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00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:03CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
00:31Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown Studio
00:34and the last of the Series 73 quarter-finals.
00:37Just one semi-final place left.
00:41Now, here we are, 18th December.
00:43I've mentioned before that I'm a particularly lazy person
00:46when it comes to the domestic role at home.
00:49In fact, I do absolutely nothing, and at Christmas even less.
00:52The only job that I've got to do is to go and buy the bird
00:56for Christmas lunch.
00:58And people have got their own views as to which particular bird,
01:01if any, they should be eating at Christmastime.
01:03I suppose the most popular is the turkey,
01:05but other people would say, no, the goose.
01:07And traditionally, of course, the goose was what one had
01:10at Christmastime, and we tried it a couple of years ago.
01:12The trouble with geese, or the goose, is that they're very big,
01:15very expensive, there's not much on them, it's all bone.
01:18If you've got a lot of people, then you need two geese.
01:21And now who's got enough and big enough, and so it goes on.
01:24So one of our cats actually brought a pheasant in the other day,
01:29and I was summoned to deal with this pheasant,
01:32which looked very dead to me.
01:34The cat was staring at it, and it was lying on its back.
01:36It was a hen pheasant.
01:38And I went to pick it up, and I thought, ah, a little warm breast.
01:41And with that, it popped up on its hind legs
01:45and shot off down the corridor.
01:47And then it went up into a rafter, I teased it down,
01:51it shot out of the front door, and it ran into a sort of dog run.
01:55And I said to myself, well, I'll come and kill it later.
01:59That's a lovely, festive story.
02:01Anyway, the good news is that when I went to kill it,
02:05it looked at me and took off without any tail feathers and flew off.
02:10So I thought, that's me out of a job.
02:12I didn't want to have to break its neck.
02:15Aw!
02:17There, I've got a heart after all.
02:19Aw, lovely!
02:21Who's with us today?
02:23We've got John Hardy, after that little story,
02:25maths tutor from Willoughby in Yorkshire,
02:27amassing an impressive 845 points over eight victories.
02:31Good to see you back, John.
02:33And you became our number four seed way back in October.
02:37Good luck to you today.
02:39And you're joined by our fifth OctoChamp,
02:42none other than Matthew Tessier,
02:45a statistical consultant from Ealing.
02:48Good run in November, 799 points.
02:51Are you happy to be back?
02:53Thrilled, yes.
02:54It's good to see you both back. I remember you both very well.
02:57Good contestants. Let's have a big round of applause for John and Matthew.
03:06And over in the corner, of course, Susie, as ever,
03:09joined by a wonderful man who joined us for the first time yesterday
03:13after many, many years, none other than Tim Reist,
03:16the award-winning lyricist, the greatest lyricist that we've had.
03:20Any musical that's worth a damn has got your name on it.
03:23Don't argue.
03:25You're dead right.
03:28Good to have you back.
03:30All right, John, take us away.
03:32Hello, Rachel. Hi, John.
03:34Could I have a consonant, please?
03:36Of course, thank you. Start today with N.
03:40And another, please.
03:42R.
03:45Q.
03:47And a fourth.
03:49T.
03:50And a vowel.
03:52I.
03:53And a second.
03:55A.
03:56And a third.
03:58E.
04:00And a consonant.
04:03G.
04:06And a fifth consonant, please.
04:09And the last one.
04:11L.
04:12And here's the Countdown Clock.
04:43Yes, John Hardy?
04:45Eight.
04:46An eight. Matthew?
04:47Eight.
04:48Right, John.
04:49Integral.
04:50And?
04:51Relating.
04:52And relating.
04:54Can't argue with that, can we?
04:56No. Excellent. It's a nice one, this one.
04:58An eight. Well done.
05:02And the Corners Eight?
05:05Yes, the Q is a rogue, which is...
05:07I mean, you can't fit Q into a long word here.
05:10Interfering, triangle, alerting, they're all eight.
05:13Good. And they're all great.
05:15Thank you. All right, eight apiece.
05:17And Matthew.
05:19Let us get Matthew.
05:21Good afternoon, Rachel. Hi again, Matthew.
05:23Could I start with a consonant, please?
05:25Thank you. Start with D.
05:27Vowel.
05:29A.
05:30Consonant.
05:32F.
05:33Consonant.
05:35P.
05:36Vowel.
05:38Consonant.
05:40T.
05:41Vowel.
05:43O.
05:44Vowel.
05:46E.
05:47And a final vowel, please.
