Former ‘Eggheads’ star CJ de Mooi has been arrested on suspicion of a murder thought to have happened over 20 years ago.

He is wanted in regards to a death in the Netherlands, after he wrote in his new autobiography that he thought he had killed a homeless man in self-defence back in the 1980s, and was detained at Heathrow Airport on Wednesday (September 21st) after a European arrest warrant was issued by Dutch police. He's due to appear in front of a magistrates court on Thursday.

“He caught me on the wrong day and I just snapped,” the 46 year old professional quizzer wrote in his new book. “I punched him so hard in the face, knocked the knife out of his hand and threw him in the canal. I fully suspect I killed him.”

CJ de MooiCJ de Mooi completing a marathon in 2016

His real name is Joseph Connagh, and he adopted his more famous handle when he used to do modelling before he became a quizzer, frequently telling people that ‘de Mooi’ translates as ‘the handsome’.

Scotland Yard revealed in a statement the following morning: “A man was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Wednesday, 21 September on a European Arrest Warrant issued in the Netherlands in relation to an allegation of murder.”

“Joseph Connagh, 46, self-employed, of Monmouthshire appears in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 22 September.”

de Mooi was a panel regular on BBC2’s early-evening quiz show ‘Eggheads’ from 2003 to 2012. He then returned in 2014 on a new spin-off show called ‘Revenge of the Egghead’, before going back to the main show later that year to replace Daphne Fowler. His contract was finally terminated earlier this year, whereupon he moved to South Africa to take up an acting career.

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