This must be a wind up.

They're showing a repeat on More4 and Jon's teammate is Claudia Winkleman.

You'd think they would have learnt their lesson.

Good news! (If you like him ) Joe Lycett is back in Dictionary Corner on the 24th with another of his letter stories!

Why is my mother playing tennis in the bathroom?

If she'd have been willing to do it, Vorders would have been the best stand-in for Rachel.
If they didn't try to get her they missed a trick, imo.
Why not see if Dara O'Briain was available?

Jon seemed rather exasperated by Claudia and Rob at one point during the last episode.
I do like both of them, but not on this.

Even Vegas gave a few rolleye looks and that's saying something.

I suppose it's possible that I'm really unobservant - because I never saw any of these visual signs people keep going on about. I didn't see Sean Lock or Jon Richardson or Johnny Vegas do anything like this.

Now, like I said, maybe I just miss really obvious things because I'm particularly obtuse, or is it perhaps just possible that you, and others like you, are allowing your distaste for Claudia Winkleman to colour your view? Are you seeing things you want to see rather than what is actually happening?

I agree with this. I didn't see any of these things either.

Me neither.

She doesn't need to be. She's a mathematician and Countdown is her job anyway. Plus she's attractive. Not that Claudia's unattractive (although she'd look miles better if she wore decent make up) but she's not pretty in the way Rachel is.

I don't actually mind her, and on the right show she can be quite funny, but she's a bit out of her depth among so many comedians.

That doth butter no parsnips! loved Joe when he appears on Countdown (well the 8 out of 10 Cats version!)

"Parsnips: Buttered" Is going to be the title of his book!

I do remember one shot of Jon where he was not laughing or smiling, also not exasperated as some seem to think, just disinterested. You also need to remember that that sequence of CW acting the goat and JR looking away was edited intentionally, no doubt to provoke comments made on the internet. There's no such thing as bad publiciy.

Wow Rachel was gorgeous this week Does this show have a different costume department than the one on Countdown as she is dressed much better than she is on Countdown

I think they got complaints about what she was wearing on the daytime show so they toned her wardrobe down. Unfortunately.

It's all about context. The regular Countdown is a sedate daytime show, mostly watched by the aged and infirm. Some of the racier stuff Rachel wears could give half the audience a stroke. She can afford to glam it up for a nighttime show.

I don't think so. Half of the contestant base these days is very young, so I'd imagine they'd comprise the majority of the viewers.

Disappointed to see Jon drag out his dinner lady story again, only less amusingly. Love Rebecca Front but she's more suited to The News Quiz on R4. Even Lycett's stuff was less funny this time around but having said all that, NO Winkleman so immensely better than the previous two shows!

Back to normality.

When Jimmy Carr made a joke about a 'nanagon' I noticed for the first time what a big mouth Rachel Riley has. I only mention it in passing...

Countdown has always had a large student following.

Rebecca was a nice change and what a relief to have Rachel back.

It was refreshing to see someone not acting dumb, apart from the little bit at the beginning about whether she was better at letters or numbers, but that was funny.

Bridges seemed to be taking it semi seriously as well. A show full of 6 & 7 letter words.
It was Lock who was being the fool going for 3 letter words.


I'm amazed Richardson didn't get 147. It was easy and I'm usually pretty rubbish at the numbers and was drunk.
Even when he did get it he took a more difficult route.

What's the latest on 8 Out Of 10 Cats quiz show?

Is it coming back for another series?

If anyone was going to doom the entire human race, it might as well be Rachel...!
http://newsthump.com/2016/03/24/coun...mmons-cthulhu/
Of course, the contestant picking the letters would be mostly responsible.

That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die.

Shout out to the Lovecraft posse.