Ben Wilson - Revision history

TobyMcDonald at 22:00, 7 July 2024

2024-07-07T22:00:36Z

TobyMcDonald at 01:18, 23 January 2023

2023-01-23T01:18:52Z

The Doctor: de-orphan COOT 3

2023-01-05T04:32:32Z

de-orphan COOT 3

TobyMcDonald at 15:33, 26 August 2022

2022-08-26T15:33:38Z

TheWikiMan at 11:19, 21 September 2021

2021-09-21T11:19:49Z

TobyMcDonald: Remove category if I'm wrong

2021-09-14T16:24:53Z

Remove category if I'm wrong

TobyMcDonald: Removed links that don't work

2021-07-19T20:15:16Z

Removed links that don't work

Mclarenguy22 at 17:11, 23 June 2021

2021-06-23T17:11:52Z

ChrisPhilpot at 10:10, 17 June 2020

2020-06-17T10:10:34Z

Mclarenguy22 at 17:11, 31 May 2020

2020-05-31T17:11:16Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{featured article}}
-{{octostats|'''Champion'''|1|570 (from 6 games)|5 (out of 6)}}
+{{octostats|'''Champion'''|1|570|5 (out of 6)|viscount=yes}}
 [[Image:Ben Wilson.jpg|right|thumb|Ben Wilson in [[Championship of Champions XI]]...]]
 [[File:Ben Wilson.png|thumb|200px|right|...and 10 years later in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]!]]
-[[Image:Ben_Wilson_2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Ben Wilson organising a [[COLIN]] event.]]
+[[Image:Ben Wilson 2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Ben Wilson organising a [[COLIN]] event.]]
-'''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was the [[Series Winners|champion]] of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15 round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterous|Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]], and is most notable for launching the first ever [[Co-event]]: [[COLIN]] (Countdown in Lincoln), in 2005.
+'''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was a [[:Category:Viscounts|viscount]] in and the [[Series winners|champion]] of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15-round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterous|Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]], and is most notable for launching the first ever [[Co-event]] – [[COLIN]] (Countdown in Lincoln), in 2005.
 ==Appearances on the show==
 ===Heat games===
-His first programme was broadcast on [[Episode 3117|6 November 2001]]. He defeated namesake [[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]] {{score|101|70}} in his first show, before winning five more games (only six wins were needed in the first [[15 round format|15-round]] series) and becoming one of only five [[Octochamp|viscounts]] in ''[[Countdown]]'' history, famously declaring {{word|SEXPOT}}.
+His first programme was broadcast on [[Episode 3117|6 November 2001]]. He defeated namesake [[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]] {{score|101|70}} in his first show, before winning five more games (only six wins were needed in the first [[15-round format|15-round]] series) and becoming one of only five [[:Category:Viscounts|viscounts]] in ''[[Countdown]]'' history, famously declaring {{word|SEXPOT}}.
 ===Finals===
-He returned for the series finals as No. 1 seed, beating fellow Lincoln resident [[Simon Cartwright]] {{score|83|68|Episode 3146}} in the quarter-finals, and Scotland's [[Paul Ryan]] {{score|101|80|Episode 3150}} in the semi-finals after a close and tense game. In the [[Episode 3152|grand final]] on Christmas Day against [[Steve Sandalls]], the scores were level until Round 9, but Ben built up a lead of 17 points over the next two rounds with an excellent six-small [[numbers game]], and the word {{word|BONNIES}}. A series of poor rounds, including offering {{word|MACE}} for four, missing {{word|GYRATED}} and making a mistake on the final numbers game put Wilson one point behind going into the [[conundrum]], but, he was able to solve the conundrum in five seconds to become [[Series Winners|champion]] of the 46th series, and the first champion of the [[15 round format]]. Aged just 18 at the time, Ben also has the distinction of being the first ever series champion of ''[[Countdown]]'' to have been born after the show's debut on [[Channel 4]].
