Episode 1 Britain's Brightest

We scoured the land for ordinary people with extraordinary powers.

I have the same IQ as Einstein, which is 153.

My fastest time for solving a Rubik's cube is 7.91 seconds.

It was an unusual talent search.

What is nine times 12? 108.

Nine times 12, 108.

Not everyone was up to the mark.

How old is the Queen?

I thought she was 101?

As we searched for Britain's Brightest.

I didn't go to university but I'm not dumb.

They had to pass brain-busting tests.

Oh, you are horrible.

Show feats of dexterity.

Oh, God, that's hard.

Finally, 24 made it through.

-Yeah!

-Well done.

They come from all walks of life.

I kind of knew I had something, but wasn't convinced

I would get all the way through to the show.

It was unreal.

But just one can win £50,000 and be crowned Britain's Brightest.

I'm definitely confident I'm going to win.

This is Britain's Brightest.

APPLAUSE

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host, Clare Balding.

CHEERING

Good evening and welcome to Britain's Brightest, a new

kind of talent competition but we're not looking for the best singer,

dancer or somersaulting dog, this is about what we've got up here.

Yes, the power of our brains.

But this is no straightforward general knowledge quiz, some of us

are great at maths, others have a talent for spelling, puzzles, or

memory games, but our players must excel at all those things and more

if they want to win this competition and the £50,000 first prize.

CHEERING

This evening's top scoring contestants will guarantee

themselves a place in our final and a shot at that £50,000,

so let's learn more about the first two players.

I'm Andy, I'm from Southsea in Hampshire

and I'm a training facilitator.

When I told my wife Sarah that I was going to be on a show called

Britain's Brightest...

Bright?

..her first reaction was uncontrollable laughter.

Yeah, I think you're just kind of slow and steady.

Turned out nice again.

Smile, mile, Mike...

I'm incredibly competitive.

We've had a few, you know, little arguments over, you know,

"I knew that but didn't even have the chance to say it..."

It's something I've had to address now that I've got young children.

Competitive to the point of annoying.

It's very hard to see a three-year-old cry

because you've just smashed them in Ludo.

Hello, my name's Barbara. I live at Purton near Swindon.

I'm an administrator for a charity.

I did it right without mangling it then, too.

I have four cats - one moggy and three pedigree Siamese

and they're the loves of my life.

I show the Siamese competitively and my youngest, Wilbur,

has just because an imperial.

It is quite a competitive world in the world of showing cats

and it brings out my competitive streak.

The strengths that I can bring to the show are my

mental arithmetic, and I'm good with words and with spelling.

'Spell "phlebotomy".'

Phlebotomy. P-H-L-E-B-O-T-O-M-Y.

That's right, isn't it?

I may be underestimated by some of the competition,

but watch this space.

APPLAUSE

Please welcome Barbara and Andy.

CHEERING

Hello, you two, welcome to the show.

-Thank you.

-I'm now fascinated, obviously, Barbara, by the cats.

-Oh, right.

-Now, Wilbur.

-Yes.

If there was a Britain's Brightest for cats, would Wilbur win it?

Oh, no, I'm afraid not. He's not very bright.

My female Siamese would definitely be a contender.

-And what's she called?

-Rosie.

So will Wilbur and Rosie, do you think, be supporting you tonight?

Oh, definitely. They'll be down with my husband and I think,

when I come on, they'll purr.

Andy, you make your children cry

-when you play them at Ludo.

-Not any more.

-Why not any more?

-Because I've been told not to.

By your wife.

By, yeah, my wife Sarah. She's the

voice of reason in our house, yeah.

So you're clearly quite competitive.

Yeah, yeah, I love to play, I love

to game, yeah.

Which areas do you think you will excel at?

I love words and letters and all

that sort of thing, but quite

honestly I've got the potential to

foul up in any area.

-That's very honest of you.

-Oh yeah, I'm very...

This first round is a head-to-head between the two of you.

We're going to get some points on the leaderboard with our first game.

I should warn you, this is going to test your judgement

and quite possibly your ability to cope with embarrassment. Please

reveal our first challenge.

APPLAUSE

In front of you are 25 people, a couple of

whom you may recognise. Good evening everyone.

-ALL: Good evening.

-Now, your job is going to be to take a very good

look at their faces, because their faces, what they're wearing, their

hairstyle all of those things will give you the clues that you need.

Because we are going to ask you to

guess how old they are. Could be awkward in some cases. In a moment

I'm going to give you a target number. You must then select a

person, or later people, to make up that target number and the player

who is closest to the target number in each round will win.

So let's have our first number.

39. Barbara, Andy, go and select one person in that crowd whose age is 39.

Go for it.

The well-known faces out there who you will know include

Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, whose finest hour was Calgary in 1988,

when he became the first British sportsman to represent our country in ski jumping.

It looks like Barbara has made her selection, she's gone for Craig.

Andy's still looking and he has picked Natalie.

So you're looking for a target age of 39. Barbara, what was it about

-Craig that made you think, "He's my man"?

-I thought he

looks around the age group.

It's very difficult to say, that middle aged sort of bit. Young middle aged, Craig!

-Yes, quickly corrected there.

-Young middle aged.

Quickly corrected by Barbara but you think he is exactly...

-A lot younger than me I will say.

-You think he is

exactly 39, let's find out. Craig, would you please reveal your age?

Well done, Barbara, he is exactly 39.

Excellent.

Now, that shows how strong you are on social perception.

Andy, how confident are you feeling now that you could match that?

There's something... There was a little gleam in Natalie's eye,

which made me think that she's not quite past that particular milestone yet. I am past that milestone and,

you know, I got a sense that she was a shade younger than me perhaps.

There were in total three people in that crowd who were

exactly 39. Barbara has already selected one of them. The chances of you also doing that are slim,

but not impossible. Natalie, could you please reveal your age.

Andy, well done, well done.

What a terrific start. Well done to Barbara and Andy

and thank you also to Natalie and to Craig.

APPLAUSE

So to make the game a little bit more difficult, for Round Two

you have to pick two people and the total you want is...

65.

Barbara and Andy, go for it.

Now, they could select one person who is in their early

20s, maybe 23 and get a 42-year- old as well. One of the faces where

Andy is at the moment, that's Chelsee Healey the actress. Now of course

he's looking for her real age, not the age that she acts.

Well, Barbara has gone for Ashley. I wonder why(?)

LAUGHTER

Barbara's made her second selection, she's gone for Usman.

Fabulous, Andy has gone for Claire. Now, this round

is doubly important. Because you were tied on the first round, this

round is now worth 4 points.

