Oh - I honestly didn't see that! She'd said "plenty of ways to get one either side" then I switched off after the conundrum.

Yes I was surprised she didn't get it straight away as it was pretty easy. That does happen though, sometimes you get a very difficult one then struggle with something relatively easy, she is good at the numbers but is not a machine.

If you are a contestant and you do not get a result within 30 seconds you get nothing. If you are Rachel and come up with the answer after the break then you get a loud round of applause

Yes, Rachel plays a slightly different game from the contestants. She's aiming for the exact answer, not the nearest, and so can use different strategies. Also she has a few extra seconds while the host is asking the contestants their answers.

(Although, when there is a break, it isn't nowhere near as long in the studio as it is on TV.)

Just switched over to todays Countdown and wondered if I've missed something?

Charlotte?

Yes, been wondering myself.

In what way?

Charlotte is a bloke.

Did you watch it? If not, get it on Catchup, then make up your own mind!

Frankie beat me to it

Yes I did watch it and was waiting for the usual nonsense comments, didn't take long.

I don't class any of the comments here as 'usual nonsense'. I have no feelings either way if some people have gender issues, that is purely their choice. However, if you're going to dress as a woman, and end up looking, quite obviously, like a man dressed as a woman, then it stands to reason it's bound to attract comment, be it good or bad.

I wouldn't consider commenting on this as being the 'usual nonsense' either. I was genuinely interested actually and would have loved to know what the back story was. Was Charlotte transsexual? transgender? in transition or just a transvestite? It just got me wondering and I thought it might have nice for Nick and Charlotte to have a brief chat to explain the situation without necessarily making a big deal about it. If however Charlotte didn't want it referred too at any point, which seems to be the case, then fine, totally her prerogative.

Rachel with no VPL today. Completely naked under her dress. Grrr.

What a delight.

Damn, I missed it.

Rachel's going to play with her Clangers.

My Cousin Sue Picken is on this show today. Wish her luck as she is a retired nursing sister.

One thing that bothers me re: Conundrum. When someone buzzes in the jumbled mess remains on the screen and you can see them getting those extra few seconds to confirm to themselves that they've got it right and/or reevaluating their answer before they're asked what they think it is. I think as soon as a buzzer is pressed then the Conundrum should be hidden from view.

I doubt it would make much difference. And both contestants have the same advantage of buzzing as soon as their brain makes a connection rather than waiting to double-check. (And if they get it wrong of course, the other ends up having a few extra seconds, and possibly a clue from the wrong answer. It's a gamble.)

That was unfortunate. They were two good players today but Sue seemed to run out of puff just towards the end.

I went to check the validity of this statement & I can confirm, no VPL to be seen.
Clip > https://youtu.be/dr5TFvpJQlA

Cracking game today. Gutted for Liam, seemed a nice young man and a very good player.

Only 2 Countdowns next week and 3 the week after. Because horses.

I think Nick in his introduction today would have done well to refer to yesterday's game just as a bit of an upset knocking out an established champion, rather than go round the houses and basically suggest that Len was rubbish and shouldn't have won...

Oh no Jo Brand is spoiling Countdown this week with her stupid made up words. Stop your childish nonsense you silly silly woman.

shut up; Jo's a legend!!

that is she's old and hard to believe.

I don't mind her. I find most of the guests so mind-numbingly boring that I record and f-f past them but I make an exception for JB. This is also useful for saving 5 otherwise wasted minutes at the start of every show and cutting out commercials of course.