Overview

• Donald Elsom, a 96-year-old former Royal Air Force corporal from Stanley, County Durham, will appear on Countdown at 2.10pm BST and set a new age record
• Elsom left school at 14 but nurtured a lifelong talent for working with numbers through decades of dedicated viewership
• Channel 4 hailed his warmth, wit and sharp mind, spotlighting his enduring passion for letters-and-numbers challenges
• In April he received Maundy Money from King Charles in recognition of his service to his Church of England congregation
• He eclipses the previous record held by 89-year-old Geoffrey Green, who appeared on Countdown in 2007