Stanley 96-year-old becomes Countdown's oldest contestant
The daytime words and numbers quiz, which began on Channel 4 in 1982 and is currently hosted by Colin Murray, sees two contestants compete in 15 rounds to become the daily Countdown champion.Despite leaving school at a young age and initially finding terms like "decimals" and "algebra" intimidating, Mr Elsom is said to have quite a talent for working with figures.The nonagenarian nine-letter word seeker had a varied career in the RAF and has worked as a police dog handler, butcher and school site agent.
In April, he received Maundy Money from the King in recognition of his community service and dedication to his local Church of England congregation.He helped raise more than £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in 2023 when he completed 95 laps of a local school sports field.Mr Elsom said of his latest experience: "I enjoyed everything about the day."The photo will be framed and have a place next to the photo of me with King Charles."His Countdown debut will air on Channel 4 on Monday at 14:10 BST.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Bizarre Christmas attractions in the UK that you can visit NOW – from sleigh rides to a festive hotel room
WE are barely through summer and some locations are already looking to Christmas - including year-round spots. Cold winter days and merry jingles seem like a distant memory, but for some destinations across the UK, the holiday season has already arrived. 4 Chessington's Christmas room Missing your festive fix? Then stay at Chessington World of Adventures' year-round Christmas bedroom. Full of twinkling lights, garlands and even a perfectly decorated tree, Chessington's Christmas gets guests into the festive spirit no matter the time of year. There are Christmas mugs in the room as well, to have marshmallow-loaded hot chocolate in. While the room is all things Christmas you can switch seasons with a dip in the hotel's Savannah Splash Pool. The room starts from £77 per person, based on a family of four sharing. If you are feeling extra festive, you can arrange to have an Elf Wake-up Call or Reindeer Encounter too. Santa's Sleigh Ride, Sundown Adventureland Sundown Adventureland markets itself as "the theme park for the under 10s". And while the theme park does have numerous non-festive themed rides, it is also "Christmas every day at Sundown" as the attraction has a year-round sleigh ride. Santa's Magical Sleigh Ride travels through a winter wonderland and has appearances from a number of Santa's helpers like Mrs Claus, Rudolph and dancing snowmen. I visited Lapland's Santa Claus Village in the summer — turns out Santa's not just for Christmas Those on the ride are taken through several rooms, including a quirky house set up where you see woodland animals preparing for the big day cooking and wrapping presents. There is even a reindeer sat in bed and a toy store advent calendar, with doors opening and closing as visitors slide by in the sleigh. Harrods Christmas Store For many festive fans, shopping for Christmas decorations and presents is a day out activity. And some keen holiday lovers will head to specific destinations for this. One such location is the Harrods Christmas Store, which opened last month - yes, in July. Located near the books, Harrods' Christmas World features new decorations including highland cow baubles and jewelled peach decorations. 4 There is even a hair oil bauble full of pink glittering liquid. Several bloggers and vloggers have already headed to the store to document this year's offering, with one view having already racked up 114,000 views. And you can even purchase a nutcracker for £2,539... Bridmas, East Yorkshire The picturesque seaside town of Bridlington in East Yorkshire hosts an annual event called Bridmas. The Christmas-themed festival features a load of Christmas crafts, food, live music and even a panto dame - all in the peak of summer. The event aims to show that the town is more than just a summer staycation spot, and actually features year-round attractions. Bridmas only lasts for one day and includes showings of classic Christmas movies like Home Alone, a 'Santa Express' land train and festive-themed beach games. The event took place on August 6, so if you want to go - you will need to wait until next year. TUI launches day trips to Lapland for 2026 TUI has introduced a new 'extreme day trip' to Lapland for the winter of 2026. The trip, called "Search for Santa," allows families to fly to Kittila, Finland and return on the same day. Flights will be available from 11 UK airports, including Cardiff for the first time. The trip from Bournemouth airport is also returning for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. On the flight to Lapland, a cooked English breakfast is served, and a Christmas dinner is served on the return flight. Upon arrival, families receive snowsuits and boots before heading to the Snow Village. Activities include reindeer and husky sleigh rides and learning to drive a snowmobile. The day also features a magical journey to meet Santa and his elves. Some Christmas attraction tickets are already selling out – here is how you can still book. Plus, The Sun headed to Lapland UK - here is what it is like. 4
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fury as influencer reviews meal from homeless shelter and brags: 'I didn't have to pay for it'
A food influencer has caused fury after reviewing a meal served at a homeless shelter and bragging she 'didn't even have to pay for it'. Tracy Cahill, from Glasgow, has amassed a large TikTok following by rating meals and restaurants across the city before declaring whether they're '10/10 banging' or '10/10 stinking'. However, a recent clip did not go down well with Tracy's 45,000 followers after she filmed herself critiquing the food that was served at a local soup kitchen. In the since-deleted video, Tracy was reportedly seen 'laughing and sniggering' while holding up a container of food as she bragged 'I didn't even have to f***ing pay for it'. According to the Daily Record, the blogger declared the 'scran' was '10/10 banging' in the contentious video that sparked fierce criticism from the Homeless Project Scotland that runs programmes to feed those most in need. A spokesperson for the charity said Tracy's TikTok was 'deeply disappointing' and 'undermined' their work, adding: 'Homelessness is not a trend.' Fellow TikTokers, meanwhile, questioned how Tracy could 'take a meal from someone in need' and 'folk with nothing' - before the foodfluencer responded to the backlash in a rebuttal video. Reacting to the food review, one social media user noted: 'She has walked into a soup kitchen and thought she was funny taking food from people who haven't had a hot meal in days. 'I don't know how you can take a meal from someone in need.' Another said: 'You have gone into a space for vulnerable people that is supposed to be safe. This is food being given to folk with nothing and you are treating like content.' Addressing the outrage, Tracy took to Tiktok to clarify that she had, in fact, donated money to the homeless shelter 'because I am a TikToker and people know me' - despite earlier insinuating that she ate for free. She also told her followers that she was accompanied by her sister, who stays in a 'homeless centre', and explained that she began making content to earn a 'wee bit of money' having experienced similar hardships in her own life. Tracy began: 'I went with my sister who is homeless and stays in a homeless centre. I sat with her and had food but I donated money because I am a TikToker and people know me. She suggested the only reason people were criticising her is because 'I'm a big TikToker', adding there are many other influencers that 'video homeless people' without concern for their wellbeing. 'Take some time out of your lives from criticising people,' Tracy continued. 'All because I'm a big TikToker you are criticising me. 'I have had to do a lot of homeless stuff. That's why I started TikTok - to make a wee bit of money and make a better life for me. So, me sitting and having some food with the homeless in a shelter is not disgusting and I'm not mocking them.' Her response video was posted after Homeless Project Scotland said homeless shelters are not meant to be 'used as backdrops for online content or personal publicity' in a scathing response to the food review. 'We find it deeply disappointing when anyone treats the reality of homelessness as entertainment,' the spokesperson added. 'We find it deeply disappointing when anyone treats the reality of homelessness as entertainment.' They reiterated that homelessness 'is not a trend' but rather a 'serious crisis' that must be addressed with compassion. The Daily Mail has reached out to Tracy for comment. Many social media users felt Tracy's response missed the mark, as one person commented: 'Point is the food you had could have been given to an actual homeless person.' Another said: 'Point is the food you had could have been given to an actual homeless person.' A third comment read: 'It was in poor taste. And fyi I do volunteer at a soup kitchen and I do talk to everyone there, they are amazing people.' A fourth added: 'It's nothing to do with the fact that you were with homeless people Tracy. It's about the fact you done a food review! If you've not done anything wrong where is the review you posted?
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Rare unseen family footage of Queen Elizabeth released to mark Princess Anne's birthday
Rare family footage of Queen Elizabeth II has been released to mark Princess Anne 's 75th birthday on Friday, 15 August. Video shows the Princess Royal, who is the younger sister of King Charles III, being held by her mother as a baby. A new portrait has also been released to mark the occasion, with Anne pictured with a smile outside her Gatcombe Park home in the photograph taken by John Swannell. The princess has eschewed any major public commemorations for her big day, preferring to host a special forum for her charities in June instead.