Barbara, talk me through your selections, first of all of Usman,

how old do you think he is?

-I think he's 42.

-42.

-Which means you think Ashley...

-23.

-..is 23.

And what else was it about Ashley that made you select him?

I can't imagine, but can I take him home with me?

If you get it right you can take him home with you. So you said

you think that Usman is 42. Let's find out how close you are. Could you please reveal your age?

39. Not bad.

The other 39-year-old.

Not bad at all. So that means you need Ashley to be a little bit older

than you thought he was. You need him to be 26. Ashley, how old are you please?

He is 26. Well done, Barbara. You are bang on it again.

That is extraordinary and you're better at this even than you thought you were.

You really are seeing something out there.

-Yeah.

-It's extraordinary, isn't it?

It's amazing.

Andy, that puts the pressure on once

again. So, Chelsee, how old do you think she is?

I think I'd put her age at 25.

And you saw her perform on Strictly Come Dancing?

-Yes, enjoyed your work.

-Thank you.

She was very good, weren't you? You were excellent. So you think Chelsee

is 25. Chelsee, could you please reveal how old you are.

24. So just one year out. Not bad, not bad, Andy.

-Which means that you need Claire to be 41.

-I'm beginning to wish I'd chosen

somebody else to be honest.

Do you think you may have...?

I may have slightly over-estimated but I had her down as a very well preserved...40.

-But I think I may have gone horribly wrong here.

-Well you need

her to be exactly 41, otherwise Barbara will win this round and also

the points for the first round so this is hugely important. Claire,

could you tell us how old you are please?

-33.

-Sorry.

Oh, Andy. Eight years off I'm afraid.

I thought it was a trick. I thought you were a trick older person

who looks much younger... Much, much younger.

-Andy, stop digging.

-I'll stop talking, yes.

Well done, Barbara, you have taken

the points for this round and the points for the first round and you

lead at the moment by 4 points to zero. Many congratulations to you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you to Chelsee and to our other three contestants, thank you so much.

So, same challenge but a different target number. You're

going to select two of them and their ages must add up to...

..110. So, Barbara, Andy, off you go.

You've had a good look at various members of our crowd so far. Andy looks like

he's close to making a selection. He's gone for David.

Now, Andy has to win this challenge to get any points

on the board. Oh, Barbara's gone for Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.

Eddie likes to go out in his ski jumping gear.

LAUGHTER

-And very fine you look in it.

-Thank you.

Barbara's gone for Ross.

And Ross joins Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards on Barbara's side.

Andy has selected Howard.

APPLAUSE

So Andy, the pressure really on you. Talk me

-through Howard and how old you think Howard is.

-Well, I think the magnificent grey beard

there led me towards the higher end of the age range and I'd put Howard at 60 years old.

60. Howard, could you please reveal how old you are.

Howard is 64. Well, that's not bad.

So you need David to be 46. How old do you think he is?

I think that the clothing that he's wearing led me to

think that he was around the sort of late 40s mark. So I'm really hoping that he is bang on 46.

David, we are looking for 46, could you please tell us how old you are?

-57.

-Well done.

-You were 11 over I'm afraid, 121.

So, Barbara, 10 either side and you will win and get

a clean sweep in this first head-to-head.

Eddie Edwards first of all. You had a clue...

-Yes.

-..because you knew when he competed at the Winter Olympics.

I've got him in mind as 63.

Eddie, how old are you?

Sorry.

Eddie is 48.

I do beg your pardon.

So, Barbara, this means you need Ross to be 62 years old.

And I don't think for a moment he is.

And you think probably not?

No, I didn't.

-I thought Ross was 47, because I thought Eddie was 63.

-Ross, how old are you please?

Ross is 42.

So I'm well under.

You have come up with a total of 90.

You are 20 off the target and that means Andy has won the final round.

APPLAUSE

Well, thanks to Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards and to you all,

and I can confirm that Barbara, you scored 4 points, Andy, you scored 2.

Plenty more opportunities later to earn more points, so don't worry at all about it, Andy.

-But congratulations, Barbara and we'll see you a little later on.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

So let's meet our next two people who think they've got what it takes to be Britain's Brightest.

I'm Rob, I live in Newcastle with my wife Sarah and two

dogs Chloe and Charlie and I'm a professional musician.

I think that the skills I'll bring to Britain's Brightest, mostly from the

musical side of my life,

would be stuff like memory, numeracy, logic,

the ability to think on my feet. As you can see the first thing you see

when you come in the house is my pride and joy, the Newcastle United

FA Cup Final shirt from 1999. Skills from being a Newcastle United fan

mostly revolve around shattering disappointment. I think it might give me an advantage, the fact that

I'm one of the younger contestants, just because the younger you are the faster the neurons in your brain

fire and hopefully my brain will be more alert during the competition

than a lot of the other people. I think I have near perfect spelling, punctuation and grammar. Especially

the punctuation side of things. I'm actually a member of the Apostrophe Protection Society which is

incredibly geeky. If by chance I don't make the final it's because

there's other people in this competition who are just as

determined as I am, but not brighter.

I'm Peter, I live in Princes Risborough,

Buckinghamshire and I work as the Crossword Editor for the Sunday Times. I've won the Times Crossword

Championship in 2000 and I won again in 2007. The average time I'd expect

to take for a cryptic crossword in one of the broadsheet papers is around 10 minutes.

I'm married to Jacqueline. We both do quiz nights

together but in terms of the crosswords I'm sure there are

some times she thinks, "Actually you really could be doing something useful around the house, matey."

Logic and reasoning side is where I'm strong.

The areas where I'm not quite as strong are sort of social intelligence if you like.

Just understanding when people are joking or when I'm boring them or not.

Is that not good? I'm a fairly competitive person. So I shall be trying my very best to win.

APPLAUSE

Please welcome Peter and Rob.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Welcome, Rob, welcome, Peter. Rob, I have to ask you first of all.

The Apostrophe Protection Society, what and why?

Well, it was something that was sort of theorised

by Lynne Truss in one of her books and I just thought that is

absolutely brilliant. I'm a stickler for apostrophes being used correctly

or not being used incorrectly more to the point.

Do you go around finding signs where the

apostrophe is that it shouldn't be and strike it out?

Not exactly, I tend to spend my time on social networking sites correcting

my friends' posts. It annoys the living whatever out of them and

that's pretty much it.

Brilliant. Peter.

-Hi.

-You said there that you're the editor of

-crosswords.

-Yes.

How many crosswords do you actually do though for fun in

-a week?

-Probably a couple a day. Or 15 a week maybe, yeah.

