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00:31Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown Studio.
00:33It's that time of year, I suppose, when we all might be thinking of Bing Crosby and dreaming of a
00:39white Christmas.
00:40Well, it might happen, but apparently, Rachel, it very rarely snows in December.
00:44All the snow falls mainly in January, February and sometimes in March.
00:48So there we are. Good luck with the snow.
00:51I mean, a white Christmas is great, particularly when you're kids rolling around in the snow.
00:55That's great fun.
00:56And the inevitable snowman with a carrot back in his nose.
01:02And, yeah, that's good fun.
01:04I had an unfortunate time in the snow.
01:06I took her skiing.
01:08We haven't skied for a few years.
01:10Yeah, she's good.
01:11I wasn't that good.
01:13I was a bit nervous.
01:13I was going downhill into a right hand bend.
01:16I thought, oh, no, I'm coming off here and I'm going too fast.
01:19So I thought, I'll go straight on into the soft, deep snow.
01:24That was fine.
01:25It was a soft landing.
01:26Unfortunately, at my age, it's very difficult to get up again.
01:28Yes.
01:29And I drew all the techniques about putting your skis here and doing this.
01:33And I couldn't get up until two young characters, two young, young couple actually, pitched up to help me up.
01:39And they pulled me up by the arm and tore all my neck muscles.
01:42And that was the end of my skiing holiday.
01:44That was on day one.
01:45Yeah.
01:46So, yeah, too old.
01:48Well, I don't think about, oh, I think day three of my last holiday, I popped two ribs out.
01:52I didn't even know you had ribs up there.
01:54But, yeah, those two went out and couldn't lift my shoulder.
01:56Still, it's still not right.
01:57And it's still, you're still...
01:59Still needs a bit of work, yeah.
02:01Poor old you.
02:01Yeah.
02:02I'll survive.
02:03Still going again next year.
02:04Are you?
02:05So am I, actually.
02:06But I'll probably get it all wrong again.
02:08Now, who have we got with us?
02:09We've got two new contestants.
02:10Now, Richard Hayward, charge of the accountant from Stockport.
02:14Welcome.
02:14Hello.
02:15Hockey player, first team captain at Didsbury Northern Hockey Club.
02:19Now, studied Russian and German at Oxford, and then trotted off to Moscow for a while.
02:24And what were you up to there, exactly?
02:26That's right.
02:27You can tell us about it.
02:27I was actually working while I was out there as part of the university course.
02:31Spent about seven months out there living and working.
02:34Really?
02:34That was a while ago now.
02:35Were you there in the winter?
02:36Yeah.
02:37I'd been a few times, but that was the only time I'd been there for a winter, and it was
02:41bracing.
02:43In the city?
02:44Yeah.
02:44What did it get down to in temperature?
02:46I think the worst day was I'd flown back home for Christmas and came back and was wearing just like
02:52a light jumper.
02:52Yeah.
02:53Expecting to go off the plane straight into the airport, but they took you down onto the runway when it
02:57was about minus 20.
02:58And I thought, well, welcome back to Moscow.
03:00Excellent stuff.
03:01Now, you're joined by Ben Walton.
03:03Welcome, Ben.
03:04Hi, hey.
03:04From Brighton, currently studying psychology with American Studies at Sussex, and you're a street hip-hop dancer.
03:12And you're a competitor.
03:14Yes.
03:14How does that all work, then?
03:15I compete with my uni team, where I go out to different universities and compete against different street teams.
03:21Often and sometimes win.
03:23Good for you.
03:23Mm-hmm.
03:24And how long are you hip-hopping?
03:26This is actually a new language for me.
03:28I'm terribly sorry.
03:28Hip-hopping, popping, locking, breaking, all that kind of stuff.
03:31Two years only, actually.
03:32Really?
03:33Yeah.
03:33Oh, good for you.
03:34All right.
03:35Well, good luck to you both.
03:36Have a great day, and may the best man win.
03:38Let's have a big round of applause for Richard and Ben.
