Maria Boyes

Maria Boyes was the runner-up of Series 36. She beat Ian Brunton in her first game, and won a further seven to become an octochamp and #2 seed for the series. She beat Malcolm Fairy and Simon Pryde on her way to the final against Tony Baylis. The final was nip and tuck up until the penultimate round, when a botched numbers game solution from Maria sealed her defeat. Maria returned for Championship of Champions IX a few months later, and beat Amy Godel in the first round before losing to Simon Pryde in the quarter-finals.

Maria is famous for making one of the most famous letters games spots in Countdown history- picking the niner JAPONICAS out of a seemingly terrible selection in the first round of one of her finals stage games.

Preceded by Dag Griffiths

Series runner-up Series 36

Followed by Christine White

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
2050	16/07/1997	P	Ian Brunton	29 – 56	Maria Boyes	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Susie Dent
2051	17/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	52 – 46	Arthur Singleton	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Susie Dent
2052	18/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	68 – 40	Ray Millar	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Susie Dent
2053	21/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	49 – 11	Gwenda Sacks	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Susie Dent
2054	22/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	53 – 45	Andrew Auger	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Susie Dent
2055	23/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	65 – 34	Keith Berrett	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Digance	Susie Dent
2056	24/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	49 – 35	Diane Sells	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
2057	25/07/1997	P	Maria Boyes	47 – 28	Brad Driver	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
2097	19/09/1997	QF	Maria Boyes	61 – 43	Malcolm Fairy	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Richard Stilgoe	Hannah Robertson
2101	25/09/1997	SF	Maria Boyes	43 – 40	Simon Pryde	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Nicholas Parsons	Hannah Robertson
2102	26/09/1997	GF	Maria Boyes	52 – 66	Tony Baylis	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Nicholas Parsons	Hannah Robertson
2166	1/01/1998	CP	Maria Boyes	54 – 37	Amy Godel	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Mark Nyman
2171	8/01/1998	CQF	Simon Pryde	41 – 33	Maria Boyes	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Gloria Hunniford	Mark Nyman