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00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:05APPLAUSE
00:31Hello, everybody. Welcome to Countdown.
00:34It's Monday, January 16th, and on Friday, January 20th,
00:39we will crown our first champion of champions in five years.
00:44Now, that date, Rachel Riley, is the one they brand Blue Monday,
00:48which I don't subscribe to.
00:50That's not how mental health works.
00:52The idea, it's the most miserable day of the year.
00:55There's something, though, that was born out of Blue Monday,
00:58which I actually love and think we should do, which is Brew Monday.
01:04And it's a wonderful idea, actually.
01:06It's just make contact with somebody
01:08who you haven't spoken to for a long time
01:10and you're meant to get around to it,
01:12or somebody that you think might need a bit of company,
01:15and just phone them up and see if they're about for a cup of tea.
01:18Oh, that's nice.
01:19I'd pick Jimmy Nez, but we're not great friends,
01:22but when I bump into him, it's always great fun, you know,
01:25and it's always a big Irish sporting event,
01:28so called Sampton Fight or the Ireland Rugby.
01:31But most times, when you do have a drink with Jimmy Nez,
01:34you certainly don't remember it the next day.
01:36Yeah, I can vouch for that.
01:38Right, let's get over to Dictionary Corner here,
01:41and Suzy Denton, of course, ready to watch over every single word
01:45on the most important of weeks.
01:48I'm here to be educated, because I always learn new words from these guys.
01:52It is so different for this standard.
01:54And that's why we've put beside you a proper Countdown disciple,
01:58making a return to Dictionary Corner.
02:00He loves it so much, it's the only show where he wears his glasses.
02:04He brings them along just to look a little bit more intelligent.
02:07Yeah, yeah, can't see a thing.
02:10But I know it looks good.
02:11Rick Edwards is here.
02:17OK, well, listen, they've long had a teapot, these two.
02:20Two champions of their series, 84 and 82,
02:24respectively going up against each other for a place in the last four.
02:28Ahmed Mohamed's back. Hi, Ahmed.
02:30Hi, good to be back.
02:32Rachel Riley's choice to win it all.
02:34Does that just put pressure on you? Is that unwanted?
02:37I mean, it was nice to hear it, but it does put a bit of pressure on me.
02:42I don't know.
02:43I don't think anything could put pressure on you.
02:46I mean, I'm bricking it right now.
02:48It looks like I'm bricking it, but I am, I really am.
02:51Ahmed, good luck to you. Cheers.
02:53I think it's one of these moments when you think, you know,
02:56when, say, Liverpool meet Manchester City in the quarterfinal,
02:59and you think, that could be the final, couldn't it?
03:01It really could be the final.
03:03That's the case today with Luke Johnson. Davies, how are you, my friend?
03:06I'm very well, very excited, and playing a friend here,
03:09so I'm just going to enjoy it as much as I can.
03:11How do you get that balance of, I'm glad he'd win, but I really want to win?
03:15Well, I really don't mind.
03:16I think I'm going to be cheering him on, so, I don't know,
03:19just going to pretend it's someone else, I guess, and play my best.
03:23Good luck to both of you. We'll be delighted whoever wins,
03:25but I know you'll both give it 100%.
03:27Ahmed and Luke.
03:32Right, let's do it, Ahmed. Let's get nine letters.
03:35All right. Good afternoon, Rachel.
03:37Afternoon, Ahmed.
03:38Could I start with a consonant, please?
03:40Start with G.
03:44And another?
03:46A vowel.
03:49Another vowel.
03:52Consonant.
03:55Vowel.
03:59Consonant.
04:02A consonant.
04:06And a final consonant, please.
04:09Looks promising to me. A final R.
04:12At home and in the studio, let's play Code Dome.
04:43A lightning strike twice. Ahmed?
04:46Yeah, nine.
04:49Luke?
04:50Yeah, nine as well.
04:53Ahmed, give it to me.
04:54Er, restoring.
04:55And Luke?
04:56I'll go with resorting, then.
04:58APPLAUSE
05:03Two nines to start.
05:04Welcome to the world of Champion of Champions, Rick.
05:07You're about as useful to me as a chocolate fire guard.
05:10I've got them, though. I've got them.
05:12And I've also... I've got ten.
05:16Were there any other nines that were missed?
05:18No, just those two.
05:19That was the two. Right, OK.
05:21At Luke, nine more letters. Let's see if they're just as kind.
05:24Good afternoon, Rachel.
05:25Afternoon, Luke.
