University Challenge

Only in Britain...

University Challenge (avid watcher here btw) has been running for 40 years, but this year the Press decided to get involved. First is was Gail Trimble. I don't know about you, but she seems like a really nice girl to me. Clever, a bit shy, slightly awkward with twenty cameras in her face. For God's sake, leave her alone. The hate/envy thrown in her direction is horrendous!

Then there's the whole disqualification thing. It was a great final. Manchester led for a lot of the time, Corpus Christi powered through at the end. I thought that the show epitomised everything I love about being English. Good competition, fairly fought, tight finish, applause from the losers to the winners. Then I got dragged back into the 21st Century. Ineligibility. Disqualification. Investigation. Shock, horror, probe. Everything I hate about being English.

The Manchester team was interviewed on Breakfast (BBC) the following morning. They were clearly gutted at having "won" in the way they did. Their dignity in "triumph" was admirable. Their captain, Matthew Yeo, spoke for all of us after the "scandal" broke: "It's only a game show."