And a vowel.
22:02A
22:03And a final consonant, please.
22:05A final R.
22:07Let's play.
22:12ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS
22:39Adam?
22:40Risk a six.
22:42Ronan?
22:43I'm going for a six as well.
22:44OK, Adam?
22:45Unroof.
22:46Unroof.
22:47Ronan?
22:48Rurban?
22:49Two different words.
22:50This is really, really critical, Susie.
22:53OK, um, rurban.
22:56Ah, yes.
22:57Believe it or not, it's in.
22:59It's an area that shares both rural and urban characteristics.
23:03And you can also lift the roof off by unroofing something.
23:07APPLAUSE
23:11Right, anything... No.
23:12No.
23:13Move on.
23:14I have to be polite.
23:16Right, let's do it again, Ronan.
23:20Stop with the foul, please, Rachel.
23:21Thank you, Ronan.
23:23I
23:24And another.
23:25A
23:26And another.
23:27E
23:28And consonant.
23:29T
23:30And another.
23:32P
23:33And another.
23:34S
23:35And another.
23:36M
23:37Vowel.
23:39U
23:41Finish with a vowel, please.
23:44Finish with E.
23:46Good luck.
24:11MUSIC STOPS
24:18Give me a number, Ronan.
24:19Eight.
24:20And give me a number, Adam.
24:21I'll have to try an eight, then.
24:22It's just absolute high-risk stuff at the moment.
24:26Ronan, what's the eight?
24:27Amputees.
24:28You've forced Adam to go with an eight.
24:30Epistema.
24:31Susie Dent.
24:32Can you just spell that out for me?
24:33So, E-P-I-S-T-E-M-A.
24:36Oh!
24:37Epistema.
24:38Epistema is in, but it's O-M-A.
24:41Oh!
24:42And I'm so sorry.
24:43It's a noun from zoology.
24:44It's a structure that lies in front of the mouth.
24:47But, yeah, I'm so sorry, Adam.
24:50Four rounds left after Susie's Origins of Words.
24:54And I love this, but I always think,
24:56in big games and close games,
24:58it's the cruelest place to put a break, isn't it?
25:01Where the tension rises, isn't it?
25:03It's the bit, you know, on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
25:06We'll tell you after the break.
25:08Yeah, I'm really sorry.
25:09OK, well, I'll make this as quick as I possibly can.
25:11Not at all.
25:12And just painless.
25:13But it is all to do with being part of a family,
25:16the Countdown family,
25:17cos I always think, you know, that's why I love the finals.
25:20You see real Countdown friends coming back.
25:23So this is in honour of the finals.
25:26And, well, I'm going to start with a word
25:28that is very relevant this year.
25:31King.
25:32We have the coronation.
25:33You might not guess that's got something to do with the family
25:37but actually it was very much to do with relations,
25:41relatives within the same tribe
25:43because it's a sibling of kin.
25:45And if you go back to the Angles and the Saxons,
25:48when they came over,
25:49the first kings in England
25:51were the chiefs of these particular tribes
25:53but they were very often related to everybody within it.
25:56And from that idea of being sort of at the top,
25:59then, you know, obviously they moved up and up and up
26:02until they became the sovereign.
26:04There are some other lovely words
26:05that are rooted in ancient civilisation
26:07and to do with family as well.
26:09Gentle is one of them
26:10because gentle looks back to the Roman gentes,
26:12which, again, was your clan, your people.
26:15And you were expected to behave
26:18in a kind and decorous manner,
26:21you know, which was suitable or appropriate
26:24for your upbringing, if you like.
26:26And particularly those who were of noble birth,
26:28they were expected particularly to behave
26:30in a chivalrous fashion.
26:33So gentle and genteel also related.
26:36Gentleman was somebody who was thought to behave
26:40particularly kindly because of their birth.
26:43And also genuine.
26:45We haven't completely nailed this in terms of its etymology
26:49but there is one very strong theory
26:51that genuine looks back to the Roman tradition
26:54of a father placing a newborn child upon his knee
26:58in order to prove his paternity to those around him,
27:01particularly his family.
27:03So the idea is, again, of very sort of close blood ties,
27:07really assuring authenticity
27:09but also being gentle and genuine.
27:11Nice. Thank you.
27:16You're right about the family feel of Countdown
27:18but very shortly we've got to kick somebody out of the house,
27:21haven't we?
27:22We don't know who that is yet with four rounds left.
27:24Adam, it's your honour.
27:26Can I have a consonant, please?
27:28Thank you, Adam. N.
27:30A second.
27:32R.
27:33And a third.
27:35T.
27:36And a vowel.
27:38I.
27:39A second.
27:40O.
27:41And a third.
27:43A.
27:44And a consonant.
27:46S.
27:47And a vowel.
27:49O.
27:50And a final consonant, please.
27:53A final G.
27:55Countdown.
28:01CLOCK TICKS
28:27Time's up. Adam.
28:29I'm going to try a nine.
28:31He's going for a maximum. Ronan.
28:33Nine as well.
28:34Adam.
28:35Rogations.
28:36And that looks like it may be on Ronan's page.
