Editing Countdown (game show) (section)

==Notable contestants==
Since the debut of ''Countdown'' in 1982, there have been over 8,000 televised episodes and 90 complete series. There have also been sixteen ''Champion of Champions'' tournaments, the most recent in January 2023.

Several of the programme's most successful contestants have received national media coverage. Teenager [[Julian Fell]] set a record score of 146 in December 2002.<ref>[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/hiscores.htm The Countdown Page] on Julian Fell's record score—Retrieved 25 June 2006.</ref> In 2006, 14-year-old [[Conor Travers]] became the youngest series champion in the show's history,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001083819/http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article620208.ece The Independent] on Conor Travers—Retrieved 21 June 2006.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk_news/story/0,,1784247,00.html The Guardian] on Conor Travers—Retrieved 21 June 2006.</ref> and 11-year-old Kai Laddiman became the youngest octochamp for 20 years. Conor Travers went on to win the 30th Anniversary Champion of Champions series in March 2013 with a record-equalling top score of 146. On 17 January 2019, in the quarter-final of the 15th ''Champion of Champions'' tournament, Zarte Siempre, who eventually won that tournament set a new record score of 150. This record was beaten in May 2019 by Elliott Mellor's score of 152. A new record was set on 29 September 2022 when contestant Tom Stevenson scored 154.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-shropshire-63158937|title=Channel 4 Countdown: 'Absolutely phenomenal' student breaks records|work=BBC News |date=6 October 2022|accessdate=6 October 2022}}</ref> This record score of 154 was equalled by contestant Cillian McMulkin on 31 January 2023.

At eight years old, Tanmay Dixit was the youngest player ever to appear on the show, achieving two wins in March 2005. He also received press attention for his offerings in the letters round, which included ''fannies'' and ''farted''.<ref>[http://www.sky.com/showbiz/article/0,,50001-1174839,00.html Sky.com] on Tanmay Dixit—Retrieved 21 June 2006.{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050319012746/http://www.sky.com/showbiz/article/0%2C%2C50001-1174839%2C00.html |date=19 March 2005}}</ref>

On Christmas Day 1987, Nic Brown set the highest score difference ever achieved in a standard 14-round game, beating Joel Salkin 108–36, a margin of 72 points.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.apterous.org/Nic_Brown|title=Nic Brown – Countdown|website=Wiki.apterous.org|access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> Brown also went on to become one of the only two contestants ever to achieve an undefeated 'grand slam' – becoming an Octochamp, winning a series, and winning a Championship of Champions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.apterous.org/Grand_slam_winner|title=Grand slam winner – Countdown|website=Wiki.apterous.org|access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref>

In April 2013, Giles Hutchings, a student at [[Royal Grammar School, Guildford]] broke the record for the highest octochamp score, amassing 965 points over 8 games. He went on to win Series 68.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/film-tv/teenager-giles-countdown-record-breaker-4882094|title=Teenager Giles is a Countdown record-breaker|first=Phoebe|last=Morgan|date=8 July 2013|website=Getsurrey.co.uk|access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> The record was beaten by Dylan Taylor, who achieved an octochamp score of 974 in August 2013, but he lost the Grand Final of that series. In 2019 the record was beaten by 87 points by teenager Elliott Mellor, who became the first octochamp to break the 1,000-point barrier scoring a total of 1,061 over his eight preliminary games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.apterous.org/Elliott_Mellor|title=Elliott Mellor – Countdown|website=Wiki.apterous.org|access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> Echoing Dylan's appearance, Mellor was pipped to the series title, finishing as runner up. Three former contestants have returned to ''Countdown'' as part of the production team: Michael Wylie, [[Mark Nyman]] (as producer, and occasional lexicographer in Dictionary Corner) and Damian Eadie (the current series producer).

In 1998, sixteen celebrities were invited to play ''Celebrity Countdown'', a series of eight games broadcast every Thursday evening over the course of eight weeks.<ref>''Countdown: Spreading the Word'' (Granada Media, 2001) p. 34.</ref> The celebrities included Whiteley's successor Des Lynam, who beat [[Siân Lloyd]].<ref name="celeb">[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/celeb.htm The Countdown Page] on ''Celebrity Countdown''—Retrieved 25 June 2006.</ref> The highest and lowest scores were posted in the same game when TV's [[Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall]] beat wine critic [[Jilly Goolden]] 47–9.<ref name="celeb" />

Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman competed in another special episode on [[Christmas Day]] 1997. For this game, the presenter's chair was taken by [[William G. Stewart]], the host of fellow Channel 4 game show ''[[Fifteen to One]]''. Susie Dent took over Carol Vorderman's duties, and [[Mark Nyman]] occupied Dictionary Corner, accompanied by [[Magnus Magnusson]].<ref name="celeb" /> The game was close-fought and decided only by the crucial Countdown conundrum ''mistletoe'' which Carol Vorderman solved in two seconds, after Richard Whiteley had inadvertently buzzed after one second because when he regularly hosted the show, he hit the button to reveal the conundrum and kept his old habit up.<ref>[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/xmas.htm The Countdown Page] recap of Whiteley vs. Vorderman Christmas special—Retrieved 25 June 2006.</ref>

Contestants who have or had become notable for other reasons include ''[[Nuts (magazine)|Nuts]]'' magazine editor-at-large Pete Cashmore, rugby player [[Ayoola Erinle]], footballers [[Neil MacKenzie]], [[Clarke Carlisle]] and [[Matt Le Tissier]], musicians [[Jon Marsh]] and [[Nick Saloman]], comedian [[Alex Horne]], noted Irish [[playwright]] [[Peter Sheridan]] and professional [[darts]] referee Kirk Bevins, who won Series 60 and was a quarter-finalist in the 30th Birthday Championship.