In a LinkedIn post, Smitheram, a consultant at Mercuri Urval, revealed he made it to the last eight play-offs at the championships.

But it was New Zealander Nigel Richards who eventually beat Californian Jesse Day in the final at the Westfield centre in West London on Sunday to land his fourth title.

Smitheram became World Scrabble champion back in 2016.

• Comment below on this story. You can also tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend. Our editorial email is [email protected]