Telly's Dictionary Corner queen Susie Dent celebrates joys of English language in live Derbyshire show

After more than three decades as the queen of Dictionary Corner on Channel 4’s game show Countdown, Susie will share a new collection of facts and stories from the wonderful world of words at Buxton Opera House on Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Ever wondered why a group of crows is called a murder… or why owls form a parliament? Does Gen-Z slang make you tear your hair out, and are our local dialects really dying out? Which orange came first, the colour or the fruit?

Susie will be unravelling these mysteries in her live show Word Perfect and also reminding the audience how unpredictable and utterly magical our mother tongue can be.

She said: “The English language will never stop surprising and delighting me: it is as wayward as it is majestic, while the dictionary is as full of magic, drama and adventure as you will find anywhere. I can’t wait to walk down some more of its secret alleyways with the Word Perfect audiences, and to hear their own questions about our curious mother tongue!”

Susie launches her 26-date Word Perfect tour at Sheffield City Hall’s Memorial Hall on August 19. Her latest run of shows follows The Secret Life of Words tour which racked up 74 dates between 2018 and 2024.

Alongside Countdown, Susie is also known for her contributions to C4’s comedy version of the show – 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

She was appointed an MBE in 2024, the same year that her debut novel, Guilty by Definition, was published. Susie’s new books, Words For Life, and The Roots We Share: 100 Words That Bring Us Together, will be released in the autumn.

Tickets cost £34 for Suzie Dent: Word Perfect in Buxton on August 24 at 2pm. Book online at www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk or call 01298 72190. Tickets cost £35.95 for the show in Sheffield on August 19 at 7.30pm. Book at www.ticketmaster.co.uk