Special episode

A special episode is an episode that is not part of the main Countdown series, but is shown to fill a gap in the Channel 4 schedule – typically due to an unexpected absence of cricket or racing – or occasionally for some other reason.

List of special episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
445	13/10/1986	Champions of Champions I & II	Clive Freedman	67 – 76	Mark Nyman	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman			Cathy Hytner	Gyles Brandreth, Bill Tidy	Catherine Clarke	114
495	2/02/1987	500th show	Bill Tidy with Mark Nyman, Brian Hudson, Peter Evans, and Darryl Francis	41 – 32	Gyles Brandreth with Clive Freedman, Michael Wylie, Joyce Cansfield, and Harvey Freeman	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman			Cathy Hytner	none	Della Thompson	67
1003	2/07/1990	1000th show	Allan Saldanha	94 – 93	Tim Morrissey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Gyles Brandreth, Richard Stilgoe	Catherine Clarke	121
1523	4/07/1994	1500th show	Gareth Williams	62 – 99	Allan Saldanha	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Mark Nyman	129
CS1997	25/12/1997	Christmas Special	Richard Whiteley	30 – 43	Carol King	William G Stewart	Susie Dent					Magnus Magnusson	Mark Nyman	59
Gotcha	25/11/1998	Noel's House Party Gotcha	Amanda Richards	36 – 58	Richard Max	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent	106
2874	2/11/2000	18th Birthday	Gyles Brandreth and Mark Nyman	50 – 46	Jo Brand and Damian Eadie	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	none	Susie Dent	74
S1	26/05/2003	Husband & Wife	Stuart Barker	98 – 78	Daphne Barker	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent	119
S2	25/07/2003	Replayed Series 40 Final	Terence English	92 – 57	Glynn Leaney	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent	118
S3	4/08/2003	High Scoring Losers	Terry Rattle	94 – 78	Elfie Winterton	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent	122
S4	18/08/2003	Maths Teachers	Mark Roper	95 – 68	Ruth Atkin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	151
S5	25/08/2003	Solicitors	Simon Cobb	88 – 93	David Stainer	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	138
S6	2/09/2003	Clergymen	Alan Wright	71 – 97	John Povey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	126
S7	3/09/2003	Scrabble Masters	Brett Smitheram	87 – 101	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Damian Eadie	118
S8	8/09/2003	Replayed Series 31 Final	David Acton	70 – 104	Kenneth Michie	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Damian Eadie	141
S9	9/09/2003	Champions of Champions IX & X	Scott Mearns	100 – 109	Natascha Kearsey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard	137
S10	10/09/2003	Police Officers	Debbie Haycock	81 – 61	Peter Brinkley	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent	128
S11	11/09/2003	High Scoring Losers II	Melanie Beaumont	83 – 126	Linda Dawe	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard	140
S12	12/09/2003	Yearly Champion 2002	Julian Fell	100 – 92	Chris Wills	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard	123
SNT	2004	Ant & Dec	Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly	6 – 10	Sheila Clement-Jones	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					none	Carol Vorderman	28
S13	15/03/2004	Publicans	Paul Burlinson	66 – 84	Pamela Roud	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard	117
S14	19/03/2004	Father & Daughter	Sally Hutchings	104 – 87	Peter Hutchings	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent	130
S15	14/06/2004	Replayed Series 35 Final	Pete Cashmore	66 – 107	Dag Griffiths	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	121
S16	26/07/2004	Replayed Series 39 Final	Richard Saldanha	83 – 92	Kate Ogilvie	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent	121
S17	2/08/2004	Aficionados	Mike Brown	113 – 70	Nita Marr	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent	133
S18	13/08/2004	Replayed Series 37 Final	Ray McPhie	104 – 89	Christine White	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent	121
S19	23/08/2004	Mother & Son	Margaret Sambrooks	95 – 47	Tony Brooks	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard	131
S20	30/08/2004	Starlets	Lucy Guile	66 – 76	James Robinson	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard	116
