Phil Jordan

Phil Jordan first appeared on Countdown on 7 February 1992, beating reigning champion Nick Atkinson 48-20 in the 30th heat of series 23. He went on to win a further seven games, becoming an octochamp and returning for the final rounds as #2 seed. He beat Rodney Crawshaw in the quarter-finals and Paul Perriman in the semi-finals to set up a #1 seed vs #2 seed final against Gareth Williams. In the final, Phil was still in contention right up to the end, trailing by a mere nine points heading into the crucial conundrum, but neither player was able to unscramble PEPSICOLA in the time, meaning Phil lost both the game and the series. Phil returned the following January for Championship of Champions VI, but was defeated in the first round by eventual winner Wayne Summers. Phil also played in the supreme championship, but was beaten in the first round by series 26 winner Andy Bodle.