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Wayne Summers

From Countdown
Wayne Summers in his debut against Bernadette Battman.

Wayne Summers was the champion of Series 24 and the winner of Championship of Champions VI, earning him reputation as one of – if not, the – greatest non-octochamps in the show's history.

He was from the Channel Islands and first appeared at the tender age of 15 in the first heat of Series 24, beating fellow newcomer Bernadette Battman 73 – 41 (the champion's chair having been vacated at the end of Series 23). Summers won four more heat games, including a close game against Deborah Rettie that was decided by a sudden death conundrum, before losing to his own father, Martin, 64 – 54 in his sixth game.

Summers' performances were enough to see him return for the final rounds as #3 seed, and after two close games against Ged O'Toole and Alan Payne in the quarter- and semi-final respectively, he found himself facing #8 seed Fiona Davies in the final. After yet another close-run game, Summers outran Davies 67 – 47 and became the youngest ever series champion, a title he would hold for almost fifteen years until Conor Travers won Series 54 aged 14.

Summers returned at the start of 1993 for Championship of Champions VI, where he beat Phil Jordan and Fiona Willis on his way to the final against Chris Waddington. Summers won another close match by a score of 79 – 67 to become the sixth Champion of Champions.

Summers returned to Countdown one last time three years later, at the age of 20, for the Supreme Championship, where he received a seed into the group semi-finals. Unfortunately for Summers, he was defeated in his first game 59 – 39 by Hilary Hopper after a series of unfortunate missed words.

Preceded by
Gareth Williams
Series winner
Series 24
Followed by
Don Reid
Preceded by
Tim Morrissey
Champion of Champions
Championship of Champions VI
Followed by
Don Reid

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
1263 29/06/1992 P Bernadette Battman 41 – 73 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rula Lenska Susie Dent 85
1264 30/06/1992 P Robert Cockrell 36 – 39 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rula Lenska Susie Dent 73
1265 1/07/1992 P Deborah Rettie 45 – 55* Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rula Lenska Susie Dent 64
1266 2/07/1992 P Clive Dean 19 – 42 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rula Lenska Susie Dent 77
1267 3/07/1992 P Tracy Moore 33 – 46 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rula Lenska Susie Dent 71
1268 6/07/1992 P Martin Summers 64 – 54 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rula Lenska Susie Dent 87
1323 21/09/1992 QF Ged O'Toole 49 – 54 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Judy Pearsall 85
1326 24/09/1992 SF Wayne Summers 42 – 41 Alan Payne Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Judy Pearsall 71
1327 25/09/1992 GF Wayne Summers 67 – 47 Fiona Davies Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams, Jenny Hanley Judy Pearsall 106
1330 6/01/1993 CQF Wayne Summers 60 – 38 Phil Jordan Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Susie Dent 73
1333 11/01/1993 CSF Fiona Willis 51 – 52 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Susie Dent 73
1334 12/01/1993 CGF Chris Waddington 67 – 79 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Susie Dent 117
1891 28/11/1996 fSF Hilary Hopper 59 – 39 Wayne Summers Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Digance David Swarbrick 71
* includes 10 points from a tie-break 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