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[[File:GraemeCole.jpg|right|150px]]
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{{click Inline|image=Elliott Mellor.png|width=150px|link=Elliott Mellor}}
'''[[Graeme Cole]]''' was [[Series champion|champion]] of [[Series 65]]. On his ''[[Countdown]]'' début against [[Liam Herringshaw]], he immediately gained an eight point lead and spotted the [[nine-letter word]] {{word|RECOMBINE}} in the third [[letters round]]. Cole also scored 30 out of 30 on the [[numbers round]]s, and won with 112 points. He outplayed [[Steven Hatton]] in his second game and found three further perfect numbers solutions to win {{score|105|49}}. In Cole's third game, his opponent [[Aidan Turnbull]] kept apace in the early stages and this was the first of three consecutive games in which he fell short of a [[century]]. In the first seven rounds of Cole's sixth game, he amassed 62 points without reply including the niner {{word|NURSEMAID}}. He again scored 30 points on the numbers rounds and unravelled the conundrum {{word|IVYLEAVES}} in 2½ seconds. His final score of 125 was four points short of the maximum possible score in the game, and one point short of the [[Episode 5312|highest score of the series]]. Cole concluded his [[octochamp]] run with scores of {{score|91|41}} and {{score|95|59}}, and with an eight game total of 813 points he qualified for the series finals as #2 seed.
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'''[[Elliott Mellor]]''' was an octochamp and the runner-up of [[Series 80]]. He is a Maths Student at Manchester Metropolitan University from Oldham.
  
In his quarter-final match against [[Nikki Roberts]], Cole spotted the niner {{word|DRAGLINES}} and again scored 30 out of 30 on the numbers. With a further 10 points for the apt conundrum {{word|EIGHTWINS}}, he won comfortably by 113 points to 61. In his semi-final against [[Paul Keane]], Cole once again went behind early in the match but recovered with the word {{word|CAPRINE}} and took the lead with {{word|EXHAUST}} in round 8. Scoring 10 points in the second numbers round and spotting the eight letter word {{word|OCCULTED}} late in the game helped Cole to a {{score|96|71}} victory. In the series final. he faced #4 seed [[Carl Williams]]. Both players scored 43 points across the first five rounds, before Williams went ahead with {{word|ERECTION}} in the sixth. Five rounds later, Cole went three points into the lead, and he extended the gap to 10 points in round 14. Williams unscrambled the [[crucial conundrum]] {{word|TIMEUPLAD}} to force the game to a tie-breaker second conundrum. Cole unravelled {{word|VAANGELIS}} and became the 65th ''Countdown'' series champion, and the last to be crowned during [[Jeff Stelling]]'s spell as [[presenter]].
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He is also an [[Apterite]] who peaked at No.1 in the Pro Ranks on Apterous, less than 12 months after joining the site. Arguably one of the most talented and dominant Apterites ever, he made his TV debut on [[Episode 6949|9 November 2018]] as the audience member who solved the conundrum after a failed attempt from both contestants.
  
Cole returned to the ''Countdown'' studios for a [[special episode]] against [[Edward McCullagh]] in July 2012, to decide the [[Episode S35|overall champion]] of 2011. Six months later, Cole took part in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. After receiving a bye to the first round proper, he lost his only match against the [[Series 66]] champion [[Jack Worsley]] by a score of {{score|104|98}}, despite achieving the maximum possible score across the first 13 rounds. Today, Cole is an active contributor to the online ''Countdown'' community, using his skills as a software developer to provide data analysis on the [[c4countdown]] forum. ('''[[Graeme Cole|more...]]''')
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Mellor first appeared as a contestant in [[Series 80]] on Thursday 16 May 2019 against 2 game winner [[Arran Cleminson]], maxing 13 rounds and setting the then highest-ever debut score: 131. He spotted impressive word findings such as {{word|TAIAPURE}} and {{word|NEOTERISM}}, while Cleminson scored only in the four numbers rounds. This was the start of, undoubtedly, the greatest octochamp run in ''Countdown'' history. The following day, three 9-letter words, {{word|NODALIZES}}, {{word|ANIMATEUR}} and {{word|INFRACTED}}, helped him card the highest-ever score of 152, toppling [[Zarte Siempre]]'s four-month old record of 150. A third consecutive 13-max performance followed, which also marked the first ever consecutive hat trick of scores over 130. During his fifth match, Mellor shattered yet another record by defeating his challenger [[Kieran Matley]] by 133 points, overcoming the previous record winning margin by 21. He was so dominant that 5 of his 8 wins were by over 100, and reduced opponents to scores of just 10 twice on the trot. He also dropped just 3 points from one of his thirty-two numbers rounds, giving him an aggregate score of a record 317 points (out of 320) from the numbers rounds alone in an octochamp run. Mellor wrapped up with a record cumulative score of 1,061 points – the first ever over 1,000 – overhauling [[Dylan Taylor]]’s record by 87 points. His average heat score is also the first ever over 125 (132.625).
<noinclude>{{episode|previous=Template:FA April|next=Template:FA June}}</noinclude>
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Qualifying as the #1 seed, Mellor faced the #8 seed and 6-time winner [[Mark Decouto]]. Although Mellor never went behind in the game, he undoubtedly faced his toughest opposition to date. Decouto reduced Elliott to a score of 109 to 73, having beaten Mellor with the 8-letter word {{word|PROCLAIM}}. Nevertheless, Mellor beat Decouto comfortably, although Decouto was only 13 points behind by Round 12. Mellor next defeated #4-seeded [[Maggie Barlow]] with a commanding performance featuring 13 maxed rounds, including the [[darren|darrenic]] {{word|CAJEPUT}} and {{word|MELODION}} and a sub-second solution on the tricky conundrum {{word|IBURPTOOL}}.
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In the final against number 2 seed [[Dinos Sfyris]], the game was close under pressure. Mellor lost out on a potential 18 points in the first round after deciding not to risk the nine letter word {{word|FILATURES}}. Sfyris then defeated Mellor in the first numbers game, in which Mellor chose six small, to take the lead. Throughout the game, Mellor clawed his way back to near distance of Sfyris with his plays of {{word|COALISED}} and {{word|DEFROST}}, whilst Sfyris beat him with findings of {{word|TREASURE}} and {{word|GOATISH}} to retain the lead despite a failed attempt to wing it with {{word|forestudy x}}. Ultimately, Sfyris solved a very difficult crucial conundrum – ending Mellor’s run of 10 solved conundrums in a row – and won the series by 20 points to relegate Mellor to runner-up spot. Nonetheless, Mellor broke yet another record set by Siempre two series ago; highest cumulative score – 1,373 points – across a single series.
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<noinclude>{{episode|previous=Template:FA April|next=Template:FA June}}[[Category:Templates|FA05]]</noinclude>

