A Swindon shop owner has been crowned as Countdown's latest octo-champion.

Bert's Books boss Alex Call first appeared on the long-running Channel 4 game show on August 27 and started a winning streak which - after a pause for the broadcaster's coverage of the 2024 Paralympic Games - ended on Monday afternoon, when he won his eighth episode in a row.

This is the maximum amount of victories that a contestant can achieve before they are automatically entered as a seed for the end-of-series final which is due to be held in December and broadcast over Christmas.

Alex will likely take part in that festive finale, depending on how many other future contestants in the coming weeks will equal his impressive feat.

During his time on the show, Alex faced fellow Swindonian Clare Harris, achieved three scores of more than 100 points, correctly solved the end-of-episode conundrum once, and enjoyed listening to entertaining asides from famous faces such as Paralympian Kadeena Cox, impressionist Jon Culshaw, and entertainer/crime author Richard Osman.

(Image: Alex Call.)

Alex told the Adver: "I was slightly bemused by it all and definitely wasn't expecting to do as well as I did.

"It's been quite fun teasing my friends and family - many of them thought I'd crashed out after four episodes!

"I did tell a couple of people though, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep it completely secret."

This is not the first time that the bookseller has appeared on TV - he took part in Pointless with mum Elaine in September 2020.

Elaine also appeared on Countdown earlier this year, which inspired her son to follow in her footsteps.

He previously added: "It was weird watching myself on TV, it didn't feel like it was me - especially when he got an answer that I didn't!

"Being an avid reader did help. The more time you spend with words, the easier they are to see, and you learn words that aren't part of everyday use."

On his last day - for now - Alex brought gifts from his Old Town shop for host Colin Murray, co-presenter Rachel Riley, and Dictionary Corner legend Susie Dent.

All three received copies of Tin Man by Sarah Winman while Colin got football-focused fiction There's Only One Danny Garvey by David F Ross, Susie got Janice Hallett's crime novel The Twyford Code, and Rachel got the uplifting story Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession.