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Andrew Hulme

From Countdown
Andrew Hulme
Octochamp Statistics
Final positionRunner-up
Seeding1
Points total930
Conundrums solved7
Andrew Hulme in Series 61...
...and again in the 30th Birthday Championship.

Andrew Hulme was a contestant in Series 42, the runner-up of Series 61 and was a participant in the 30th Birthday Championship. He is also an Apterite. He was a student at Warwick University.

He first appeared in February 2000 at around 11 years of age. Here he faced seven-time winner and eventual Series 42 champion Michael Calder. Hulme kept up with Calder, with the scores level going into the conundrum, but Calder solved BINGONUTT, defeating Hulme and earning the title of octochamp.

Hulme's next appearance was midway through Series 47, when, aged 13, he took part in and won a special three-day Junior Championship, prevailing over future finalist Amey Deshpande and Scrabble champion Perry Fung to emerge the victor.

Seven years after his Junior victory, Hulme returned to Countdown as an adult near the start of Series 61. In his debut episode against Micheal Harris, both contestants spotted two nines, and while Harris made a score of 101, Hulme achieved an incredible 133, the second highest debut score in history. Hulme rattled off seven more wins, and while none of his other opponents achieved centuries, he himself maintained his skill to the end, spotting such words as MINNEOLA and EXTRINSIC and never scoring below 101 en route to becoming an octochamp.

He became only the third contestant to score centuries in all eight heat games, and also the fourth to score over 900 points after Julian Fell, Craig Beevers and Kirk Bevins. Most notably, his octochamp total of 930 points broke the previous record of 925 set by Bevins in Series 60. That record was beaten narrowly, though, by Jack Hurst in Series 63.

In the quarter-finals, #1 seed Hulme took on #8 seed Jacqueline Baker, and after some very tough rounds (including an unsolved conundrum to which the solution was GRIMALKIN), he won 86 – 42, his lowest score in the 15-round format. Hulme's score improved to 95 in his semi-final thanks to POLEAXE, SOUNDEST and an excellent final numbers game. This brought him to the final against Chris Davies. Although Hulme performed very well in the numbers rounds, he was ultimately outclassed by his opponent's spots of TETRODE and DIARISES, and made an inspired attempt at an invalid nine, houseload ☓. This makes Hulme the first 900-club member not to win a series.

He returned to Countdown in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the 30th Birthday Championship. He won his first match against the reigning Champion of Champions Steven Briers by a score of 113 – 74, before losing to Series 66 runner-up Jonathan Rawlinson on a crucial conundrum.

Hulme's grandfather, Ernie, appeared as a contestant in Series 44.

Outside of Countdown, Hulme is a competitive poker player.

Preceded by
Jimmy Gough
Series runner-up
Series 61
Followed by
Nicki Sellars

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
2706 9/02/2000 P Michael Calder 57 – 47 Andrew Hulme Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tim Rice Susie Dent 74
3208 13/03/2002 JSF Andrew Hulme 66 – 44 Amey Deshpande Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Andi Peters Phiona Stanley 82
3209 14/03/2002 JF Andrew Hulme 53 – 41 Perry Fung Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Andi Peters Phiona Stanley 72
4857 9/07/2009 P Micheal Harris 101 – 133 Andrew Hulme Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Donal MacIntyre Susie Dent 155
4858 10/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 116 – 52 Eileen Broadhead Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Donal MacIntyre Susie Dent 132
4859 13/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 111 – 21 Gordon Armour Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Ian Hyland Susie Dent 126
4860 14/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 119 – 48 Steven Davenport Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Ian Hyland Susie Dent 139
4861 15/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 101 – 50 Jonathan Good Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Ian Hyland Susie Dent 121
4862 16/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 104 – 19 Barbara Speak Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Ian Hyland Susie Dent 121
4863 17/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 118 – 64 Vicky Smith Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Ian Hyland Susie Dent 139
4864 20/07/2009 P Andrew Hulme 128 – 52 Mike Olive Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Anton du Beke Susie Dent 144
4947 10/12/2009 QF Andrew Hulme 86 – 42 Jacqueline Baker Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Dr Phil Hammond Susie Dent 118
4951 16/12/2009 SF Ryan Taylor 48 – 95 Andrew Hulme Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Rory McGrath Susie Dent 116
4953 18/12/2009 GF Andrew Hulme 86 – 117 Chris Davies Jeff Stelling Rachel Riley Rory McGrath Susie Dent 120
5622 16/01/2013 30BP Andrew Hulme 113 – 74 Steven Briers Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Martin Lewis Susie Dent 127
5639 8/02/2013 30B1 Andrew Hulme 91 – 98 Jonathan Rawlinson Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Kate Adie Susie Dent 115