Countdown champion charged with stabbing rival gameshow contestant at a tournament
13 October 2024, 15:20
A former Countdown champion has been charged after a rival contestant was stabbed at a tournament.
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John Cowen, 30, was arrested after he allegedly attacked an opponent with a knife at the Countdown in Blackpool 2024 event in Lancashire.
The attack took place at the Wainwright Club in Hornby Road, Blackpool, on September 14.
The victim, reported to be a man in his twenties, was taken to hospital for treatment following the incident.
The official annual tournament pits former winners from the much-love Channel 4 gameshow against each other.
Cowen has now been charged by Lancashire Police with wounding and possession of a bladed article
The puzzle series, presented by Nick Hewer and Rachel Riley, has become a daytime television stable since it launched in 1982.
Mathematics genius Cowen, from Morecambe, appeared in a total of 12 episodes across the series in 2017, winning eight consecutive contests before being defeated.
Read more: Murder investigation launched after man in his 30s shot dead in East London
The maths graduate went on to score the third highest total of the series during his debut appearance in series 77.
He eventually narrowly missed out on joining the '800 club' - a sought after score achieved by few contestants - by a single point.
Over the course of his appearances, the pro gameshow contestant racked up four centuries and could regularly be seen to ace the numbers round, the specialist area of co-presenter Rachel Riley.
Cowen, of Morecambe, Lancashire, was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Preston Crown Court for his trial on Monday.
