Natascha Kearsey

Natascha Kearsey first appeared on Countdown on 14 April 1997, beating Pete Cashmore 46-34 in the 11th heat of series 35. She quickly amassed a further 7 wins to become an octochamp and #2 seed. In the final rounds, she beat Piers Brown 62-31 before losing to Pete Cashmore in a rematch of their earlier heat game. Her performances were enough to earn her a place in Championship of Champions IX, where she beat Christine White, James Martin and Ruth Collier on her way to the final, a third match between her and Pete Cashmore. natascha led by 2 points going into the crucial conundrum, which neither player spotted within the 30 seconds, meaning Natascha became the nith champion of champions, and to date the only woman to win a championship of champions.

Natascha returned to the Countdown studios once again in 2003 to record a special game pitting her against the unbeaten Scott Mearns. In this special 'champion of champion of champions' match, Natascha ran out the 109-100 winner, and became the first and only person to beat Scott at a game of Countdown.

Preceded by Chris Rogers

Champion of Champions Championship of Champions IX

Followed by Scott Mearns