Countdown censored to remove s**tface

Bosses on TV game show Countdown had to edit out part of the show after a contestant submitted an eight-letter expletive. A section of a recent show had to be refilmed after a Cambridge University maths student found an obscene use for the letters: 'DTCEIASHF'.



Audience members erupted in laughter when Jack Hurst, 18, spelt out 'S***face' but producers were less amused. Language expert Susie Dent confirmed to presenter Jeff Stelling that the word, describing a "rude or obnoxious person", was acceptable but Channel 4 ruled the round would have to be filmed again, with new letters.

A source joked: "The bizarre thing was he had a spare D - spelling a concept most students are more than familiar with." Countdown contestants are given a mixture of nine consonants and vowels, and have thirty seconds in which to rearrange them to make the longest possible word.



Earlier this year, Stelling and co-presenter Rachel Riley visibly squirmed when the letter A was followed by U, D, F, C, K and E, potentially creating a six-letter profanity. But on that occasion both contestants tactfully ducked the obvious by opting for shorter words.