+He returned for the series finals as number one seed, beating fellow Lincoln resident [[Simon Cartwright]] {{score|83|68|Episode 3146}} in the quarter-finals, and Scotland's [[Paul Ryan]] {{score|101|80|Episode 3150}} in the semi-finals after a close and tense game. In the [[Episode 3152|grand final]] on Christmas Day against [[Steve Sandalls]], the scores were level until Round 9, but Ben built up a lead of 17 points over the next two rounds with an excellent six-small [[numbers game]], and the word {{word|BONNIES}}. A series of poor rounds, including offering {{word|MACE}} for four, missing {{word|GYRATED}} and making a mistake on the final numbers game put Wilson one point behind going into the [[conundrum]], but, he was able to solve the conundrum in five seconds to become [[Series winners|champion]] of the 46th series, and the first champion of the [[15-round format]]. Aged just 18 at the time, Ben also has the distinction of being the first ever series champion of ''[[Countdown]]'' to have been born after the show's debut on [[Channel 4]].
 ===Championship of Champions XI===
-Wilson was invited back for [[Championship of Champions XI]] in January 2003, where he was paired against Northern Ireland's [[Geraldine Hylands]] in the first round. Wilson scraped through, winning {{score|94|91|Episode 3394}}, but was ultimately beaten in the quarter-finals of the tournament by [[Tom Hargreaves]], by a score of {{score|131|98|Episode 3400}}. At the time, this game set the record for highest [[List of 15-round joint scores over 200|aggregate score]] in a [[15 round format|15-round]] game (229), and 98 still remains one of the highest losing score of all time. The aggregate record was not broken until the [[Championship of Champions XII|following]] [[Championship of Champions]] tournament when [[Mark Tournoff]] beat [[Matthew Shore]] by {{score|124|117|Episode 4121}}. His own record of his experience on the show can be read on [[The Countdown Page]] [http://www.thecountdownpage.com/exp-ben-wilson-1.htm here.]
+Wilson was invited back for [[Championship of Champions XI]] in January 2003, where he was paired against Northern Ireland's [[Geraldine Hylands]] in the first round. Wilson scraped through, winning {{score|94|91|Episode 3394}}, but was ultimately beaten in the quarter-finals of the tournament by [[Tom Hargreaves]], by a score of {{score|131|98|Episode 3400}}. At the time, this game set the record for highest [[List of 15-round joint scores over 200|aggregate score]] in a [[15-round format|15-round]] game (229), and 98 still remains one of the highest losing score of all time. The aggregate record was not broken until the [[Championship of Champions XII|following]] [[Championship of Champions]] tournament when [[Mark Tournoff]] beat [[Matthew Shore]] by {{score|124|117|Episode 4121}}.
 ===In the audience===
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 Wilson is the organiser of [[COLIN]], the first annual [[Co-event]] (in [[COLIN 2011|2011]], he played in his own tournament), as well as the several [[CONOT]] events. He also visited the [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] in late 2003, [[CoBris 2005]], [[CoBris 2007]], [[CoLei 2008]], [[CoLei2]], [[Co:Lon 2010]], the [[CoLei Summer Special]], [[Co:Lon 2011]], [[CobliviLon]] and [[COEDI]], and was the winner of the first ever [[Countdown in Redhill|CoRed]] tournament in March 2007.
-Away from ''Countdown'', Wilson took up [[Scrabble]] after his penultimate ''Countdown'' appearance and won his first tournament, Peterborough, in March 2008. He has not played a Scrabble tournament since 2012.
+Away from ''Countdown'', Wilson took up ''[[Scrabble]]'' after his penultimate ''Countdown'' appearance and won his first tournament, Peterborough, in March 2008. He has not played a ''Scrabble'' tournament since 2012.
 In 2019, Wilson took over from [[Stewart Holden]] as the compiler of the [[Countdown Desk Calendar]].
@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 ==External Links==
 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090727104340/http://www.nebagram.co.uk/countdownindex.htm Archive version of Neb's ''Countdown'' site V3]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Ben}}

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 [[Category:Viscounts]]
 [[Category:Contestants in Series 46]]
-[[Category:Contestants in 30th Birthday Championship]]
+[[Category:Contestants in the 30th Birthday Championship]]
 [[Category:Contestants in Championship of Champions XI]]
 [[Category:Tournament winners]]
 [[Category:Teapot owners]]
 [[Category:Contestants on ZoomDown]]