03:45And over in the corner, Susie, and multi-award-winning lyricist, Joseph in the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar,
03:53Evita, the Lion King, and most recently, From Here to Eternity, it's the great Tim Rice.
03:59Welcome back.
04:00Thank you very much.
04:01All right.
04:02Now, Richard, let's do some countdown, shall we?
04:06Have a letters game.
04:07Hi, Rachel.
04:08Hi, Richard.
04:09Could I start with a vowel, please?
04:10We start today with O.
04:13And another.
04:15A.
04:16And again.
04:18I.
04:19And another.
04:21U.
04:22And a consonant.
04:24R.
04:26Another consonant.
04:27N.
04:29And another.
04:31F.
04:32And another.
04:35J.
04:38And another, please.
04:40And lastly, another N.
04:43And here's the countdown clock.
04:46First, we'll be right back.
05:14well Richard just for a full Ben six a six and Richard rain yes unfair unfair
05:25well spotted yes can we match that in the corner well we can match it with
05:32junior which is six equal to unfair I think that's about as far as we can go
05:38it was a tricky one to start with that one actually thank you junior all right
05:42six points to Ben and we turn now to you Ben consonant please Rachel thank you Ben
05:49T and another ah and a vowel a and another you and the consonant Q and another D and
06:10about a and a consonant C and a vowel please and the last one I stand by
06:26so
06:53yes Ben a seven a seven a seven two seven two seven
06:57Ben quieter and recited and recited
07:03we're building up now we're on sevens yes Tim and Susie well shall I reveal yes
07:10requited as in the opposite of unrequited you don't often hear requited do you
07:16have requited love you can yes when it works out I've never come across it it only leads to trouble
07:2513 plays seven and it's Richard's numbers game two from the top and four from the bottom please thank
07:31thank you Richard too large for little coming up and for this round they are two nine seven eight and
07:40the big two one hundred and fifty and the target six hundred and fifty six five zero
07:49so
08:02so
08:03so
08:32well Richard
08:33plays rich as 17 as we turn to our first tea time teaser which is big nutter
08:40and the clue flattering someone by laying on a spread
08:44flattering someone by laying on a spread
09:11buttering
09:12buttering
09:13buttering them up buttering so 23 to 17 and it's Ben's
09:17let's just get Ben a consonant please Rachel thank you Ben
09:20Y
09:22another
09:24S
09:25and a vowel
09:27E
09:29and another
09:31A
09:32and a consonant
09:34T
09:35and another
09:37S
09:39and a vowel
09:42E
09:44B
09:44and a consonant
09:46B
09:48and
09:49another
09:49consonant please
09:50and the last one
09:51R
09:52standby
09:53B
09:54and
09:54B
09:54and
10:08and
10:09and
10:09B
10:21and
10:23now Ben
10:24I think I've got an eight
10:26and eight
10:27and eight
10:28Richard
10:28a seven
10:29you're seven
10:30beaters
10:32now then Ben Walton
10:34Strayers
10:36there's
10:37oh there's only one R
10:38oh yeah
10:39in the selection Ben
10:40I'm not sure
10:42it would be
10:44it is in the dictionary
10:44but yeah you would need the extra R
10:46bad luck
10:47bad luck
10:48so Richard sprung to a one point lead
10:51as we turn to the corner
10:53Tim and Susie
10:54well Susie's discovered betrays
10:56yep
10:57and berates
10:58yes
10:59um
11:00but nothing better
11:01no nothing better than that
11:02so on sevens as well
11:03thank you
11:04all right
11:05so 24 to 23
11:06Richard's sprung ahead
11:07and now it's Richard's
11:09letters game
11:10let's start with a vowel please
11:12thank you Richard
11:12A
11:14and another
11:16I
11:16and another
11:18U
11:20and another
11:22O
11:23and a consonant
11:25L
11:26another consonant
11:28R
11:30consonant
11:32B
11:34a consonant
11:36B
11:37and a vowel please
11:39and the last one
11:40E
11:42and the clock starts now
11:44A
11:44E
11:44E
11:45E
11:45E
11:45E
12:14Richard I'll try a risky seven and Ben a six and your six boiler boiler and
