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Michael Wylie

From Countdown
Lexicographer
Michael Wylie.jpg
First appearance 9 May 2007
Last appearance 11 May 2007
Appearances 3
Episodes with Michael Wylie

Michael Wylie (1951 – 26 November 2008) was the runner-up of Series 1. Appearing in the latter half of the series, Wylie made his debut on 1 December 1982, defeating former Calendar Countdown contestant Christine Jones to take the champion's chair. He went on to defeat three more challengers, achieving the highest score of the series (66 points) along the way, before losing to Saladin Khoshnaw. However, as seedings at the time were determined by highest scores, he qualified as the #1 seed for the the first ever grand final against Joyce Cansfield (there were no quarters or semis in Series 1). Therein, he was defeated by eighteen points.

He declined to participate in Championship of Champions I, and did not appear in the Supreme Championship as he had gone on to work as an assistant producer on the programme. He did appear though, assisting Gyles Brandreth, on the special episode to celebrate Countdown's 500th show on 2 February 1987. His involvement with Countdown lasted for many years, expanding as he became the co-author of Countdown: Spreading The Word and the Countdown puzzle books along with Damian Eadie.

In spite of his direct involvement with the production of the programme, Wylie did make three further blocks of on-screen appearances. In June 1989, he took part in the first Countdown Masters series, broadcast during The Channel Four Daily breakfast programme. He defeated Laurie Puddefoot by an impressive 100 points to 58, and did even better in the second series when he triumphed over Stephen Balment by a margin of 74 points.

Wylie did not appear again until Series 56 where he made three appearances in the role of lexicographer, filling in for Susie Dent during a spell of illness. As his name already appeared in the credits sequence at the end of each programme, Wylie was billed under the pseudonym "Susie Gent".

Wylie died on 26 November 2008.

Series runner-up
Series 1
Followed by
Russell Byers
Preceded by
Allan Simmons
Series runner-up
Countdown Masters Series 2
(joint, with Stephen Deakin)

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
18 01/12/1982 P Michael Wylie ? – ? Christine Jones Richard Whiteley Dr Linda Barrett Beverley Isherwood Cathy Hytner Kenneth Williams Mary ??
19 02/12/1982 P Michael Wylie ? – ? Ian Gucklhorn Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Beverley Isherwood Cathy Hytner Kenneth Williams Mary ??
20 06/12/1982 P Michael Wylie ? – ? Don Wright Richard Whiteley Dr Linda Barrett Beverley Isherwood Cathy Hytner Kenneth Williams Mary ??
21 07/12/1982 P Michael Wylie 54 – 39 Arnold Weinberg Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Beverley Isherwood Cathy Hytner Kenneth Williams Mary 72
22 08/12/1982 P Michael Wylie ? – ? Saladin Khoshnaw Richard Whiteley Dr Linda Barrett Beverley Isherwood Cathy Hytner Kenneth Williams Mary ??
27 16/12/1982 GF Joyce Cansfield 59 – 41 Michael Wylie Richard Whiteley Dr Linda Barrett, Carol Vorderman Beverley Isherwood Cathy Hytner Kenneth Williams Mary ??
495 02/02/1987 X Bill Tidy with
Mark Nyman,
Brian Hudson,
Peter Evans, and
Darryl Francis
41 – 32 Gyles Brandreth with
Clive Freedman,
Michael Wylie,
Joyce Cansfield, and
Harvey Freeman
Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Cathy Hytner none Della Thompson 67
M13 26/06/1989–30/06/1989 M Michael Wylie 100 – 58 Laurie Puddefoot Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman none Catherine Clarke 134
M70 30/07/1990–03/08/1990 M Michael Wylie 118 – 44 Stephen Balment Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman none Simon Mason 134

External Links