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==After ''Countdown''==
-Since his appearances on ''[[Countdown]]'', Wilson has gone on to become deeply involved in the world of online ''Countdown'', being amongst the first to play ''Countdown'' over [[MSN Messenger]], and one of the original moderators of [[c4countdown]].
+Since his appearances on ''[[Countdown]]'', Wilson has gone on to become deeply involved in the world of online ''Countdown'', being amongst the first to play ''Countdown'' over [[MSN Messenger]], organising [[COOT 3]], and one of the original moderators of [[c4countdown]].
 Wilson is the organiser of [[COLIN]], the first annual [[Co-event]] (in [[COLIN 2011|2011]], he played in his own tournament), as well as the several [[CONOT]] events. He also visited the [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] in late 2003, [[CoBris 2005]], [[CoBris 2007]], [[CoLei 2008]], [[CoLei2]], [[Co:Lon 2010]], the [[CoLei Summer Special]], [[Co:Lon 2011]], [[CobliviLon]] and [[COEDI]], and was the winner of the first ever [[Countdown in Redhill|CoRed]] tournament in March 2007.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[Image:Ben Wilson.jpg|right|thumb|Ben Wilson in [[Championship of Champions XI]]...]]
 [[File:Ben Wilson.png|thumb|200px|right|...and 10 years later in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]!]]
-[[Image:Ben_Wilson_2.jpg|right|thumb|frame|Ben Wilson organising a [[Countdown in Lincoln|COLIN]] event.]]
+[[Image:Ben_Wilson_2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Ben Wilson organising a [[COLIN]] event.]]
-'''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was the [[Series Winners|champion]] of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15 round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterous|Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]], and is most notable for launching the first ever unofficial [[Co-event|Countdown tournament]]: [[COLIN|Countdown in Lincoln, or COLIN for short]], in 2005.
+'''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was the [[Series Winners|champion]] of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15 round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterous|Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]], and is most notable for launching the first ever [[Co-event]]: [[COLIN]] (Countdown in Lincoln), in 2005.
 ==Appearances on the show==
+===Heat games===
-===Series 46===
+His first programme was broadcast on [[Episode 3117|6 November 2001]]. He defeated namesake [[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]] {{score|101|70}} in his first show, before winning five more games (only six wins were needed in the first [[15 round format|15-round]] series) and becoming one of only five [[Octochamp|viscounts]] in ''[[Countdown]]'' history, famously declaring {{word|SEXPOT}}.
 ===Finals===
-He returned for the series finals as No. 1 seed, beating fellow Lincoln resident [[Simon Cartwright]] {{score|83|68|Episode 3146}} in the quarter-finals, and Scotland's [[Paul Ryan]] {{score|101|80|Episode 3150}} in the semi-finals after a close and tense game. In the [[Episode 3152|grand final]] on Christmas Day against [[Steve Sandalls]], the scores were level until round 9, but Ben built up a lead of 17 points over the next two rounds with an excellent six-small [[numbers game]], and the word {{word|BONNIES}}. A series of poor rounds, including offering {{word|MACE}} for four, missing {{word|GYRATED}} and making a mistake on the final numbers game put Wilson 1 point behind going into the conundrum, but, he was able to solve the [[conundrum]] in 5 seconds to become champion of the 46th series, and the first champion of the [[15 round format]]. Aged just 18 at the time, Ben also has the distinction of being the first ever series champion of ''Countdown'' to have been born after the show's debut on [[Channel 4]].
