Celebrity Countdown Series 1

Celebrity Countdown Series 1
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Series information
First episode	23 April 1998
Last episode	18 June 1998
Highest score	47 (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall)
Number of contestants	16
Number of episodes	8

Celebrity Countdown Series 1 ran from 23 April to 18 June 1998, and was a short-lived series that, as the title suggests, pitted celebrities against each other in a game of Countdown. The format used was a shortened version of the then-standard 9-round format – dropping a letters game from each half to reduce the total number of rounds to seven. Thus the format was half of the 14-round format used for grand finals in the 9-round era. This format had also been used in the special episode played on Christmas Day 1997 between Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman – that show is occasionally credited as part of the celebrity series. The show was broadcast on Thursday evenings, but only lasted for eight episodes.

Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
C1	23/04/1998	CC	Des Lynam	32 – 17	Siân Lloyd	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Magnus Magnusson	Anna Eaton	59
C2	30/04/1998	CC	Jo Brand	37 – 29	Arthur Smith	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bamber Gascoigne	Susie Dent	60
C3	07/05/1998	CC	Edwina Currie	18 – 20	Charles Kennedy	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Roy Hattersley	Susie Dent	62
C4	14/05/1998	CC	Jilly Goolden	9 – 47	Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Patrick Lichfield	Susie Dent	58
C5	28/05/1998	CC	Ron Atkinson	39 – 27	Eamonn Holmes	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Andy Gray	Mark Nyman	61
C6	04/06/1998	CC	Jill Dando	20 – 41	Alastair Stewart	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					John Cole	Mark Nyman	79
C7	11/06/1998	CC	Loyd Grossman	20 – 23	David Steel	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Lucinda Lambton	Mark Nyman	59
C8	18/06/1998	CC	Alan Coren	35 – 29	Graeme Garden	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Matthew Parris	Susie Dent	59