Michael Calder (Series 42)

Michael Calder (Series 42) Octochamp Statistics
Final position	Champion
Seeding	2
Points total	462
Conundrums solved	5 (+2 tiebreaks)

For other people called Michael Calder, see Michael Calder.

Michael Calder was an octochamp in and the champion of Series 42, and a participant in Championship of Champions XI. Although his nameplate said Michael, he was referred to throughout as Mike.

He first appeared on Countdown on 31 January 2000, beating Peter Hindes 59 – 49 in a nail-biting game, only triumphing after a sudden death conundrum. Calder went on to win a further 7 games, including another via a sudden death conundrum, and returned for the final rounds as an octochamp and No. 2 seed.

He first beat Helen Wrigglesworth in the quarter-finals 55 – 29, with Calder spotting FLEAPIT, RANCHEROS and the conundrum DOWORDFIT. In the semi-final, the words MORTICES and INJURED allowed him to avoid a crucial conundrum against Terence O'Farrell, which was all the less controversial because the solution to the conundrum was in fact an invalid word (SCRAPHEAP). This brought him to a final showdown with John Hastings. In the final, Calder got off to a roaring start, taking an 18 – 0 lead by declaring the brilliant 9-letter word MYOGLOBIN — statistically, the least probable nine-letter word ever spotted on Countdown. [1] Calder eventually won by a score of 101 – 72, becoming a Xicount and the champion of the 42nd series in the process.

Calder was invited back for Championship of Champions XI in 2003, and had the distinction of playing the first ever game on the purple-and-pink set that would be used on Countdown for six years. Unfortunately, he was beaten by Loz Sands, with the main difference between the two being Sands' taking 30 points on the numbers games to Calder's 0.

Preceded by Scott Mearns

Series winner Series 42

Followed by Graham Nash

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
2699	31/01/2000	P	Peter Hindes	49 - 59*	Michael Calder	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Don Black	Susie Dent	70
2700	1/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	64 - 40	Carol Hogan	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Don Black	Susie Dent	74
2701	2/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	56* - 46	Clarissa Caröe	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Don Black	Susie Dent	72
2702	3/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	50 - 46	Gerry Ratzin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	84
2703	4/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	64 - 37	Sue Meredith	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	72
2704	7/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	54 - 49	Daniel Green	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	74
2705	8/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	58 - 32	Marjorie Clark	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	72
2706	9/02/2000	P	Michael Calder	57 - 47	Andrew Hulme	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	74
2792	13/06/2000	QF	Michael Calder	55 - 29	Helen Wrigglesworth	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Ned Sherrin	Damian Eadie	95
2796	22/06/2000	SF	Michael Calder	55 - 40	Terence O'Farrell	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Joan Bakewell	Damian Eadie	72
2797	23/06/2000	GF	Michael Calder	101 - 72	John Hastings	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Joan Bakewell	Damian Eadie	126
3390	6/01/2003	CP	Michael Calder	60 - 77	Loz Sands	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Martin Jarvis	Susie Dent	127

* includes 10 points from a tie-break conundrum