05:49And a final A.
05:51Stand by.
06:08MUSIC PLAYS
06:24Matthew. Seven.
06:26A seven, John? Seven.
06:28Right. We've got scrap on, have we? Matthew?
06:31Opiated. And?
06:33Adipate.
06:35Adipate.
06:37Thank you, John, for giving us an alternative, which is nice.
06:40It's a salt or ester of adipic acid.
06:43And adipic acid is...
06:45I think we've had it quite recently.
06:47It's used in the manufacture of nylon.
06:49It's a fatty acid.
06:51Yes, indeed. Thank you.
06:53All right. And Tim and Susie?
06:55Tim?
06:56That's it, really. Opiated is the best we've got.
06:58Opiated. All right. Thank you very much.
07:0015 apiece, and it's numbers time for you, John.
07:03John Hardy.
07:04Could I have one from the top, please, Rachel?
07:06I'm making it possibly simple for the first selection.
07:09One large, five little, and they are...
07:12Eight, seven, four, two, three,
07:16and the big one, 25.
07:18And the target? 189.
07:20189.
07:22MUSIC PLAYS
07:36MUSIC STOPS
07:52Now then, John?
07:53189.
07:54189, Matthew?
07:55189.
07:56Right, John.
07:5825 add two.
08:0025 add two, 27.
08:02Times seven.
08:03189, well done.
08:05And Matthew?
08:06I did it the same way.
08:07There we go, just a little consultation.
08:09Oh, I'm not sure.
08:11LAUGHTER
08:12Yes.
08:13All right, well done. All right.
08:15APPLAUSE
08:16Very good.
08:17So, 25 apiece.
08:1925 apiece as we go into our first Tea Time teaser,
08:22which is The Acres.
08:24And the clue, The Acres have had a metric conversion.
08:27The Acres have had a metric conversion.
08:31MUSIC PLAYS
08:36APPLAUSE
08:46A warm welcome back.
08:47I left with the clue, The Acres have had a metric conversion.
08:51And the answer is hectares.
08:53Hectares, which, from memory, is 10,000 square metres per hectare,
08:56I think.
08:57But there we are, 25 apiece.
08:59And where shall we go? Shall we go to Matthew?
09:02Why not Matthew?
09:04Consonant, please, Rachel.
09:05Thank you, Matthew.
09:06H
09:07Vowel.
09:09I
09:10Consonant.
09:12M
09:13Consonant.
09:15S
09:16Vowel.
09:18E
09:19Consonant.
09:21P
09:23Vowel.
09:25U
09:27Vowel.
09:30O
09:32And a final consonant, please.
09:34And a final R.
09:36Stand by.
09:37MUSIC PLAYS
10:02MUSIC STOPS
10:09Matthew?
10:10Er, seven.
10:11A seven, John?
10:12Seven.
10:13Two sevens, yes. Matthew?
10:15Promise.
10:16John Hardy?
10:17Mousia.
10:18Mousia?
10:19Very good.
10:21Mousia.
10:23And Tim and Susie?
10:24There's also a last minute eight.
10:26Oh.
10:27Murphy's Potatoes.
10:29Oh, yes, absolutely.
10:30I've got a friend called Murphy, he's known as Spud.
10:32Oh, there you go.
10:33Yeah, Spud Murphy.
10:34Right.
10:3532 each apiece.
10:37John Hardy.
10:38Letters game.
10:40Er, could I have a consonant, please?
10:42Thank you, John.
10:43V
10:44And another?
10:47C
10:48And a third?
10:50D
10:51And a fourth?
10:53T
10:54And a vowel?
10:56I
10:57And a second?
11:00A
11:01And a third?
11:03E
11:04And a fourth?
11:06I
11:07And a final consonant, please?
11:09And a final D.
11:12Countdown.
11:31Yes, John?
11:33Stick with a six.
11:35A six.
11:36And Matthew?
11:37I have a nine.
11:39The Breakaway.
11:41John?
11:43Yeah, I'd becked.
11:45And Matthew?
11:46Addictive.
11:48Pretty good.
11:49And Matthew?
11:50Addictive.
11:51And Matthew?
11:52Addictive.
11:53And Matthew?
11:54Addictive.
11:55And Matthew?
11:56Addictive.
11:57And Matthew?
11:58Addictive.
11:59Pretty good.
12:00In fact, very good.
12:04Very good.
12:06My word, has that done you some good?
12:0950 points now to John's 32.
12:11And Tim, you have a nine?
