Michael Calder (Series 42)

Michael Calder (Series 42) octochamp statistics
Final position	Champion
Seeding	2
Points total	462
Conundrums solved	5 (+2 tiebreaks)

For other people called Michael Calder, see Michael Calder.

Michael Calder in Championship of Champions XI.

Michael Calder was an octochamp in and the champion of Series 42, and a participant in Championship of Champions XI. Although his nameplate said Michael, he was referred to throughout as Mike.

He first appeared on Countdown on 31 January 2000 and beat Peter Hindes by 59 – 49 in a nail-biting game, only triumphing after a sudden death conundrum. Calder went on to win a further seven games, including another sudden death conundrum.

He returned for the series finals as the No. 2 seed and beat Helen Wrigglesworth in the quarter-finals by 55 – 29 with Calder spotting FLEAPIT, RANCHEROS and the conundrum of DOWORDFIT. In his semi-final, the word spots of MORTICES and INJURED allowed him to avoid a crucial conundrum against Terence O'Farrell which was all less controversial because the solution to the conundrum was in fact an invalid word (SCRAPHEAP). And then in the final, Calder got off to a roaring start when taking an 18 – 0 lead by declaring the brilliant nine-letter word of MYOGLOBIN — statistically, the least probable nine-letter word ever spotted on the show [1]. Calder eventually won by 101 – 72, to become a xicount and the 42nd series champion in the process.

Calder was invited back for Championship of Champions XI in 2003, and had the distinction of playing the first game in the pink-striped set that would be used for six years. Unfortunately, he was beaten by Loz Sands with the main difference between the two being that Sands' took 22 points on the numbers games to Calder's zero.

Preceded by Scott Mearns

Series winner Series 42

Followed by Graham Nash

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
2699	31/01/2000	P	Peter Hindes	49 – 59*	Michael Calder	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Don Black	Susie Dent	70
2700	1/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	64 – 40	Carol Hogan	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Don Black	Susie Dent	74
2701	2/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	56* – 46	Clarissa Caröe	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Don Black	Susie Dent	72
2702	3/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	50 – 46	Gerry Ratzin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	84
2703	4/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	64 – 37	Sue Meredith	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	72
2704	7/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	54 – 49	Daniel Green	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	74
2705	8/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	58 – 32	Marjorie Clark	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	72
2706	9/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	57 – 47	Andrew Hulme	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	74
2792	13/06/2000	QF	Michael Calder	55 – 29	Helen Wrigglesworth	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Ned Sherrin	Damian Eadie	95
2796	22/06/2000	SF	Michael Calder	55 – 40	Terence O'Farrell	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Joan Bakewell	Damian Eadie	72
2797	23/06/2000	GF	Michael Calder	101 – 72	John Hastings	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Joan Bakewell	Damian Eadie	126
3390	6/01/2003	CP	Michael Calder	60 – 77	Loz Sands	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Martin Jarvis	Susie Dent	127

* includes 10 points from a tie-break conundrum