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Natascha Kearsey

From Countdown
Natascha Kearsey
Octochamp Statistics
Final positionSemi-finalist
Seeding2
Points total413
Conundrums solved4

Natascha Kearsey, at the time a 29-year-old software engineer from Swindon, was an octochamp in Series 35 and the winner of Championship of Champions IX. Her title places her among the most successful female players of all time.

Kearney began her Countdown journey by beating Pete Cashmore 46 – 34 in the 11th heat of the series. She quickly amassed a further 7 wins to become the first octochamp of the series, facing just two crucial conundrums along the way, but eventually had to settle for the #2 seed position after being overtaken in the seedings by Dag Griffiths two weeks later. In her quarter-final, she comfortably beat Piers Brown 62 – 31 to set up a rematch with Pete Cashmore in the semi-finals. While the two players were fairly evenly matched in the seedings, Kearsey's failed to score in any of the last four rounds, which saw her fall by 27 – 62 to the eventual series champion.

Nevertheless, her performances were enough to earn her a place in Championship of Champions IX, where she beat Christine White, James Martin (by just one point, following an unsolved crucial conundrum) and Ruth Collier on her way to the final, a third match between her and Pete Cashmore. Kearsey led by 2 points going into the crucial conundrum, which neither player spotted within the 30 seconds, meaning Kearsey became the ninth champion of champions, and to date the only woman to win a Championship of Champions.

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

Preceded by
Chris Rogers
Champion of Champions
Championship of Champions IX
Followed by
Scott Mearns

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
1983 14/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 46 – 34 Peter Cashmore Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Rob Scriven 73
1984 15/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 58 – 34 Geoff Roberts Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Rob Scriven 70
1985 16/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 61 – 42 Alan Davison Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Rob Scriven 75
1986 17/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 43 – 41 Diana Thomas Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Rob Scriven 72
1987 18/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 41 – 25 Colin Thomas Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Rob Scriven 70
1988 21/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 57 – 41 Tim Bentley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Peter Sweasey 81
1989 22/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 60 – 28 Sharon Leonard Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Catherine Stokes 85
1990 23/04/1997 P Natascha Kearsey 47 – 45 Phil Campbell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Catherine Stokes 72
2032 20/06/1997 QF Natascha Kearsey 62 – 31 Piers Brown Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Rob Scriven 70
2036 26/06/1997 SF Natascha Kearsey 27 – 62 Peter Cashmore Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Terry Wogan Catherine Stokes 69
2168 5/01/1998 CP Christine White 45 – 49 Natascha Kearsey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Denis Norden Mark Nyman 71
2173 12/01/1998 CQF James Martin 51 – 52 Natascha Kearsey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gloria Hunniford Mark Nyman 72
2176 15/01/1998 CSF Natascha Kearsey 59 – 56 Ruth Collier Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tom O'Connor Mark Nyman 72
2177 16/01/1998 CGF Natascha Kearsey 72 – 70 Pete Cashmore Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tom O'Connor Mark Nyman 118
S9 9/09/2003 S Scott Mearns 100 – 109 Natascha Kearsey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Bob Bevan Alison Heard 137


Championship of Champions Winners

I : Mark Nyman | II : Clive Freedman | III : Harvey Freeman | IV : Nic Brown | V : Tim Morrissey | VI : Wayne Summers | VII : Don Reid | VIII : Chris Rogers | IX : Natascha Kearsey | X : Scott Mearns | XI : Graham Nash | XII : Paul Gallen | XIII : Steve Briers | XIV : Dylan Taylor | XV : Zarte Siempre | XVI : Ahmed Mohamed