https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4qzgvxxgvo Skip to content Watch Live * Home * News * Sport * Business * Innovation * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live * Documentaries * Home * News + Israel-Gaza War + War in Ukraine + US & Canada + UK o UK Politics o England o N. Ireland # N. Ireland Politics o Scotland # Scotland Politics o Wales # Wales Politics + Africa + Asia o China o India + Australia + Europe + Latin America + Middle East + In Pictures + BBC InDepth + BBC Verify * Sport * Business + Executive Lounge + Technology of Business + Future of Business * Innovation + Watch Documentaries + Technology + Science & Health + Artificial Intelligence + AI v the Mind * Culture + Watch Documentaries + Film & TV + Music + Art & Design + Style + Books + Entertainment News * Arts + Watch Documentaries + Arts in Motion * Travel + Watch Documentaries + Destinations o Africa o Antarctica o Asia o Australia and Pacific o Caribbean & Bermuda o Central America o Europe o Middle East o North America o South America + World's Table + Culture & Experiences + Adventures + The SpeciaList * Earth + Watch Documentaries + Natural Wonders + Weather & Science + Climate Solutions + Sustainable Business + Green Living * Audio + Podcast Categories + Radio + Audio FAQs * Video + Watch Documentaries + BBC Maestro * Live + Live News + Live Sport * Documentaries [ ] Home News Sport Business Innovation Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live Documentaries Weather Newsletters Watch Live 'LeBron James of spreadsheets' wins world Microsoft Excel title 20 hours ago ShareSave Jamie McColganBBC News NI ShareSave [grey-place]MEWC A man with short brown hair smiles, holding a wrestling style belt, and a trophy in hand. He is a navy-blue E-sports jersey with sponsors on the arms. Behind him is a display board, featuring Microsoft Excel World Championship, and the event sponsors listed at the bottom.MEWC Diarmuid took the Excel World Championship belt from three time winner Andrew Ngai Irishman Diarmuid Early emerged onto the HyperX arena in Las Vegas under the bright lights, dramatic music, and fanfare worthy of any major sporting final. Only this time, instead of a ball there was a keyboard and mouse, and the playing field a humble desktop setup. Dubbed the "LeBron James of Excel spreadsheets", Galway born and Waterford raised Diarmuid is now the world's best worksheet whizz. He won the 2025 Microsoft Excel World Championships, where a $60,000 (PS45,726) prize pot has propelled the computer program from the office into a high stakes spectacle. [grey-place]MEWC A man with short black hair emerges from "the HyperX Hype tunnel," his arm raised to wave ahead as he smiles. The tunnel is grey, with white light glowing through in large lines along the side and roof. The man is wearing a cream varsity jacket, underneath a yellow esports jersey with sponsors along it.MEWC The triple world Excel champion Andrew Ngai is an actuary from Australia 'You're constantly watching your back' The esport showpiece in December attracted competitors worldwide as 256 spreadsheet heads battled it out across knockout rounds to join the final 24 in Vegas. It may sound bizarre, but Diarmuid described how the intense atmosphere of the finals lives up to the buzz. "Most of the time you're playing at home by yourself and it's pretty calm and low-key," he said. "But when you get to Vegas, it's just outrageous. You just hear everybody roaring, but you have no idea why, it's hectic. "It happens in this esports arena with hundreds of people in stands of seats watching and shouting, with commentators calling the shots. "They give you headphones, but they're not noise cancelling, and even if they were I don't know if that would be enough." [grey-place]MEWC A crowd of people holding up signs with Excel related messages on them showing support for their favourite participant. One reads "Excel Wizard", and another says "Jack Excels."They are all covered by a green light, which sweeps across the crowd and arena.MEWC Fans in attendance are passionate about the Excel games Vegas is a far-cry from the workplace, but the tournament was every bit as competitive. Diarmuid explained that timed eliminations begin in the last round, so every five minutes, those in last place get knocked out. "So you're just settling in, kind of figuring out how this is going to work, and you'll just hear: 'Thanks for playing, you're out'," he said. "You're constantly watching your back." A three-time champion in the financial Excel tournaments, this win was Diarmuid's first in the overall competition. He held the triple-world champion Andrew Ngai to second place, and won the $5,000 (PS3,737) prize and title belt. "It was super exciting," Diarmuid told BBC News NI. "I've gone in as one of the pre-tournament favourites, and I have a record of choking. "So it was nice to deliver for once." He added: "My mum had woke up and caught like the last 10 or 15 minutes of the final in Ireland. "It's like an eight hour time difference so she was waking up and tuning in." What is Excel esports? [grey-place]MEWC An arena featuring a stage raised to the left, and the crowd to the right.Those on the left sit at computer desks with large monitors, focused on the Excel challenges, with a stream of it live on a massive screen behind them. The crowd on the right watch on enthusiastically, covered in the green lighting cast by the arena. MEWC The competition is streamed around the world on various platforms Excel esports transforms a common office tool into a dynamic sport. More than 20 years old, the competitive scene has evolved from being finance based to now involving more general problem solving. Although it might help, Diarmuid said "it doesn't require accounting or finance knowledge". He described an example where Excel is used in solving a maze, scoring poker hands, or even sorting Kings and Queens into the battles in which they fought. Generally there is a 30 minute challenge, with each challenge broken up into levels. The questions increase gradually in difficulty, with each correct answer gaining a player points. Whoever gets the most points wins, and in a tie, it is whoever got there first. "It's just, can you think on your feet and do things quickly