In a nail-biting finale, John Robinson edged out Claire Reynolds to win the Mastermind trophy by a mere point on the quiz show.

John's expertise on the Empire State Building saw him through, while Claire impressed with her knowledge of Emmy Noether, an influential German mathematician of the early 20th century.

The pair found themselves seated together on their return flight to Birmingham, where sparks began to fly.

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Sharing their blossoming romance on , the couple recounted their story to presenters and , reports .

Claire admitted she bought John a celebratory drink at the airport following his victory. During the interview, Paddy inquired: "Whose idea was it to meet up and go on a date after the show?"

To which John replied: "Initially, because we both live quite close by, Claire now lives in Stratford-upon-Avon, which is not far from Birmingham."

He continued: "I happened to be going to Stratford a few days later to go to the RFC to see a play, so I messaged Claire saying I'm going to be in town. Do you fancy meeting up for a drink? Then the rest is history!"

Paddy couldn't resist pointing out that their first date echoed their initial meeting, as they ended up at a quiz night.

John concurred: "That's right! So we met up, went to a pub and then went to a pub quiz a few weeks later."

When Alison questioned whether their love story was earning more attention than their Mastermind appearances, John confirmed it was indeed the case, adding that the schoolchildren he teaches are thrilled for him.

He enthused: "They've been like, 'Sir, it's great that you won the glass bowl and you've won the trophy!' But I've won an even better trophy now."

As they turned to Claire, Alison was curious about her affections for John. Paddy couldn't resist quipping that it was John's £500,000 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? win that had captured her heart, prompting a round of laughter.

She shared: "He's a really nice person to begin with. As we got to know each other we realised we had lots and lots in common. At one point, he described me as a 'female you'. So we've just got a lot in common!"

John's Mastermind final was nothing short of spectacular, clinching victory with a formidable score of 30 points.

Reflecting on the tense showdown, host remarked: "What a cracking final it was! A nerve jangler right to the very end.

"Congratulations to all our contenders for making it a memorable series, and to John who did himself proud."

This Morning is available to watch on ITVX.