Don Reid

Don Reid Octochamp Statistics
Final position	Champion
Seeding	1
Points total	487
Conundrums solved	6

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

* includes 10 points from a tiebreak conundrum