From bombing his A-levels... meet the King of Countdown: He's the superfan who notched up the highest score in the show's 40-year history - and celebrated with Doritos and cake. So what's next? Winning Pointless with his mum!

Tom Stevenson (left) is a touch crumpled and rumpled. His hair is unkempt, his Harry Potter specs smeary and his eyes are a bit pink around the edges. Frankly, it's little wonder, though, because Tom's usually quiet life - of university lectures, badminton, vegetarian meal deals and watching Eurovision repeats and gentle TV quiz shows with his mum - has been turned upside down. Instead, over the past two weeks or so, the 21-year-old has been popping up on TV chat shows, the radio and news outlets around the world. He's been feted on Twitter as 'an idol' and 'a hero' and hailed 'an inspiration' by one of his teachers at secondary school. Tom triumphed on Countdown, the cult Channel 4 programme which has been beloved by students, pensioners, housewives and anyone with nothing better to do at ten past two every weekday afternoon for 86 series over the past 40 years. He did not just triumph, though: Tom smashed two existing and highly coveted records. For highest score in a round ever - 154 (right) - beating the 152 points secured by Elliott Mellor in 2019. And for becoming the first octochamp (winning eight heats) without losing a single of his 120 consecutive rounds - and propelling him into the grand final, which was recorded earlier this month and will be aired at Christmas.