A Lancaster housewife was crowned Mastermind champion after a nail-biting tie-break final on Monday.
Winning with 28 points, carer Diane Howe beat Lorna Frankel by just one point after the tense tie-break – the second of its kind to ever happen since Mastermind first hit screens back in 1972.
A delighted Diane, who described her trophy as ‘very heavy’, said: ‘It’s just an amazing feeling. I’m so happy… and relieved.’
Diane’s specialist subject was American astronaut Jim Lovell. She said of the choice: ‘I’ve always loved science fiction and loved Apollo 13, the film.
‘He is an amazing man to do what he did and stay calm – the way he commanded that situation was amazing.’
The contestant added: ‘It means everything to win it – to have the trophy in my hands, it is amazing.’
A Lancaster housewife has proven that she has the brains to beat them all and has been crowned Mastermind champion after a nail-biting tie-break on Monday
Winning with 28 points, carer Diane Howe’s tie-break question against Lorna Frankel was the second of its kind to ever happen since Mastermind first hit screens back in 1972
Diane even got a step closer to her hero thanks to the show after scoring 12 points on her specialist subject. She received a ‘good luck and ad astra (to the stars)’ message from British astronaut Tim Peake.
She said: ‘It means everything to win it, I never thought I’d win it.
‘Watching Mastermind from an early age and seeing all the grand finalists and the winners, and to have this [trophy] in my hands, it’s amazing.’
This was actually Diane’s second appearance on the show, she previously tried her luck back in 2019 but did not progress beyond the first round.
She said the experience ‘really spurred me on to have another go and see what I could do.’
Diane went on to appear on BBC Breakfast, where she shared her secret to winning the popular quiz show.
She said: ‘It’s really about focusing, if you get something wrong, you’ve just got to say, that’s wrong, just pass and carry on.
‘You can’t get bogged down in something you’ve got wrong, it’s really tunnel vision.’
This was actually Diane’s second appearance on the show and she previously tried her luck back in 2019 but did not progress beyond the first round
The champion advised anyone looking to follow in her footsteps to ‘read a couple of really good sources, and look on the internet for extra material, just really read, re-read’
Read More
BBC accused of dumbing down Mastermind after Clive Myrie asks contestant what sounds a dog makes
The champion advised anyone looking to follow in her footsteps to ‘read a couple of really good sources, and look on the internet for extra material, just really read, re-read, make notes, condense notes, and then try and question spot.’
Mastermind host Clive also appeared by video link on the show and said: ‘I ask something like 1,300-1,500 questions a series, and it boiled down to two Roman roads meeting in Lincoln, that’s unbelievable! And to win by one point is incredible.
‘The thing about Diane is, she’s just so cool. Butter would not melt in her mouth.
‘She just ambled onto the set, sat in the chair, didn’t betray a single set of nerves, it was incredible, and that is the key about Mastermind.’
Mastermind is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
