Episode 5839

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Episode 5839 was broadcast on 20 December 2013, and was the Series 69 grand final.

Dylan Taylor played Callum Todd, with Callum Todd winning 126 – 116. The Dictionary Corner guest was Richard Madeley, and the lexicographer was Susie Dent.

This episode broke two records for a regular series grand final of Countdown (disregarding 30th Birthday Championship):

• Todd's score of 126 was the highest ever in a grand final at the time, beating 122 by Chris Cummins in the Series 50 grand final.
• The combined total of 242 was the highest at the time which beat 208, again in the Series 50 grand final.

NOTE 1: Both records were broken on 22 June 2018 when Zarte Siempre (the first opponent that Taylor defeated in the preliminaries) scored 128 and together with Philip Aston's score of 118, had a joint score of 246 in the Series 78 grand final.

NOTE 2: The combined total of 242 was also the highest in the new 15-round format at the time, beating 226 on 15 October 2013. It was beaten with 248 on 4 January 2016.

NOTE 3: Taylor and Todd scored maximum points in 27 of the 29 picks they offered between them.

NOTE 4: This is also the first 15-round grand final won by a contestant who previously lost a heat game in the same series, and the first won by a finalist ranked in the lower half of the seed table.

Rounds

Rnd	Selection	Dylan Taylor	Score	Callum Todd	Others	Max.
1	AJTMORETA	TERATOMA	8 – 0	MATTER	AMARETTO*	8
2	SWNVIEURO	ENVIOUS	8 – 8	SOUVENIR		16
3	2 5 4 7 6 9 → 832	832 (9 × 6 − 2) × (7 + 5 + 4)	18 – 18	832 (6 × 5 × 7 − 2) × 4		26
TTT	GOTTHERE	The two of them got there at the same time.			TOGETHER
4	DGPLEIEFS	PLEDGES	25 – 25	PLEDGES	DEFILES, FLEDGES*, SPIELED*	33
5	ANLUDITSE	INSULATED	43 – 43	INSULATED		51
6	100 8 3 10 3 7 → 314	314 (100 + 7) × 3 − 10 + 3	53 – 53	314 (100 + 8) × 3 − 10		61
7	OAORQPDLE	LEOPARD	60 – 60	PAROLED	PRELOAD*	68
8	MBTMEIOAL	IMMOLATE	68 – 68	IMMOLATE		76
9	2 4 9 6 5 8 → 160	160 8 × 5 × 4	78 – 78	160 8 × 5 × 4		86
TTT	MOLLYATE	Molly ate a plate of luxurious seafood.			TOMALLEY
10	RDSXIEOUT	OUTSIDER	86 – 86	OUTSIDER	DEXTROUS, OUTRIDES	94
11	HGOAETPFZ	POTAGE	92 – 92	POTAGE		100
12	NGNCIOAOB	CONING	98 – 98	BOOING	BAGNIO*, BONING*, CANING*, COOING, GABION*, GABOON*	106
13	EURNRVIEG	REVERING	106 – 106	REVERING		114
14	25 7 3 2 10 8 → 910	910 (8 + 3 + 2) × 7 × 10	116 – 116	910 (25 × 3 + 8 × 2) × 10		124
15	IHURTPALM		116 – 126	TRIUMPHAL (4.5 seconds)		134

External Links

• Watch this episode on Dailymotion (part 1)