Countdown's most controversial conundrums!

There are two things you can always count on in Countdown. One is the inexplicably awkward and fidgety atmosphere in every single episode (Alan Partridge would be the ideal host) and the other is the sudden appearance of rude, rude words. Actually that's a lie – rude words hardly ever appear, but when they do it's priceless, because it reduces the nation to the state of giggling school kids.

In fact, it's even more like that now that the headmaster-like Nick Hewer's taken over as host. Ever the professional, he managed not to even smirk when a certain word beginning with "w" and ending in "r" was given as a recent answer. Which is more than could be said for, oh, everyone else in the country.

Good old Richard Whiteley had his share of uncomfortable moments too - check out this clip, which is made all the better by the young contestant's intensely cute delivery of the offending word. (Richard then cringe-tastically insists the boy doesn't know what it means. Stop talking, Richard!)

Sometimes it's the reaction that makes the moment special, rather than the word itself. Here, you think for a second that everyone's going to be mature and ignore what's been spelt out – until a few people in the audience just can't help themselves. Jeff Stelling provides the perfect punchline at the end…

Now for an all-time classic clip, partly because the contestant looks like she should be in the WI, but mainly because of Richard Whiteley's absolutely brilliant, drawn out, resigned reaction. Even a scripted scene couldn't have had better timing.

And we end with a repeat offender, word-wise. Unlike the lofty and unflinching Nick Hewer, Jeff Stelling can't contain himself. And we don't blame him…