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Difference between revisions of "Gareth Williams"

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[[Image:Gareth Williams.jpg|right|thumb|frame|Gareth Williams.]]
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[[Image:Gareth Williams.jpg|right|thumb|frame|Gareth Williams in Series 23.]]
'''Gareth Williams''' first appeared on [[Countdown]] in [[Series 23]], beating [[Rodney Crawshaw]] {{score|57|34}} in his first game on 9 March 1992. Gareth had just enough time left in the series to complete his [[octochamp]] run, amassing an aggregate score of 439 points to become #1 seed. The very next day after completing his octochamp run, Gareth returned for the series finals, beating [[Glen Webb]] and [[Alan Harston]] on his way to the final against [[Phil Jordan]]. It was a tight game, with Gareth leading 68-59 going into the [[crucial conundrum]]. However, neither contestant was able to unscramble {{word|PEPSICOLA}} in the thirty seconds, meaning Gareth became the 23rd series champion. Gareth did not return for [[Championship of Champions VI]], but did return in 1994 for a [[episode 1523|special match]] against [[Allan Saldanha]] to celebrate Countdown's 1500th episode. In the game, Gareth suffered his first-ever defeat, losing to Allan {{score|99|62}}. Two years later, Gareth returned to Countdown one last time for the [[Supreme Championship]], beating [[Wayne Kelly]] in the first round before losing to [[Tony Vick]] in the group semi-finals {{score|51|41}}.
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'''Gareth Williams''' was an [[octochamp]] in and the [[series champion|champion]] of [[Series 23]], and is one of the show's strongest contestants to hail from Wales.
  
Away from Countdown, Gareth is the only Countdown [[Series]] winner to have represented Wales at the World [[Scrabble]] Championship, although various other series winners have represented England and Scotland.
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A lecturer at Pontypridd college, he first appeared on [[Countdown]] in March 1992, when he beat [[Rodney Crawshaw]] {{score|57|34}} in his first game. Williams had just enough time left in the series to complete his [[octochamp]] run, amassing an aggregate score of 439 points to become #1 seed. The very next day after completing his octochamp run, Williams returned for the series finals, beating [[Glen Webb]] and [[Alan Harston]] on his way to the final against [[Phil Jordan]]. It was a tight game, with Williams leading {{score|68|59}} going into the [[crucial conundrum]]. However, neither contestant was able to unscramble {{word|PEPSICOLA}} in the thirty seconds, meaning Williams became the 23rd series champion.
[[Image:Gareth Williams2.jpg|right|thumb| Gareth Williams a few years on]]
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Williams did not return for [[Championship of Champions VI]], but did return in 1994 for a [[episode 1523|special match]] against [[Allan Saldanha]] to celebrate Countdown's 1500th episode. In the game, Williams suffered his first-ever defeat, losing to Saldanha {{score|99|62}}.
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Two years later, Williams returned to Countdown one last time for the [[Series 33|Supreme Championship]], beating [[Wayne Kelly]] in the first round before losing to [[Tony Vick]] in the group semi-finals. Here he delivered a decent performance but was held to a crucial conundrum, and it was Vick who turned {{word|VILESTILE}} into {{word|LIVELIEST}} to beat Williams {{score|41|51}}.
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Away from Countdown, Williams is currently the only Countdown [[Series]] winner to have represented Wales at the World [[Scrabble]] Championship, although various other series winners have represented England and Scotland.
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[[Image:Gareth Williams2.jpg|right|thumb|Gareth Williams a few years on.]]
  
