University Challenge 2022–23

Last updated

The 52nd series of University Challenge began on 29 August 2022 on BBC Two. [1] A special programme commemorating the show's 60th anniversary was broadcast on the same night. [2]

Contents

This was the final series hosted by Jeremy Paxman, who then stood down from the role after 29 years. [3] From July 2023 onwards, Amol Rajan succeeded Paxman as host for the 53rd series of the long-running student quiz show. [4] [5]

Paxman’s last-ever appearance as host aired on 29 May 2023 at the end of the series, when the University of Durham won their third title by defeating the University of Bristol in the final, which was coincidentally a rematch of the very first game back in August.

In this series, the universities of Coventry and Roehampton made their debut appearances, while Robert Gordon University made only their second appearance since 1994 in Jeremy Paxman's inaugural series.

Results

First round

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
University of Bristol 185195 Durham University 38029 August 2022
The Open University 115195 Newcastle University 3105 September 2022
London School of Economics 110175 University College, Oxford 28512 September 2022
Coventry University 50230 Cardiff University 28019 September 2022
Cranfield University 110155 Royal Holloway, University of London 26526 September 2022
University of Glasgow 105165 Queen's University Belfast 2703 October 2022
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 120140 University of St Andrews 26010 October 2022
University of Sheffield 170180 University College London 35017 October 2022
Oriel College, Oxford 130150 Christ's College, Cambridge 28025 October 2022
Jesus College, Cambridge 225105 St Catherine's College, Oxford 3301 November 2022
Balliol College, Oxford 115210 University of Southampton 3258 November 2022
Bangor University 135125 University of Nottingham 26015 November 2022
Newnham College, Cambridge 160175 The Courtauld Institute of Art 33521 November 2022
Robert Gordon University 21090 University of Roehampton 30028 November 2022

Highest scoring losers play-offs

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
University of Sheffield 110175 Newnham College, Cambridge 2855 December 2022
University of Bristol 185150 Oriel College, Oxford 33512 December 2022

Second round

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
University of St Andrews 90145 Royal Holloway, University of London 2352 January 2023
Robert Gordon University 18075 The Courtauld Institute of Art 2559 January 2023
Newnham College, Cambridge 150140 Cardiff University 29016 January 2023
University of Bristol 20590 Queen's University Belfast 29523 January 2023
University College, Oxford 85160 Jesus College, Cambridge 24530 January 2023
University College London 180170 Newcastle University 3506 February 2023
Christ's College, Cambridge 90175 University of Southampton 26513 February 2023
Durham University 24035 Bangor University 27520 February 2023

Quarter-finals

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
University of Southampton 135165 Durham University 30027 February 2023
Royal Holloway, University of London 17085 Robert Gordon University 2556 March 2023
Newnham College, Cambridge 110205 University of Bristol 31513 March 2023
Jesus College, Cambridge 115185 University College London 30020 March 2023
Durham University 100125 Royal Holloway, University of London 22527 March 2023
University of Southampton 18065 Robert Gordon University 2453 April 2023
University of Bristol 20570 University College London 27510 April 2023
Newnham College, Cambridge 215115 Jesus College, Cambridge 33017 April 2023
Durham University 160145 University College London 30524 April 2023
Newnham College, Cambridge 120135 University of Southampton 2558 May 2023

Semi-finals

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
Royal Holloway, University of London 90160 Durham University 25015 May 2023
University of Bristol 20070 University of Southampton 27022 May 2023

This was the first time since the 2006-07 series that there were no Oxbridge teams in the semi-finals.

Final

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
Durham University 155120 University of Bristol 27529 May 2023

Spin-off: Christmas Special 2022

First round

Each year, a Christmas special sequence is aired featuring distinguished alumni. Out of 7 first-round winners, the top 4 highest-scoring teams progress to the semi-finals. The teams consist of celebrities who represent their alma maters. This was the last Christmas special to be hosted by Jeremy Paxman after 11 years.

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
SOAS University of London 75155 Balliol College, Oxford 23019 December 2022 [6]
University College, Oxford 75110 University of Glasgow 18520 December 2022
Durham University 45200 University of York 24521 December 2022
Exeter College, Oxford 15070 Queen Mary University of London 22022 December 2022
University of Hull 13535 University of the West of England 17023 December 2022
University College London 85115 University of Aberdeen 20026 December 2022
University of Bristol 125105 Cardiff University 23027 December 2022

Standings for the winners

RankTeamTeam captainScore
1 University of York Tom Scott 200
2 Balliol College, Oxford Martin Edwards 155
3 Exeter College, Oxford Reeta Chakrabarti 150
4 University of Hull Sian Reese-Williams 135
5 University of Bristol Dominic Waghorn 125
6 University of Aberdeen Jon S. Baird 115
7 University of Glasgow Chris Brookmyre 110