Now you said that your wife is called?

Jacquie.

Jacquie. You know, with the greatest

of respect to Jacquie, would you say that crosswords are the love of your life?

Er... They're very important to me, yes.

Yes, think carefully as you answer that question.

I think she's recognised that since we met, yeah.

Oh, good. Well, it's time for the two of you to take a spelling test

which is not a phrase you often hear on Saturday nights.

In just a moment you'll see words appear in the air

around you. All you have to do is eliminate the words that are

incorrectly spelt. So for example,

here are three words that I should know extremely well.

I eliminate the two that are incorrectly spelt

leaving HEPTATHLON. The screen goes green and it moves on to the next.

We're testing not only your ability to spell, but also your co-ordination and dexterity.

Peter, you're going to be first to go,

that means, Rob, if I could ask you to go backstage

so that you don't see or hear anything that Peter does.

We'll see you in a moment or two. Peter, take to the spot.

APPLAUSE

-Very sporting. I like that.

-I know.

-So, Peter, are you comfortable? Are you happy?

-Yeah.

Let's play.

ELEMENTARY is correct.

SEMBLANCE is correct.

Good start for Peter. Two out of two.

VACUUM is correct.

And your final one in this round, NECESSARY, is correct,

you score four out of four. Well done, Peter.

APPLAUSE

We'll see you again in a moment,

but let's now bring Rob to the spot for his first round.

APPLAUSE

-So, Rob, if you're happy...?

-Absolutely, yep.

-Let's play.

Correct. ELEMENTARY correctly spelt.

SEMBLANCE is also correct.

VACUUM is correct. Great stuff.

Hesitation there, but you were correct.

-NECESSARY is right. Well done.

-APPLAUSE

And Rob, you score four out of four.

That was the same score as Peter. That probably won't surprise you.

You tied with four correct answers out of four.

It means that the two points available for this round

will roll on to the next round. It'll be worth double points.

Rob, perfect start. We'll see you again in a moment.

-Let's welcome back Peter.

-APPLAUSE

So, Peter, Round Two is worth double points,

because both you and Rob scored maximum four in Round One.

You will be seeing four words in front of you,

of which you will eliminate the three incorrectly spelt words,

leaving the right answer.

-Are you happy? Are you comfortable?

-Yep.

-Let's play.

EERIE is correct.

CONTINUUM is correct.

Well done, RISOTTO is correct. Three out of three. One more.

And EXEMPT is correct.

-Well done, Peter. Once again, maximum points, four out of four.

-APPLAUSE

We'll let you go, and let's welcome back to the hot spot, Rob.

APPLAUSE

-So, Rob, are you comfortable? Are you happy?

-I think so, yeah.

Let's play.

EERIE is correct.

CONTINUUM with two Us is correct.

RISOTTO is correct. Three out of three. One more to go.

And EXEMPT is correct.

-Once again, Rob, you get four out of four. Well done.

-APPLAUSE

That means you've tied with Peter, so the points from Round Two

and Round One will now go forward to Round Three.

It becomes a very important round. We'll see you again in a moment.

-Thank you for now to Rob.

-APPLAUSE

Peter, welcome back.

As I explained to Rob, you are still locked together.

So, this third round is worth a lot of points.

Four words again. You have slightly less time

in which to eliminate the incorrectly spelt words,

leaving the one word that is correct.

Let's play.

PATOIS is correct.

KINDERGARTEN is correctly spelt.

GROANING

You seemed to wipe out THESAURUS at the same time.

I'm afraid that THESAURUS was correct. Keep going.

OCCUPIED is correct.

Now, Peter, I know you're very aware of the rules of the game.

You have to be extremely precise with your arm movements.

That was bad luck, but you took out THESAURUS,

and THESAURUS was the correctly spelt word,

-so three out of four for you, Peter. For now, thank you.

-APPLAUSE

And for the final time, let's welcome back Rob.

So, Rob, this third and final round is worth triple points.

-Are you happy?

-I think so.

OK. Let's play.

PATOIS is correct.

Oh, just in time! KINDERGARTEN is correct.

THESAURUS is correct. This is your last challenge.

And OCCUPIED is correct. Well done, Rob.

Remaining calm under pressure there. Four out of four.

APPLAUSE

Peter, come back out.

You remained incredibly cool under pressure there, Rob,

and also, you have the benefit, being a musician, perhaps,

of having very good eye-hand co-ordination,

being very precise in your movements.

I like to think so.

Because that in the end was the difference.

You won that last round with four correct answers.

Peter had one mistake.

You get all six points.

Peter, I'm afraid at this stage you get zero,

but there will be plenty of other opportunities to earn points,

and I know that you will.

-Ladies and gentlemen, for now, Peter and Rob.

-Well done.

APPLAUSE

You can find amazing minds anywhere and everywhere.

The woman who sells you a newspaper may be a maths genius.

The kid who delivers that paper

could have the spatial awareness of a jet pilot.

So, where do we find our next brilliant minds?

Hi, I'm Clair.

I'm 25 and I'm a maths teacher from Hull.

I'm married to Chris. We've been married a year and a half.

Being a teacher has absolutely prepared me

for being Britain's Brightest.

I'm good at the maths side of things,

which, in turn, means I'm quite good at logic.

'6 times 24?'

144.

'412 divided by 3.'

Won't go. It'll have a remainder.

'951 divided by 3.'

317.

That is quite an easy question.

She is very intelligent, but...

I knew there was a "but" coming!

My common sense isn't my strongest point.

She can get things wrong sometimes.

I once asked why America weren't in the Eurovision

and I really couldn't understand why people were looking at me funny,

but I do realise now.

If you ask anybody that knows me, for some reason,

they've got this idea that I am the most competitive person ever,

and I don't know where that comes from, really.

It'd be brilliant if I walked away with the title of Britain's Brightest.

I'd like to think all the students would be proud of me,

and I think it's really important to show them

that actually being bright is a really good thing.

Hi, I'm Ben. I'm from Kenilworth in Warwickshire

and I just started a PhD in Particle Physics

at Imperial College, London.

Particle physics is trying to get to the core of the universe,

the smallest things you can find, and understanding them.

Do I think of myself as a geek?

Yeah, I'm definitely a geeky guy. There's a huge geek in me.

He's just grown his hair long and put a hair band on.

For GCSEs, I got nine A Stars and 3 As.

In my A Levels, I got four As, and in my degree, I got a First.

I've got a huge passion for languages,

but at the moment I speak French and Portuguese and English, I guess.

And I'm learning Japanese.

They open the world up to you.

You get to see new things, talk about great stuff...

