Contestants evolve from newbies to familiar faces to veterans in their time on the show, but some have a longer tour of duty than others.

Some contestants get put on early, others stay for much longer, as Danny and Joey did recently.

I think if you do over 22 shows you are a true DoND veteran.

Any advances on this figure?

Is it important to last a long time to be a truly great contestant? Or to be a mummy/daddy of the group?

Doing over 23 shows is very common for contestants and given that they record 3 shows a day, I think you need to be doing over 30 to be classified as a true DOND veteran. You can be classed as a great contestant irrespective of how many shows you've done if you provide an entertaining show when you are at the table. To be the mummy or daddy of the group you need to be the right age and gain the respect and appreciation of the other contestants which can come fairly early though is more likely to be attributed when around half or more of the contestants have arrived after them, so on that basis you would be looking at around 12 shows or more.

Anything over 22 shows makes you a veteran, I think, as 22 is the average for contestants, so anything above that is above average.

Certainly some of the all-time great contestants have done over 30 shows (Pat M and Joey are the two that immediately come to mind), but you don't have to do loads of shows to be a legend. Colin only did 13 shows and he's one of the best contestants ever.

So, really, no, longetivity doesn't make a contestant a legend, but for people who are already legends, it does mean that the anticipation grows with every game, and the longer they stay, the more you can't wait for their game.

33 shows. No more, no less. (You're allowed to miss three of them, though.)

Now there's a suprise....

25 shows, no less

I think it has to be 27 shows - there are quite a few people who do the 23 - 26 shows bracket; and as Billy correctly pointed out, there is often no relation between how long a player is on for and how good they are, however, to be a "veteran", I think you really have to do more than about 27 shows...

I agree, 25 and above...

Meaning Danny and Joey were veterans recently..

Thats true, but i only class a true DOND veteran to have done over 30 shows.NO LESS, apart from maybe becca/hannah.

They both did over 30 shows...

No they didnt! Hannah did 22 and Becca did 27.

I meant Danny and Joey...

Becca did 26, not 27. And I think Tom was referring to Danny and Joey?

Yet again I agree with Rico

To be a true DOND veteran, I think you need to have at least done 30 shows if not more!.

To all you statisticians of the show, how many contestants have done 30 or more shows?

Caz

30 shows:
Elaine H
Gary Owen
Khanny
Tingly John
Ned

32 shows:
John M
Pat M
Dave W
Danny
Joey

33 shows:
Karen (1)
Sarah M!!! (3 shows missed through illness)
£1 Raj (4 shows missed through illness)

50 shows:
Lucy

So I make that 14 players; 13 if you discount the shows Raj missed through illness.

edit: over 30 shows with the exception of becca/hannah for me.


Ad where was the mention of joey and danny?

I'd like to see someone do 31 shows!

Awwwww thanx for that Daniel - I knew I could count on u!

Me too! That's the only show count between 9 and 33 that hasn't been done...I guess 30 and 32 just feel like more substantial, rounder numbers. (Not sure what the significance of 33 is, but I suspect Sarah and Raj were initially supposed to play earlier anyway.)

It wouldn't be Craig?