28:40And with extreme confidence, 99.99 repeated confidence,
28:45I go to Susie Dent just to confirm it's there.
28:48Yes, it's usually used in front of something like Rogation Week
28:52but it is there as a noun in the Christian church.
28:55It is a supplication or a prayer
28:57consisting of the Litany of the Saints
28:59chanted on the three days before Ascension Day.
29:06And that is Countdown From The Gods, Maggie.
29:08Amazing.
29:09He had a couple of eights but, yeah, nothing like that.
29:12Absolutely fantastic.
29:14OK, 99 plays 85.
29:16What an absolute joy to just be here today watching this.
29:21Let's do it then, Ronan. Last letters.
29:23Vowel, please, Rachel.
29:25Thank you, Ronan.
29:26And another.
29:28And a third.
29:31Consonant.
29:33And another.
29:35And another.
29:39And a vowel.
29:43Consonant.
29:46And a vowel, please.
29:48And lastly, U.
29:51Last letters.
29:56BELL RINGS
30:23How many, Ronan?
30:24Just six.
30:25And Adam?
30:26Just six.
30:27Well, you got Pledge.
30:28And what about yourself, Adam?
30:29Exactly the same.
30:30Yep.
30:31Brilliant.
30:32Six more points each.
30:3316 points in it.
30:3520 points up for grabs.
30:37Adam, last numbers.
30:39I'll try four large, please.
30:42I mean, it's hard to say what to choose.
30:44We've had two impossible ones and one relatively easy one.
30:47We need a challenge.
30:49We need some points.
30:50Final numbers today.
30:51Three, ten, 25, 100, 75 and 50.
30:57And the target, 692.
31:00692.
31:02Numbers up.
31:22BELL RINGS
31:346-9-2. Adam Dexter.
31:376-9-3, not written down.
31:39Oh, one away, Ronan.
31:406-9-3 as well.
31:42That would be for a place in the final.
31:44Adam, doesn't matter, you haven't written it down cos you're going first.
31:4775 x 10.
31:4975 x 10, 750.
31:51Minus 50.
31:52700.
31:53And then 100 over 25 is 4.
31:55Yeah.
31:56Plus the 3 is 7 and take that away.
31:59Yep.
32:00On away, 6-9-3.
32:01Well done.
32:02Ronan, deep breath.
32:03Same way.
32:04Oh, same way!
32:05APPLAUSE
32:08And with that, the hurricane blows into the final
32:12of series 87 of Countdown.
32:15But, Rachel, 6-9-2?
32:17Marker down.
32:18Impossible.
32:19What a standard.
32:20Well done. Incredible.
32:21As it stands at the moment, 210 points scored in 14 rounds of Countdown.
32:26What would make it perfect is if Ronan fluffed the Countdown conundrum,
32:30as that would make it finish 112-108,
32:33and we will talk about this semifinal.
32:36We still will regardless, so let's have a fair fight.
32:39Fingers on buzzers, please, as we reveal today's countdown conundrum.
32:46BELL RINGS
32:48It's Ronan.
32:49Dissonant.
32:50Let's have a look.
32:51Brilliant.
32:52APPLAUSE
32:55Good luck, Ronan, in the final.
32:57Dissonant for 122.
33:00I know that you two play a lot outside of the studio,
33:03within the Countdown community, online.
33:05Adam, what was your record against Ronan coming in here?
33:09So, about 1 in 10, I think, and I haven't beaten him in 18 months.
33:13I'm counting.
33:15So you're very, very pleased with the 98?
33:17Yeah, I'll take that.
33:18You've been absolutely sensational, Adam, thank you so much.
33:2217-year-old Ronan Higginson has me scrambling for the record books,
33:26by the way.
33:27Our highest ever points total, over possibly 11 wins.
33:31How are you feeling, young man, are you all right?
33:33Just trying to compose myself, you know, big day on Thursday.
33:36So big.
33:37Got to try and relax.
33:38Yeah.
33:39Ronan, the Hurricane Higginson, what a joy.
33:41Again, he's in the final.
33:42APPLAUSE
33:45Maggie Adderham, Polcock, Susie Dent, you held your own today.
33:49Well, you didn't really hold your own.
33:50No, we didn't.
33:51It's impossible, but you were here.
33:53Thank you so much.
33:54Thanks, we showed up.
33:56And, Rachel, the just sensational drama in the numbers today.
34:00Yeah, I think it's much harder, actually, to get close
34:02when it's impossible than it is just to get one bang on.
34:05And they didn't blink at all today, it was a fantastic game.
34:07Brilliant.
34:08Listen, tomorrow we have Killian McMulcan coming back,
34:11our second seed.
34:12Remember, in a single episode of Countdown,
34:14he's got the joint highest score ever.
34:16And the good news is, I've finally nailed his nickname.
34:20It's taken me ages to come up with it.
34:22So, tomorrow on this show,
34:23Peter Burke will be taking on the Incredible Mulk.
34:26Do not miss it.
34:27Rachel, Susie and I will be here.
34:29You can count on us.
34:30APPLAUSE
34:32You can contact the programme by email at...
34:34You can also find our web page at...
35:04APPLAUSE