Clive Dunning, of Norton, who studied BA (Hons) English, won the iconic show after a tense final and described the achievement as the ultimate accolade.
The quiz enthusiast only decided to enter Mastermind after being made redundant and now hopes the achievement will act as a springboard as he prepares to launch his own business, offering personal tuition.
Clive’s specialist subject in the final was the life and poetry of Philip Larkin after coming through the previous rounds specialising in Blackadder and John Lennon.
'It was a totally surreal experience – I was nervous throughout, but the tension in the final was a completely different ball game,' explained Clive.
'When I won I thought I would be totally euphoric, but there was just this great sense of relief.
'For me, as somebody who loves quizzes, winning Mastermind is the ultimate accolade.'
Clive, 54, puts his success down to the fact he is an avid reader and has a good memory.
He said: 'Usually, if I know the answer to something, I am able to recall it quite quickly and that is the key.
'In the final I had the same number of points as another contestant but won because I had less passes – that was my tactic, answer as quickly as possible and don’t pass.'
Clive, a father-of-three who lives with his partner Jean Dove in Norton Road, worked at ICI but had always wanted to go back into education. And, at the age of 33, with the support and encouragement of his partner, he enrolled at Teesside University to study English.
'Studying at Teesside were some of the happiest days of my life,' said Clive.
'I enjoyed everything about it, the lectures, seminars and I met people who are friends to this day. I was able to indulge in my passion for literature and gain a qualification which enabled me to start a new career.'
After graduating Clive taught English at both Stockton and Billingham College and Stockton Riverside College, before being made redundant in 2012. He is now in the process of setting up his own business to provide personal English tuition – though he has not lost the quiz bug and also has his sights set on The Chase and Eggheads.
Clive said: 'When I applied for Mastermind, it was just to give me a focus after being made redundant – I never thought I would even get on the programme, never mind win.
'It is a really proud achievement and I hope to use the success to help promote my English tutorial business.'