Isabelle Heward

Isabelle Heward was a finalist in Series 28, and a contestant in Series 89. She was from Alkborough in North Lincolnshire and was a charity volunteer at Victim Support for almost 25 years.

Countdown

Isabelle first appeared on Countdown on 9 September 1994, winning her first game by 10 points. She won another 5 games, before being unseated in her 7th game by Carole Rison. Despite this, she qualified for the finals where she suffered another defeat to Wayne Kelly in the quarterfinals.

Heward reappeared on the show nearly 30 years later in Series 89 in 2024, where she won against two-time winner and fellow returning contestant Nikki Needham.

Other quiz shows

Prior to appearing on Countdown, she was a finalist on the now-defunct Film Buff of the Year and has since appeared on Mastermind, in which she became champion in 2017. She then reached the grand final of Fifteen to One in June 2017. Heward also participated on The Chase and on the Scunthorpe Scholars team in Series 12 of Only Connect in 2016. She also appeared with a team made up of Film Buff of the Year alumni on Eggheads in 2022.

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
1572	9/09/1994	P	Dave Ledger	39 – 49	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Stilgoe	Ruth Killick	74
1573	12/09/1994	P	Paul Henderson	50 – 54	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Stilgoe	Ruth Killick	72
1574	13/09/1994	P	Bryan Montgomery	54 – 55	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Ruth Killick	72
1575	14/09/1994	P	Hannah White	47 – 50	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Ruth Killick	74
1576	15/09/1994	P	Warwick Bassett	29 – 47	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Ruth Killick	73
1577	16/09/1994	P	Stewart Ivins	17 – 58	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Ruth Killick	70
1578	19/09/1994	P	Carole Rison	59 – 40	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Ruth Killick	71
1583	26/09/1994	QF	Wayne Kelly	59 – 46	Isabelle Heward	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Michael Parkinson	Richard Samson	73
8217	27/02/2024	P	Nikki Needham	58 – 86	Isabelle Heward	Colin Murray	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Vick Hope	Susie Dent	130
8218	28/02/2024	P	Isabelle Heward	80 – 43	Paul Davey	Colin Murray	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Vick Hope	Susie Dent	134