+He returned for the series finals as No. 1 seed, beating fellow Lincoln resident [[Simon Cartwright]] {{score|83|68|Episode 3146}} in the quarter-finals, and Scotland's [[Paul Ryan]] {{score|101|80|Episode 3150}} in the semi-finals after a close and tense game. In the [[Episode 3152|grand final]] on Christmas Day against [[Steve Sandalls]], the scores were level until Round 9, but Ben built up a lead of 17 points over the next two rounds with an excellent six-small [[numbers game]], and the word {{word|BONNIES}}. A series of poor rounds, including offering {{word|MACE}} for four, missing {{word|GYRATED}} and making a mistake on the final numbers game put Wilson one point behind going into the [[conundrum]], but, he was able to solve the conundrum in five seconds to become [[Series Winners|champion]] of the 46th series, and the first champion of the [[15 round format]]. Aged just 18 at the time, Ben also has the distinction of being the first ever series champion of ''[[Countdown]]'' to have been born after the show's debut on [[Channel 4]].
 ===Championship of Champions XI===
-Wilson was invited back for [[Championship of Champions XI]] in January 2003, where he was paired against Northern Ireland's [[Geraldine Hylands]] in the first round. Wilson scraped through, winning {{score|94|91|Episode 3394}}, but was ultimately beaten in the quarter-finals of the tournament by [[Tom Hargreaves]], by a score of {{score|131|98|Episode 3400}}. At the time, this game set the record for highest aggregate score in a 15-round game (229), and 98 still remains one of the highest losing score of all time. The aggregate record was not broken until the [[Championship of Champions XII|following]] [[Championship of Champions]] tournament when [[Mark Tournoff]] beat [[Matthew Shore]] by {{score|124|117|Episode 4121}}. His own record of his experience on the show can be read on [[The Countdown Page]] [http://www.thecountdownpage.com/exp-ben-wilson-1.htm here.]
+Wilson was invited back for [[Championship of Champions XI]] in January 2003, where he was paired against Northern Ireland's [[Geraldine Hylands]] in the first round. Wilson scraped through, winning {{score|94|91|Episode 3394}}, but was ultimately beaten in the quarter-finals of the tournament by [[Tom Hargreaves]], by a score of {{score|131|98|Episode 3400}}. At the time, this game set the record for highest [[List of 15-round joint scores over 200|aggregate score]] in a [[15 round format|15-round]] game (229), and 98 still remains one of the highest losing score of all time. The aggregate record was not broken until the [[Championship of Champions XII|following]] [[Championship of Champions]] tournament when [[Mark Tournoff]] beat [[Matthew Shore]] by {{score|124|117|Episode 4121}}. His own record of his experience on the show can be read on [[The Countdown Page]] [http://www.thecountdownpage.com/exp-ben-wilson-1.htm here.]
 ===In the audience===
-Wilson would later have a brief cameo on the show at the end of the first [[Episode 3612|semi-final]] of [[Series 50]] between [[Chris Cummins]] and [[Adam Laws]] as the member of the audience who solved the conundrum after neither player was able to unscramble it.
+Wilson would later have a brief cameo on the show at the end of the [[Episode 3612|first semi-final]] of [[Series 50]] between [[Chris Cummins]] and [[Adam Laws]] as the member of the audience who solved the [[conundrum]] after neither player was able to unscramble it.
 ===30th Birthday Championship===
-He returned to ''Countdown'' in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He faced a tough draw in the preliminary round, facing history-making [[Series 54]] champion [[Conor Travers]]. In the match, Wilson took a 6-point lead with {{word|STOTTY}} in the second round but quickly lost his lead to Travers's play of {{word|FLORUITED}}, and lost by a score of {{score|117|91|Episode 5618}}. Travers went on to win the championship.
+He returned to ''[[Countdown]]'' in 2013, as one of 41 [[contestant]]s taking part in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He faced a tough draw in the preliminary round, facing history-making [[Series 54]] champion [[Conor Travers]]. In the match, Wilson took a six-point lead with {{word|STOTTY}} in the second round, but quickly lost his lead to Travers' play of {{word|FLORUITED}}, and lost by a score of {{score|117|91|Episode 5618}}. Travers went on to win the championship.
 ==After ''Countdown''==
-Since his appearances on ''Countdown'', Wilson has gone on to become deeply involved in the world of online ''Countdown'', being amongst the first to play ''Countdown'' over [[MSN Messenger]], and one of the original moderators of [[c4countdown]].
