Countdown turns air blue

A CONTESTANT turned the air blue on afternoon TV show Countdown — but won the points in that round.

Mark Murphy, an IT consultant from Edinburgh, formed the word “wanker” from available letters RAEPKWAEN — and the word was allowed because it is in the dictionary.

He revealed that he had formed a six-letter word from the nine letters — but it was bleeped out as he said it.

His opponent Nick Evans, a VIP chauffeur from Macclesfield, suggested ‘weakener’ but he was found to be short of a necessary third “e”.

Host of the Channel 4 show Nick Hewer asked expert Susie Dent: “Where does Mark stand on this?” and was told: “Yes, it’s in the dictionary, we must allow it.”

Mark went on to win the bout, by 98 points to 34.