 
{{series winner|preceded_by=Chris Waddington|series=23|followed_by=Wayne Summers}}
 
{{series winner|preceded_by=Chris Waddington|series=23|followed_by=Wayne Summers}}
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==Episodes==
 
==Episodes==
 
{{episode table}}
 
{{episode table}}
{{ep | 1248 | 9/03/1992 | P | [[Rodney Crawshaw]] | 34 – 57 | Gareth Williams | [[Norman Painting]] | [[Judy Pearsall]] }}
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{{ep | 1248 | 9/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 57 – 34 |[[Rodney Crawshaw]]|[[Norman Painting]]|[[Judy Pearsall]]|69}}
{{ep | 1249 | 10/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 54 – 42 | [[Arthur Evans]] | Norman Painting | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1249 | 10/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 54 – 42 |[[Arthur Evans]]|Norman Painting|Judy Pearsall|71}}
{{ep | 1250 | 11/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 49 – 43 | [[Angela Burke]] | Norman Painting | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1250 | 11/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 49 – 43 |[[Angela Burke]]|Norman Painting|Judy Pearsall|71}}
{{ep | 1251 | 12/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 42 – 29 | [[Ron Schofield]] | [[Nigel Rees]] | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1251 | 12/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 42 – 29 |[[Ron Schofield]]|[[Nigel Rees]]|Judy Pearsall|72}}
{{ep | 1252 | 13/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 57 – 15 | [[Eric Williams]] | Nigel Rees | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1252 | 13/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 57 – 15 |[[Eric Williams]]|Nigel Rees|Judy Pearsall|68}}
{{ep | 1253 | 16/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 55 – 46 | [[Ole Pedersen]] | Nigel Rees | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1253 | 16/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 55 – 46 |[[Ole Pedersen]]|Nigel Rees|Judy Pearsall|82}}
{{ep | 1254 | 17/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 59 – 29 | [[Graeme Thomas]] | Nigel Rees | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1254 | 17/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 59 – 29 |[[Graeme Thomas]]|Nigel Rees|Judy Pearsall|82}}
{{ep | 1255 | 18/03/1992 | P | Gareth Williams | 56 – 51 | [[Thomas Carolan]] | Nigel Rees | Judy Pearsall }}
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{{ep | 1255 | 18/03/1992 | P |Gareth Williams| 56 – 51 |[[Thomas Carolan]]|Nigel Rees|Judy Pearsall|75}}
{{ep | 1256 | 19/03/1992 | QF | Gareth Williams | 69 – 36 | [[Glen Webb]] | [[Jan Harvey]] | [[Catherine Clarke]] }}
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{{ep | 1256 | 19/03/1992 | QF |Gareth Williams| 69 – 36 |[[Glen Webb]]|[[Jan Harvey]]|[[Catherine Clarke]]|74}}
{{ep | 1260 | 25/03/1992 | SF | [[Alan Harston]] | 35 – 66 | Gareth Williams | Jan Harvey | Catherine Clarke }}
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{{ep | 1260 | 25/03/1992 | SF |[[Alan Harston]]| 35 – 66 |Gareth Williams|Jan Harvey|Catherine Clarke|73}}
{{ep | 1262 | 27/03/1992 | GF | [[Phil Jordan]] | 59 – 68 | Gareth Williams | Jan Harvey, [[Nicholas Day]] | Catherine Clarke }}
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{{ep | 1262 | 27/03/1992 | GF |[[Phil Jordan]]| 59 – 68 |Gareth Williams|Jan Harvey, [[Nicholas Day]]|Catherine Clarke|126}}
{{ep | 1523 | 4/07/1994 | S | Gareth Williams | 99 – 62 | [[Allan Saldanha]] | [[Denis Norden]] | [[Mark Nyman]] }}
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{{ep | 1523 | 4/07/1994 | S |Gareth Williams| 62 – 99 |[[Allan Saldanha]]|[[Denis Norden]]|[[Mark Nyman]]|129}}
{{ep | 1896 | 5/12/1996 | gQF | Gareth Williams | 59 – 55 | [[Wayne Kelly]] | [[Richard Digance]] | [[David Swarbrick]] }}
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{{ep | 1896 | 5/12/1996 | gQF |Gareth Williams| 59 – 55 |[[Wayne Kelly]]|[[Richard Digance]]|[[David Swarbrick]]|72}}
{{ep | 1899 | 10/12/1996 | gSF | Gareth Williams | 41 – 51 | [[Tony Vick]] | [[Jenny Hanley]] | [[Susie Dent]] }}
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{{ep | 1899 | 10/12/1996 | gSF |Gareth Williams| 41 – 51 |[[Tony Vick]]|[[Jenny Hanley]]|[[Susie Dent]]|69}}
 
