Episode 7860

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The highest ever score on Countdown!

Episode 7860 was broadcast on 29 September 2022, as part of Series 86.

Tom Stevenson played Lauren Bowley, with Tom Stevenson winning 154 – 28. The Dictionary Corner guest was Eve Muirhead, and the lexicographer was Susie Dent.

This game broke a few records:

• Stevenson's score of 154 points was the highest ever achieved on Countdown, surpassing Elliott Mellor's previous record of 152, as well as the highest score spotting three 9-letter words in the process.
• His performance was also a max game — the twelfth in the history of Countdown, the first in a heat game in the new 15-round format, and naturally, the highest-scoring max of all time, topping Luke Johnson-Davies' previous high of 136 points.
• This is also the second time a max has ever been achieved in a preliminary game, the first being Kirk Bevins' one back in 2009.

Rounds

Rnd	Selection	Tom Stevenson	Score	Lauren Bowley	Others	Max.
1	TESCATREA	CASTRATE	8 – 8	CASTRATE	ACETATES*, RASCETTA*, RASCETTE*, STEARATE*	8
2	GNIETFGER	GREETING	16 – 8	FREEING		16
3	4 6 7 8 3 3 → 208	208 (7 × 4 − 6 ÷ 3) × 8	26 – 8	207		26
TTT	LUTEAREA	Hugh had dinner with a poet.			LAUREATE
4	LSIUWLDAO	DISALLOW	34 – 8	SWILL		34
5	EUTANFSCA	NUTCASE	41 – 8	FAUNAS	ACUATES*, CAFTANS, CATENAS*, FAUCETS*	41
6	50 4 1 7 2 2 → 689	689 (7 × 50 − 4) × 2 − 2 − 1	51 – 8	688		51
7	TWGOEAPKL	GELATO	57 – 8	POLKA	KGOTLA*, KOTWAL*, LEGATO*, LOWAGE*, PELOTA*, POTAGE*, TOWAGE	57
8	BTEIMSORN	BRIMSTONE	75 – 8	tersion ☓		75
9	25 1 9 10 10 9 → 225	225 9 × 25	85 – 18	225 (10 + 10) × (9 + 1) + 25		85
TTT	DOWNSIDE	The downside is they're going to stop funding you.			DISENDOW
10	QOELRIHSE	HEROISE	92 – 18	HOLES	LOERIES*	92
11	IAMRENLIN	MAINLINER	110 – 18	LINEAR		110
12	TGOIRVSEH	OVERSIGHT	128 – 18	SHIVER		128
13	PCUSAXENJ	PECANS	134 – 18	excuse ☓	PUCANS*, UNCAPS*, UNCASE*, UPCASE*, USANCE*	134
14	10 3 8 2 5 6 → 108	108 (8 + 2) × 10 + 5 + 3	144 – 28	108 5 × 2 × 10 + 8		144
15	UNLETOVER	VOLUNTEER (3.25 seconds)	154 – 28			154