Buckingham man’s Countdown success

A Buckingham brainbox has appeared in three episodes of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown this week.

Tony Moore, aged 51, emerged victorious on Monday and Tuesday in the show hosted by Colin Murray, only to be knocked out in Wednesday’s episode.

Bus driver Tony’s appearances on the show were recorded in December, and only his immediate family were allowed to know the outcome – until the episodes were aired this week.

Tony travelled to the BBC studios in Salford for the recording – taking with him five changes of clothes – while wife Tracy and daughters Kaela and Becca waited for news at home.

"I was up there for most of the day so they knew I’d done well, because I hadn’t come home,” he said.

“I was first recording of the day when I went up there. They do five a day, because they have the same guest in Dictionary Corner. It’s basically just one whole day’s filming, five episodes one after the other.

“I think that’s the problem – once you’ve done two or three episodes, you do start to get sort of the brain fade and it’s quite tiring by the end.”

Tony has previously taken part in Buckingham’s annual Town v Gown charity quiz, and is part of a team in the weekly nationwide Online Quiz League, that started up during lockdown.

Six years ago, his team reached the quarter final in BBC Two’s Only Connect, hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, and his next ambition is to appear on the ITV game show The Chase.