Starter for Ten: Meet the University Challenge Team

University Challenge, the academic quiz show where teams of students from UK universities answer questions on a huge range of subjects, first aired on ITV in 1962. Nine hundred and thirteen episodes between 1962 and 1987 were presented by quizmaster and Magdalene alumnus Bamber Gascoigne (1955). Revived in 1994 by the BBC with Jeremy Paxman at the helm the fiendishly difficult quiz has become an iconic staple of British TV. Series 50 of University Challenge is now well underway and the Magdalene Team are currently semi-finalists, and the last Cambridge College left in the competition.

We are delighted that Professor Chris Lintott (1999) BBC 'The Sky at Night' presenter, co-founder of the astronomy project Galaxy Zoo, and Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford, will be chairing this event, and asking the questions to our current team. Chris is no stranger to University Challenge, having competed when he was a student (and suffering a "horrific loss" against University College Oxford and crashing out in the first round - although in his defence it was filmed the day after the Magdalene May Ball!) and again as Team Captain in 2016 for a special Christmas edition featuring well known alumni, with Magdalene team-mates Clemency Burton-Hill (2000), Stefan Wolff (1995) and Mike Newell (1960). 

Chris will join the current team, students Daniel Lawson (2016), Adam Davies (2017), James Byrne (2018), Ceri Payne (2019), and reserves Sasha Tsovma (2019) and Edwin Balani (2016), to find out about their experience, how it all started, and whether Jeremy Paxman is as scary in real life!