S21	20/12/2004	Brothers	Sandeep Mazumder	72 – 67	Sanjay Mazumder	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent	118
S22	25/03/2005	Cabaret Entertainers	John Marlowe	56 – 91	Alf Berry	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard	122
S23	30/05/2005	Starlets	Austin Shin	98 – 67	Beth Sutton	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard	133
S(24)	UNRELEASED	Replayed Series 38 Final	Steve Fisher	?	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard	???
S(25)	UNRELEASED	Old Countdownians	Joyce Cansfield	90 – 56	Dixie Baird	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard	128
4473	2/11/2007	25th Anniversary	Chris Wills	58 – 69	Conor Travers	Des O'Connor	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	none	Alison Heard	110
CBB	11/01/2010	Celebrity Big Brother challenge	Last Legs	12 – 53	Chris Davies	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Kaye Adams	Susie Dent	56
S26	15/03/2010	Yearly Champion 2009	Chris Davies	77 – 81	Kirk Bevins	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Gary Osborne	Susie Dent	120
S27	26/07/2010	High Scoring Losers III	Micheal Harris	73 – 105	Lesley Hines	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Gary Osborne	Susie Dent	120
S28	2/08/2010	Young Stars	Kai Laddiman	84 – 90	Dinos Sfyris	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Gary Osborne	Susie Dent	141
S29	16/08/2010	Replayed Series 59 Final	Charlie Reams	87 – 67	Junaid Mubeen	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Gary Osborne	Susie Dent	117
S30	14/03/2011	Deciding Special	Nicki Sellars	94 – 101	Lee Graham	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					John Parrott	Susie Dent	130
S31	25/07/2011	Female Finalists	Claudia Tyson	85 – 79	Debbi Flack	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Penny Smith	Susie Dent	121
S(32)	UNRELEASED	?	?	? – ?	?	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Penny Smith	Susie Dent	???
S(33)	UNRELEASED	?	?	? – ?	?	Jeff Stelling	Rachel Riley					Penny Smith	Susie Dent	???
S34	12/03/2012	Sister & Brother	Jordan Humphries	71 – 48	Jamie Humphries	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Pam Ayres	Susie Dent	127
S35	30/07/2012	Yearly Champion 2011	Graeme Cole	71 – 107	Edward McCullagh	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Mark Foster	Susie Dent	119
S36	13/09/2012	Female Winners	Gerri Kostrzewa	75 – 86	Kerry-Anne Alcock	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Alistair McGowan	Susie Dent	132
S37	14/09/2012	Husband & Wife	Jayshree Patel	85 – 79	Magnus Mackereth	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Jon Culshaw	Susie Dent	123
S38	28/09/2012	Male Finalists	Peter Lee	132 – 72	Dave Taylor	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Alistair McGowan	Susie Dent	137
S39	2/07/2013	Lovebirds	Michelle Nevitt	81 – 88	Ryan Taylor							Dave Spikey	Susie Dent	119
S40	12/12/2014	Battle of the Bobbys	Bobby Banerjee	65 – 82	Bobby Johnson	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Arlene Phillips	Susie Dent	122
S41	22/12/2014	Senior Females	Eileen Taylor	91 – 86	Priscilla Munday	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Arlene Phillips	Susie Dent	141
S42	23/12/2014	Battle of the Mc's	Duncan McGregor	53 – 97	Michael McDowell	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Arlene Phillips	Susie Dent	132
S43	6/04/2015	Sisters	Olivia Lloyd-Potts	64 – 67	Pauline Latham	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Gyles Brandreth	Susie Dent	122
S44	10/04/2015	Law & Order	Matt Croy	91 – 66	Craig Lingard	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Paul Zenon	Susie Dent	117
S45	8/05/2015	Veterans	Graham Nash	94 – 49	John Brackstone	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Gyles Brandreth	Susie Dent	121
S46	21/12/2020	Battle of Bingley	Tom Carey	–	George Armstrong	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley					Rory Bremner	Susie Dent
S47	22/12/2020	Series 60 & 69 Champions	Callum Todd	–	Jack Hurst	Colin Murray	Rachel Riley					Rory Bremner	Susie Dent
S48	23/12/2020	All-time greats	Conor Travers	–	Jack Worsley	Colin Murray	Rachel Riley					Rory Bremner	Susie Dent

See also

• The 2000th Edition
• Celebrity Countdown
• A Tribute to Countdown: 3000 and Counting
• 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
• Category:Special episodes
• 2020 COVID-19 hiatus

External links

• A list of repeats in place of cricket on The Countdown Page.