Donald Elsom
From Countdown
Donald Elsom was a contestant in Series 92. At 96 years of age, he became the oldest contestant ever to appear.
He was a former RAF corporal, originally from Willingham in Cambridgeshire but since of Stanley, County Durham.
As part of the RAF: Elsom also worked as a police dog handler, a butcher and a school site agent. In 2023, he completed 95 laps of a local school sports field and raised over £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support [1].
In April 2025, he received Maundy Money from King Charles for his community service and dedication to his local Church of England congregation. In doing so, he became only one of 152 recipients to accomplish this in 2025 [2].
Episodes
| # | Date | Type | Contestant 1 | Score | Contestant 2 | Presenters | Guest | Lex | Max | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8579 | 11/08/2025 | P | Helen Ross | 71 – 32 | Donald Elsom | Colin Murray | Rachel Riley | Dr Ranj Singh | Susie Dent | 124 | ||