12:21burpia burpia or burpia not actually in the dictionary but you'd need two hours
12:27again this is wretched r keep dropping up burpia mm-hmm but not today no Tim and
12:36Susie um well for seven we got bipolar yes and for eight Susie assures me this
12:42is a word pourable as in something that can be poured yes unlike the gravy at
12:50home yes I should get a smack for that oh I wish I hadn't said it very good thank
12:58you very much 29 plays 24 and it's a numbers game from Ben one large five
13:03small please Rachel thank you and one from the top five little ones and this
13:08numbers game is ten eight another eight one four and twenty five and the target
13:17seven hundred and forty three seven four three
13:23so
13:51yes Ben seven four two one away now
13:55Richard the accountant 749 749 okay 10 times 25 is 250 10 times 25 yep 250 4
14:08take the 1 is 3 yep times 250 750 take away the 8 and take away the 8 yet for
14:16one away 742 well done Ben but not quite what we had in mind how difficult is
14:22that Rachel leave it with me a bit of a tricky one certainly will certainly will
14:27so it's Ben on 36 Richard 24 as we turn to to Tim and Tim the last time you were
14:33here you talked about from here to eternity now what's happening well I'm
14:39not sure that talking about it did much good because it only ran for six months
14:42in London but we rewrote it and took it this summer to America out of town and
14:49as an American story and as I think we improved it we shortened it as all all
14:55musicals are 10 minutes too long but everything in life is 10 minutes too
14:59long and we did a much better show and it was very successful but it's a bit like
15:05having a hit in Basingstoke with I mean I love Basingstoke don't get me wrong but
15:09it's not quite Broadway yet but we are performing two of the songs at the Pearl
15:16Harbour's ceremonies where of course the story takes place and I think we're
15:21slowly moving into America with it so it's it's quite exciting but essentially
15:25it is an American story I mean absolutely Harbour the average Brit sort of is aware
15:30of it yeah doesn't know anything about it I always feel that that having seen the
15:34show in America and audiences reaction to the story it's it's Pearl Harbour is is
15:40what Dunkirk is to us exactly and a story about Dunkirk won't have much
15:44resonance in America and vice versa yeah Pearl Harbour doesn't mean an awful lot
15:49here it should do because it brought America into the war but it was put
15:55rather well by somebody there who said well the Britons Britain didn't lose the
16:00war and then the Americans came in and won it and I thought well that's that's kind of
16:04fair really thank you very much great stuff I hope it's a huge success in the
16:13States from here to eternity now what should we do let's go to Richard for a
16:18letters game have a vowel please thank you Richard a and another e and another a and
16:27and another O and a consonant L and another G and another Z and another T and
16:44another consonant please and lastly D stand by
16:49Piano music playing
16:51Piano music playing
16:55Piano music playing
17:18Yes, Richard?
17:20Er, I'll go with seven.
17:22A seven, Ben?
17:23Seven as well.
17:24Two sevens, Richard?
17:25Gloated.
17:25Yep.
17:26You're both gloated?
17:28Any more gloating?
17:30No, we can't beat gloated, can we?
17:32No, we can't beat it.
17:33Excellent stuff.
17:3443 plays 31.
17:36Ben's in the lead, and it's Ben's letters game.
17:38Consonant, please, Rachel.
17:39Thank you, Ben.
17:41S.
17:42And another?
17:44H.
17:45And a vowel?
17:47A.
17:48And another?
17:50O.
17:52And another?
17:54U.
17:55And a consonant?
17:57T.
17:58And another?
18:00M.
18:01And another?
18:04N.
18:05And a vowel, please.
18:07And the last one?
18:08O.
18:09Stand by.
18:41Ben, just a six.
18:43Excuse me.
18:44Richard.
18:45I'll stick with a six.
18:47Ben, mouths, and...
18:49Same word.
18:50Both of you.