12:12We have another word which is also nine.
12:15Didactive.
12:17Oh, that's good.
12:18I never knew what didactic meant.
12:20Oh, OK.
12:21Well, it means having moral instructions.
12:23That's something that teaches you.
12:25I see.
12:26Really.
12:27That's the simplest thing.
12:28It goes back to the Greek meaning to teach.
12:30So it has a moral in it.
12:31I see.
12:32Very good.
12:33Well done.
12:34Thank you, Tim.
12:36Very good.
12:37So, 50, my word, plays John's 32.
12:41We're back with you, Matthew, for a numbers game.
12:45Could I try six small numbers, please, Rachel?
12:47You can indeed.
12:48Up in the game for this quarterfinal.
12:50Thank you, Matthew.
12:51Six little ones, and they are...
12:53Eight.
12:54One.
12:55Three.
12:56Four.
12:57Five.
12:58Six.
12:59Eight.
13:00Seven.
13:01And ten.
13:02And the target, 544.
13:04544.
13:27MUSIC STOPS
13:34Matthew?
13:35544.
13:36And John?
13:37544.
13:38Right, Matthew.
13:40I did ten times seven.
13:42Ten times seven is 70.
13:44Then I took away the three and added the one.
13:47Three, 68.
13:49And multiplied it by eight.
13:50Perfect. Well done. 544.
13:52And John?
13:53Exactly the same way.
13:57Well done.
14:01Well done. So, 60.
14:0360 for Matthew, playing John's 42, as we turn to Tim.
14:07And Tim's a great lover of words, obviously, here in Countdown.
14:11We love words too.
14:12But when it comes to writing, which comes first?
14:15Your lyrics or the music to which your lyrics work?
14:20Well, over the years, I would say most composers I've worked with
14:23like to do the tune first.
14:25The big exception is Elton John,
14:27who only writes his wonderful music when he's got a lyric.
14:31So all those great hits that we know and love,
14:33written by Bernie Taupin, with Elton,
14:36Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, Sacrifice, Candle In The Wind,
14:41all these great songs came with Bernie's words first.
14:44And when I worked with Elton,
14:46I had to work that way round for the first time.
14:48But whether or not you have the music first or the lyrics first,
14:53if you're writing a show, you've got to get the story before either.
14:57And the composer knows what sort of music to write
15:00before he comes up with a tune.
15:03The tone of the film.
15:04Yeah, exactly.
15:05Fascinating.
15:06One of your, or one of my favourite, great favourites, was Evita.
15:11I thought it was just genius.
15:14And I saw the stage show twice, and the film was also great.
15:18And in fact, it took me to Argentina.
15:21Really?
15:22And it took me to the Duarte Tomb.
15:24Yes.
15:25Which is like a small house.
15:27You go in, you can wander about. It's extraordinary.
15:30It's a fascinating tribute to Eva Perón.
15:34But when we wrote Evita, she was not buried there.
15:37Her body was in exile with her husband.
15:40In Spain?
15:41Well, it was in Spain, then it was buried in Italy.
15:44And it only came back to Argentina after Perón died.
15:49And the tomb, which has the words on it,
15:53Don't Cry For Me Argentina, which I assume they nicked from the show,
15:57was put up after our piece.
16:00Really?
16:01That was quite fun to think that.
16:03There we go. Well done. Thank you, Tim.
16:06Very, very good.
16:08Now, what shall we do?
16:10Let's go to you, John.
16:12John, for a letters game.
16:14Could I have a consonant, please?
16:16Thank you, John.
16:17R.
16:18And another?
16:21S.
16:22And a third?
16:24G.
16:25And a fourth?
16:27K.
16:29And a vowel?
16:31E.
16:32And a second?
16:34O.
16:35And a third?
16:37A.
16:38And a fourth?
16:40E.
16:42And a final consonant, please?
16:44And a final M.
16:47Don't Cry.
17:18Well, John?
17:20Six.
17:21A six, Matthew?
17:23A six, too.
17:24John?
17:25Smoker.
17:26A smoker.
17:27Matthew?
17:28Grease.
17:29Grease, yes, indeed.
17:31What have we got in the corner there?
17:33Susie and Tim?
17:34I came up, I thought brilliantly, with a six, makers.
17:37Yes.
17:38Only to be trumped by Susie, who's come up with meagres,
17:42which I didn't know was a plural.
17:44It's an adjective that we know as in something being poor or small.
17:49But a meagre is a noun, is another word for a carbal Jew,
17:52and that is a large, predatory marine fish.
17:55It's a South African term.
17:57So you can put an S on that one for seven.
17:59There we go.
18:0066 vs 48, and it's Matthew's letters game.
18:03Matthew?
18:04Start with a consonant, please.
18:06Thank you, Matthew.
18:07R.
18:08A vowel?
18:10U.
18:11Consonant?
18:13L.
18:14Consonant?
18:16N.
18:17Vowel?
18:19A.
18:20Consonant?
18:22T.
18:24Vowel?
18:26E.
18:30Vowel, please?
18:32O.
18:33And another vowel?
18:34And the last one?
18:36I.
18:37Here's the Countdown Clock.
18:44TENSE MUSIC
19:10Matthew?
19:11Eight.
19:12Eight, John.
19:13I'll stick with an eight.
19:15All right.
19:16Matthew?
19:17Relation.
19:18Relation.
19:19And?
19:20Oriental.
19:21Oriental.
19:22Oh, that's a good one.
19:23Always go together, those two.
19:24Yeah, well done.
19:26Very nice.
19:28Oriental.
19:29Wonderful word.
19:30Jim?
19:32Outliner is also an eight.
19:34Yes.
19:35And that equals the brilliance of our contestants.
19:38Very good.
19:39It's a computer programme, just to let you know.
19:42Which allows its user to edit the logical structure of a document.
19:47That is an outliner.
19:48All right.
19:4974-56, and we're back with Rachel.
19:53John, it's your numbers game.
19:55Could I have six from the bottom, please?
19:57Six from the bottom, it's gambling time now, isn't it?
19:59Thank you, John.
20:00Six little ones for the maths teacher.
20:02And this time the little ones are one, five, two, nine, ten and six.
20:10And the target, 462.
20:12462.
20:41John?
20:42462.
20:43462, Matthew?
20:44462.
20:45So, John?
20:46Five times nine times ten.
20:48Five, nine, ten, 450.
20:51Six times two.
20:52Here's 12.
20:53And add them on.
20:54462 one way.
20:55There we go.
20:56Matthew?
20:57The same again.
20:58Same?
20:59Yeah.
21:00All right.
21:01Very good.
21:02Well done.
21:03APPLAUSE
21:04So, only one break so far, but what a break it was.
21:0884-66.
21:09Matthew in the lead.
21:11And here's a tea time teaser for you.
21:13It's Going Far.
21:15And the clue...
21:16Going far into the forest to search for food.
21:19Going far into the forest to search for food.
21:22MUSIC
21:30APPLAUSE
21:38Welcome back.
21:40I left with the clue, going far into the forest to search for food.
21:44They're foraging.
21:46Foraging for food.
21:4984-66.
21:50Matthew in the lead.
21:51And it's Matthew's letters game now.
21:53Matthew?
21:54Consonant, please, Rachel.
21:55Thank you, Matthew.
21:56F
21:57Vowel?
21:59E
22:00Consonant?
22:01P
22:02Consonant?
22:04R
22:05Vowel?
22:06I
22:07Consonant?
22:09M
22:10Vowel?
22:12A
22:13Vowel?
22:15O
22:17And vowel, please.
22:19And lastly, E.
22:21Stand by.
22:36MUSIC
22:55Matthew?
22:56Seven.
22:57A seven, John?
22:58Seven.
22:59Matthew?
23:00Emporia.
23:01Emporia.
23:02Emporia to play.
23:03All right, well done.
23:06And Tim?
23:07We can equal seven with foamia.
23:10Foamia?
23:11As in lots of bubbles in the bath.
23:14Yes.
23:15And Susie, anything else?
23:16No.
23:17Foamia.
23:18I was just trying to think how you'd use it in a sentence,
23:20but you just applied it.
23:21I like a foamia bath in you.
23:22Well done, thank you, Tim.
23:2391-73.
23:25Now, John, your letters game.
23:28Could I have a consonant, please?
23:30Thank you, John.
23:31W
23:32And another?
23:35S
23:36And a third?
23:38N
23:39And a fourth?
23:41B
23:42And a vowel?
23:45I
23:46And a second?
23:48U
23:49And a third?
23:51V
23:52And a consonant?
23:55P
23:57And a vowel, please?
24:00And the last one?
24:01O
24:02Canta.
24:33John?
24:35Sex.
24:36A sex Matthew?
24:37Sex.
24:38John?
24:39Supine.
24:40Supine Matthew.
24:42Opines.
24:43Opines.
24:44Very nice.
24:45That's a good word, isn't it?
24:46Very good word.
24:47Opines.
24:48And what of the corner?
24:49Tim and Susie?
24:50I think that's our maximum as well.
24:52Supine, opines.
24:54Any others, Susie?
24:55There's a strange-looking legal term,
24:57which is an anagram of supine, and that's...
24:59It's French.
25:01P-U-I-S-N-E.
25:03And it is denoting a judge of a superior court
25:08inferior in rank to the Chief Justice.
25:11Yeah.
25:12I've never heard it down the magistrate's court.
25:15I know, for good reason, I think.
25:17Where I make regular appearances.
25:19All right.
25:2097 to 79.
25:22Susie, we're back with you again so soon
25:25for your wonderful origin of words.
25:27Or, indeed, origins of words.
25:29Because I kicked off yesterday with a quick A to Z
25:32of some of my favourite word origins,
25:34and I got up to D yesterday,
25:36so I'm going to kick off with E.
25:38And E is for egregious,
25:40and you don't hear that so much these days,
25:43but it used to be used for something outstandingly good.
25:46Now it means shocking or outstandingly bad.
25:48And it goes back to the Latin ex grex,
25:51and ex grex meant standing outside of the flock,
25:54so outstanding in some way,
25:56but not within the norm, if you like.
25:59F is for fridge, because I'm always getting asked
26:02why there's a D in fridge and not in refrigerator,
26:05and the likely answer is that the proprietary name
26:08Frigidaire in the 1920s influenced the abbreviation of fridge,
26:13and because Frigidaire also got a D in it, we do too.
26:17My grandpa had a factory for Frigidaire.
26:20He had the rights, yeah.
26:21Oh, really?
26:22Made fridges in the 40s, yeah.
26:24Gosh.
26:25G is for gallant,
26:28and I mention gallant because women could be particularly gallant
26:32in the 16th century.
26:34If they were very elegant, they were described as gallant.
26:37It's actually linked to gala and the idea of rejoicing and joy,
26:41and I just like the idea of a gallant.
26:43It's also linked to galavant, to go about in a spirited, joyful way.
26:47H is for horror, which goes back to a Latin word meaning
26:50having your hair stand on end,
26:52and is in fact linked to the Latin word eris for hedgehog.
26:55And I is for idiot,
26:57and the original idiot was somebody in ancient Greece
27:00who stood outside again of the flock, a bit like Egregious,
27:03but they did so by not taking part in democratic discussions, etc.
27:07They stood outside because they weren't interested in public affairs,
27:10they were only interested in their own.
27:12I see. Very good.
27:14Which, of course, we frowned on.
27:16APPLAUSE
27:22Exciting stuff. Thank you, Susie.
27:2497 plays 79, and we turn now to Matthew.
27:27Penultimate letters game. Go, Matthew.
27:30Consonant, please, Rachel.
27:32Thank you, Matthew. S
27:34Vowel.
27:36A
27:37Consonant.
27:38T
27:39Consonant.
27:41R
27:42Vowel.
27:44O
27:45Consonant.
27:47V
27:48Vowel.
27:50E
27:51Vowel.
27:53I
27:54And a final vowel, please.
27:56And a final A.
27:59Stand by.
28:21MUSIC PLAYS
28:31Matthew.
28:32Eight.
28:33John.
28:34Eighth.
28:35Sir Matthew.
28:36Aviators.
28:37No.
28:38Yes, John.
28:39Variates.
28:40I see. Variates.
28:42Very good. Yes.
28:44APPLAUSE
28:45Two...
28:47Two exceptional players, really.
28:50Well, we haven't got a nine, have we?
28:52Sadly not.
28:54We can just rival them or match them with the votaries.
28:58V-O-T-A-R-I-E-S.
29:00And they are people such as monks or nuns
29:02who've made vows of dedication to religious service.
29:05Thank you. Anything else?
29:07No.
29:08All right. 105 to 87.
29:11And it's John's final letters game. John.
29:14Could I have a consonant, please?
29:16Thank you, John. S.
29:18And a second.
29:20L.
29:21And a third.
29:23D.
29:24And a fourth.
29:26N.
29:27And a vowel.
29:29E.
29:30And a second.
29:32U.
29:33And a third.
29:35A.
29:36And a fourth.
29:38I.
29:40And a final consonant, please.
29:42And a final Z.
29:44Stand by.
29:45MUSIC PLAYS
29:49MUSIC CONTINUES
30:15Well, John?
30:17Not written down.
30:18A. Not written down. Matthew?
30:20Seven.
30:22And you're seven.
30:23Denials.
30:24What are you up to, John?
30:26Don't know which one to go for. I'll go for unsailed.
30:31What do you think about that, Susie?
30:33Unsailed. Yeah.
30:34It's not in.
30:36I'm so sorry, John. I don't know what your other one was.
30:39Well, I had dualises with a Z and aliandes.
30:42Dualises? Yes.
30:45That would have been OK, cos you can have the Z or the S.
30:49I'm so sorry.
30:50She's gone for the wrong one.
30:52What a bad gamble, really. Or an unfortunate one, anyway.
30:55Jim?
30:57For seven, denials and sundial.
31:00Yes.
31:01But that's about as far as I can go.
31:04That's it, Susie?
31:05Yeah, that was the best.
31:06All right, let's call it there. 112 plays 87.
31:10And, Matthew, it's your final numbers game.
31:13Let's have six more, again, please.
31:15Six more, just for fun? Yeah.
31:17Thank you, Matthew. Six little ones.
31:19And the final numbers game of the week is...
31:222, 6, 4, 6, 7 and 10.
31:28And the target... 458.
31:31458.
31:43MUSIC PLAYS
32:04Yes, Matthew? 458.
32:06458. John?
32:08458.
32:10Here we go. Yes, Matthew?
32:1210 to 70. 70.
32:14Plus the 6. 76.
32:16Multiply it by 6.
32:18456.
32:20And add on the 2. Perfect. 458.
32:23Yes, John? Exactly the same way.
32:25Of course. Well done.
32:27APPLAUSE
32:28Good score there, Matthew. 122.
32:30And more to be gained on the final round,
32:32which, of course, is the conundrum round.
32:34So, fingers on buzzers, please, John and Matthew.
32:37Let's reveal today's Countdown Conundrum.
32:40BELL RINGS
32:43Good Lord. Yes, John?
32:45Peregrine.
32:47Unbelievable.
32:49Unbelievable. Let's see whether you're right.
32:52Extraordinary.
32:54APPLAUSE
32:57Extraordinary.
33:00I think that's sort of under a second. I can't believe it.
33:03Anyway, it's extraordinary, really.
33:06But, unfortunately, Math...
33:08Well, for you. Not for Matthew.
33:11Matthew takes the day. 122 to York, 107.
33:14So, well done, John. It was a great performance,
33:17particularly on the conundrum.
33:19I think last time we saw you, you were extraordinary on the conundrums,
33:22weren't you? Very, very fast.
33:25So, I'm presenting you, on behalf of the Countdown team,
33:28with this priceless piece of kryptonite
33:31to take back to Willoughby in Yorkshire
33:33with our very best wishes.
33:35And congratulations, too, for getting this far. Brilliant stuff.
33:38So, who beat the number four seed?
33:40The number five seed. That's you, Matthew. Well done.
33:43Brilliant score. 122.
33:45So, have a very quiet weekend, will you?
33:48Because on Monday, we're seeing you back here,
33:51and it's your good fortune to be taking on the number one seed.
33:54That'll be Thomas Carey, so... I'll go ahead, John.
33:57..no carousing over the weekend. All right? We'll see you then.
34:00See you then. Lovely stuff.
34:02We shall see and greet Tim Rice once again on Monday.
34:06I'll look forward to that. Thank you. And Susie, too, of course.
34:09See you then. Brilliant stuff.
34:11Yep. Wow. The rest of the nation will be hitting Christmas parties
34:14this weekend, but our four semi-finalists will be reading the dictionary.
34:17Absolutely. Have you ever seen a conundrum crack that fast?
34:21I know. I don't think the clock music even had time to start then.
34:24Amazing. Yeah, very, very good. Brilliant stuff.
34:26See you on Monday. See you on Monday.
34:28Same time, same place. You'll be sure of it. A very good afternoon.
34:31Contact us by email at Countdown at Channel4.com,
34:35by Twitter at C4Countdown,
34:37or write to us at Countdown Leeds LS3 1JS.
34:41You can also find our web page at Channel4.com forward slash Countdown.
34:49Spending time with family tonight. Very Christmassy.
34:52Join the Malones, the Siddiquis, Leon and June.
34:54Quality time with the Gogglebox Clans at nine o'clock tonight.
34:58Next this afternoon, horses for courses in Poshbourne Brokers.