Latest revision as of 21:29, 1 February 2023

Elliott Mellor.png

Elliott Mellor was an octochamp and the runner-up of Series 80. He is a Maths Student at Manchester Metropolitan University from Oldham.

He is also an Apterite who peaked at No.1 in the Pro Ranks on Apterous, less than 12 months after joining the site. Arguably one of the most talented and dominant Apterites ever, he made his TV debut on 9 November 2018 as the audience member who solved the conundrum after a failed attempt from both contestants.

Mellor first appeared as a contestant in Series 80 on Thursday 16 May 2019 against 2 game winner Arran Cleminson, maxing 13 rounds and setting the then highest-ever debut score: 131. He spotted impressive word findings such as TAIAPURE and NEOTERISM, while Cleminson scored only in the four numbers rounds. This was the start of, undoubtedly, the greatest octochamp run in Countdown history. The following day, three 9-letter words, NODALIZES, ANIMATEUR and INFRACTED, helped him card the highest-ever score of 152, toppling Zarte Siempre's four-month old record of 150. A third consecutive 13-max performance followed, which also marked the first ever consecutive hat trick of scores over 130. During his fifth match, Mellor shattered yet another record by defeating his challenger Kieran Matley by 133 points, overcoming the previous record winning margin by 21. He was so dominant that 5 of his 8 wins were by over 100, and reduced opponents to scores of just 10 twice on the trot. He also dropped just 3 points from one of his thirty-two numbers rounds, giving him an aggregate score of a record 317 points (out of 320) from the numbers rounds alone in an octochamp run. Mellor wrapped up with a record cumulative score of 1,061 points – the first ever over 1,000 – overhauling Dylan Taylor’s record by 87 points. His average heat score is also the first ever over 125 (132.625).

Qualifying as the #1 seed, Mellor faced the #8 seed and 6-time winner Mark Decouto. Although Mellor never went behind in the game, he undoubtedly faced his toughest opposition to date. Decouto reduced Elliott to a score of 109 to 73, having beaten Mellor with the 8-letter word PROCLAIM. Nevertheless, Mellor beat Decouto comfortably, although Decouto was only 13 points behind by Round 12. Mellor next defeated #4-seeded Maggie Barlow with a commanding performance featuring 13 maxed rounds, including the darrenic CAJEPUT and MELODION and a sub-second solution on the tricky conundrum IBURPTOOL.

In the final against number 2 seed Dinos Sfyris, the game was close under pressure. Mellor lost out on a potential 18 points in the first round after deciding not to risk the nine letter word FILATURES. Sfyris then defeated Mellor in the first numbers game, in which Mellor chose six small, to take the lead. Throughout the game, Mellor clawed his way back to near distance of Sfyris with his plays of COALISED and DEFROST, whilst Sfyris beat him with findings of TREASURE and GOATISH to retain the lead despite a failed attempt to wing it with forestudy x. Ultimately, Sfyris solved a very difficult crucial conundrum – ending Mellor’s run of 10 solved conundrums in a row – and won the series by 20 points to relegate Mellor to runner-up spot. Nonetheless, Mellor broke yet another record set by Siempre two series ago; highest cumulative score – 1,373 points – across a single series.