Channel 4 Countdown star charged with stabbing rival at tournament

Countdown champion and maths graduate John Cowen won the highest score of the 2017 series of Countdown, appearing in 12 episodes and winning eight consecutive contests

Countdown champion John Cowen has been charged with stabbing a rival at an event in Blackpool in September.

The 30-year-old maths graduate, who won the highest score of the 2017 series, was arrested after allegedly attacking his rival at the Countdown in Blackpool 2024 tournament, on September 14.

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

We'll be bringing you the latest updates on this breaking showbiz news story.

Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE . Get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters .

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name.

You can sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news here @MirrorBreaking_ and follow us @MirrorCeleb for all the latest updates.

Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/MirrorCeleb See all our social accounts you can follow here: mirror.co.uk/social