A last-place winner has appeared in court accused of stabbing a competitor at a quiz event.
John Cowen, 30, appeared at Preston Crown Court charged with wounding with intent and two counts of possession of a bladed article.
Mr Cowan, who appeared on the TV quiz show in 2017, allegedly attacked Thomas Carey with a knife during the Blackpool Countdown 2024 event at the town’s Wainwright Club on September 14.
Mr Carey, himself a former countdown champion and Cambridge maths graduate, was taken to hospital for treatment of an injury to his arm.
Mr Cowan was arrested at the event shortly afterwards.
The defendant, from Morecambe, Lancashire, spoke only to confirm his identity during a brief hearing before Judge Darren Preston.
He was remanded in custody at HMP Liverpool until a further hearing on 6 December.
The Blackpool Countdown is an annual tournament pitting former winners and fans of the Channel 4 game show against each other.
Mr Cowan had the third-highest overall score in the entire series he competed in and discovered the nine-letter word “spread.”
He went on to appear in 11 more episodes, winning eight games in a row before being defeated.