+Since his appearances on ''[[Countdown]]'', Wilson has gone on to become deeply involved in the world of online ''Countdown'', being amongst the first to play ''Countdown'' over [[MSN Messenger]], and one of the original moderators of [[c4countdown]].
-Wilson is the organiser of [[COLIN]], the first annual [[Co-event|Countdown tournament]] (in [[COLIN 2011|2011]], he played in his own tournament), as well as the several [[CONOT]] events. He also visited the [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] in late 2003, [[CoBris 2005]], [[CoBris 2007]], [[CoLei 2008]], [[CoLei2]], [[Co:Lon 2010]], the [[CoLei Summer Special]], [[Co:Lon 2011]], [[CobliviLon]] and [[COEDI]], and was the winner of the first ever [[Countdown in Redhill|CoRed]] tournament in March 2007.
+Wilson is the organiser of [[COLIN]], the first annual [[Co-event]] (in [[COLIN 2011|2011]], he played in his own tournament), as well as the several [[CONOT]] events. He also visited the [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] in late 2003, [[CoBris 2005]], [[CoBris 2007]], [[CoLei 2008]], [[CoLei2]], [[Co:Lon 2010]], the [[CoLei Summer Special]], [[Co:Lon 2011]], [[CobliviLon]] and [[COEDI]], and was the winner of the first ever [[Countdown in Redhill|CoRed]] tournament in March 2007.
 Away from ''Countdown'', Wilson took up [[Scrabble]] after his penultimate ''Countdown'' appearance and won his first tournament, Peterborough, in March 2008. He has not played a Scrabble tournament since 2012.
@@ Line 36: / Line 35: @@
 ==Episodes==
 {{episode table}}
-{{ep | 3117 | 6/11/2001 | P |[[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]]| 70 - 101 |Ben Wilson|[[Vanessa Feltz]]|[[Clare Pemberton]]|114}}
+{{ep | 3117 | 06/11/2001 | P |[[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]]| 70 – 101 |Ben Wilson|[[Vanessa Feltz]]|[[Clare Pemberton]]|114}}
-{{ep | 3118 | 7/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 102 - 49 |[[Jeanette Littlejohn]]|Vanessa Feltz|Clare Pemberton|152}}
+{{ep | 3118 | 07/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 102 – 49 |[[Jeanette Littlejohn]]|Vanessa Feltz|Clare Pemberton|152}}
-{{ep | 3119 | 8/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 98 - 60 |[[Bob Bride]]|Vanessa Feltz|Clare Pemberton|121}}
+{{ep | 3119 | 08/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 98 – 60 |[[Bob Bride]]|Vanessa Feltz|Clare Pemberton|121}}
-{{ep | 3120 | 9/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 90 - 80 |[[Mike Nicholson]]|Vanessa Feltz|Clare Pemberton|130}}
+{{ep | 3120 | 09/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 90 – 80 |[[Mike Nicholson]]|Vanessa Feltz|Clare Pemberton|130}}
-{{ep | 3121 | 12/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 86 - 72 |[[Pearl Norman]]|[[Nigel Rees]]|[[Phiona Stanley]]|122}}
+{{ep | 3121 | 12/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 86 – 72 |[[Pearl Norman]]|[[Nigel Rees]]|[[Phiona Stanley]]|122}}
-{{ep | 3122 | 13/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 93 - 76 |[[John Hadley]]|Nigel Rees|Phiona Stanley|123}}
+{{ep | 3122 | 13/11/2001 | P |Ben Wilson| 93 – 76 |[[John Hadley]]|Nigel Rees|Phiona Stanley|123}}
-{{ep | 3146 | 17/12/2001 | QF |Ben Wilson| 83 - 68 |[[Simon Cartwright]]|[[Denis Norden]]|[[Tania Styles]]|122}}
+{{ep | 3146 | 17/12/2001 | QF |Ben Wilson| 83 – 68 |[[Simon Cartwright]]|[[Denis Norden]]|[[Tania Styles]]|122}}
-{{ep | 3150 | 21/12/2001 | SF |[[Paul Ryan]]| 80 - 101 |Ben Wilson|Denis Norden|Tania Styles|131}}
+{{ep | 3150 | 21/12/2001 | SF |[[Paul Ryan]]| 80 – 101 |Ben Wilson|Denis Norden|Tania Styles|131}}
-{{ep | 3152 | 25/12/2001 | GF |[[Steve Sandalls]]| 75 - 84 |Ben Wilson|[[Geoffrey Durham]]|Clare Pemberton|117}}
+{{ep | 3152 | 25/12/2001 | GF |[[Steve Sandalls]]| 75 – 84 |Ben Wilson|[[Geoffrey Durham]]|Clare Pemberton|117}}
-{{ep | 3394 | 10/01/2003 | CP |Ben Wilson| 94 - 91 |[[Geraldine Hylands]]|[[Martin Jarvis]]|[[Susie Dent]]|122}}
+{{ep | 3394 | 10/01/2003 | CP |Ben Wilson| 94 – 91 |[[Geraldine Hylands]]|[[Martin Jarvis]]|[[Susie Dent]]|122}}
-{{ep | 3400 | 20/01/2003 | CQF |[[Tom Hargreaves]]| 131 - 98 |Ben Wilson|[[Eric Knowles]]|Susie Dent|144}}
+{{ep | 3400 | 20/01/2003 | CQF |[[Tom Hargreaves]]| 131 – 98 |Ben Wilson|[[Eric Knowles]]|Susie Dent|144}}
