Countdown on for Ferry lollipop man

A LOLLIPOP man will be flying the flag for Dundee quiz fans when he appears on Countdown later today.

Charlie Delaney will make an appearance on the long-running quiz show this afternoon, putting his spelling and numerical skills to the test against other competitors, including celebrity guest Janet Street-Porter.

The 75-year-old has been a fan of the show for years and decided to see how he’d fare.

He said: “The application process started out around May last year.

“They invited people to apply on the show so I filled out a form and sent it in.

“They then phoned me up and asked me a number of questions I had to answer in 30 seconds.

“It was then decided I was good enough to make it on to the show.”

Charlie, who works as a school crossing patroller in Broughty Ferry, then had to travel down to the Media City in Salford where the Channel 4 programme is filmed.

“I eventually got a date to film for the show in September.

“We went down by train to Manchester and eventually on to the media city,” he said.

“The media centre is a huge complex and there is a lot going on.

“The studio we filmed in could hold an audience of about 300 people so it was quite the experience.”

Charlie, who is an avid fan of TV quiz shows, admitted the pressure was on once the cameras began rolling and the questions began.

He explained: “I am not usually a nervous person and I watch the programme every day but I usually pause it to work out my answers.

“And of course when it is live TV you only have about 30 seconds and you are up against other people who want to beat you.”

During filming, Charlie also got the chance to meet a number of famous faces – including host, former Apprentice star Nick Hewer and television personality, Janet Street Porter.

He said: “Nick Hewer is of the old school and was pleasant to talk to.

“I also spoke to Janet Street-Porter as well.

“I used to work on the railways for 30 odd years so we discussed that for a bit.”

Charlie remained tight-lipped about how he got on, instead urging people to tune in and watch the show this afternoon.

“It was a great experience but I wouldn’t want to ruin it for everyone,” he added.

Charlie, working his crossing outside Grove Academy. Inset: Rachel Riley.