Leo Smith

Leo Smith octochamp statistics
Final position	Semi-finalist
Seeding	3
Points total	869
Conundrums solved	6

Leo Smith in Series 82.

Leo Smith was an octochamp in Series 82 and a participant in Championship of Champions XVI. He was a Pest Controller from London.

Smith first appeared on 23 November 2020 against six-time winner and usually dominant player in the form of returnee, Martyn Simpson. Smith proved to be Simpson's toughest opponent, beating him in the first numbers game to take the lead. But Simpson risked POLEWARD in Round 7 to take the lead by one point, and later extended his lead in Round 11 before Smith clawed back in the following round. Smith finally unseated Simpson on a crucial conundrum to win his first game. Smith continued a very solid run of performances which included his impressive nine-letter word spots of ORIENTALS and COLOURIZE, solving six conundrums and achieving seven centuries.

Twelve days after completing his octorun, Smith began his finals campaign against No. 6 seed Phil Hulme in the third quarter-final match. Both players exchanged the lead frequently while remaining within the crucial ten-point margin in a very tense fight. But Smith's victory was eventually confirmed by the end of the final numbers round, by nabbing seven points in a six-small gamble from Hulme. Smith then took on No. 2 seed Sam Cappleman-Lynes in the second semi-final. Both players found REFASHION in the first letters round. Sam took a convincing lead but Smith beat him in three letters rounds by spotting PARBOIL, TWOCKED and DOPAMINE. But it wasn't enough as Sam broke away and won the game with 124 points to let Smith bow out in his first defeat with 83 points and finish with an overall score of 1,043 points in his 2020 run.

Smith participated in Championship of Champions XVI in January 2023 and played against Florence Cappleman-Lynes (the wife of Sam) in the year's first game. Smith would ultimately be defeated 100 – 69 by Florence, although he did produce a strong beater with TOREADOR.

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
7394	23/11/2020	P	Martyn Simpson	95 – 104	Leo Smith	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	138
7395	24/11/2020	P	Leo Smith	105 – 70	Jonnie Masterson	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Tim Rice	Susie Dent	121
7396	25/11/2020	P	Leo Smith	126 – 40	Steve Whatmore	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Samira Ahmed	Susie Dent	146
7397	26/11/2020	P	Leo Smith	114 – 81	Isabella Roper	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Samira Ahmed	Susie Dent	134
7398	27/11/2020	P	Leo Smith	107 – 51	Amaar Iqbal	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Samira Ahmed	Susie Dent	154
7399	30/11/2020	P	Leo Smith	102 – 61	Joe Timmins	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Samira Ahmed	Susie Dent	124
7400	01/12/2020	P	Leo Smith	115 – 83	Liam Coles	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Samira Ahmed	Susie Dent	124
7401	02/12/2020	P	Leo Smith	96 – 93	Nicola Newton	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Nina Wadia	Susie Dent	125
7409	14/12/2020	QF	Leo Smith	91 – 80	Phil Hulme	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	John Inverdale	Susie Dent	123
7412	17/12/2020	SF	Sam Cappleman-Lynes	124 – 83	Leo Smith	Nick Hewer	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Levi Roots	Susie Dent	157
7922	02/01/2023	CP	Florence Cappleman-Lynes	100 – 69	Leo Smith	Colin Murray	Rachel Riley				Lucy Summers	Richard Osman	Susie Dent	125