18:52All right.
18:53And in the corner?
18:55Yes, we've got a couple of sevens, amounts, and mahouts,
19:00which is a chap on the elephant,
19:02or in the case of mahouts, several chaps on elephants.
19:06Maybe all on one elephant, maybe all on different elephants.
19:09Indeed.
19:09But either way, they're mahouts.
19:1249 plays 37, and it's Richard's numbers game.
19:16Six more ones, please.
19:18Thank you, Richard.
19:19Six more trying to get some kind of lead, a little bit of a gamble.
19:21And these six little ones are eight, five, another five, ten, nine, and two.
19:31And the target, 386.
19:33Three, eight, six.
20:05Yes, Richard?
20:06Three, eight, five.
20:08One away, Ben.
20:10Three, nine, one.
20:11Let's stick with Richard for the moment.
20:14Five times eight is 40.
20:18Yep.
20:19Minus two...
20:20Oh, minus two for 38.
20:2138.
20:23Times ten, 380.
20:25And add the five.
20:26And add the other five for one away.
20:27Yep.
20:28Well done.
20:30But 386.
20:31Rachel, help us.
20:32If you start the same way as Richard, five times eight, again, 40, times that by ten for
20:37400, and then all you have to do is take away the nine and the other five.
20:41386.
20:41Well done.
20:44Very good.
20:45So, 49 to 44, nothing in it.
20:48Ben's just got a slender lead as we turn to our second tea time teaser, which is soft, hairy.
20:54And the clue, this sounds like it could be Bruce's favourite in the garden.
20:58This sounds like it could be Bruce's favourite in the garden.
21:19Now then, I left you with the clue.
21:23This sounds like it could be Bruce's favourite in the garden.
21:25And the answer to this is Forsythia.
21:28Forsythia.
21:29Tell us a little bit more about this plant, the Forsythia.
21:31It's an ornamental Eurasian shrub, bright yellow flowers, and named after William Forsyth
21:37rather than Brucey, a Scottish botanist in the 18th century.
21:42You're welcome.
21:43Very good.
21:4349 plays 44, and we turn to Ben for a letters game.
21:46Ben.
21:47Great.
21:47Start with a consonant, please.
21:48Thank you, Ben.
21:50R.
21:51And another.
21:53L.
21:54And a vowel.
21:56I.
21:57And another.
21:59E.
21:59And a consonant.
22:06H.
22:07And a second.
22:09M.
22:11And another.
22:14D.
22:15And a vowel, please.
22:16And finish.
22:18A.
22:19Stand by.
22:21And a vowel.
22:39And a vowel.
22:40And a vowel.
22:41And a vowel.
22:41And a vowel.
22:41And a vowel.
22:41And a vowel.
22:41And a vowel.
22:42And a vowel.
22:47And a vowel.
22:52Yes, Ben?
22:52Just a six.
22:53A six.
22:54And six as well.
22:55Two sixes, Ben.
22:56Harmed.
22:58Harmed and...
22:58Milder.
23:00And milder.
23:01Yes.
23:02Have we got any sixes, even sevens?
23:05Sixes for us.
23:06Yeah, nothing better.
23:08Herald, mailed, medial.
23:10Is that right? Medial?
23:11Yeah.
23:12Yeah.
23:13Medial tyres.
23:14Yes, nothing better than six.
23:15It's fair selection, but that's it, really.
23:16It is, I'm afraid.
23:17Looks like there ought to be more, isn't it?
23:19But that's it.
23:20Yes, thanks.
23:22Still five points, 55 to 50, as we turn to Richard.
23:26Richard.
23:27Consonant, please.
23:29Thank you, Richard.
23:30T.
23:31And another.
23:33F.
23:34And another.
23:36W.
23:37And another.
23:39G.
23:40And a vowel.
23:42E.
23:43And another.
23:45A.
23:47And another.
23:49E.
23:52And a consonant.
23:54S.
23:58And another consonant, please.
23:59And the last one.
24:00P.
24:02Count.
24:02And another.