-{{ep | 5618 | 10/01/2013 | 30BP |Ben Wilson| 91 - 117 |[[Conor Travers]]|[[Dave Myers]]|Susie Dent|126}}
+{{ep | 5618 | 10/01/2013 | 30BP |Ben Wilson| 91 – 117 |[[Conor Travers]]|[[Dave Myers]]|Susie Dent|126}}
 {{episode table end}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Ben}}
 [[Category:Finalists]]
 [[Category:Viscounts]]
 [[Category:Contestants in Series 46]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:19, 21 September 2021
Line 59:		Line 59:
	[[Category:Tournament winners]]		[[Category:Tournament winners]]
	[[Category:Teapot owners]]		[[Category:Teapot owners]]
		+	[[Category:Contestants on ZoomDown]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 '''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was the champion of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15-round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]], and is most notable for launching the first ever unofficial Countdown tournament: [[Countdown in Lincoln|Countdown in Lincoln, or COLIN for short]], in 2005.
-His first programme was broadcast on 6 November 2001. He defeated namesake [[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]] {{score|101|70}} in his first show, before winning 5 more games (only 6 wins were needed in the first 15-round series) and becoming one of only five [[Octochamp|viscounts]] in Countdown history, famously declaring {{word|SEXPOT}}.
+==Appearances on the show==
-He returned for the series finals as number 1 seed, beating fellow Lincoln resident [[Simon Cartwright]] {{score|83|68}} in the quarter-finals, and Scotland's [[Paul Ryan]] {{score|101|80}} in the semi-finals after a close and tense game. In the grand final  on Christmas Day against [[Steve Sandalls]], the scores were level until round 9, but Ben built up a lead of 17 points over the next two rounds with an excellent six-small numbers game, and the word {{word|BONNIES}}. A series of poor rounds, including offering {{word|MACE}} for four, missing {{word|GYRATED}} and making a mistake on the final numbers game put Wilson 1 point behind going into the conundrum, but, he was able to solve the conundrum in 5 seconds to become champion of the 46th series, and the first champion of the [[15 round format]]. Aged just 18 at the time, Ben also has the distinction of being the first ever series champion of Countdown to have been born after the show's debut on [[Channel 4]].
+===Series 46===
-Wilson was invited back for [[Championship of Champions XI]] in January 2003, where he was paired against Northern Ireland's [[Geraldine Hylands]] in the first round. Wilson scraped through, winning {{score|94|91|Episode 3394}}, but was ultimately beaten in the quarter-finals of the tournament by [[Tom Hargreaves]], by a score of {{score|131|98|Episode 3400}}. At the time, this game set the record for highest aggregate score in a 15-round game (229), and 98 still remains one of the highest losing score of all time. Thr aggregate record was not broken until the following [[Championship of Champions XII|Championship of Champions]] tournament when [[Mark Tournoff]] beat [[Matthew Shore]] by {{score|124|117}}.  His own record of his experience on the show can be read on [[The Countdown Page]] [http://www.thecountdownpage.com/exp-ben-wilson-1.htm here.]
+===Finals===
-Wilson would later have a brief cameo on the show at the end of the [[episode 3612|semi-final]] between [[Chris Cummins]] and [[Adam Laws]] as the member of the audience who solved the conundrum after neither player was able to unscramble it.
+===Championship of Champions XI===
-He returned to Countdown in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He faced a tough draw in the preliminary round, facing history-making [[Series 54]] champion [[Conor Travers]]. In the match, Wilson took a 6-point lead with {{word|STOTTY}} in the second round but quickly lost his lead to Travers's play of {{word|FLORUITED}}, and lost by a score of {{score|117|91}}. Travers went on to win the championship.
+===In the audience===
 ==After Countdown==
@@ Line 42: / Line 49: @@
 {{ep | 5618 | 10/01/2013 | 30BP |Ben Wilson| 91 - 117 |[[Conor Travers]]|[[Dave Myers]]|Susie Dent|126}}
 {{episode table end}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Ben}}

