There's a quote from 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' where Alan is interviewing a chil prodigy. After being outsmarted by the youngster, Alan turns to the kid's father and says:

''John, John, do you ever sit alone at night by the fire, with your head in your hands and think to yourself, "God have mercy on my soul, I have spawned a monster!"

He's the latest product of a well-known online Countdown training academy, and yes, it's not far from the truth to say he has swallowed a dictionary.

I'm not criticizing, far from it. What these guys are doing is 100% admirable. But the style is quite uniform and when they take their turns in the spotlight it does get a bit predictable.

I was surprised he didn't manage to get 'perpetual' yesterday.

I agree, I don't like these too clever kids, I always think they are a bit borderline autistic with their obsession with words and the dictionary.

He seems rather normal, well adjusted and un-autistic, he just has a propensity for solving anagrams and playing Scrabble.

Consequetive octochamps mean just two winners in three weeks. I feel sorry for the many potential winners who have been knocked out after just one game.

Lets hope for some more typical contestants now - the last three weeks have given me an inferiority complex!

Every time I watch, I wish I had a calculator or dictionary type thing to make the best words, the words game goes over my head but I want to be able to play!

Bloody Racheal I might just learn something!

If I get lots of 9 letter words do I win Racheal??

It's possible that Eoin is unusually good at anagramming, but that's not what his success on Countdown is based on. He's spent many hundreds of hours programming his brain and can recognise the possibilities from groups of letters almost instantly.

He may also occasionally suffer from nerves and tiredness, like anyone else.

Eoin has followed a well-worn route which is available to everyone but which has been most exploited by young, obsessive males of school or student age. The association with autism is probably valid in some cases but almost all of these youngsters manage to come across reasonably well on television. What they're achieving is quite stupendous, but it's a tough one for the programme to manage.

Not sure about todays outift. A red dress that's tight around the waist but doesnt show off her great ass. She looks hot but she can deliver much better.

aye nice outfit today

Rachel is rightly famous for her amazing backside, but she has other good assets and today's dress showed 'em off a treat!

And here's the proof:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEcM6rmm8ug

Blloming gorgeous!

Can I say that comments on Rachel's clothes and/or figure on this thread bug me as does the one above which has a go at Eoin for being good at the game. As do comments above Jeffs personality or liking or not liking dictionary corner guests.

Countdown is a quiz, a good quiz, one where you need a certain amount of intelligence to do well and I love it for being just that - apart from sport it is my fav TV prog and I Sky+ it every day. I was away on holiday for 2 weeks in August but recorded them all when I was away and have now caught up at last - some days = 2 or even 3 Cdowns..

A question for Cdown addicts like me - who do you think is the greatest Cdown contestant ever? There was a man many years ago called Harvey (Freeman was it?) who seemed unbeatable and I don't think I ever saw him lose. For many years I thought he was the best but then there was a guy called Julian who was great too - tho I remember him losing once in a Champion of Champions game, but only cos he risked a dodgy 8 letter word and was matched in every other round. Then lately we have had Kirk in Jeffs first series who was one of the best I have ever seen too. Eion and the guy before him were good - but prob not as good as those three - it will be interesting to see who wins the grand final this series. So Harvey, Julian or Kirk? Or do you have another suggestion? - to answer this you'd have to be a real Cdown fan like myself!! Myself? - I'd prob say Kirk but others may disagree.

The young lad Connor who was series champ a while back. He came back on for a special and was amazing, much better than as a standard contestant even though he was really good then. I think if he competed again now he would be clearly the best they've had on.

The kid who's just been on may go the same way and get even better with age but it's difficult to be certain of that.

If they bug you dont read them,
The title of this thread is "Countdown so much better these days" so I would expect to find quotes like those that bug you in it.

look at Rachel Riley today so hot oh yeah

Im never looking at the letters as they come out

There are letters?

They should make her skip or hulahoop to fill in the 30 seconds dead air on letters rounds.

Wow. Short and tight in all areas. She's back on form.

The last 5 posters - embarassing yourselves or what?

Where all not 80+ countdown watchers, she is the reason its doing better these days and Jeff is great

not embarassed at all why would we be?

Why are they?

I notice that in message #1088 you also said:

"Can I say that comments on Rachel's clothes and/or figure on this thread bug me"

May I ask why? What's wrong with admiring beauty? No-one gets on anyone's case if they say that, for example, some scenery is beautiful. Admittedly they (probably) don't want to have sex with it, but, well, I'm sure that some would.

Countdown producers take note!

I bat for the other side but appreciate a beautiful woman. Rachel has a ridiculously hot figure and brains to match.

I dont see why but if so here is a sixth one.

Rachel was hot today, I wonder how she got into that dress