Astronaut fan wins Mastermind on second attempt

A self-confessed lover of all things space and sci-fi said being knocked out in the first round when she first appeared on Mastermind "really spurred me on" to win the title at the second attempt.

Diane Howe, a housewife and carer from Lancaster who fell at the first hurdle in the 2019 series, scored 28 points to pip Lorna Frankel to the post in a tense grand final tie-break on Monday's show.

It was only the second time a tie-break had decided the result in the BBC Two programme's 54-year history.

Howe said it was an "amazing feeling" to have succeeded on the second time of asking, adding that she was both "so happy" and "relieved".

Howe scored 12 points on her specialist subject of Jim Lovell, the US astronaut who guided the Apollo 13 mission safely back to Earth in 1970, after receiving a video message from British astronaut Tim Peake.

Peake wished her "good luck and ad astra", a Latin phrase meaning 'to the stars' which forms part of the Nasa motto.

Howe said she had played in a pub quiz league for 35 years and had watched Mastermind since she was a child.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said she had revised 100 possible questions about Lovell by "reading and re-reading source material" before making notes on important points.

She said she had chosen her specialist subject shortly after his death in 2025.

"I've always loved science fiction and loved Apollo 13 the film," she said.

"He is an amazing man to do what he did and stay calm - the way he commanded that situation was amazing."

She said it meant "everything to win it - to have the trophy in my hands, it is amazing".

Her previous attempt to be named Mastermind champion saw her score of 19 points, 11 of which came from her specialist subject of the life and career of LIverpool football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish, being only enough to earn her second place in her first round heat.

She said that experience "really spurred me on to have another go and see what I could do".

A thrill-seeker who has previously skydived, she added that "you only live once, so do things while you can".

Her husband Dermot said he was "extremely proud" of her.

Mastermind host Clive Myrie said he and the audience "could really feel the tension in the air as these two magnificent quizzers went toe-to-toe in what was a heartstopping tie-break".

"Many congratulations to Diane, just pipping Lorna at the very end," he said.

"I was on the edge of my seat in the studio, never mind the viewers at home.

"It was a wonderful finale to a wonderful series."

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