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Difference between revisions of "Contestant"

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A '''contestant''' is someone who a appears on the show as a player, rather than as a [[presenter]] or a [[guest]]. They are broadly divided into two categories, champions and challengers.  
 
A '''contestant''' is someone who a appears on the show as a player, rather than as a [[presenter]] or a [[guest]]. They are broadly divided into two categories, champions and challengers.  
  
A champion is a player that's already won a game and sits in the seat to the left of the screen. This player only gets one choice of numbers under the current [[15 round format|15-round system]] but gets an extra choice of letters. Champions are also entitled to a [[teapot]] which has the words '''Countdown winner''' written on it, to show that the teapot is only ever given to players who win at least one game. The term [[Series|Series champion]] is often used to distinguish between players that have won an entire Series and players that have just won one or more games.
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A champion is a player that's already won a game and since [[Episode 2108]] has sat in the seat to the left of the screen. Champions are entitled to a [[teapot]] which has the words '''Countdown winner''' written on it, to show that the teapot is only ever given to players who win at least one game. The term [[Series|Series champion]] is often used to distinguish between players that have won an entire Series and players that have just won one or more games.
  
A challenger by definition is a player that has never appeared on the show before, except a few exceptional cases where a player has retired for personal reasons and come back. This player gets two choices of numbers but only 5 choices of letters, one less than the champion. Sometimes if a player retires, almost always because he or she has become an [[Octochamp]] there are two challengers and no champion. These players debatably have an advantage over other challengers because they do not have to face a player that's already played and won other games.
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A challenger by definition is a player that has never appeared on the show before, except a few exceptional cases where a player has retired for personal reasons and come back.
  
Contestants in special games are not counted as champions or challengers, because they have both played games before and neither of them is the current champion, just a player who's been invited back by the production team. Finalists are not usually regarded as champions or challengers either, because they have both won games. Who gets which seat is determined by a coin toss done by the production team.  
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Sometimes, after a player retires, almost always because he or she has become an [[Octochamp]], there are two challengers and no champion. These players debatably have an advantage over other challengers because they do not have to face a player that's already played and won other games.
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 +
Contestants in special games are not counted as champions or challengers, because they have both played games before (with [[Tony Brooks|one exception]]) and neither of them is the current champion, just a player who's been invited back by the production team.
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Finalists are not usually regarded as champions or challengers either, because they have both won games (again, with [[David Myerscough|one exception]]). Until [[Series 65]], seat allocations for finals games were determined by a coin toss done by the production team. In [[Series 66]] and [[Series 67|67]], the higher-seeded player always received the challenger's chair, presumably because the challenger's choice of two numbers games in the [[15 round format (old)|old 15-round format]] offered a perceived advantage. When the less biased [[15 round format (new)|"new" 15-round format]] was introduced in [[Series 68]], this system was partially reversed. The higher seed now receives the champion's chair in each quarter-final, while in the semi-finals and grand finals, the champion's chair is sometimes given to the player whose previous match was first chronologically (1st QF, 2nd QF or 1st SF) and other times simply to the higher seed.
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For the purposes of differentiating between which Contestant presses their button to offer a solution first on a [[Conundrum]], both the Champion's and Challenger's nameplates have a lamp which illuminates when their button is pressed, with the Champion's button also sounding as a "bell", and the Challenger's as a "buzzer".
  
 
==Records==
 
==Records==
 
===9 rounds===
 
===9 rounds===
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*Highest score:
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**by a champion – 82 by [[Harvey Freeman]] and [[Lucy Roberts]]
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**by a challenger – 83 by [[Stephen Balment]]
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**by a finalist – 83 by [[Allan Saldanha]]
  
*Highest score :  
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===15 rounds (old)===
**by a champion : 82 by [[Harvey Freeman]] and [[Lucy Roberts]]
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*Highest score:
**by a challenger : 83 by [[Stephen Balment]]
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**by a champion – 139 by [[Chris Davies (Series 61)|Chris Davies]]
**by a finalist : 83 by [[Allan Saldanha]]
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**by a challenger – 134 by [[Hamish Williamson]]
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**by a finalist – 146 by [[Julian Fell]] and [[Conor Travers]]
  
===15 rounds===
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===15 rounds (new)===
*Highest score :
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*Highest score:
**by a champion : 139 by [[Chris Davies (Series 61)|Chris Davies]]
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**by a champion - 152 by [[Elliott Mellor]]
**by a challenger : 134 by [[Hamish Williamson]]
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**by a challenger - 139 by [[Luke Johnson-Davies]]
**by a finalist : 146 by [[Julian Fell]]
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**by a finalist - 150 by [[Zarte Siempre]]
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
 
*[[List of Countdown records]]
 
*[[List of Countdown records]]
  
 
[[Category:Terminology]]
 
[[Category:Terminology]]

Revision as of 14:46, 13 May 2020

A contestant is someone who a appears on the show as a player, rather than as a presenter or a guest. They are broadly divided into two categories, champions and challengers.

A champion is a player that's already won a game and since Episode 2108 has sat in the seat to the left of the screen. Champions are entitled to a teapot which has the words Countdown winner written on it, to show that the teapot is only ever given to players who win at least one game. The term Series champion is often used to distinguish between players that have won an entire Series and players that have just won one or more games.

A challenger by definition is a player that has never appeared on the show before, except a few exceptional cases where a player has retired for personal reasons and come back.

Sometimes, after a player retires, almost always because he or she has become an Octochamp, there are two challengers and no champion. These players debatably have an advantage over other challengers because they do not have to face a player that's already played and won other games.

Contestants in special games are not counted as champions or challengers, because they have both played games before (with one exception) and neither of them is the current champion, just a player who's been invited back by the production team.

Finalists are not usually regarded as champions or challengers either, because they have both won games (again, with one exception). Until Series 65, seat allocations for finals games were determined by a coin toss done by the production team. In Series 66 and 67, the higher-seeded player always received the challenger's chair, presumably because the challenger's choice of two numbers games in the old 15-round format offered a perceived advantage. When the less biased "new" 15-round format was introduced in Series 68, this system was partially reversed. The higher seed now receives the champion's chair in each quarter-final, while in the semi-finals and grand finals, the champion's chair is sometimes given to the player whose previous match was first chronologically (1st QF, 2nd QF or 1st SF) and other times simply to the higher seed.

For the purposes of differentiating between which Contestant presses their button to offer a solution first on a Conundrum, both the Champion's and Challenger's nameplates have a lamp which illuminates when their button is pressed, with the Champion's button also sounding as a "bell", and the Challenger's as a "buzzer".

Records

9 rounds

15 rounds (old)

15 rounds (new)

See also