The Countdown conundrum… First woman in 26 years wins TV challenge… but why has it taken so long?
It has to be one of the longest, ahem, countdowns in history.
A female accountant has become the first woman in 26 years to win the final of Channel 4 quiz Countdown.
Amazingly, the long-running numbers and words game show, which has been on the channel since its launch in 1982, had not had a female champion since 1998 – until yesterday.
The long wait for a woman with enough verbal power came to an end after a finals match between Fiona Wood, from Kinross, Scotland, and Chris Kirby, an account manager from Cheshire.
It was a competition that went to the extreme, but Mrs Wood won by solving the final riddle and unraveling nine letters – I, T, S, S, A, D, U, E, L – to form a word to form.
The team behind Countdown, currently co-hosted by Rachel Riley and Colin Murray, and lexicographer Susie Dent at Dictionary Corner, had long explained that fewer women than men had signed up to take part.
A recent on-screen effort to encourage more female participants has clearly led to an equality outcome.
The long wait for a woman with sufficient verbal power came to an end after a final match between Fiona Wood (right) and Chris Kirby (left)
Kate Ogilvie (pictured) was the last female Countdown champion in 1998
Mrs. Wood prevailed by solving the final riddle and unraveling nine letters – I, T, S, S, A, D, U, E, L – to make a word
Triumphant Mrs Wood, 50, a forensic accountant, said: ‘I decided to sign up after Colin put out a call for older participants, with Susie adding that they wanted more women. I would encourage other women to give it a try. I’m just so glad I did.’
The very first series, in 1982, was won by a woman, Joyce Cansfield. But there were only three more in the next 16 years before Huddersfield’s Kate Ogilvie won the 39th series in 1998.
The total of six female winners in 90 series means the percentage is, as any Countdown enthusiast will tell you, one in 15.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said last night that following the presenters’ appeals, the number of applications from women had soared.
The channel hopes Ms Wood’s victory will encourage even more people to come forward.
Mr Kirby had stumbled during the competition by trying to get an eight-letter word score using ‘promotee’, instead of Ms Wood’s ‘promote’, but was told his attempt was not in the dictionary.
At one point, the pair even used the same word: “opiates.”
But in the end, Ms. Wood’s score was 96 to Mr. Kirby’s 89.
Mrs Dent said: “Fiona delighted us all and gave us one of the very best moments in our 42-year history. This series also reminded us how much Countdown is a show for everyone, and we encourage everyone who loves the game to sign up.”