Countdown Champion is charged with stabbing rival at tournament

A Channel 4 Countdown champion has been charged with stabbing a rival contestant at a tournament.

John Cowen, 30, was arrested after allegedly attacking his opponent with a knife at the Countdown in Blackpool 2024 event in Blackpool, Lancashire, on September 14.

He was charged with section 18 wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article while the victim, a man in his twenties, was taken to hospital for treatment.

The event, held at the Wainwright Club in the town, is an annual tournament which pits former winners from the Channel 4 gameshow against each other.

Cowen, a maths graduate, made his debut on the Channel 4 show in 2017, scoring the third highest total of the whole series, as well as spotting the nine-letter word 'spreading'. 

He went on to appear in a further 11 episodes, winning eight consecutive contests before he was finally defeated.

Appearing in Series 77, Cowen missed out on joining the 800 club by 1 point, but nonetheless achieved four centuries and performed well in the numbers rounds - in which he chose six small numbers in every pick.

Having won all eight of his heat games to become an octochamp, he went on to appear in the series finals as the third seed in December 2017.

In his quarter-final match, he thrashed fellow unbeaten player Michael Pfeffer, picking out the nine-letter word antinodes to win 105 – 49.

In the semi-finals, he faced Bradley Horrocks and lost after he gave an incorrect solution to his final six small selection.

Two years later, Cowen returned for the Championship of Champions XV series, losing once again to Mr Horrocks in the quarter-final.

On this occasion, the pair played a close run game and eventually Horrocks secured a victory with 99 points to Cowen's 96 points after both players gave incorrect answers to the crucial conundrum.

Cowen, of Morecambe, Lancashire, was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Preston Crown Court for his trial on Monday.