in Excel?" he said. "If you solve the earlier levels in a neat way, that'll let you hit the ground running faster on the later ones." Want to give spreadsheeting a go? Click Here [grey-place]MEWC The crowd looks on as players battle it out on the spreadsheets. Of note are three men in focus in the middle, two of which are shouting, excited by the unfolding of the competition. Others watch on with bated breath.MEWC The Las Vegas arena comes alive as the drama unfolds 'With my own business it has definitely helped' Now living in New York, Diarmuid has set up his own financial business, where his skills and proficiency as a spreadsheet whizz haven't gone unnoticed. "I've had clients approach me like: 'Hey, we heard that there's this Excel competition and there's this guy who wins it. "'He's in New York and we're in New York and you know, can we work together?'" Asked if he would consider starting a TikTok or Instagram account, he laughed. "That sounds terrible. "Well I have a YouTube channel, so I post my walkthroughs and live solves on that." Despite his hesitance for short-form social media, the competitive Excel scene continues to grow on various platforms. For anyone looking to get into the spreadsheeting madness, now looks as good a time as any. "There's a super active community, we've got this giant Whatsapp group for the different things people want to talk about. "We're kind of adding new people to that all the time," he said. "A lot of people approach you as well for help trying to get into the scene. I get that a lot." 'I enjoy it for the comedy side' [grey-place]Reuters LeBron James is closeup, dribbling a basketball up the court looking off to his right.. He wears a yellow Los Angeles Lakers Jersey, with number 23 on the front. He has a white arm band on his right arm.Reuters Diarmuid's Excel expertise has given rise to comparisons with the four-time NBA champion LeBron James Diarmuid is known as "Dim" to fans of the esport, but Investor's Business Daily piece headlined "Meet the LeBron James Of Excel Spreadsheets" has struck a chord in the community. Asked for his thoughts on being compared to the NBA's all-time leading scorer, he said: "I mean, the name seems to have staying power." Having a laugh, he added: "It must be because I'm so unusually tall. "I try not to take myself too seriously, I enjoy it for the comedy side and try to leave it at that." Are you an Excel whizz? Signups are now live for the first "Road to Las Vegas Battle" taking place on January 22, 2026 Allow Instagram content? This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta's cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'. Accept and continue More on this story 'It's the golden age of spreadsheet geekery' How Excel was created - 40 years ago Republic of Ireland Las Vegas eSports Microsoft --------------------------------------------------------------------- Related Irish PM seeks 'accountability' over soldier killing Man jailed over EUR6m drugs seizure 'They look hideous' - Battle over the Irish flag on Dublin streets --------------------------------------------------------------------- More from the BBC 21 hrs ago [grey-place]Woman lying on a medical bed wearing a cap with multiple electrodes and wires attached to the head. In the background, a healthcare professional in a white coat is examining brain scan images displayed on a monitor. Are these AI prompts damaging your thinking skills? Generative AI tools have become hugely popular but some experts worry about the effect they have on the brain. 21 hrs ago 10 Dec 2025 [grey-place]microsoft and amazon Amazon, Microsoft pledge mega AI investments in India India, which is an emerging AI and cloud infrastructure hub, has witnessed a surge of global tech investment recently. 10 Dec 2025 1 Dec 2025 [grey-place]A winner at the Microsoft Excel World Championships (MEWC) in Las Vegas, holding up a wrestling style belt. He is wearing a cream and green jacket and is smiling. He has a light brown/ginger beard and hair. The faces of two people behind can be seen, they are smiling. There are green screens behind advertising brands. 'It's the golden age of spreadsheet geekery' Two co-founders behind the competitive Excel UK chapter explain how the game works. 1 Dec 2025 14 Nov 2025 [grey-place]A general view of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in front of palm trees at night. Explosive device damages restaurant near Las Vegas Strip No one was injured in the blast but police are looking for two suspects who they say placed the explosive. 14 Nov 2025 30 Oct 2025 [grey-place]A man wearing red gloves has his hands on the wheels of a driving simulator and wears headphones. In the background are the olympic rings in lights. Olympics and Saudi Arabia abandon esports Games deal The event, planned for 2027, has been cancelled by mutual agreement, according to a statement. 30 Oct 2025 --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Home * News * Sport * Business * Innovation * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live * Documentaries * Weather * BBC Shop * BritBox BBC in other languages The BBC is in multiple languages Read the BBC In your own language Oduu Afaan Oromootiin Amharic zeenaa ba'amaarenyaa Arabic `rby Azeri AZ@RBAYCAN Bangla baaNlaa Burmese m[?]n[?]maa Chinese Zhong Wen Wang Dari dry French AFRIQUE Hausa HAUSA Hindi hindii Gaelic NAIDHEACHDAN Gujarati gujraatiimaaN smaacaar Igbo AKUKO N'IGBO Indonesian INDONESIA Japanese Ri Ben Yu Kinyarwanda GAHUZA Kirundi KIRUNDI Korean hangugeo Kyrgyz Kyrgyz Marathi mraatthii Nepali nepaalii Noticias para hispanoparlantes Pashto pStw Persian frsy Pidgin Polish PO POLSKU Portuguese BRASIL Punjabi pNjaabii khhbraaN Russian NA RUSSKOM Serbian NA SRPSKOM Sinhala siNhl Somali SOMALI Swahili HABARI KWA KISWAHILI Tamil tmilllil ceytikll Telugu telugu vaartlu Thai khaawphaasaaaithy Tigrinya zeenaa betegerenyaa Turkish TURKCE Ukrainian UKRAYiNS'KA Urdu rdw Uzbek O'ZBEK Vietnamese TIENG VIET Welsh NEWYDDION Yoruba IROYIN NI YORUBA Follow BBC on: * Terms of Use * Subscription Terms * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Contact the BBC * Advertise with us * Do not share or sell my info * BBC.com Help & FAQs * Content Index Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.