So, I guess the skills that I'll get from particle physics

are probably things like maths, anything that's kind of logic based.

The things that I'll be weakest at are probably...

Anything that involves memory.

That's got me in trouble...

At least in relationships, quite a few times,

I've forgotten key romantic moments.

-Girlfriends love that.

-HE LAUGHS

If I won Britain's Brightest...

I mean, I want to carry on my studies, of course,

but you've got to have some fun.

Please welcome Clair and Ben.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Lovely to see you. Welcome.

You are our youngest contestants today.

-How old are you, Ben?

-23.

And you're studying for a PhD now?

In particle physics, now...

So, I only just started. I'm only a few months in now.

It's great fun. It's exactly where I want to be.

It's really... Yeah...

Getting to the truth of the Earth, the universe.

It's fantastic to see someone who enjoys an academic subject so much,

and the same is true of you, Clair, with maths?

Yeah, absolutely. I've always enjoyed maths from a young age.

I think because I find it quite naturally easy,

it's a natural gift of mine, I enjoy it quite a lot more.

And, so, is there any pressure on you

to impress the children in your class?

I mean, Monday morning, what reaction might you get?

Well, I haven't actually mentioned to the students that I'm coming on here,

so when they watch it, it will be a surprise to them.

Well, it will be very interesting to see which of you comes out on top,

because it's time for your first challenge,

and in this game, you have to solve a series of picture clues

to find the famous names. Come over here.

So, for example, you might see an eclair...

..a ball...

and a bell, which goes "ding,"

and that would be "Clare Balding."

LAUGHTER

So, quite fun really. It's played on the buzzer,

and the earlier you can answer correctly, the more points you win.

But, be warned, if you do give a wrong answer,

you will be locked out until your opponent answers.

Let's have our first pictures.

Any early guesses on that first one?

Maximum points if you go for it and get it right.

Have a look at the second picture.

Any idea? Let's have a look, then, at the third picture.

Be quick if you get it, come straight in.

-BUZZER

-Clair, you got there first.

-Inspector Morse?

-Inspector Morse...

You saw an inn, a spectre and the Morse code.

-It is indeed Inspector Morse, congratulations.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Let's have a look at the second one.

-You might have to come in fast, Ben, if you get it.

-Yeah.

So, that's your first picture.

Let's have a look at the second clue.

I see you thinking...

Let's have a look at the third and final clue.

Come in quick if you get it.

-BUZZER

-Ben?

-Kate Middleton.

-Kate Middleton...

You saw a kite, a medal and a weight which could be a ton.

It is indeed Kate Middleton. Well done. One apiece.

APPLAUSE

Let's go to our third and final puzzle for this round.

Whoever gets this will take the points for the first round.

No, nobody's going to go for it, are they?

Shall we have a look at the second one?

Oh, Ben's thinking about it.

Ready for the third clue?

Let's see the fourth and final picture.

-BUZZER

-Clair's gone for it.

Amelia Earhart?

-Amelia Earhart, cos of the hair and the heart?

-Yeah...

I'm afraid the answer is no.

-BEN GROANS

-Ben, it's open for you.

I don't know. Meera someone, but I can't do better than that.

It is a mirror, a hand, hair. Miranda...

and the heart is correct. Miranda Hart was the correct answer.

Sorry, Miranda.

So, at the end of Round One, the scores are tied.

That means that the two points that were available for that round

will roll on now to this second round,

so this becomes even more crucial.

So, Ben and Clair, Round Two.

Let's have a look at your first puzzle.

-It could be anyone at this stage, couldn't it?

-Yeah.

Tricky. Second picture.

BUZZER

Matt Baker?

Matt Baker.

What a fabulous guess from the two pictures that we've seen so far,

the welcome mat and the bay, you're thinking...

Let's have a look at the third picture. A car.

Brilliant, Ben. Well done. The answer is Matt Baker.

APPLAUSE

So, let's move on and see the second puzzle.

Congratulations to Ben on that one.

The first picture is this...

The second picture...

You've got half an idea, haven't you? You want one more?

Clair, you don't want to buzz in yet?

I've got the first name, but I'm not quite sure which one it is.

All right. Here we go. Third picture. Could be crucial, this.

-BUZZER

-Clair comes straight in.

You buzzed at the same time, but Clair was fractionally ahead.

-What do you think it is?

-William Shakespeare.

You've got the will, the inheritance will, the ham,

the shake, the milkshake... The final picture...

was a spear.

It is indeed William Shakespeare. Well done, Clair.

APPLAUSE

So, this final puzzle will decide where the points go

for both Rounds One and Two, because the points have rolled over.

So, here we are. The final puzzle of Round Two.

-BUZZER

-Clair's gone for it straight away.

I'm going to guess Barbara Windsor, just cos it's four syllables.

What a fantastic effort to come in so fast.

The sound waves coming out of the sheep

give you the clue that that is "Bar..."

Let's have a look at the second picture...

..a bra. So, it's definitely Barbara, but it is Barbara Windsor?

The third picture...

..is the wind howling in a tree. And the final picture...

..is a saw. Barbara Windsor.

Well done, Clair. Really great work there.

APPLAUSE

A very, very brave stab has paid off there fantastically well,

because you get double points as well,

and you effectively win Rounds One and Two.

But, Ben, there's still a chance.

Let's have a look, then, for Round Three, at your first puzzle.

And that's your first picture.

-Any thoughts?

-No.

Let's have a look at the second picture.

Clair's thinking about it. Ben's thinking about it.

Let's see the final picture.

BUZZER

Clair gets in first.

Erm... I've got Captain...

You're going to have to be quick.

I'm going to say Captain Baker.

Clair, I'm afraid that's incorrect. Ben, that means it's all yours.

What is the answer?

-BUZZER

-Captain Cook.

A cap, a tin, a chef's hat. Could be "cook"...

The correct answer is Captain Cook. Well done.

APPLAUSE

Let's have a look at the second puzzle in this final round.

That's your first picture.

Maximum points, obviously, if you buzz in and get it correct.

Have a look at the second picture.

-BUZZER

-Clair again, taking the risk.

-Cheryl Cole?

-Cheryl Cole... You see a chair, a roll, and...

what would the third picture have been?

Coal. Cheryl Cole is correct. Well done, Clair.

APPLAUSE

So, let's have a look at your very final picture puzzle.

Let's have a look at the second one.

Here's your third picture.

-BUZZER

-Anthony Hopkirk?

You said Anthony Hopkirk. I'm afraid we have...

-That's not even a person, is it?

-..to take that answer.

It's incorrect. Clair, it's open to you.