05:26Could I start with a consonant, please?
05:28You can indeed. Start with C.
05:30And another one?
05:32S.
05:33And another?
05:34S.
05:36And another?
05:38And another?
05:40N.
05:41And a vowel, please?
05:43O.
05:44And another?
05:45A.
05:47And another?
05:48E.
05:50And a consonant, please?
05:53None of the C.
05:55And a final vowel, please?
06:00A final I.
06:0230 seconds.
06:08MUSIC PLAYS
06:34That's time. Luke?
06:35I think I have a nine again.
06:37Ahmed?
06:38I'll try one as well.
06:39OK. Luke, what would be the nine?
06:41Accession.
06:42Fantastic. Ahmed?
06:43Er, same words.
06:45Susie, have we started with back-to-back maximums?
06:48We absolutely have. Accession to the throne.
06:50Very, very good.
06:51APPLAUSE
06:55What a start. 36 points each after just two rounds,
06:59both on a hat-trick, unprecedented, when we get to it.
07:02But we need to do the numbers first.
07:04And, Ahmed, you're picking.
07:06Er, I want a nice and easy one large.
07:09I've heard whisperings amongst the Countdown contestants
07:13that this could be decided on numbers.
07:15Let's see how they fall today.
07:17The first one, 2, 10, 6, 3, 2 and 25.
07:24And the target, 179.
07:27179. Numbers up.
07:36MUSIC PLAYS
08:00Nice and easy, Ahmed.
08:02Er, yeah, 179. Yeah, and Luke?
08:04Yeah, 179.
08:05Off you go, sir.
08:07Er, 10 minus 3.
08:097.
08:10Times 25.
08:11175.
08:12Add to twos.
08:13And I think that's easy enough, like you ordered. 179.
08:16How did you do it, Luke? I made a meal of this one, actually.
08:19So I did 10 over 2 is 5. Yep.
08:21Add that to 25.
08:23430.
08:24Times that by 6.
08:25180.
08:26And then 3 minus 2 is 1, and take that away.
08:28Nothing merely about it. 179.
08:30APPLAUSE
08:33Let's get your two-time teaser.
08:35It's one of my all-time favourites.
08:37Any years. Any years.
08:40The sort of person to turn down Leo.
08:43The sort of person to turn down Leo.
08:54APPLAUSE
09:02Welcome back. Any years. Any years.
09:05The sort of person to turn down Leo.
09:07It was a reference, in case you're not a muso, to Leo Sayre.
09:11Nay, Sayre. Luke, you're picking the next letters.
09:14Consonant, please, Rachel. Thank you, Luke.
09:16R.
09:17And another one.
09:19Y.
09:20And another.
09:22M.
09:23And another.
09:25N.
09:26And a vowel, please.
09:28E.
09:29And another.
09:31I.
09:32And another.
09:34E.
09:36And a consonant, please.
09:40B.
09:42And a final vowel, please.
09:45A final A.
09:47Fingers crossed.
10:01MUSIC PLAYS
10:19Time's up. Luke?
10:20Just a seven, I'm afraid.
10:22Ahmed?
10:23A.
10:24What a letdown. Luke?
10:25So, Bryani.
10:27B-R-E-Y-A-N-I.
10:29And Ahmed?
10:30Ambreen. Ambreen.
10:32So, Bryani is a variant spelling of biryani,
10:35which I think many of us are familiar with from Indian cooking.
10:39And how are you spelling that for me?
10:41A-M-B-R-E-I-N-E.
10:43Yes, Ambreen.
10:45It doesn't have to have an E at the end, but it can do.
10:48Crucial in this case.
10:49Yes, it's a crystalline compound,
10:51which is the main constituent of ambergris,
10:54which is used in perfume making.
10:56Well done. Well done, Ahmed. Let's get more letters now.
10:59Ahmed? Cheers.
11:00Could I start with a consonant, please?
11:02You can indeed.
11:03T.
11:04And another.
11:06R.
11:07Vowel.
11:08E.
11:09Vowel.
11:11U.
11:13Consonant.
11:14N.
11:15Vowel.
11:17A.
11:18Consonant.
11:20H.
11:21Vowel.
11:23O.
11:25And a consonant, please.
11:28And lastly, W.
11:30Thanks, Rachel.
11:54That's time up. Ahmed?
12:05A seven.
12:06And Luke?
12:07Yeah, just seven as well.
12:08What have you got, Ahmed?
12:09A where-who.
12:10And Luke?