24:18And another.
24:19And another.
24:25And another.
24:25And another.
24:25And another.
24:25And another.
24:25And another.
24:28And another.
24:36I'll go for a six, but not written down.
24:39Ben? A risky six.
24:42Yes, Richard?
24:43Sewage.
24:44Sewage and...
24:45Tweeps.
24:47Tweeps.
24:48Twitter people.
24:49They're in.
24:50Yes, the person's followers on Twitter.
24:53Yep, in the dictionary. Very good.
24:54Tweeps.
24:56Don't approve.
24:58I'm sorry about this.
25:00Tim, what have you got, then?
25:01Well, we've got nothing more exciting than sewage.
25:03No, I think tweets are a bit nicer than sewage.
25:06I suppose so. Tweeps.
25:0961 plays 56, and we turn back to Susie for her origins of words.
25:14And today, Susie, what brilliance have you got to bestow upon us?
25:17Well, this is a question put to me by our master of the wardrobe, Lee,
25:21a great member of the Countdown team,
25:23who asked about the phrase, living over the brush,
25:27which is a curious one.
25:28I think it's a Northern dialect expression,
25:29and it basically means what used to be called living in sin,
25:32in other words, an unmarried couple,
25:35living together, completely normal.
25:37But there have been quite a few phrases for it over time.
25:40This one seems to have originated in the 19th century,
25:44and it all goes back, at least in Britain,
25:47to people who couldn't afford to get married.
25:50Weddings still, of course, very expensive today.
25:53So holding hands, the tradition would be
25:55that they would jump over a brush or a broom handle
25:58that was held by two people,
26:00and they were then married in the eyes of their peers.
26:03Wow.
26:03So they had jumped over the brush,
26:04and then they were living over the brush.
26:06But there's a slightly darker history at play here too,
26:10because jumping the broom in the US,
26:13particularly the southern US,
26:14used to be an idiom for getting married.
26:16And during the very dark days of the slave trade,
26:19slaves weren't actually allowed to marry.
26:21So again, an alternative ceremony was put into place
26:24for marking a couple's commitment,
26:27and that involved jumping over a broom.
26:29So very similar, and the two may be connected.
26:32Today, of course, a groom is expected to carry the bride
26:34over the threshold.
26:36That word is a little bit of a mystery.
26:38The first element we know is related to thresh.
26:41Now that comes from a Germanic word meaning to tread.
26:43So when we thresh corn, we are trampling it with our feet.
26:46But the origin of the second element,
26:48the hold, isn't quite certain,
26:49but the idea may be to align that's held fast below a doorway.
26:54But the act of marriage itself, official marriage,
26:57has had several names over the centuries,
26:58but I thought I would tell you my favourite.
27:00This comes from the 17th century,
27:01when standing at the altar was known as joining giblets.
27:06Very good. Well done, Susie.
27:1161 plays 56.
27:13And, Ben, it's your letters game.
27:15OK, a consonant, please.
27:16Thank you, Ben.
27:17K.
27:18And another.
27:20N.
27:22And another.
27:24D.
27:25And a vowel.
27:26O.
27:27And another.
27:28E.
27:30Another consonant.
27:32L.
27:34And a vowel.
27:36I.
27:37And another.
27:39O.
27:40And a consonant, please.
27:42And finally, M.
27:45Go.
27:45I.
27:46I.
28:01Do.
28:02I.
28:03Do.
28:08I.
28:10Are.
28:17Ben, I'm going to try a seven.
28:20Richard, I'll set the six.
28:21And that's it.
28:23Moond.
28:24Moond.
28:24Ben, monkeyed.
28:27Monkeed, how are you spelling it?
28:28M-O-N-K-I-E-D.
28:31Um, I.
28:32E-D.
28:33I think if it was there, it would be monkey, E-Y-E-D.
28:37Um, yeah, that is there to monkey about, but not with that spelling, I'm afraid, Ben.
28:40Sorry.
28:41Bad luck.
28:41Bad luck.
28:43And in the corner, Tim and Susie?
