A forensic accountant from Scotland has become the first woman to be crowned Countdown champion since 1998.
Countdown has had five other female champions since its launch on Channel 4 in 1982, but none this century.
In Friday’s final, Fiona Wood, from Kinross, and Chris Kirby, went right down to the wire, but the accountant triumphed after correctly identifying the final challenge as “lassitude”, meaning a state of physical or mental weariness.
Fiona said she applied after organisers had encouraged “older” contestants and wanted more women.
“I have absolutely no regrets about applying and would encourage other women to give it a go,” she said.
Fiona is the sixth woman to have been crowned champion of the show, which was adapted from the French TV series Des Chiffres Et Des Lettres (Numbers and Letters), and has been broadcast since Channel 4 launched in 1982.
The first ever series was won the year it launched by crossword compiler Joyce Cansfield, while other female winners included Hilary Hopper (in 1987), Liz Barber (1990), Verity Joubert (1995) and Kate Ogilvie (1998).
Channel 4 has said that since appeals from Colin Murray, Susie Dent and mathematician Rachel Riley, they have seen applications from women soar.
Susie Dent, who has appeared in the show’s dictionary corner since 1992 said Fiona had given everyone “one of the very best moments in our 42-year history”.
“This series also reminded us how much Countdown is a show for everyone, and we would encourage anyone who loves the game to apply,” she added.