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 [[File:Ben Wilson.png|thumb|200px|right|...and 10 years later in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]!]]
 [[Image:Ben_Wilson_2.jpg|right|thumb|frame|Ben Wilson organising a [[Countdown in Lincoln|COLIN]] event.]]
-'''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was the champion of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15-round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]].
+'''Ben Wilson''' (born 22 March 1983) was the champion of [[Series 46]], the first in the [[15-round format]]. He was also a quarter-finalist in [[Championship of Champions XI]] and a participant in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He is an [[Apterite]] and a moderator on [[c4countdown]], and is most notable for launching the first ever unofficial Countdown tournament: [[Countdown in Lincoln|Countdown in Lincoln, or COLIN for short]], in 2005.
 His first programme was broadcast on 6 November 2001. He defeated namesake [[Peter Wilson (Series 46)|Peter Wilson]] {{score|101|70}} in his first show, before winning 5 more games (only 6 wins were needed in the first 15-round series) and becoming one of only five [[Octochamp|viscounts]] in Countdown history, famously declaring {{word|SEXPOT}}.
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Wilson would later have a brief cameo on the show at the end of the [[episode 3612|semi-final]] between [[Chris Cummins]] and [[Adam Laws]] as the member of the audience who solved the conundrum after neither player was able to unscramble it.
-He returned to Countdown in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He faced a tough draw in the preliminary round, facing history-making [[Series 54]] champion [[Conor Travers]]. In the match, Wilson took a 6-point lead with {{word|STOTTY}} in the second round but quickly lost his lead to Travers’s play of {{word|FLORUITED}}, and lost by a score of {{score|117|91}}. Travers went on to win the championship.
+He returned to Countdown in 2013, as one of 41 contestants taking part in the [[30th Birthday Championship]]. He faced a tough draw in the preliminary round, facing history-making [[Series 54]] champion [[Conor Travers]]. In the match, Wilson took a 6-point lead with {{word|STOTTY}} in the second round but quickly lost his lead to Travers's play of {{word|FLORUITED}}, and lost by a score of {{score|117|91}}. Travers went on to win the championship.
 ==After Countdown==
 Since his appearances on Countdown, Wilson has gone on to become deeply involved in the world of online Countdown, being amongst the first to play Countdown over [[MSN Messenger]], and one of the original moderators of [[c4countdown]].
-Wilson is organiser of [[Countdown in Lincoln|COLIN]], the first annual Countdown tournament (and in [[COLIN 2011|2011]] played in his own tournament), as well as the three [[CoNot]] events.  He also visited the [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] in late 2003, [[CoBris 2005]], [[CoBris 2007]], [[CoLei 2008]], [[CoLei2]], [[Co:Lon 2010]], the [[CoLei Summer Special]], [[Co:Lon 2011]], [[CobliviLon]], [[COEDI]], and was the winner of the first ever [[CoRed]] tournament in March 2007.
+Wilson is the organiser of [[Countdown in Lincoln|COLIN]], the first annual Countdown tournament (in [[COLIN 2011|2011]], he played in his own tournament), as well as the several [[CoNot]] events. He also visited the [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] in late 2003, [[CoBris 2005]], [[CoBris 2007]], [[CoLei 2008]], [[CoLei2]], [[Co:Lon 2010]], the [[CoLei Summer Special]], [[Co:Lon 2011]], [[CobliviLon]] and [[COEDI]], and was the winner of the first ever [[CoRed]] tournament in March 2007.
-Away from Countdown, Wilson took up [[Scrabble]] after his penultimate Countdown appearance. He's an [[Association of British Scrabble Players]] member and won his first tournament, Peterborough, in March 2008.
+Away from Countdown, Wilson took up [[Scrabble]] after his penultimate Countdown appearance and won his first tournament, Peterborough, in March 2008. He has not played a Scrabble tournament since 2012.
 In 2019, Wilson took over from [[Stewart Holden]] as the compiler of the Countdown puzzle [[Countdown Desk Calendar|calendar]].