A former Cambridge student has been pictured after a Channel 4 Countdown contestant was charged after allegedly attacking the brainbox at a tournament
A Countdown star who was stabbed by his Channel 4 rival has been pictured.
John Cowen was charged by Lancashire Police after allegedly stabbing a former contestant at an event held in Blackpool. The 30-year-old who bagged the highest score in 2017 was arrested and taken into custody. A man in his twenties was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.
Cowen was arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault and possession of a knife / bladed article remains in custody and will appear before Preston Crown Court on Monday. Now, his victim, a former Countdown contestant has been pictured for the first time. Thomas Carey appeared at the event held at the Wainwright Club in Blackpool last month.
Thomas from Bingley, West Yorks, appeared on the Channel 4 show back in June 2015 while studying for his A-Levels. During his appearance on the programme, he came out on top several times and bagged an impressive 923 points after winning eight times. Thomas was the first contestant since 1986 to correctly answer all eight conundrums.
However, he later fell short and was eliminated at the semi-final stage of the programme. Meanwhile, Cowen appeared on the programme in 2017 and scored the third highest overall score of the series. He spotted the nine-letter word “spreading”. During series 77, he missed out on joining the famous 800 club by just one point.
Having won eight of his games, he appeared in the final back in December 2017, he was the third seed, beating unbeaten player Michael Pfeffer, picking out the nine letter word antinodes, winning 105 – 49. He fell short in the semi finals, when facing Bradley Horrocks. The champion lost after giving an incorrect solution to the last six small selection he was given.
In a statement shared with the Mirror, a spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “We were called at 11:35am on 14th September 2024 to a report of an assault on Hornby Road in Blackpool. Officers attended, and a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault and possession of a knife / bladed article.
“John Cowen, 30, was later charged with section 18 assault – wounding with intent and possession of a knife / bladed article in a public place. He was remanded and will appear at Preston Crown Court on 14th October.” Both Carey and Thomas are members of the online website, Apterous, which creates the iconic Channel 4 game show.
Thomas has been a member since 2011 and is known for “wearing a tea cosy on his head.” It’s claimed by the MailOnline that he has been the organiser of the Apterous Masters since 2019 having won it just one year prior. Currently, the website makes no reference to the incident on September 14. It states that Cowen’s rank on the website is 24th and he has won a dog bone “medal of honour” three times.