BUZZER I was going to go for Anthony Hopkin.

You said Anthony Hopkin.

-Yes.

-I cannot accept that, I'm afraid.

Anthony is correct.

You've got the ant, the jar of honey, somebody hopping.

The final picture...

..is a picture of two inns.

It's Anthony Hopkins, with the S.

This is Britain's Brightest, we've got to be accurate,

so I'm afraid no points scored on that final puzzle,

but in terms of the round, you have won it, Clair.

You beat Ben by three rounds to zero. That earns you six points.

-Well done.

-APPLAUSE

Ben, I'm afraid, so far, zero, but plenty more chances to earn points.

And I will. I will do it.

Now, it's not just the contestants' brains

we've been putting to the test.

We've been experimenting on unsuspecting members of the British public.

First up, is seeing believing?

We know taxi drivers have the Knowledge,

but their brains can be fooled, with amazing results.

Hello, me old China!

# London calling to the faraway towns... #

I'm not a real Cockney, sorry about that,

but we are here in East London to show you something amazing...

that what you see can actually change what you hear.

And to help, we've arranged to meet two London cab drivers

who know London like the back of their hand.

If you're a London cabbie, you have to pass the Knowledge.

I know London pretty well, so I'm pretty confident.

All they have to do is pick me up from an East London address

which I will give them in a short video message.

However, despite giving both cabbies the same message,

I'm going to see if we can get them to go

to two completely different addresses.

Both messages are exactly the same. The only difference is that

cabbie Chris is going to watch and listen to the message,

while cabbie Bill will only hear it.

First up, Chris.

'Hello. Please can you pick me up from Bale Road?'

Yep, OK.

Next, it's blindfold Bill.

'Hello. Please can you pick me up from Bale Road?'

Right, I know where I've got to go, no problem.

All they have to do now is come and pick me up.

Now, if this experiment works the way I hope it will,

only one driver will arrive here on Vale Road,

despite them both receiving exactly the same message.

Fingers crossed.

Right. Left into New Plaistow Road.

So it's cabbie Chris who saw and heard the message who arrives at Vale Road.

-There you go, mate.

-Hello.

-How was the journey, got here all right?

-All right, yeah.

-Yeah?

Easy, no traffic today cos West Ham are not playing.

But I'd actually played a trick on Chris.

And it's one I suspect you all fell for too.

The thing is, Chris, you haven't come to the right place.

No! You told me Vale Road. And you were here.

OK. It wasn't Vale Road that I said.

Play it again, but this time close your eyes. I'll play the message again.

Hello, please can you pick me up from Bale Road.

Bale Road, Bale Road!

'What happened here is that I overlaid the image of Vale Road with the sound of Bale Road.

'And Chris's eyes deceived his ears.

'Watch yourself, first with your eyes open...'

Hello, please can you pick me up from Bale Road.

'Now, close your eyes and listen again.'

Hello, please can you pick me up from Bale Road.

-You look like you're saying "Vale Road".

-Isn't that weird?

It's the strangest thing.

When I close my eyes, I would believe now that you're playing another video.

So your brain combines what you're seeing and what you're hearing

and what you're seeing overrides what you're hearing.

'This phenomenon is known as the McGurk Effect.'

But for this experiment to truly work, cabbie Bill needs to turn up somewhere else.

Phew!

And I don't know where my passenger is, because there's no-one here.

-Hello, Billy.

-All right, Chris?

Hello, mate. What are you doing at Bale Road, you're meant to be at Vale Road.

No, no. My customer definitely said, "Pick me up at Bale Road," where are you?

-I'm at Vale Road.

-Oh, you doughnut.

-I know I'm a doughnut, Billy.

-Sorry.

-It looks like you're the winner.

I'm the winner, happy days.

Our brains are always trying to put together a picture of the world

and sometimes our eyes can override what we're hearing

and correct it to what we're seeing.

I've learnt something today.

Always repeat what someone says.

I think the moral of that story is make sure you are

where you've sent the taxi to pick you up.

Anyway, please welcome back our six contestants,

Clair, Peter, Ben, Andy, Barbara and Rob.

They've all played head-to-head games

and this is how the leaderboard looks after those games.

In joint first place with a maximum 6 points, we have Clair and Rob.

Then comes Barbara with 4 points, Andy has 2

and at the moment the bottom of the table

are Ben and Peter.

Clair, first, a reaction to you to being out in front.

Yeah, really good and this round should be one of my strongest

but we'll see what the pressure does.

-Rob, what about you?

-Yes, same, I can't believe it, I've just beaten

a Times Crossword Champion at spelling. It's just unreal.

All is not lost for Peter and for Ben.

The fact that this is a group game means it's worth 12 points

to the winner of this game. It is a maths challenge.

Andy, is it not your thing, maths?

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this round(!)

You're going to learn a brilliant new way to do complicated sums.

So if you're playing at home, watch carefully

as this will amaze your friends -

or at least the cashier at the supermarket.

After you've learned the technique,

I'll be giving you quick-fire questions

and only the fastest to answer will get the points.

So watch carefully as our maths-loving celebrity gives you a quick lesson.

Hi, I'm Countdown's resident mathematician, Rachel Riley,

and my maths tips can make anyone seem like a mathematical genius.

First, here's an easy method for multiplying any two-digit number by 11.

So we'll start with 54 x 11.

We'll put the 54 x 11 here and then what you do,

if you split the digits so you put the 5 at this end,

the 4 at this end and in the middle, 5 plus 4 is 9.

594.

The only thing you have to worry about is

if these two digits add up to something more than 9.

So, for example, 57 x 11,

again we'll split the digits, 5 here, 7 here, 5 add 7 is 12,

put the 2 there and we have to carry over the 1.

5 plus 1 is 6, 627, and it's as simple as that.

So, did you all get that? Cos if you didn't, we could be here some time.

But it's a great trick. I'm now going to ask you

a series of questions that you can solve using that short cut.

The last person to answer each one will be eliminated until only one of you remains.

Ready on your buzzers for the first question, which is this.

36 x 11 = what?

Straight away, Rob is right. Everybody is, apart from Barbara who's struggling. Oh, no, Barbara!

You needed to split the 3 and the 6.

Add them together to get your middle number. So the answer is 396.

Barbara, step back, you take no further part in this round.

Your second question.

Clair very fast there, so was Ben, Andy

and Peter, you were the last to answer,

so please step back as I give you the answer,

which you split the 8 and the 1, you add them together

to give you your middle number, 891.

Your next question is this.

Rob straight away and Clair and Ben and Andy still struggling.

