John Ashmore

John Ashmore

John Ashmore was the Series 38 champion. He was a 40-year-old payroll clerk from Great Yarmouth.

He first appeared on Countdown on 7 April 1998, beating Alan Atkins 50 – 40 in the 57th heat of Series 38. He won 3 more games before losing at the hands of Peter Malone. However, his four wins were sufficient to see him return for the final rounds as #5 seed.

In the quarter-finals, he beat Gerry Pearce after a sudden death conundrum, and beat #1 seed Chris Toyne the very next day in the semi-final. In the final against Steve Fisher, Ashmore led by 2 points going into the crucial conundrum. ENTRCHAMP appeared on the conundrum board, and within 4 seconds, Ashmore had buzzed, correctly answering PARCHMENT to win the game 91 – 79, and become the 38th champion of Countdown. Ashmore returned at the end of 1999 for Championship of Champions X, but was defeated in the first round by Terry Knowles.

Ashmore returned to the Countdown studios on 18 March 2003, to film a special episode rematch of his final against Steve Fisher, but the game has not yet been broadcast.

He returned to Countdown in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the 30th Birthday Championship. After receiving a bye to the first round, he lost his only match against the Series 60 champion Kirk Bevins by a score of 130 – 92, which was also the second 15-round max game in the show's history.

He is also a competitive Scrabble player, and is married to former Countdown contestant Anne Hidden.

Preceded by Ray McPhie

Series winner Series 38

Followed by Kate Ogilvie

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
2234	7/04/1998	P	Alan Atkins	40 – 50	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Susie Dent	83
2235	8/04/1998	P	John Ashmore	60 – 38	Cath Paxton	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Susie Dent	69
2236	9/04/1998	P	John Ashmore	59 – 36	Harold Blythe	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Susie Dent	80
2237	10/04/1998	P	John Ashmore	56 – 28	John Williams	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Susie Dent	69
2238	13/04/1998	P	John Ashmore	44 – 59	Peter Malone	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Philip Franks	Susie Dent	74
2289	23/06/1998	QF	Gerry Pearce	61 – 71*	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	82
2290	24/06/1998	SF	Chris Toyne	40 – 55	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	74
2292	26/06/1998	GF	John Ashmore	91 – 79	Steve Fisher	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	113
2675	28/12/1999	CQF	Terry Knowles	43 – 37	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Nigel Rees	Mark Nyman	72
S(24)	Unreleased	S	Steve Fisher	? – ?	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard	??
5634	1/02/2013	30B1	John Ashmore	92 – 130	Kirk Bevins	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Mark Foster	Susie Dent	130

* includes 10 points from a tie-break conundrum