Episode 7860

The highest ever score on Countdown.

Episode 7860 was broadcast on 29 September 2022, as part of Series 86.

Tom Stevenson played Lauren Bowley, with Tom Stevenson winning 154 – 28. The Dictionary Corner guest was Eve Muirhead, and the lexicographer was Susie Dent.

This game broke a few records:

Stevenson's score of 154 points was the highest ever achieved on Countdown, surpassing Elliott Mellor's previous record of 152 as well as the highest score spotting three nine-letter words in the process.
His performance was also a max game — the twelfth in the history of Countdown, the first in a heat game in the new 15-round format and the highest-scoring max of all time topping Luke Johnson-Davies' previous high of 136 points.
This is also the second time a max has ever been achieved in a preliminary game in the 15-round format, the first being Kirk Bevins' one on 4 March 2009.

Rounds

Rnd	Selection	Tom Stevenson	Score	Lauren Bowley	Others	Max.
1	TESCATREA	CASTRATE	8 – 8	CASTRATE	ACETATES, RASCETTA, RASCETTE, STEARATE	8
2	GNIETFGER	GREETING	16 – 8	FREEING		16
3	4 6 7 8 3 3 → 208	208 (7 × 4 − 6 ÷ 3) × 8	26 – 8	207		26
TTT	LUTEAREA	Hugh had dinner with a poet.			LAUREATE
4	LSIUWLDAO	DISALLOW	34 – 8	SWILL		34
5	EUTANFSCA	NUTCASE	41 – 8	FAUNAS	ACUATES, CAFTANS, CATENAS, FAUCETS*	41
6	50 4 1 7 2 2 → 689	689 (7 × 50 − 4) × 2 − 2 − 1	51 – 8	688		51
7	TWGOEAPKL	GELATO	57 – 8	POLKA	KGOTLA, KOTWAL, LEGATO, LOWAGE, PELOTA, POTAGE, TOWAGE	57
8	BTEIMSORN	BRIMSTONE	75 – 8	tersion ☓		75
9	25 1 9 10 10 9 → 225	225 9 × 25	85 – 18	225 (10 + 10) × (9 + 1) + 25		85
TTT	DOWNSIDE	The downside is they're going to stop funding you.			DISENDOW
10	QOELRIHSE	HEROISE	92 – 18	HOLES	LOERIES*	92
11	IAMRENLIN	MAINLINER	110 – 18	LINEAR		110
12	TGOIRVSEH	OVERSIGHT	128 – 18	SHIVER		128
13	PCUSAXENJ	PECANS	134 – 18	excuse ☓	PUCANS, UNCAPS, UNCASE, UPCASE, USANCE*	134
14	10 3 8 2 5 6 → 108	108 (8 + 2) × 10 + 5 + 3	144 – 28	108 5 × 2 × 10 + 8		144
15	UNLETOVER	VOLUNTEER (3.25 seconds)	154 – 28			154