-But, Andy, you've done better than you expected?

-Yes, indeed.

The answer you were looking for, Andy, was, split the 5 and the 2,

add them together, give yourself 572.

We have three who remain, here is your next challenge.

Clair's there.

Incorrect answers from Ben and Rob, try again.

Ben trying to remember the rule if they add up to more than 9.

Rob gets it, well done.

Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry.

-Yes.

-The answer you were looking for was, split the 6 and the 9

but because they add up to more than 9,

you carry the 1, 759 is the answer.

That means we have maths teacher Clair and Rob,

up against each other for our final question in this round.

Clair's got it.

You got that in 4.6 seconds.

And the answer that you got and plugged in correctly was 1,067.

But we have another mathematical challenge ahead because we're going

to go back over to the classroom and see Rachel's next short cut.

Be warned, this is a quick one, so watch very closely.

And now for our last short cut,

I'm going to show you how to quickly square a two-digit number ending in 5.

So let's take as our example, 35.

Now, if you take the tens digit, which in this case is the 3

and add 1 to it, you get 4,

then multiply the 3 by the 4 for 12

and add 25 on the end of it and that is all there is to it.

It's as simple as that.

LAUGHTER

I'm looking at your faces to see whether...

Oh, Andy, yes, quite complicated this one.

Ahh!

So if you're ready on your buzzers, here is your first question.

So we're looking for 15 squared.

Peter, that's wrong, try again,

Andy, that's wrong, try again, Barbara, that's wrong, try again.

Well done, Peter gets it correct.

Andy and Barbara, you've still got a chance.

-Well done, Andy. Barbara, did your mind go blank?

-Yes.

The answer you were looking for was 225.

So I'm afraid, once again, Barbara,

you're the first one to step back and be eliminated.

Your next problem to solve is this.

Clair and Ben are straight in with the correct answer.

Peter, much faster this time, so Andy and Rob, Rob's got it.

Andy says, "No!"

Not a clue. Not a Scooby.

Did you enter something or not?

No, just my own private hell.

The answer you were looking for was...

2,025.

So we have four remaining - Clair, Peter, Ben and Rob.

Your next maths question is this.

Clair's straight there. Peter's straight there.

65 squared. Ben is straight there. Rob! You were going for it.

-I had it.

-You had it.

-Not in time.

-Tell me what the answer is?

-4,225?

4,225 is indeed correct, but I'm afraid you were the slowest,

you step back, thank you, Rob.

The next question is this.

Clair's straight there, Peter wrong, try again, Ben gets it correctly.

-Oh, Peter!

-Missed the buttons.

Oh, I'm sorry. So Peter steps back.

The answer you were looking for was...

7,225. So Clair, the maths teacher,

Ben, the PhD student in particle physics, you remain.

Here's your final question.

Clair is straight there. So fast. You just see it and do it.

That is amazing, well done.

APPLAUSE

So the answer that you got so quickly was 5,625.

You were able to do that in 2.97 seconds.

Ben, you were up against a real maths master there,

you can hold your head high and congratulations to you as well.

APPLAUSE

So, Clair, what that means is that, having won,

you earn yourself 12 points, those are added to the leaderboard.

Ben, you came second, which is worth 7 points,

Rob, you get 4 for coming third,

Peter with 2 points, Andy with 1,

Barbara, from that game, no points.

Let's see what those scores have done to our leaderboard.

Clair extends her lead up to 18 points.

Rob is now in second place with 10.

Ben has 7, Barbara stays on 4,

Andy has 3,

but sadly, Peter, you are bottom of that leaderboard with only 2 points.

So I'm very sorry to say, Peter, you will be the first contestant

that we lose from Britain's Brightest.

It could have been so different if the 15 x 15 had come!

Well, or if I'd thought of it.

LAUGHTER

-Thank you so much for playing.

-OK.

-And goodbye. Thank you to Peter.

-Well done.

APPLAUSE

And then there were five, and out in front, Clair, is you.

-Great start.

-Yep. I did think that would be one of my strongest rounds

so I'm pleased with that.

Andy, how are you feeling?

Ready for the next maths challenge, bring it on.

You'll be quite relieved to know it's not maths coming up,

because for your next test you are getting a treat.

First of all, please welcome not one, but two dance champions

from Strictly Come Dancing -

Aliona Vilani and Matthew Cutler.

And also one of the UK's leading extreme martial arts crews,

it's Elms Freestyle.

Yes, it's Strictly versus karate.

This performance will be fast and furious

and afterwards I will be asking you observational questions.

So watch everything, forget nothing.

Let's start the challenge.

# Paranoia is in bloom

# The PR transmissions will resume

# They try to push drugs that keep us all down

# And hope that we will never see the truth around

# Another promise, another scene

# Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed

# And all the green belts wrapped around our minds

# And endless red tape to keep the truth confined

# They will not force us

# They will stop degrading us

# They will not control us

# We will be victorious

# Interchanging mind control

# Come let the revolution take its toll

# If you could flick a switch and open your third eye

# You'd see that we should never be afraid to die

# They will not force us

# They will stop degrading us

# They will not control us

# We will be victorious. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Very, very good.

Thank you so much to Matthew, Aliona and Elms Freestyle, thank you.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

So while the rest of us were enjoying that as entertainment,

our contestants had to remember exactly what was happening

and what makes this challenge so tricky is that the brain can

only track around four moving objects at one time

and we gave you five. So let's see how much has stuck.

Question 1.

The martial artist who broke the double breezeblocks was wearing wristbands.

What colour were they?

-Red.

-Rob says red, let's have a look.

As we can see, I'm afraid the answer is purple.

There were two different colours on the male dancer, Matt's, cape.

What were they?

-Clair?

-White and gold?

White and gold is correct.

How many times were the female performers lifted above waist height?

-Andy.

-Two?

Let's have a look.

So the answer was three for Aliona, one for Emma.

Four times in total. Incorrect, I'm afraid.

What part of her costume did Aliona change during her performance?

-Clair.

-Was it the shoes?

Her shoes, that is correct.

Which performer had epaulettes on their costume?

Barbara.

The lady karate.

You say Emma, the martial artist. Let's have a look.

And that is correct.

What was the total amount of backflips

performed by the martial artists?

-Ben.

-Three.

The answer was two.

Both of them performed by Jay who was wearing the red wristbands.

Which wrist was Aliona wearing bracelets on?

-Rob.

-Left.

The left wrist is correct.

And finally, which ballroom dance did Aliona and Matt perform?

-Andy.

-Paso doble?

Paso doble is correct.