12:11I'll go with another.
12:13OK. Over to Susie.
12:15Yeah, absolutely fine. Sorry.
12:17Where-who, I was just checking.
12:19I think it's going to be one of those words
12:21that we're all so educated on for Ahmed.
12:23It's a marine fish of coastal Australasian waters.
12:26A where-who.
12:27A where-who.
12:28Very good indeed.
12:29Apart from where-who, what else did you have, Rick?
12:31Haunter? Can you have haunter?
12:33You can be a haunter. Or something can be.
12:36Yeah. I think I probably can be.
12:38Put my mind to it.
12:39Yeah, that's a good seven.
12:41Another unearth we had as well, so a few sevens there.
12:43Right, second numbers round today.
12:45And Luke, you're picking?
12:47Six more, please.
12:49Yeah, you don't want an easy one, do you, Luke?
12:51Not really, no.
12:52Unless he misses it somehow.
12:54Right, let's see.
12:55Anything can happen on Countdown.
12:57This one's eight, one, nine, three, nine and four.
13:03And we want to challenge 827.
13:06827, numbers up.
13:22MUSIC PLAYS
13:38How did you get on, Luke?
13:40828.
13:41Ahmed?
13:42828.
13:43Fantastic. Off you go, Luke.
13:45So, eight plus nine is 17.
13:47Eight plus nine, 17.
13:49Four plus three minus one.
13:51Four plus three minus one is six.
13:53Times that by the 17.
13:55102.
13:57And times by the other nine.
13:59Oh.
14:00It's 928, isn't it?
14:02I know what you've done, yeah. I'm sorry.
14:04You got 918 there.
14:06Oops.
14:07Ahmed, when doors open?
14:09Nine times eight.
14:11Nine times eight, 72.
14:13Four minus one.
14:14Four minus one is three.
14:16Take it off.
14:17Take away three for 69.
14:19Nine plus three.
14:20And then the second nine, plus three...
14:23Times them together?
14:2512, right.
14:26828.
14:27Well done, one away.
14:29Possible?
14:30Yeah, you could have made some ground here.
14:32If you say nine plus three is 12,
14:35times that by eight for 96.
14:38Take away the four for the 92 that you wanted, Luke,
14:41and then you can times that by the second nine for 828,
14:44and you have a one remaining, 827.
14:46There we go. Very good, very good.
14:49OK, 68 plus 53 as we take a break and catch up with Rick.
14:54Good to have you in Dictionary Corner.
14:56What's in your mind today?
14:58So, I wanted to talk about the fact that,
15:01and I don't know if this is just me or if this is a common experience,
15:04so I'll read the room here.
15:06Throughout my entire life,
15:08I've assumed that there would be a point when I was like,
15:11oh, I'm an adult now.
15:13I'm like an adult guy.
15:15Because I so vividly remember both my mum and dad's 40th birthdays
15:21and thinking, well, they're middle-aged old people.
15:25And I am now past that age
15:28and I still haven't got to the point where I feel like
15:31I imagined that they were,
15:33until a couple of quite minor incidents
15:37in the last couple of weeks where I've thought,
15:39hold on, it might be happening, I might be an adult man.
15:42Firstly, I dead-headed some roses.
15:44Oh, wow.
15:46Never really had a garden before,
15:48never shown any inclination to do any gardening.
15:50Went out there, bought some secateurs at a garden centre,
15:53dead-headed some roses, thought,
15:55this is the kind of thing I can imagine my dad doing, I'm getting there.
15:58Then, literally two days later, I had some plums.
16:01The plums were slightly on the turn.
16:04Normally I would have just thrown them away.
16:06I stewed the plums. Oh, wow.
16:08I got some sugar, I got some cinnamon, I stewed them up.
16:11I put them on some yoghurt the next day.
16:13I was like, this is it. It's finally happened, age 43.
16:16There's a phrase that says,
16:18you don't stop playing when you grow old,
16:21you grow old when you stop playing.
16:23You know? I fight against it.
16:25The things we want to do as kids,
16:27you know, stay up late, eat ice cream whenever we want.
16:31When we grow up, we can do all that.
16:33And then we don't, we become our parents.
16:35We go, well, you've got to have your main course first.
16:38When's the last time you said, dinner's in 15 minutes,
16:41I'm going to have a mint magnum?
16:43I'll be honest, Colin, it's slightly embarrassing
16:46that I'm the wrong person to ask, cos I will do that.
16:49Particularly when it comes to ice cream.
16:51I'm an absolute animal for it, and that's part of it.
16:54I know that definitely my dad would never have been
16:57having an ice cream before his dinner.
16:59I will do that.
17:00Well, don't grow old too quickly. Thank you, Rick.
17:04OK, 68 plays at 53.
17:07And, Ahmed, you're picking more letters.
17:10Thank you. Could I get a consonant, please?
17:13Thank you, Ahmed. M.
17:15And another?
17:17T.
17:19Vowel?
17:20E.
17:21Vowel?
17:22I.
17:23Consonant?
17:25P.
17:26Vowel?
17:28A.
17:30Consonant?
17:32W.
17:34Consonant?
17:36R.
17:38And a final vowel, please.
17:40Final U.
17:42Here we go.
18:03MUSIC CONTINUES
18:15Ahmed?
18:16Seven.
18:17Luke?
18:18Seven as well.
18:19OK, what have you got, Ahmed?
18:20Wiretap.
18:21Wiretap, great word. Luke?
18:23And wartime.
18:24Wartime, wiretaps.
18:26I love when they connect just a little bit, you know?
18:29What have we got over there, soldiers?
18:31Well, I mean, I think you can't annoyingly have time warp.
18:36I want it to be...
18:37Which is so good. Two words, unfortunately.
18:39Yeah, so just, um...
18:41Primate?
18:43Yeah, tempura, also there for seven.
18:45You can't have it, but you can do it.
18:47So let's get more letters now.
18:49Let's not turn this into a disco. Luke, it's yours.
18:52Consonant, please, Rachel.
18:54Thank you, Luke. T.
18:56And another one?
18:57S.
18:58And another?
19:00P.
19:01And another?
19:03S.
19:04And a vowel, please?
19:06E.
19:07And another?
19:09I.
19:10And another?
19:12O.
19:14And a consonant, please?
19:17P.
19:19And another consonant, please?
19:22Finally, R.
19:24Half a minute.
19:28MUSIC
19:55That's time, Luke.
19:57Just eight?
19:58Ahmed.
19:59Eight.
20:00Yeah, OK. Luke, what's your word?
20:02Riposte.
20:03Yes, and Ahmed?
20:04Stoppers.
20:05Very good. Very good.
20:06A rare time where you don't have to pound the keyboard
20:09just to check it exists, which is nice.
20:11No, very good, exactly.
20:13What else we have in Dictionary Corner?
20:15Soppiest?
20:16Yes, nice one, that one. Quite a few eights to be had.
20:1983 plays 68, and Ahmed, it's time to get more numbers.
20:24I'm going to ask for an even easier one, love.
20:28Another one from the top.
20:30And five little, and the easiest thing I can find.
20:33Well, we shall see. Glad I have no say in it.
20:36The numbers.
20:375, 10, 3, 2, another 2, and 75.
20:43And the target, 549.
20:46549, numbers up.
20:48MUSIC
20:54MUSIC CONTINUES
21:20Time's up. Ahmed?
21:21549.
21:22549, well done. And Luke?
21:24I've gone kind of blank, actually, I don't have anything.
21:27The numbers, don't worry, it can happen to the best of them,
21:30and you are one of the best of them. So, Ahmed, for ten points.
21:3375 plus 2.
21:3575 plus 2, 77.
21:3710 minus 3.
21:3810 minus 3 is 7.
21:40Multiply them together.
21:42For 539.
21:44And 5 times 2 for the 10 to add on.
21:46And the second 2 gets you ten points, well done.
21:49Very good.
21:51Let's get a tea time teaser in the bag, it's drainage.
21:55Drainage. Without good drainage, it'll struggle to grow.
21:58Without good drainage, it'll struggle to grow.
22:01APPLAUSE
22:17Welcome back to Countdown.
22:18Gardenia is the answer to the tea time teaser.
22:21Susie?
22:22Yeah, they're lovely plants.
22:23Vaxelflower?
22:24White, yellow flowers.
22:25OK. Very pretty.
22:26If you're green-fingered, you'll know all about that.
22:29Luke trying to dig himself out of a hole here.
22:3193 plays.
22:3368, and, Luke, it is your letters.
22:35A consonant, please, Rachel.
22:37Thank you, Luke.
22:38L.
22:39And another one.
22:41Z.
22:42And another.
22:43S.
22:44And another.
22:46H.
22:48And a vowel, please.
22:50A.
22:51And another.
22:54O.
22:55And another.
22:57A.
22:58And a consonant, please.
23:01N.
