East Wittering resident to appear on Channel 4 TV show Countdown

Daren Barnes, 51, from Downsview Close, said he watches the quiz show everyday but had never thought about going on it himself, and that it was actually his partner Nikki who applied on his behalf.

He said: “We were just sat indoors one night and she asked me randomly to tell her something interesting about myself.

“I said ‘you know everything about me anyway, why do you want to know?’

“And she said, ‘I’ve just filled in an application form for Countdown.’

A few days later, Daren took part in an audition over the phone and soon found out he had been accepted.

He said: “There was no way back really.”

The duty manager at East Wittering’s Co-op store said many local residents are looking forward to tuning in today.

He said: “It’s quite worrying, lots of people said they don’t usually watch it but they will watch it today, just to watch me make a fool of myself, they hope.”

He added that he has been ‘strictly sworn to secrecy’ and is not allowed to put anything online about how he did on the quiz show until it airs.

Not one to get ‘too overexcited about things’, he was not nervous about the experience and described it as ‘so enjoyable’.

He said: “Anne Robinson, despite what everyone says, is actually adorable.

"She’s so different to how she comes across on telly.

“She was just so kind to us and caring, and she has a really good sense of humour which probably doesn’t quite come across on telly as it does in real life.

“Susie Dent and Rachel Riley are lovely as well, I couldn’t say a bad word about them.

"I didn’t find it overwhelming at all.

"We had a fantastic time and I would recommend it to anyone.

"If you were ever thinking of doing it, just do it, because you will have the best time.”

Countdown is on weekdays at 2.10pm on Channel 4. Tune in to today’s episode to see how Daren did.

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