A FORMER Countdown producer from Knutsford has won a Scrabble championship for the fourth time.

Mark Nyman, who worked with Carol Vorderman and Richard Whiteley on the hit TV show, came first out of 120 contestants in the British Matchplay Scrabble Championships, in Staffordshire.

The 42-year-old will now go on to compete in the world championship at the end of November in Malaysia.

He said: “It was always my ambition to win that as the world championship is at stake.

“I’m really looking forward to Malaysia. I’ve still got to get my wife Helen’s permission but I’m quite excited.”

Mark, of Sandileigh Avenue, is already a world record holder as he won the world championship in 1993 in New York when he was 26.

He is the only British player to have won the accolade and will be competing on a world level for the eighth time this year.

The father-of-two said: “I’ve peppered it since then, coming second, fourth and fifth, so I really want to win this as I’m considering it my comeback.

“I’ve got a love-hate relationship with Scrabble. Before this year, I hadn’t played for four years as I started a family and my priorities changed.

“Sometimes it’s nice to get a break and come back refreshed.”

His children are Max, four, who attends Egerton Primary School, and Kizzy, three.

Mark started playing Scrabble at the age of 14 when he became inspired by his dad Les, who was in the London Scrabble League. Sadly, Les died earlier this year.

“He was a wonderful man and a great influence on my life,” added Mark.

“He was pretty proud of my achievements and I want to keep him smiling up there.”

For winning the British Matchplay Championships, Mark received a silver bowl and a trophy that Max and Kizzy love playing with.

Some of the top words which helped him win were the 94-point ‘Yahrzeit’, which is the anniversary of a death in Judaism, and the 74-point ‘Tipulas’, which is another name for daddy long legs.

Mark compared the experience to revising for and then taking an exam.

He said: “You’ve got to be on-the-ball, quite focused and cool under pressure.”

Mark worked as a producer on Countdown for 18 years and Richard Whiteley went to his wedding.

He added: “It was such a loss when he passed away. I had a great sense of humour and could laugh at himself which was a great asset.”

Now Mark wants to start a Scrabble club at The Angel Hotel, in Knutsford, and wants to visit schools to give them some tips.

Anyone interested should email Mark at nnymans@aol.com