Susie Dent wrote her new novel during the “Countdown” breaks.

The 59-year-old lexicographer, etymologist and media personality has been a regular on Channel 4’s Countdown since 1992, but has recently moved on with the publication of her debut novel, Guilty by Definition.

She told the Belfast Telegraphy: “I knew I couldn’t work a 9-to-5 day, so I used every spare minute I had to write – on buses, trains and between episodes of Countdown.

“Even though it was frustrating at times, it kept my enthusiasm for writing very much alive.

“I really enjoyed writing the novel and loved approaching language and etymology in a completely different way.

“But I’d be lying if I said it was easy. Writing fiction requires a very different set of skills to writing nonfiction, and I found it a real challenge to weave together the intricate threads of the story.

“But I love the parallels between word recognition and crime solving: They have the same requirements: looking for clues, gathering evidence, exploring human motivations. I had a lot of fun writing that.”

Meanwhile, Susie says working on Countdown is a “privilege” and that despite her new career, she has no plans to stop.

She said: “Almost all of us have seen it at some point, and so many of our viewers and participants tell us how they grew up with it and played it with their parents and grandparents.

“It has been a great privilege to be a part of this story. It has brought me joy for over 30 years and I hope there are many more to come.”