Alderley's Mastermind champion stars in new ITV show

A Mastermind champion and author from Alderley Edge is appearing in a new prime-time show for ITV.

Elizabeth Horrocks, 67, is starring in Amazing Greys - a brand new series produced by ITV Studios, which sees young contestants take on some of the country's most talented pensioners.

Hosted by Paddy McGuinness, this family show aims to prove that age is just a number and on hand to encourage and represent the Greys, as they battle the young pretenders, is Angela Rippon.

Each of the Amazing Greys has been selected because they have an incredible talent, be it physical, mental or something completely unique to them.

Elizabeth was chosen because she won what is widely regarded as the most intellectual British quiz show in 1974, at the time she was a 28 year old English teacher and living near Crewe.

The show's contestants will each face a maximum of three Amazing Greys, if they can beat two of the three, they'll leave with £10,000. If they don't, they leave with nothing.

Elizabeth has lived in Alderley Edge since 1985 and is an active member of St Philips and St James' Church and Guiding in the village. The mother of two will have been married for 43 years on the same day that the first programme airs on Saturday, 12th April.

She told me "Filming was great fun. It took place in ITV house in London and involved quite a bit of toing-and –froing.

"Everyone was very nice, including the 'celebrities'. Perhaps my high spot was sharing a dressing room with Christine Truman, former Wimbledon runner-up, and French Champion! I felt I'd really arrived."

Paddy McGuinness said: "Amazing Greys proves that appearances can be deceptive as our contestants take on some of the UK's most talented pensioners. Be it sport, general knowledge or something completely unique our 'golden oldies' will give their all as the younger contestants take them on."

Angela Rippon added: "The show will celebrate some of our most talented senior citizens and I'll be there to cheer them on as they take on the younger contestants."

Speaking about why she was selected to appear on the show, Elizabeth said "You'll have to ask them why they picked me, but I do know that one of the things they were interested in was my incipient career as an author!

"My latest book 'Ministering Angel' will be available from Amazon, and, I hope, for downloading onto Kindle, next month, to be followed by re-issues of the first 2 books of my trilogy – The Edge of Doom and The Dark Space, and then the first publication of the final book, New Found Land."

Amazing Greys is a six-part series which starts on Saturday, 12th April, showing on ITV at 8.30pm.