A Co Tyrone man's lexical dexterity and numerical agility has seen him join Countdown's hall of fame after securing a record score and a place in the show's end of season finale.
Cillian McMulkin's current run of form on the Channel 4 game show - which is hosted by Dundonald-born presenter Colin Murray - came to an end on Friday with a score of 121, bringing his total over eight appearances to 944 points.
He is the first 'octochamp' of the current series and 2023.
Earlier this week, the Killyclogher native matched the show's highest-ever score, gaining 154 points on January 31.
He went one to achieve three century scores over the course of his eight appearances.
The father-of-two's latest appearance, which was recorded in November, is his second on the afternoon show, hosted by Colin Murray and Rachel Riley.
Cillian, who currently lives in Magherafelt Co Derry, previously appeared in 2011 when the show was hosted by Jeff Stelling.
After giving shout-outs to wife Catherine and children Dara (3) and Anna (1), Cillian said: "It really is a dream come true – I'm absolutely over the moon."
There was praise for his record-breaking feat on social media.
One viewer tweeted: "Cillian McMulkin equalled the highest ever score of 154 set by record breaker Tom Stevenson last series. Recent Countdown has been epic and Colin Murray is a great host."
Another said: "Cillian Mcmulkin has to be the best Countdown player ever."