28:45Well, we've come across moon-like, um, which is like the moon.
28:50Yes, pretty though, isn't it?
28:51And Susie claims, this is for real, she's always right, kimonoed, which must mean in a kimono.
28:58Exactly, clad in a kimono.
29:00They're a very beautiful thing.
29:02Yeah.
29:03Beautiful.
29:04APPLAUSE
29:08Yes, kimonos indeed.
29:1062 to 61.
29:12So, uh, Richard sprung a one-point lead, and it's the last letters game.
29:16Closer on thing here, chaps.
29:18A vowel, please.
29:20Thank you, Richard.
29:21E.
29:22And another.
29:24O.
29:25And another.
29:26E.
29:27And another.
29:28I.
29:30And a consonant.
29:32X.
29:33And another.
29:35D.
29:36Another consonant.
29:38N.
29:39And a consonant.
29:43And the last one.
29:45N.
29:46Stand by.
29:48And a consonant.
30:06And a consonant.
30:06And a consonant.
30:07And a consonant.
30:07And a consonant.
30:07And a consonant.
30:07And a consonant.
30:07And a consonant.
30:08And a consonant.
30:19Richard, six. Ben, six. Yes? Redone. Redone and? Dinner. And dinner. Yes, yes. Nothing to argue about that. No, nothing
30:30at all. But what has the corner got? Excite us. Well, rather feebly, we've got dinner. Unless you would have
30:36an ex-dinner.
30:39After you've been ill after the meal. Yeah, no, quite a few, sort of quite poor six-letter selections this
30:46game, but that was our best. That's it. All right. So, still 1.68 to 67 as we turn to
30:53Ben for a numbers game. Ben. Cool. I'll have one large five small, please. Thank you, Ben. One large five
30:59small and a possible crucial conundrum on the way.
31:01This last numbers game is four, six, four, seven, ten, and 50. And the target? 821. 821.
31:45Yes, Ben? 826, not written down. 826, Richard. 824. And 824, Richard.
31:5310 plus 6 is 16 times 50 is 800. Yep. 7 by 4, 28, minus 4. And add it on.
32:0328, 24. Yes. 824, three away. Three away. 821. Rachel?
32:10Yep, it was there. If you say 50 times 4, 200. Add the 6 for 206. Times by the other
32:194 for 824. And then 10 minus 7 is the 3 to take away.
32:25Oh, well done. Well done, Rick. Well done.
32:29So, that leaves us, gentlemen, with a crucial conundrum here. 75 to 67. Fingers on buzzers.
32:38Let's reveal today's crucial countdown conundrum.
33:12My word. No luck here. But surely somebody in the audience, some brave soul, will offer an explanation.
33:20Do I see a hand? I don't. Must be difficult. Let's roll this crucial countdown conundrum.
33:26How difficult. Custodian. There we are. Custodian. And therefore, Richard Hayward, you're the custodian of that chair for tomorrow.
33:35Well done. Well done. Bad luck, Ben. Good fight. 67 points. Only a few behind. But there we are.
33:43So, back to the University of Sussex and your psychology and American studies with a goodie bag and good luck.
33:50That's a terrific shirt you've got there.
33:51Thank you. And we'll see you on Monday. We're going racing, apparently. So, have a peaceful time. See you Monday.
33:58Thanks. Well done. And I hope that, Tim, you'll come back on Monday, won't you?
34:02I'm negotiating at the moment. And Susie, too. We'll see you both on Monday. We're counting on you both.
34:08And Rachel, too, of course. See you Monday. See you Monday.
34:11All right. Join us then. Same time, same place. You be sure of it. A very good afternoon.
34:16You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com, by Twitter at C4Countdown,
34:22or write to us at Countdown Leeds LS3 1JS. You can also find our webpage at channel4.com forward slash
34:30countdown.
34:33They say good things come in small packages. Grand Design's House of the Year continues with some mini masterpieces.
34:40Nine o'clock tonight on Channel 4. Coast versus country. That's next.