APPLAUSE

So, Clair, you won the round clearly,

giving you a maximum 12 points.

Andy, Barbara and Rob, you're all tied,

which means at this stage you get 5 points each,

and Ben, I'm afraid, in last place, you score nothing.

So let's see how that round has affected the leaderboard.

Clair, out in front, extending her lead, now on 30 points.

Rob is in second with 15,

Barbara has 9, Andy has 8

and sadly, leaving Britain's Brightest, is Ben.

Ben, I'm so sorry. What do you think did for you there?

My memory's not my strongest.

-You did say all along your memory wasn't great, didn't you?

-Yeah.

Thank you so much for playing. Ladies and gentlemen, Ben.

And so we have four contestants remaining.

Andy, you pulled yourself back from the brink. Your knowledge of Strictly Come Dancing came through.

-My daughter Daisy will be very proud of me.

-That you knew Paso doble?

-Yes.

Time for a fantastic fact.

More electrical impulses are generated in one day

by a single human brain, than by all the telephones in the world.

And yet most of us can't remember where we put the car keys.

The mind is a weird and wonderful thing, and we went out to prove it.

'I'm with Ben Pridmore, a three times world memory champion,

'and right now he's memorising an entire pack of cards.

'After just one minute, he then takes a second pack, and attempts to

'rearrange it into the same order.

'The blue pack is what he's memorised, the red pack is what he's

're-ordered, and unbelievably he's got absolutely every one correct.'

Wow. That is incredible.

'I've got a rubbish memory.

'I've never remembered more than five things in a row.

'But Ben has plans for me.'

Today, Ben is going to show me some basic memory techniques, and then

put me to the test, to see if I can remember 20 random objects in order.

This is almost certainly not going to work.

'So how is Ben going to help me remember 20 objects in a row?'

Well, all you have to do is imagine the object in a sort of mental story.

You imagine your first object is doing something to your second,

which is interacting in some way with the third,

which is doing something with the fourth and so on. So if you remember one, you'll remember them all.

'So just to be clear.

'The key to memorising a sequence of items is to create a story

'which takes you from one highly visual image to another,

'rather like the unfolding tale of a bizarre shopping list.

'Imagine taking a loaf of bread, wrapping it up with a string

'of sausages, and swinging it round, knocking over the pint of milk.

'That's a picture you would never forget.'

I'm not massively confident but let's give it a try.

'Right, here goes.

'It's time to put Ben's technique into action, as I attempt to remember

'20 items in a row.'

The tambourine forms a band with the calculator,

so they're in a band together and it's like a hippy band.

The mouse is on vocals, really squeaky voice,

really horrible band to be in, they're having a terrible gig.

'I carried on with these mad ramblings until I arrived at the final item.'

A tiny, tiny, enormous rubber duck.

Ahh, wow.

'Now it was time to really put Ben's technique to the test.

'Using the bizarre visual story I'd concocted, could I break my

'own record and remember more than five things in a row?'

It was a tambourine first, and the tambourine decided to start

a hippy band with a calculator, and they were joined by a mouse,

there was a footballer there, he kicked a football and slipped

on a banana. Tiara, the iron, the guitar and then the toothbrush.

Flowers, the dustpan and brush, the torch, mirrorball, sweets, recorder.

No, we've missed a bit. What do we do with the sweets before we go into that?

-The sweets went with the necklace thing.

-That's the one.

And then the recorders, the salt, the fruit, the apple,

-the magnifying glass, the enormous rubber duck.

-Fantastic!

Amazing.

If you just make sure that everything is doing something

in your head to the next thing, you can remember anything.

You could remember a hundred things, 200 things.

'So it seems there's hope for me yet.'

In the same way that an athlete trains to improve their performance,

your memory can be trained and improved as well.

And the great thing is,

everyone's capable of this - though in my case I think it's

going to take a little bit longer to learn a whole deck of cards.

Time for the next challenge, and we've saved one of the toughest till last.

This challenge requires you to do something the brain really struggles with. Multitasking.

Here's a little example, if I pat my head and rub my tummy,

I can't do it, because I start patting my tummy or rubbing my head!

Anyway, it's not easy,

and that's nothing compared to what our contestants need to do,

because you have to press this button after exactly 27 seconds.

You will be estimating that 27 seconds

because you have no way of seeing a clock.

If you do hit 27 seconds exactly, you'll get bonus points,

but of course it's not just a counting in your head challenge,

because during those 27 seconds you will have a grid in front of you

and you have to create as many four-letter words as you can.

Every word you find is worth 2 points.

But for every second you go over the 27 seconds, we will deduct a point.

It's multitasking at its most devilish.

We're going to play in alphabetical order,

that means Andy, you'll be starting, so if you'd like to make

yourself comfortable in the chair, and if the other three of you

would like to disappear we're going to put you on headphones

and make sure that you can't hear or see what Andy is up to.

-So the stage is yours, Andy. Good luck.

-Thank you.

Your time starts now.

'Now, the part of the brain that deals with time also deals with paying attention.

'So it actually can't do both at once, something has to give.

'Andy has his first word up on the list.

'Hesitating now though. Going for that top left corner.

'Well, now he's found a rhythm. The trouble is, as excited as he gets

'about making the four-letter words, his appreciation of time disappears.

'Four correct words, five correct words. And also I think the competitive instinct takes over.

'And he's hit the button.'

Andy, you put in six words. We are not allowing "crac" though.

So five words will count at two points each, that is 10,

but the all-important thing is your time. How long did you take?

38 seconds.

Now, that has really surprised you, hasn't it?

Yeah, I lost track altogether.

So Andy, you scored 10 points for the words, but you lost 11 points

for being 11 seconds over, which means you finish with -1.

So well done, Andy, and for now thank you.

We now welcome Barbara into the chair.

-So Barbara, are you ready?

-I'm ready.

OK. Good luck. Your time starts now.

'Now, Barbara said she's very good at word games, really enjoys it,

'but she may get carried away with the making of the words and let time slip by.

'She's started very quickly. Straight away, two words are up.

'It may be that she tried to enter a word that wasn't allowed.

'OK, now she's got the swing of it again.

'She's going to need to press that button soon.

'Barbara, don't forget the time. Barbara, don't forget the time!

'Push the button. Push the button!

'She's completely forgotten that this is a time game.

'She's turned it into a word game.

'It's not a word game.

'And what I was saying earlier about the brain...'

So Barbara you put in seven words, we are disallowing "rolf"

and "malf", leaving you with five words at two points each.

That is 10 points.

But how was your estimation of time?

I've no idea.

Let's have a look. You were aiming for 27 seconds, you will lose

a point for every second over, you took...

