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[[Image:Harvey_Freeman.jpg|130px|right]]
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[[Image:Graham Nash.jpg|right|130px]]
'''[[Harvey Freeman]]''' was the champion of [[Series 10]], [[Championship of Champions III]] and the [[series 33|Supreme Championship]], and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Countdowners of all time. Freeman made his debut on 31 October 1986 against [[David Whiting]] as a 21-year-old Cambridge University undergraduate from Enfield, Middlesex. He won that game and the seven which followed to achieve [[octochamp]]dom with an aggregate score of 523 points. This was a record at the time, and stood for almost 14 years before being beaten by [[David Williams (Series 43)|David Williams]] in [[Series 43]]. In his second heat game, Freeman amassed 82 points which was also a record at the time. He returned for the series finals as #1 seed, and dominated his opponents [[Elisabeth Jardine]] and [[Les Martin]] in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, before going on to face [[Mike Percik]] in the grand final. Despite having {{word|OUTTAKES}} {{X}} disallowed in the second round, Harvey produced a commanding performance running out the winner by 96 points to 52.
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'''[[Graham Nash]]''' (born 25 December 1979) was an [[octochamp]] in and [[champion]] of [[Series 43]], and winner of [[Championship of Champions XI]]. Nash made his [[Countdown]] debut on July 20 2000, defeating two-times winner and [[Edinburgh Countdown Club]] member [[Melanie Beaumont]] by 60 points to 49. He demonstrated consistent scoring to polish off seven further wins, including a high score of 72 points against [[Roger Robinson]]. With an eight game total of 465 points, Nash qualified for the series finals as number 2 seed. Herein, he narrowly overcame [[Gordon Cusworth]] and [[Clare Wright]] to set up a grand final against number 5 seed [[Matthew Turner]]. In a nip and tuck game, the penultimate numbers round proved decisive as it gave Nash a 10 point advantage. He was able to hold onto until the crucial conundrum {{word|ANEWREBEL}}, which he in turn solved, to become Countdown's forty-third series champion.
  
Freeman returned for [[Championship of Champions III]], beating [[Michael Stephenson]] and [[John Clarke (Series 11)|John Clarke]] to set up a grand final against [[David Trace]]. Freeman lost out in the first conundrum to Trace, putting him ten points behind, but he scored in every other round before solving the [[crucial conundrum]] {{word|PURSUEPAT}} to win 115–107 — the highest ever score in a 14-round grand final, and the only time anyone has ever scored over 110 under that format. In 1996, Freeman participated in the [[series 33|Supreme Championship]]. Given a bye in the first round, Harvey defeated [[Ian Bebbington]] in the second round and [[Barry Grossman]] in a closely-fought group final to put himself into the series quarter-finals. Therein, he beat [[Andrew Perry]] before once again beating [[John Clarke (Series 11)|John Clarke]] in the semi-final. In the final, he faced former [[:Category:Prodigies|prodigy]] [[Allan Saldanha]]. Freeman spotted a [[nine-letter word]] in the first round and was able to hold on to his lead to win 82–79, winning the title of all-time supreme champion, and maintaining his winning streak at an unprecedented 19 games. ('''[[Harvey Freeman|more...]]''')
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Nash returned in 2003 for [[Championship of Champions XI]]. Nash's first game of the tournament pitted him against [[Series 42]] semi-finalist [[David Ballheimer]]; words including {{word|VINTAGES}} and {{word|MICROBES}} helped Nash to a comfortable 103–70 victory. Against the hotly-tipped [[Julian Fell]], Nash had {{word|formica}} {{X}} disallowed as it is listed in the [[Oxford Dictionary of English|dictionary]] as a proper noun. Fell returned the favour by having {{word|gambiers}} {{X}} disallowed, giving Nash a one point advantage which he held until the conundrum. In less than two seconds, Nash unravelled {{word|MENDMEDOC}} to beat Fell by 11 points.
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Nash defeated [[Series 47]] finalist [[Tom Hargreaves]] in his semi-final to establish a grand final against Hargreaves' old adversary [[Chris Wills]]. Wills took the lead in round 4 with {{word|GAMBADE}} but Nash levelled the scores with {{word|PENSIVE}}. In round eight Wills had {{word|mistle}} {{X}} disallowed, gifting Nash a six point lead which he held until a crucial conundrum. After 30 seconds, neither player had been able to unravel {{word|OVERSPADE}} which gave Nash a seemingly unlikely Championship of Champions victory.  He has since appeared on other television shows including ''Brainteaser'', ''Grand Slam'' and ''Divided''. ('''[[Graham Nash|more...]]''')

Revision as of 23:56, 30 April 2010

Graham Nash.jpg

Graham Nash (born 25 December 1979) was an octochamp in and champion of Series 43, and winner of Championship of Champions XI. Nash made his Countdown debut on July 20 2000, defeating two-times winner and Edinburgh Countdown Club member Melanie Beaumont by 60 points to 49. He demonstrated consistent scoring to polish off seven further wins, including a high score of 72 points against Roger Robinson. With an eight game total of 465 points, Nash qualified for the series finals as number 2 seed. Herein, he narrowly overcame Gordon Cusworth and Clare Wright to set up a grand final against number 5 seed Matthew Turner. In a nip and tuck game, the penultimate numbers round proved decisive as it gave Nash a 10 point advantage. He was able to hold onto until the crucial conundrum ANEWREBEL, which he in turn solved, to become Countdown's forty-third series champion.

Nash returned in 2003 for Championship of Champions XI. Nash's first game of the tournament pitted him against Series 42 semi-finalist David Ballheimer; words including VINTAGES and MICROBES helped Nash to a comfortable 103–70 victory. Against the hotly-tipped Julian Fell, Nash had formica ☓ disallowed as it is listed in the dictionary as a proper noun. Fell returned the favour by having gambiers ☓ disallowed, giving Nash a one point advantage which he held until the conundrum. In less than two seconds, Nash unravelled MENDMEDOC to beat Fell by 11 points.

Nash defeated Series 47 finalist Tom Hargreaves in his semi-final to establish a grand final against Hargreaves' old adversary Chris Wills. Wills took the lead in round 4 with GAMBADE but Nash levelled the scores with PENSIVE. In round eight Wills had mistle ☓ disallowed, gifting Nash a six point lead which he held until a crucial conundrum. After 30 seconds, neither player had been able to unravel OVERSPADE which gave Nash a seemingly unlikely Championship of Champions victory. He has since appeared on other television shows including Brainteaser, Grand Slam and Divided. (more...)