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Episode Cats161

From Countdown

Episode Cats161, billed as 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Series 26, Episode 4, was a special episode broadcast on 9 August 2024, as part of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Series 26. This episode was recorded in 2022 as evident by the truncated desk set from COVID-19 times and premiered on Australian BBC UKTV on 24 January 2024, months before being transmitted in the UK.

The team captains were Richard Ayoade and Jon Richardson, their teammates were Laura Smyth and Katherine Ryan respectively, while Jimmy Carr reprised his role as the presenter.

The match saw Jon Richardson, with the assistance of Katherine Ryan, winning by 46 – 45 in a 8-rounder and they won a Countdown home decorating kit which was a bucket of green paint complimentary with a pair of roller brushes.

Rachel Riley was, as ever, the arithmetician. The Dictionary Corner guest was Mat Ewins, and the lexicographer was Susie Dent.

Interesting and notable moments from the episode are listed below:

1) During the Introduction, Laura's presented her teapot that she received for winning an episode in the regular version of the show in 2004. A snippet of Round 2 from the following episode in which Laura declared GONADS was shown afterwards.

2) During the 30 seconds in Round 1, Jimmy threw garbage into the corresponding recycling bins from the centre of the studio and it ended with Susie's Word Perfect book being dumped into a dog waste bin.

3) In Round 3, the clock music was replaced with Starstruck by Years & Years. At the same time, both Jimmy and Jon played on a dance arcade machine with the studio lights changing colours according to the tune.

4) In Round 4, Laura initially declared that she got 827, but declared she had 828 after Richard declared his solution of 827, with Jimmy awarding her the ten points since she had the correct method.

5) In Round 5, as Laura was a winner in regular Countdown, the round was dubbed "The Battle of the Super Nerds" which involved both her and Jon throwing shade at each other before the letters were picked. A whopping 18 letters went on the board and points were doubled (the maximum was worth 26 points in this case). The clock music was also replaced with the techno version heard during Tension Rounds in several episodes, albeit without the sirens and the voice counting down from ten.

NOTE 1: In this version, both players' declarations were allowed, although points were only awarded for the best answer.

NOTE 2: This is the first time in five years where more than two numbers games were featured in a Catsdown episode, the last being on 26 July 2019.

Rounds

Rnd Selection Laura & Richard Score Jon & Katherine Others Max.
1 RMCPEOAUD compared ☓7
MOPED
0 – 8 CRAMPED
COMPARED
COMPADRE, CROUPADE* 8
2 7 3 6 4 9 9 → 295 285
0 – 18 295

6 × 4 × (9 + 3) + 7


18
TTT OWNGIRTH You night need two hands. THROWING
3 NDATGIOSE DIAGNOSE
goatine ☓
8 – 26 SEDATING
STAINED
AGONISED*, GODETIAS*, SEDATION*, STEADING* 26
4 50 75 1 2 9 1 → 828 828**
827
(50 × 9 + 1) × 2 − 75 + 1
18 – 26 827
823


36
TTT TAPEARSE They're moving apart. SEPARATE
Rnd Selection Laura Smyth Score Jon Richardson Others Max.
5 LYUIANERT
ONGAUHSNI
UNEARTHING 38 – 26 SLAUGHTER INAUGURATIONS, UNREASONINGLY*, UNRIGHTEOUSLY* 62
Rnd Selection Richard Ayoade Score Katherine Ryan Others Max.
6 100 50 8 7 4 2 → 584 585 38 – 36 584
(100 + 50) × 4 − 8 × 2


72
TTT ACHYLIPS No time for talking. PHYSICAL
Rnd Selection Laura & Richard Score Jon & Katherine Others Max.
7 QADELOGRE REGALED
LOADER
45 – 36 lagered ☓
RELOAD
AEROGEL*, RELODGE* 79
8 IDONEDUMP 45 – 46 IMPOUNDED
(15 seconds)
89