Semi-finals

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
University of York 100155 University of Hull 25528 December 2022
Balliol College, Oxford 215125 Exeter College, Oxford 34029 December 2022

Final

Team 1ScoreTeam 2TotalBroadcast date
University of Hull 70165 Balliol College, Oxford 23530 December 2022

The winning Balliol College, Oxford team consisted of Elizabeth Kiss, Andrew Copson, Martin Edwards and Martin O’Neill, who beat the University of Hull and their team of Katharine Norbury, James Graham [lower-alpha 1] , Sian Reese-Williams and Graeme Hall.

  1. ↑ As the opening weekend of Graham's musical Tammy Faye clashed with the recording of the Final, Sarah Peverley took his place.

Related Research Articles

<i>University Challenge</i> British quiz television series

University Challenge is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. University Challenge aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC revived the programme on 21 September 1994, the programme's 32nd anniversary, with Jeremy Paxman as the quizmaster. Paxman relinquished his role as host following the conclusion of the 52nd series in 2023, after which he was succeeded by Amol Rajan. In October 2022, an ITV documentary, Paxman: Putting Up With Parkinson's, explored how Parkinson's disease has impacted him and revealed that Paxman recorded his very last episode of University Challenge on 15 October 2022, which aired on 29 May 2023.

Series 39 of University Challenge began on 6 July 2009 and aired on BBC Two. Below is a list of the matches played with their scores and outcomes.

Series 40 of University Challenge began on 5 July 2010 and aired on BBC Two. Below is a list of the matches played with their scores and outcomes.

Series 24 of University Challenge ran between 21 September 1994 and 29 March 1995. This was the first series of the show for eight years and aired on BBC Two for the first time, having previously been broadcast on ITV. Jeremy Paxman took over as presenter from Bamber Gascoigne, who had presented the show from its inception in 1962 through until 1987.

Series 41 of University Challenge began on 4 July 2011, and aired on BBC Two. Below is a list of the matches played with their scores and outcomes.

Series 28 of University Challenge ran between 2 September 1998 and 27 April 1999.

Series 29 of University Challenge began on 13 September 1999, with the final on 9 May 2000.

Series 42 of University Challenge began on 16 July 2012 on BBC Two.

Series 43 of University Challenge began on 15 July 2013 on BBC Two.

Series 44 of University Challenge began on 14 July 2014 on BBC Two. This was the 21st series to be broadcast on the BBC. It was won by the team from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

Series 30 of University Challenge began on 4 September 2000, with the final on 2 April 2001.

Series 45 of University Challenge began on 13 July 2015 on BBC Two.

Christmas University Challenge is a British quiz programme which has aired on BBC Two since 2011. It is a spin-off from University Challenge that airs daily over the Christmas period, and features teams of noteworthy alumni from British universities competing in the same format as the parent show.

Series 46 of University Challenge began on 11 July 2016 on BBC Two, and finished on 10 April 2017. This series of the long running quiz show drew larger audiences than usual thanks to a collection of interesting characters, most notably Eric Monkman from Wolfson College, Cambridge, who has been described on Twitter by many viewers as "the most intense contestant ever".

Series 47 of University Challenge began on 17 July 2017 on BBC Two.

Series 48 of University Challenge began on 16 July 2018 on BBC Two.

Series 49 of University Challenge began on 15 July 2019 on BBC Two.

The 50th series of University Challenge began on 13 July 2020 on BBC Two and ended on 5 April 2021. It was won by the University of Warwick.

The 51st series of University Challenge began on 12 July 2021 on BBC Two. The final aired on 4 April 2022 when Imperial College London and the University of Reading were declared the series winners and runners-up respectively.

The 53rd series of the quiz show University Challenge began on 17 July 2023 on BBC Two, and ended with the final on 8 April 2024, when Imperial College London triumphed for a record-breaking fifth time. This was the first series to be hosted by Amol Rajan, who succeeded Jeremy Paxman. Rajan's presenting style, more energetic and less austere than his predecessor, garnered positive reception from critics and viewers.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC Two - University Challenge, 2022/23, Episode 1". BBC Online . Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "TV: University Challenge at 60 - Saga".
  3. ↑ "Jeremy Paxman to step down from University Challenge after 28 incredible years". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Amol Rajan announced as new University Challenge host".
  5. ↑ "Amol Rajan to be new host of University Challenge". TheGuardian.com . 18 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "University Challenge announces line up for its twelfth festive series". BBC Online . Retrieved 12 December 2022.
Union flag tv.svg

This article relating to a television programme from the UK is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.