COUNTDOWN champ Dinos Sfyris is gearing up for the series finals - but admits he’s likely to face his toughest test yet as he comes up against an 18-year-old labelled the best contestant the show has ever seen.

Former Wath Comprehensive pupil Dinos made his way to the series finals of Countdown, after an incredible eight-game winning streak earlier this year.

And if he wins the 80th series of the long-standing programme, he will receive a top-of-the-range laptop, a complete Oxford English Dictionary, and a spot on the Richard Whiteley trophy - named after the former host who died in 2005.

But more pressing for Dinos is the chance to test his skills against 18-year-old whizz kid and fellow ‘octo-champ’ Elliot Mellor, who has wowed viewers with his performances so far - which have seen him break the record for highest total score with 1,061 and achieve the highest ever score in a single game, with 152.

“He’s very good and has broken lots of records,” said Dinos, 30.

“He’ll without a doubt be my toughest opponent. And if we do come up against one another, it’ll be the maths student against the maths teacher which will be an added incentive.

“The quality of this series has been really high, so people can expect some good games coming up.”

Dinos said the ‘pinnacle’ of his series so far has been finding the word ‘shagged’ on television during one of the word rounds - a clip which went viral on social media.

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And the maths tutor, who also pulled out the nine-letter word ‘erections’ in another round, promises more colourful vocabulary as he re-enters the studio.

Dinos also became part of the ‘900 club’ during his eight-game winning streak after amassing a total of 918 points across his appearances.

Quiz addict Dinos first appeared on Countdown aged 18 - he still has his winners’ teapot from the show - and has since featured on The Chase, The Weakest Link and Pointless, among many others.

He says the shows he would really like to go on are Warwick Davies-hosted Tenable and the BBC’s Only Connect - two quiz shows he says take a bit more brain power.

Watch Dinos’ quarter final appearance this afternoon on Channel 4, 2.10pm.