{{episode table end}}
 
{{episode table end}}
  
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Gareth}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Gareth}}
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[[Category:Finalists]]
 
[[Category:Series winners]]
 
[[Category:Series winners]]
[[category:Octochamps of the 9 round era]]
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[[Category:Octochamps of the 9 round era]]
 
[[Category:Contestants in Series 23]]
 
[[Category:Contestants in Series 23]]
 
[[Category:Contestants in Series 33]]
 
[[Category:Contestants in Series 33]]

Revision as of 09:56, 18 September 2017

Gareth Williams in Series 23.

Gareth Williams was an octochamp in and the champion of Series 23, and is one of the show's strongest contestants to hail from Wales.

A lecturer at Pontypridd college, he first appeared on Countdown in March 1992, when he beat Rodney Crawshaw 57 – 34 in his first game. Williams had just enough time left in the series to complete his octochamp run, amassing an aggregate score of 439 points to become #1 seed. The very next day after completing his octochamp run, Williams returned for the series finals, beating Glen Webb and Alan Harston on his way to the final against Phil Jordan. It was a tight game, with Williams leading 68 – 59 going into the crucial conundrum. However, neither contestant was able to unscramble PEPSICOLA in the thirty seconds, meaning Williams became the 23rd series champion.

Williams did not return for Championship of Champions VI, but did return in 1994 for a special match against Allan Saldanha to celebrate Countdown's 1500th episode. In the game, Williams suffered his first-ever defeat, losing to Saldanha 99 – 62.

Two years later, Williams returned to Countdown one last time for the Supreme Championship, beating Wayne Kelly in the first round before losing to Tony Vick in the group semi-finals. Here he delivered a decent performance but was held to a crucial conundrum, and it was Vick who turned VILESTILE into LIVELIEST to beat Williams 41 – 51.

Away from Countdown, Williams is currently the only Countdown Series winner to have represented Wales at the World Scrabble Championship, although various other series winners have represented England and Scotland.

Gareth Williams a few years on.
Preceded by
Chris Waddington
Series winner
Series 23
Followed by
Wayne Summers


Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
1248 9/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 57 – 34 Rodney Crawshaw Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Norman Painting Judy Pearsall 69
1249 10/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 54 – 42 Arthur Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Norman Painting Judy Pearsall 71
1250 11/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 49 – 43 Angela Burke Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Norman Painting Judy Pearsall 71
1251 12/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 42 – 29 Ron Schofield Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Judy Pearsall 72
1252 13/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 57 – 15 Eric Williams Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Judy Pearsall 68
1253 16/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 55 – 46 Ole Pedersen Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Judy Pearsall 82
1254 17/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 59 – 29 Graeme Thomas Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Judy Pearsall 82
1255 18/03/1992 P Gareth Williams 56 – 51 Thomas Carolan Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Judy Pearsall 75
1256 19/03/1992 QF Gareth Williams 69 – 36 Glen Webb Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Catherine Clarke 74
1260 25/03/1992 SF Alan Harston 35 – 66 Gareth Williams Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Catherine Clarke 73
1262 27/03/1992 GF Phil Jordan 59 – 68 Gareth Williams Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey, Nicholas Day Catherine Clarke 126
1523 4/07/1994 S Gareth Williams 62 – 99 Allan Saldanha Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Denis Norden Mark Nyman 129
1896 5/12/1996 gQF Gareth Williams 59 – 55 Wayne Kelly Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Digance David Swarbrick 72
1899 10/12/1996 gSF Gareth Williams 41 – 51 Tony Vick Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jenny Hanley Susie Dent 69