1 minute and 17 seconds.

-AUDIENCE GROANS

-Er, yeah!

So I'm afraid, Barbara, at 50 seconds over the allowed time,

-that is going to give you a score of -40.

-Yeah.

So Barbara, for now thank you. I'll send you backstage

and we will welcome back our runaway leader, Clair, who's having a sensational competition so far.

-So Clair, happy you understand what's happening?

-Yep.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Your time starts now.

'So Clair immediately starts to look at that grid and create four-letter words,

'but as we've seen from the earlier contestants

'the time is much more important than the words created, and because

'they're all competitive and they're all very bright, they get

'sucked into thinking it's a game about making as many words as you can

'and it's not, it's about time.

'And this is about the... Oh.

'I was about to say this is about the point where they lose track - not Clair.'

Clair, you came up with five words, did you feel that you were on time?

I think I might have gone too soon.

-So you think you may have been under 27 seconds?

-Yeah, possibly.

Ten points on the board, let's see now what your time was...

26 seconds, that is amazing!

APPLAUSE

So your words were all correct, you were under the time,

that means you lose no points at all. Clair, you register 10 points.

Thank you. I'll let you leave the chair,

and we will welcome in our final contestant for this round.

Rob has been waiting patiently while the others took their turn.

-Good luck.

-Thanks.

And your time starts now.

'First word registered. There was a look of panic there on Rob's face

'as he saw the grid, trying desperately to assemble the letters

'into words, and just hesitation there, but he's got three words up.

'Or will he get carried away with the word game?

'Going well for words, but this is now feeling long.

'Hit the button, Rob...

'Competitive instinct takes over.

'He's lost track of time.'

In terms of words, Rob, that was sensational - seven of them,

all verified, all correct, that's more than anybody else.

That gives you 14 points.

Where did you think you were in terms of time?

If I was late, I don't think it was by more than two seconds.

Well, we shall find out. How long did you take?

43 seconds.

And that's really surprised you, hasn't it?

I'm blown away. That doesn't seem like it could be possible.

So you're 16 seconds over the allowed time,

and I'm afraid that means that wipes out all 14 of your points

-and gives you a score of -2.

-That's not good.

Rob, the important thing is how does your score relate to the others,

so we'll invite the other contestants back in.

What an interesting and revealing game.

Multitasking proving very, very hard for some.

For others, proving second nature, because Clair,

once again you are in first place.

-You have won with 12 points, just one second off the 27 seconds.

-Wow.

-Andy. You were second. You get 7 points.

-What?!

You were! There was just one point in it, but you were second.

Rob, you've come in third place, which gives you 4 points,

you look relieved.

Barbara, you finished fourth, and I'm afraid that means that you score zero points.

When we add it to the leaderboard, this is the situation.

Barbara, I'm afraid you are in fourth place with 9 points.

In third place is Andy, with 15.

Which means that in second place is Rob with 19 points,

but streaking out in front in first place, going through to

the Final of Britain's Brightest - it's Clair with 42 points!

And Clair, everyone here is hugely impressed.

Your fellow competitors are hugely impressed,

because you won every single round.

I think I've impressed myself actually.

I actually didn't... In some of the rounds I didn't realise

I was going to do that well so I'm really, really pleased

because they were difficult challenges, some of them.

So Clair, in with a very strong chance of being the overall

champion, straight through to the Final, you could yet be

Britain's Brightest, but sadly leaving tonight, it's Barbara.

AUDIENCE: Ahhh!

-And have you enjoyed it?

-I've enjoyed it very much.

Will you go back and say to Wilbur and the other cats "I did OK"?

Yes, I will. I think he'll let me off anyway.

-You've been a fantastic contestant, Barbara. Sorry to see you go.

-Thank you.

But the good news for Andy and for Rob is that it's not all over,

because you've got one last chance to stay in the competition.

This is your Fight for Survival.

Your scores up to this point have been wiped.

It's now very simple. The winner goes through to a final playoff,

the loser leaves the competition.

On the screen is a grid of numbers.

You must pick a number to reveal a question or a puzzle.

It could be a picture puzzle, celebrity connections,

even a cunning conundrum.

At that point, your clock will start counting down,

and time will tick away until you give me a correct answer.

Then your opponent must pick a number and tackle a challenge.

If either of you simply can't solve a puzzle you can pass,

choose another number. It will cost you time,

and if your clock runs out you are out of Britain's Brightest.

And since every second counts there won't be time for me to give the answers,

but they are all on our website at bbc.co.uk/britainsbrightest.

-So Andy, Rob, are you ready?

-Yes.

Andy, you're first to go,

and we have put 90 seconds on the clocks.

Let's start this Fight for Survival.

-Andy, pick a number.

-21.

84.

-84 is incorrect. Pick another number.

-22.

Breve.

-Breve is incorrect.

-16.

Fair and square.

Fair and square is correct, time passes to Rob. Pick a number.

11.

Plus.

-Plus is correct, time passes to Andy.

-3.

France.

France is correct. Francois Hollande, the President.

-Time passes to Rob.

-21.

364.

-364 is incorrect. Pick another number.

-18.

Build.

-Build is correct. Stop the clock. Andy.

-1.

A.

-A is correct, stop the clock. Rob?

-9.

Sung?

-Sung is incorrect. Pick again.

-10.

Times.

Times 4 = 176. Stop the clock.

-Andy.

-9.

Tongue.

-Tongue is correct. Stop the clock. Rob.

-30.

"A" bottom right, "U" top left.

-Paraguay that's correct. Stop the clock.

-8.

An anagram... Melancholy.

-Melancholy is correct. Stop the clock.

-2.

6...

Oh, bad luck Rob, you were out of time, I'm so sorry.

Just the way the cookie crumbles, I guess.

And you said right at the beginning that you felt youth would be an

advantage to you, but you have been beaten by somebody older than you.

I have, yes.

What would you like to say to Andy, Rob? Anything?

-Er, buy us a pint?

-Yeah, yeah.

LAUGHTER

Very good, Rob, I'm so sorry to see you leave.

Andy congratulations - at the end of the round you have secured

a place in the play-offs, and I think you're quite surprised.

Amazed and delighted, to be honest.

Many congratulations, you are through to the play-off. Well done, Andy.

Many thanks to all our incredible contestants,

especially to Clair who has booked her place in the Final.

To our Strictly stars and karate kings.

To Chelsee Healey and Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.

We'll be back next week for more amazing battles of the brain.

Join us next time, as the hunt for Britain's Brightest continues. Good night.

APPLAUSE

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd