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Don Reid

From Countdown
Don Reid
Octochamp Statistics
Final positionChampion
Seeding1
Points total487
Conundrums solved6
Don Reid
Reid-ing in black and white.

Don Reid was an octochamp in and the champion of Series 25 and Championship of Champions VII, as well as a participant in the Supreme Championship. Among the greatest of all time, Reid was from Horsham, West Sussex, but originally came from Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

He first appeared on Countdown on 18 February 1993 in the 27th heat of Series 25, beating Carolyn Taylor 70 – 23 in an impressive debut performance. Reid went on to win seven more games to become an octochamp and the fourth member of the 480 club with an impressive aggregate score of 487 points, and was by some distance, number one seed for the series. In the finals, Reid defeated Ralph Mayer and Noel Turner on his way to the grand final against fellow octochamp James Sinclair. After a close first half, Reid broke the deadlock by solving the first conundrum, and romped home 97 – 56 to become the 25th series champion.

Reid returned at the start of 1995 for Championship of Champions VII, and continued his impressive form by beating boy wonder Andrew Perry, and trouncing Richard Campbell 65 – 17 on his way to the grand final against future Countdown producer, Damian Eadie. There, Reid continued his impressive display of form, comfortably beating Eadie 100 – 73 to become the seventh Champion of Champions, and only the third ever grand slam winner (octochamp, series winner and Champion of Champions) after Harvey Freeman and Nic Brown.

Reid returned to Countdown the next year for the Supreme Championship, entering as one of only two unbeaten players — the other being eventual Supreme Champion Harvey Freeman. Reid entered a spirited performance, beating Olivia Lloyd-Potts and Dick Green before losing to Series 11 champion John Clarke after a second sudden death conundrum, necessary when neither player could solve either the first nor the second conundrums, ending Reid's televised winning streak on his seventeenth game.

Preceded by
Wayne Summers
Series winner
Series 25
Followed by
Andy Bodle
Preceded by
Wayne Summers
Champion of Champions
Championship of Champions VII
Followed by
Chris Rogers


Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
1361 18/02/1993 P Don Reid 70 – 23 Carolyn Taylor Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 72
1362 19/02/1993 P Don Reid 62 – 40 Frank McKenzie Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 74
1363 22/02/1993 P Don Reid 69 – 46 George Rowe Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 73
1364 23/02/1993 P Don Reid 62 – 45 Paul Wheatley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Richard Samson 71
1365 24/02/1993 P Don Reid 46 – 29 Rachel Davison Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Richard Samson 69
1366 25/02/1993 P Don Reid 71 – 30 Donal O'Riain Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Richard Samson 85
1367 26/02/1993 P Don Reid 48 – 25 Lee Wellings Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Richard Samson 71
1368 01/03/1993 P Don Reid 59 – 52 Michael Feaver Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Richard Samson 84
1386 25/03/1993 QF Ralph Mayer 49 – 58 Don Reid Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Richard Samson 73
1390 31/03/1993 SF Noel Turner 50 – 56 Don Reid Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Richard Samson 74
1392 02/04/1993 GF Don Reid 97 – 56 James Sinclair Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Hanley Richard Samson 123
1589 03/01/1995 CQF Don Reid 63 – 46 Andrew Perry Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Denis Norden Richard Samson 74
1593 09/01/1995 CSF Don Reid 65 – 17 Richard Campbell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Denis Norden Richard Samson 72
1594 10/01/1995 CGF Don Reid 100 – 73 Damian Eadie Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Denis Norden Richard Samson 111
1855 09/10/1996 aQF Don Reid 57 – 40 Olivia Lloyd-Potts Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Susie Dent 74
1859 15/10/1996 aSF Don Reid 59 – 56 Dick Green Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 73
1861 17/10/1996 aF John Clarke 63* – 53 Don Reid Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 73
* includes 10 points from a tiebreak conundrum


Championship of Champions Winners

I : Mark Nyman | II : Clive Freedman | III : Harvey Freeman | IV : Nic Brown | V : Tim Morrissey | VI : Wayne Summers | VII : Don Reid | VIII : Chris Rogers | IX : Natascha Kearsey | X : Scott Mearns | XI : Graham Nash | XII : Paul Gallen | XIII : Steve Briers | XIV : Dylan Taylor | XV : Zarte Siempre | XVI : Ahmed Mohamed