23:03And a final vowel, please.
23:07A final I.
23:09Countdown.
23:28MUSIC PLAYS
23:41That's time, Luke.
23:42I think I have a seven.
23:43And Ahmed.
23:44Yeah, I'm going to try a seven as well.
23:46Going to go for it now. Luke?
23:48Alazons.
23:49And Ahmed?
23:50I've got the same words.
23:51Yeah, if you both have it, I'm guessing it's in, Susie.
23:54Yes, alazons, absolutely fine.
23:56They were stark characters in ancient Greek comedy,
24:00characterised by arrogance
24:02and generally not particularly pleasant characteristics.
24:06Main thing is they are in. Well done.
24:08Yeah. Love a good Greek comedy.
24:10Great genre.
24:12Rick, how do you manage to get on?
24:14Would you be allowed to have Shaolin?
24:16Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.
24:18I think it's Catholic.
24:20It is, unfortunately, yes.
24:22So, no, then.
24:24Right. Ahmed already has the century up.
24:2725 behind us. Luke, Ahmed, you're picking the letters.
24:30Thank you. Can I get a consonant, please, Rachel?
24:33You can indeed. D
24:35And another.
24:37S
24:38A vowel.
24:40O
24:41Vowel.
24:42A
24:43A consonant.
24:45T
24:46Vowel.
24:48U
24:50Consonant.
24:52G
24:54Consonant.
24:56L
24:58And another consonant, please.
25:00Lastly, G.
25:02Start the clock.
25:23CLOCK TICKS
25:35Last time, Ahmed.
25:37Seven. And Luke?
25:39Seven as well. Very good.
25:41Um, Rick, how do you manage to get on?
25:44Just a six. Gloats, maybe gulags.
25:47Yes. Yes, beaten again.
25:49Just here to spectate, really, to be honest.
25:51It's like someone complaining about the weather.
25:53Yeah, gloats, maybe gulags. Move on.
25:56Well, I won't move on. I'll stay exactly where I am.
25:58Origins of Words has been brilliant.
26:00It's been like a little tour of the UK last week.
26:03What have you got in store for us today, Stacey?
26:05Well, I have been talking about place names,
26:09particularly inspired by the English heritage,
26:12who have done some lovely work on their origins.
26:15And I've talked about the various influences over the centuries,
26:18the Vikings, the Celts, the Normans, etc.
26:21But I didn't really talk so much about the Normans in the last one,
26:24so I'm just going to finish off with them.
26:26Because, as we know, when the Normans came over,
26:30they conquered not just our land, but also our language.
26:34So French words just came flooding into our language
26:37and have remained there ever since,
26:39even though they don't seem particularly French nowadays.
26:42They very much do have French ancestry very often.
26:45And many Norman elements in place names
26:48indicate that sort of conquering, the ownership, if you like.
26:52So if you take Ashby de Lazouche,
26:55that was owned by the Lazouche family.
26:59The Bouzard owned Leighton Buzzard.
27:03And so it goes on.
27:05And actually, if you look at Ville,
27:07you don't find V-I-L-L-E so much in English place names.
27:11But you do find places that were then owned by bishops and priors
27:14and princes and kings and queens.
27:16You have King's Lynn, Queenborough, Prince's Risborough,
27:19Bishop's Stortford, Prior Norton, etc.
27:22So these were all owned by the governing aristocracy.
27:25But Ville itself meant settlement,
27:27but you will find it in Bourneville, Turnville, etc.
27:30So, again, it goes back to that sort of Norman conquest.
27:33But I'm just going to give you some of the more peculiar names,
27:36because I think we all delight in those sort of weird ones
27:39that you will find up and down the country.
27:41Remember, we've got Boggy Bottom,
27:43Upper Thong, Ha Ha Road, which I love,
27:47Mudford Sock, Tiddly Wink, Giggleswick, of course,
27:50and Richard Whiteley's much-beloved Wet Wang.
27:54Fantastic. Thank you.
27:59Right, back to the game.
28:0025 points the difference between Ahmed and Luke.
28:02That is certainly not insurmountable, Luke.
28:04So let's get nine more letters with four rounds left.
28:07Consonant, please, Rachel.
28:09Thank you, Luke.
28:10L
28:11And another one.
28:13R
28:14And another.
28:15V
28:16And another.
28:18N
28:19And a vowel, please.
28:21E
28:22And another.
28:23I
28:24And another.
28:27E
28:29And a consonant, please.
28:31F
28:33And a final consonant, please.
