A YOUNG mastermind has wowed the country with his general knowledge as he stormed through a TV contest to become one of Britain's brainiest youngsters.

Richard Thomas, 11, of Quince Tree Way, Hook, fought-off competition from some of the brightest children in the UK to reach the nail-biting final round of the ITV show Britain's Brainiest Kids, hosted by Carol Vorderman.

The modest history-lover told The Gazette he was very excited to get through to the final where he finished runner-up.

"I feel really good. I didn't think I could do it!" he said.

Richard added: "I was really nervous when I walked on to the stage at the start, but I managed to stay calm and some of the other people didn't do as well because of nerves."

Richard, who has also won a general knowledge cup from his school, Yateley Manor, was one of 24 children selected to go on the show out of hundreds of applicants.

The Year Six pupil came joint-first in the initial round, and answered 14 questions correctly on British history and religion in the next section, to go up against another boy and a girl in the final.

Richard, who wants to follow in his mother Anna's footsteps and go to university at Cambridge, chose the Plantagenets as his specialist subject for questions in the final round.

He was pipped at the winning post because he was unable to answer a question on his opponent's specialist topic the United Arab Emirates.

"It could have gone either way up until the very last question," said his 39-year-old accounts manager mum.

She added: "I was really glad that he got through to the final round. He has got a really good memory and absorbs what goes on around him.

"Some of the other kids had very high IQs but that wasn't enough. Richard is good at general knowledge and that is what the show is about."

Britain's Brainiest Kids was produced by the makers of the cult programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and Anna is hoping to add to her son's TV success by competing on that game show.

Richard said: "If she gets on Millionaire, I will be the person she calls if she asks to phone a friend."