The Countdown conundrum... First woman in 26 years wins TV challenge... but why has it taken so long?

It must be one of the longest, ahem, countdowns in history. A female accountant has become the first woman in 26 years to win the final of Channel 4 quiz show Countdown. The long wait for a woman with sufficient word power ended after a final match between Fiona Wood, from Kinross, Scotland and Chris Kirby, an account manager from Cheshire. It was a contest which went right down to the wire, but Ms Wood prevailed by solving the final conundrum, untangling nine letters – I, T, S, S, A, D, U, E, L – to make a word. The long wait for a woman with sufficient word power ended after a final match between Fiona Wood and Chris Kirby Kate Ogilvie was the last female Countdown champion back in 1998 Ms Wood prevailed by solving the final conundrum, untangling nine letters – I, T, S, S, A, D, U, E, L – to make a word Triumphant Ms Wood, 50, a forensic accountant, said: 'I decided to apply after Colin appealed for older contestants, with Susie adding that they wanted more women.