CHECKOUT operator Christine Warman stunned colleagues when she revealed she was to appear on Mastermind - answering questions on dinosaurs!

Christine swapped her usual seat at Tesco in Clitheroe for the famous black chair in the debating chamber at Cambridge University to answer questions from Magnus Magnusson.

Married Christine, 50, of Chatburn Road, Clitheroe, said: "I've always like dinosaurs but it did not get to become a bit of an obsession until two years ago.

"I was invited to join MENSA so I tried it on a whim and I was surprised to get in. They have a special interest group specialising in dinosaurs and I found myself actively studying them."

She added: "For 25 years I've been thinking I could go on Mastermind but I didn't know this was going to be the last series. I got there just in time."

Christine will be seen on BBC1 tonight, pitting her wits against candidates whose specialist subjects range from the life and music of Elton John to the reign of Franz Joseph, 1848 to 1916.

And as an English graduate who has worked on the check-out for 15 months, Christine is adamant that your job is no reflection of your intellect.

"One of the brightest people I know puts toppings on pizzas," she said.

Mastermind, BBC1, 7.30pm.

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