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James Kennedy

From Countdown
James Kennedy
octochamp statistics
Final position Quarter-finals
Seeding 7
Points total 736
Conundrums solved 5
James Kennedy, 17 years after his first appearance in Series 77.
James Kennedy solving the conundrum in Episode 7297.

James Kennedy was an octochamp in Series 77 who débuted in Series 43.

A retired teacher from Scotland, Kennedy first appeared in 2000 where he blundered on a crucial conundrum and lost by 18 points. He returned 17 years later in another close game. He got a crucial conundrum wrong again, but this time wasn’t costly as he was 7 ahead and Alex Smith comically drew a blank. Kennedy followed with his only century of his run and scored no lower than 83 in his remaining six wins, including a 1-point win over Rania Abdul-Wahab.

As a result of his octochampdom, Kennedy returned for the series finals in December, but in a long and strong series, his total of 736 points was only enough to make him the #7 seed. Despite this, he ran #2-ranked Apterite Bradley Horrocks very close in his quarter-final match, leading him by four points going into the crucial conundrum. However, Horrocks came through with a solution to GYRATIONS, and the game's result would ultimately remain true to the seed table.

Two of Kennedy's cousins have subsequently appeared on the show since his appearance – Jane Burns in Series 79, and Burns' sister Monica Quadri, who appeared in Series 80. Less than 3 and a half years after his last appearance, he was the audience member that solved the conundrum on 2 April 2020.

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
2843 20/09/2000 P Iain Macdonald 58 – 40 James Kennedy Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Damian Eadie 74
6690 18/10/2017 P Alex Smith 73 – 80 James Kennedy Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Adrian Chiles Susie Dent 132
6691 19/10/2017 P James Kennedy 105 – 39 Krishna Shukla Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Adrian Chiles Susie Dent 136
6692 20/10/2017 P James Kennedy 88 – 41 Dylan Henderson Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Adrian Chiles Susie Dent 137
6693 23/10/2017 P James Kennedy 83 – 82 Rania Abdul-Wahab Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Adrian Chiles Susie Dent 135
6694 24/10/2017 P James Kennedy 99 – 46 Ian Currie Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Adrian Chiles Susie Dent 132
6695 25/10/2017 P James Kennedy 95 – 80 John Oxley Nick Hewer Rachel Riley John Challis Susie Dent 146
6696 26/10/2017 P James Kennedy 94 – 61 Mary Anderson Nick Hewer Rachel Riley John Challis Susie Dent 125
6697 27/10/2017 P James Kennedy 92 – 52 Charlie Turner Nick Hewer Rachel Riley John Challis Susie Dent 113
6731 15/12/2017 QF Bradley Horrocks 86 – 80 James Kennedy Nick Hewer Rachel Riley Paul Zenon Susie Dent 121