28:37And a final T.
28:39Kind of.
29:08That's time, Luke.
29:11I think I have an eight.
29:13And, Ahmed?
29:14I think I have one as well.
29:15OK, what do you think you have, Luke?
29:17Life rent.
29:18Are you the same word, Ahmed?
29:19Yeah, same word.
29:20Oh, come on.
29:21Oh, my goodness me.
29:23Life rent.
29:24I'm in arrears.
29:25I'll tell you how much.
29:27It's in the dictionary, yeah?
29:29It is, yes.
29:30Scottish legal term, a rent or revenue
29:32which a person is entitled to receive for life.
29:34It's wonderful. Absolutely fantastic.
29:36What have you got?
29:37Nothing to beat that.
29:38No.
29:39Fervent.
29:40Yes.
29:41Which is seven.
29:42Yeah, fertile.
29:43OK, Ahmed, one more letters round, your pick.
29:46Could I get a consonant, please?
29:48Thank you, Ahmed.
29:49J
29:50And another.
29:52T
29:53A vowel.
29:55O
29:56Another vowel.
29:58U
29:59Consonant.
30:01S
30:02Vowel.
30:04A
30:05Consonant.
30:07D
30:09Consonant.
30:11T
30:12And a final vowel, please.
30:14A final.
30:16I
30:17Last letters.
30:35MUSIC
30:49Ahmed?
30:50Seven.
30:51And Luke?
30:52I'll just stick with six. I don't think my seven is real.
30:55OK, no worries. What's the six?
30:57It's a just.
30:58A just. No worries. And Ahmed?
31:00A judoist.
31:02A judoist.
31:03How did we miss this one? Yes. Yes, it's in the dictionary.
31:06Yeah, a fantastic word.
31:08And I think they call it a nip-on, don't they, when you win the match?
31:11Is that what it is, Rick? You're the judo expert.
31:13I am, yeah, but weirdly, I've forgotten that. I don't know.
31:17Well, whatever the word is, it's just happened in our match today.
31:20Ahmed, congratulations for getting through to the semi-final.
31:27Let's get the final numbers.
31:29Yeah, I'm just going to go one last, please.
31:32Get some points on the scoreboard.
31:34Five little, finish the day with five,
31:38ten, one, nine,
31:41four and 100.
31:44And the target, 751.
31:47751, last numbers.
32:01MUSIC PLAYS
32:20Luke? Yeah, I think I have 751 but not written down.
32:23Ahmed? Just 750.
32:25You might be kicking yourself. Luke, off you go.
32:27OK, so five plus one is six.
32:30Five plus one, six.
32:32Times four. 24.
32:34Yep. Take that away from 100.
32:3676. Times by ten.
32:38760. And take away the nine.
32:40Well done. Ten points.
32:46Two centuries. Ahmed, 122.
32:48Luke on 100.
32:50You can get greedy now, can't you? Come on, 110.
32:53110. Get your finger on that buzzer, Luke,
32:55and go out by ticking the last two rounds.
32:58Here we go. Let's reveal today's Countdown Conundrum.
33:04Ahmed?
33:06Let's have a look.
33:08Yes!
33:13Susie, I think I went there on holiday.
33:15Oh, you probably did. It's a tobacco plant.
33:18Yeah, absolutely. I definitely did then.
33:22Luke, you still look like you had the time of your life.
33:25Oh, I had a good time. Playing Ahmed was very fun.
33:28And honestly, I'm going to echo what Rachel said the other day.
33:31I think Ahmed can go on to win the whole thing.
33:33I'm going to be rooting for him.
33:35Yeah, I tell you what, people have got to stop
33:37piling this pressure on my friend here.
33:39No pressure. Ahmed, what are they...?
33:41I think there's a bit of sabotage going on here.
33:44I'm just taking it as it comes. Yeah.
33:46No. Susie, Rick, wonderful.
33:48Go and have a lie down, Rick. It's going to be like this all week.
33:51I know. Real privilege to be here, though. Loved it.
33:53Cup of tea, bit of a brew, Brew Monday?
33:55Well, you know who Ahmed's going to be having a cup of tea with next?
33:58Dan. Not exactly a cakewalk in the semi-final, so got work to do.
34:02See you, same time, same place tomorrow.
34:04Rachel, Susie and I will be here.
34:06Don't miss it. You can count on us.
34:09You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com
34:13or write to us at countdown leaves ls31js.
34:17You can also find our web page at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
34:23APPLAUSE