Andrew Hulme

Andrew Hulme octochamp statistics
Final position	Runner-up
Seeding	1
Points total	930
Conundrums solved	7

Andrew Hulme in Series 61...

...and four years later in the 30th Birthday Championship.

Andrew Hulme was a contestant in Series 42, the winner of the Junior Championship, the runner-up of Series 61 and was a participant in the 30th Birthday Championship. He is also an Apterite. As of his first appearance, he was from Ketton, Rutland. As of his Junior Championship appearances, he was at Casterton College. As of his Series 61 appearances, he was an economics student at Warwick University. As of his 30th Birthday Championship appearances, he was a competitive poker player from Nottingham.

Hulme's grandfather, Ernie, appeared as a contestant in Series 44.

On-screen

Series 42

He first appeared in February 2000 at around 11 years of age. Here he faced seven-time winner and eventual Series 42 champion, Michael Calder. Hulme kept up with Calder, with the scores level going into the conundrum, but Calder solved BINGONUTT, defeating Hulme and earning the title of octochamp.

Junior Championship

Hulme's next appearance was midway through Series 47, when, aged 13, he took part in and won a special three-day Junior Championship, prevailing over future finalist Amey Deshpande and Scrabble champion Perry Fung to emerge the victor.

Series 61

Seven years after his Junior victory, Hulme returned to Countdown as an adult near the start of Series 61. In his debut episode against Micheal Harris, both contestants spotted two nines, and while Harris made a score of 101, Hulme achieved an incredible 133, the then second highest debut score in history. Hulme rattled off seven more wins, and while none of his other opponents achieved centuries, he himself maintained his skill to the end, spotting such words as MINNEOLA and EXTRINSIC and never scoring below 101 en route to becoming an octochamp.

He became only the third contestant to score centuries in all eight heat games, and also the fourth to score over 900 points after Julian Fell, Craig Beevers and Kirk Bevins. Most notably, his octochamp total of 930 points broke the previous record of 925 set by Bevins in Series 60. That record was beaten narrowly, though, by Jack Hurst in Series 63.

In the quarter-finals, number one seed Hulme took on number eight seed Jacqueline Baker, and after some very tough rounds (including an unsolved conundrum to which the solution was GRIMALKIN), he won 86 – 42, his lowest score in the 15-round format. Hulme's score improved to 95 in his semi-final thanks to POLEAXE, SOUNDEST and an excellent final numbers game. This brought him to the grand final against Chris Davies. Although Hulme performed very well in the numbers rounds, he was ultimately outclassed by his opponent's spots of TETRODE and DIARISES, and made an inspired attempt at an invalid nine, houseload ☓. This makes Hulme the first 900 club member not to win a series.

30th Birthday Championship

He returned to Countdown in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the 30th Birthday Championship. He won his first match against the then reigning Champion of Champions, Steven Briers, by a score of 113 – 74, before losing 91 – 98 to Series 66 runner-up Jonathan Rawlinson on a crucial conundrum.

Preceded by Jimmy Gough

Series runner-up Series 61

Followed by Nicki Sellars

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
2706	09/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	57 – 47	Andrew Hulme	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	74
3208	13/03/2002	JSF	Andrew Hulme	66 – 44	Amey Deshpande	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Andi Peters	Phiona Stanley	82
3209	14/03/2002	JF	Andrew Hulme	53 – 41	Perry Fung	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Andi Peters	Phiona Stanley	72
4857	09/07/2009	P	Micheal Harris	101 – 133	Andrew Hulme	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Donal MacIntyre	Susie Dent	155
4858	10/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	116 – 52	Eileen Broadhead	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Donal MacIntyre	Susie Dent	132
4859	13/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	111 – 21	Gordon Armour	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Ian Hyland	Susie Dent	126
4860	14/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	119 – 48	Steven Davenport	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Ian Hyland	Susie Dent	139
4861	15/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	101 – 50	Jonathan Good	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Ian Hyland	Susie Dent	121
4862	16/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	104 – 19	Barbara Speak	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Ian Hyland	Susie Dent	121
4863	17/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	118 – 64	Vicky Smith	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Ian Hyland	Susie Dent	139
4864	20/07/2009	P	Andrew Hulme	128 – 52	Mike Olive	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Anton du Beke	Susie Dent	144
4947	10/12/2009	QF	Andrew Hulme	86 – 42	Jacqueline Baker	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Dr Phil Hammond	Susie Dent	118
4951	16/12/2009	SF	Ryan Taylor	48 – 95	Andrew Hulme	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Rory McGrath	Susie Dent	116
4953	18/12/2009	GF	Andrew Hulme	86 – 117	Chris Davies	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Rory McGrath	Susie Dent	120
5622	16/01/2013	30BP	Andrew Hulme	113 – 74	Steven Briers	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Martin Lewis	Susie Dent	127
5639	08/02/2013	30B1	Andrew Hulme	91 – 98	Jonathan Rawlinson	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Kate Adie	Susie Dent	115