Episode 8882

Episode 8882 was broadcast on 22 October 2026, as part of Series 94.

Hazel played Alan, with Hazel winning 143 – 20. The Dictionary Corner guest was Mark Radcliffe, and the lexicographer was Susie Dent.

This episode was notable for the following highlights:

Hazel's performance was a max game: the seventeenth in the history of Countdown, the fifth in a heat game in the new 15-round format, and the second that had occurred in 2026.
This was only the second time that a max game was known to have been achieved in any format by a female contestant, the first being Jenny Haldane back on 5 August 1988.
Her score of 143 was the highest score ever achieved by a female contestant, breaking the record set by Jen Steadman back on 4 September 2013.

Rounds

Rnd	Selection	Hazel	Score	Alan	Others	Max.
1	TPEUASNIP	PETUNIAS	8 – 0	PANTIES	NAPPIEST, SUPINATE	8
2	UMIUGOIRL	MOGUL	13 – 0	GIRL	GUIRO, ILIUM	13
3	25 10 3 7 6 8 → 571	571 (25 × 8 − 10) × 3 + 7 − 6	23 – 0	570		23
TTT	BARLEASE	You can take back your words with this sort of pen.			ERASABLE
4	UTNEULEOD	TOLUENE	30 – 0	UNTOLD		30
5	CDGUEANEO	DECAGON	37 – 0	DEACON	CONGAED, ENCAGED, GUANOED, UNCAGED*	37
6	25 9 4 9 10 3 → 584	584 (9 × 3 − 4) × 25 + 9	47 – 0	—		47
7	TCREASEIR	TRACERIES	65 – 0	CREATES	CAREERIST*	65
8	AEHIDSOAT	TAIHOAED	73 – 0	TOADIES		73
9	75 4 7 4 8 2 → 750	750 (8 + 2) × 75	83 – 10	750 (8 + 2) × 75		83
TTT	BEARVISA	This sort of personality can rub you up the wrong way.			ABRASIVE
10	EOSIPEDIZ	EPISODE	90 – 10	DEPOSE	IODIZES, SPIEDIE*	90
11	TSWEOARSI	ROASTIES	98 – 10	SORTIES	OSTERIAS*, WAITRESS	98
12	EUPTEAONR	AUTOPEN	105 – 10	NEATER	OPERANT, OPERATE, PRONATE, PROTEAN	105
13	EIOSRNLAO	EROSIONAL	123 – 10	LOANERS		123
14	50 7 2 7 3 9 → 727	727 7 × 2 × 50 + 3 × 9	133 – 20	727 (7 + 7) × 50 + 3 × 9		133
15	RENTALDIG	TREADLING (16.5 seconds)	143 – 20			143