Countdown Specials
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33 Countdown Specials have now been recorded, of which 25 were recorded in 2002 and 2003 (during Series 49), 4 were recorded in 2010 (during Series 62) and 4 were recorded in 2011 (the first during Series 64, the rest during Series 65).
All games were played using the fifteen-round format and feature contestants who have taken part in previous games (with the exception of Tony Brooks, who had not previously appeared).
Guest, lexicographer and host appearances for the first 31 games below are included in the statistics on the Dictionary Dwellers Page, the Lexicographers Page and the Hosts Page. The abbreviations used below can also be found on these pages.
Programmes S6, S7, S9 to S14 and S20 to S22 were scheduled broadcasts; S1 to S5, S8, S15 to S19 and S23 were shown in place of cricket and are also mentioned on the Countdown Cricket Page; S24 and S25 were never shown, following the death of Richard Whiteley in 2005; S26 to S31 were shown on a Monday, when Channel 4 were showing horse racing or repeats for the rest of the week; S32 and S33 were originally scheduled for broadcast on 15/08/11 and 16/08/11, but have been postponed indefinitely.
S26 and S29 featured a variation on the usual numbers game (with different large numbers, viz. 12, 37, 62 and 87).
Programmes S1 and S2 were also repeated as scheduled broadcasts on 21/12/04 and 22/12/04 respectively.
S1 to S25 were presented by Richard Whiteley with Carol Vorderman; S26 to S33 were presented by Jeff Stelling with Rachel Riley.
To list the programmes in the order they were first broadcast, please click here.
Rec Ord Date No Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Guest Lex Theme --- -- -------- --- ------------------------ - --- --- - --------------------------- ----- --- ---------------------- 1 Mo 20/12/04 S21 Sandeep Mazumder 72 67 Sanjay Mazumder AW SD Brothers 2 Fr 25/07/03 S2 Terence English 92 57 Glynn Leaney " " Replayed Final 3 Mo 26/05/03 S1 Stuart Barker 98 78 Daphne Barker " " Husband & Wife 4 Fr 13/08/04 S18 Ray McPhie 104 89 Christine White " " Replayed Final 5 Mo 04/08/03 S3 Terry Rattle 94 78 Elfie Winterton " " High Scoring Losers 6 Mo 25/08/03 S5 Simon Cobb 88 93 David Stainer GDu " Solicitors 7 Mo 14/06/04 S15 Pete Cashmore 66 107 Dag Griffiths " " Replayed Final 8 Mo 18/08/03 S4 Mark Roper 95 68 Ruth Atkin " " Maths Teachers 9 Tu 02/09/03 S6 Alan Wright 71 97 John Povey " " Clergymen 10 Mo 26/07/04 S16 Richard Saldanha 83 92 Kate Ogilvie " " Replayed Final 11 Mo 08/09/03 S8 David Acton 70 104 Kenneth Michie RSt DE Replayed Final 12 We 03/09/03 S7 Brett Smitheram 87 101 H. Lamabadusuriya " " Scrabble Masters 13 Fr 19/03/04 S14 Sally Hutchings 104 87 Peter Hutchings " SD Father & Daughter 14 We 10/09/03 S10 Debbie Haycock 81 61 Peter Brinkley " " Police Officers 15 Mo 02/08/04 S17 Mike Brown 113 70 Nita Marr " " Aficionados 16 Mo 23/08/04 S19 Margaret Sambrooks 95 47 Tony Brooks BB AH Mother & Son 17 S24 Steve Fisher John Ashmore " " Replayed Final 18 Tu 09/09/03 S9 Scott Mearns 100 109 Natascha Kearsey " " Champions of Champions 19 Mo 30/08/04 S20 Lucy Guile 66 76 James Robinson " " Starlets 20 Fr 12/09/03 S12 Julian Fell 100 92 Chris Wills " " Series Champions 21 Fr 25/03/05 S22 John Marlowe 56 91 Alf Berry BI " Cabaret Entertainers 22 Mo 15/03/04 S13 Paul Burlinson 66 84 Pamela Roud " " Publicans 23 S25 Joyce Cansfield 90 56 Dixie Baird " " Old Countdownians 24 Mo 30/05/05 S23 Austin Shin 98 67 Beth Sutton " " Starlets 25 Th 11/09/03 S11 Melanie Beaumont 83 126 Linda Dawe " " High Scoring Losers 26 Mo 15/03/10 S26 Chris Davies 77 81 Kirk Bevins GO SD Champion of 2009 27 Mo 26/07/10 S27 Micheal Harris 73 105 Lesley Hines " " High Scoring Losers 28 Mo 02/08/10 S28 Kai Laddiman 84 90 Dinos Sfyris " " Young Stars 29 Mo 16/08/10 S29 Charlie Reams 87 67 Junaid Mubeen " " Replayed Final 30 Mo 14/03/11 S30 Nicki Sellars 94 101 Lee Graham JPa " Rematch Mo 25/07/11 S31 Claudia Tyson 85 79 Debbi Flack PS " Top Female Players S32 " " S33 " " No games required extra conundrums to be played