Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
JEREMY PAXMAN IS stepping down as the host of University Challenge after 28 years.
The 72-year-old, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease last year, has presented the show since it was revived by the BBC in 1994.
He will film his last episode this autumn and his final series will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 29 August through to summer 2023.
The journalist and broadcaster said: “I’ve had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work with an amazing team and to meet some of the swottier brains in the country. It gives me hope for the future.”
In June 2014, Paxman left BBC current affairs programme Newsnight after 25 years as its presenter.
He revealed in May 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s director of unscripted, said: “Since the BBC revived University Challenge in 1994 Jeremy has been at the front and centre of the show’s success and is without doubt one of the world’s finest, and most formidable quizmasters.
“We are hugely grateful to Jeremy for his dedication to the programme for an incredible 28 years, he will be much missed by us all and the show’s millions of viewers.”
University Challenge’s executive producer Peter Gwyn said: “Jeremy has been our presenter, colleague and friend for 28 years, and everyone on the University Challenge production team will miss him greatly.
“He’ll be sorely missed too by both our audience and by the generations of students who’ve relished the chance to pit themselves against him in more than a thousand matches.”
The new presenter of the programme, which pits students in teams of four against rival universities and colleges with questions including “starters for 10”, will be announced later this week, the BBC said.
University Challenge first aired in 1962 hosted by Bamber Gascoigne and this year celebrates its 60th anniversary as the Britain’s longest running TV quiz show.
To mark the occasion, a special documentary will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Monday August 29 at 9pm.
Jeremy Paxman is stepping down from University Challenge after 28 incredible years
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) August 16, 2022
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/wWEDPVCeM1 pic.twitter.com/m3ifWABvM8
Former University Challenge contestant Bobby Seagull, who shot to fame thanks to his fierce rivalry with Eric Monkman on the TV quiz show during a semi-final, told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “I’m, like many other fans, sad to see the end of the time of the great and formidable Jeremy Paxman.
“He has just become an institution. Many quiz fans every Monday night we have a routine, the pinnacle of the quiz night is University Challenge, Paxman since 1994 has been the centrepiece of that.
“Jeremy Paxman, he generally really respects the idea of a programme where young people and older students can demonstrate their knowledge, it shows value of knowledge.
“University Challenge is the epitome of that. There are gimmicky game shows that are fun, University Challenge is all about the knowledge and that is something that is really prized in the 21st century.”
Maths teacher Seagull, who thinks former Pointless host Richard Osman or Scottish TV presenter Kirsty Wark could take over from Paxman, added: “There was an element of sneering but I think it is that fearsome nature which made it such a tough show.
“University Challenge is unashamedly a very challenging quiz show… it is meant to make people feel under immense pressure, it is definitely meant to be the most terrifying quiz show out there.”
Born in Leeds in the north of England, Paxman started his career in 1972 on the BBC’s graduate trainee programme, working in local radio and reporting on the Troubles in Belfast.
Shortly after moving to London in 1977, he transferred from Tonight to investigative flagship programme Panorama, before stints on the Six O’Clock News and BBC One’s Breakfast Time.
He became a presenter of Newsnight in 1989, a position he would hold until June 2014 during which time he interviewed high-profile figures from politics and culture.
Bowing out after 25 years, Paxman presented a Newsnight programme including an interview with then-London mayor Boris Johnson, while they both rode a tandem bicycle.
He announced in May 2021 he was being treated for Parkinson’s but said his symptoms were “currently mild”.
Earlier this month, ITV announced a documentary in which Paxman will reflect on his diagnosis and meet those at the forefront of research.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Level 4 & 5 shouldn’t even exist, it’s like looking at a leaked document from north Korea, people have to act responsibly and protect others, but the economy, Jobs and quality of life must also always be a top priority, where else will the HSE etc get funding from? And who wants to live a life being told to stay home every time the inevitable happens?
@David Lee: ok, but what do you recommend they do if it gets to a stage where the hospitals can’t function due to the level of seriously ill covid patients?
@David Lee: well can we blame those who object to and fail to abide by level 1 and level 2 measures for the necessity of and the introduction of level 3, level 4 or level 5 measures. Level 5 downwards are designed to protect life itself and not just quality of life. There us little point in some having a “high” quality of life if it means that others have no life at all.
@Lurfic: thats not the ordinary citizens fault, that is down to the government and how bad our healtchare system is, some countries haven’t locked down at all, yes they’ve had many cases and more deaths, but their hospitals functioned throughout.
@David Lee: well we’re not going to fix a health care system over night so only option is to go to those levels if hospitals can’t cope.
So level five you have to stay at home but kids can go to school so are they expected to walk to and from school by themselves ?
@Deirdre Meredith: seems that common sense is missing… Essential journeys are normally permitted. Many kids do not need parents to bring them to school. Some walk, some cycle, some go by public transport, some by private bus but some will need lifts, particularly those in primary school and I am sure some parents may want to keep their kids at home or maybe even their school or class will have a case and be closed. Keeping the schools open has to be a top priority after essential services so I hope common sense will prevail and people will not be too literal.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I was been sarcastic
So can 50 people have a religious gathering in House? People who worship Beer for example
@Stephen Maher: here here
@Stephen Maher: That would be an ecumenical matter
@Stephen Maher: That would be an ecumenical matter
What do we get for beating the end of level boss ?
@Stephen East: Pandemic 2:electric boogaloo
@Stephen East: We get a bonus round in which we have to guess movie quotes for extra home visitors. The goid kind of visitors which is helping with the dishes
@Stephen East: you have to go back and find 3 large bonus coins in every level.
“No home visits
Up to six people at weddings
No indoor gatherings
Up to 15 people at outdoor gatherings”
Even this one small section goes to show how non sensicial any of this is
where is Level2.5? i don’t see it mentioned but he said Dublin was at that level?
@William O’ Connor: there are an infinite number of levels between level 2 and level 3. That is a mathematical fact although some mathematical numbers may be irrational
The epidemic is over. Read and understand the global statistics
@Eric Vdc: this is a pandemic, not an epidemic, maybe you should understand the definition of the words you’re using before worrying about the statistics.
@Trish: lol ok… maybe you will call the next winter flu a pandemic also since it is likely to spread across a large region.
@Eric Vdc: which epidemic is that. The Covid-19 case count currently has a 7 day average of nearly 275,000 new cases a day. This is the highest 7 day average recorded so far. So the global statistics show that the case rate is increasing as well as the case count.
The 7 day average death rate is 5100 deaths a day which is a slight fall in death rate which can be attributed better medical intervention, and, maybe, a different case age profile such as we have in Ireland.
These are the covid-19 stats
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: The daily count of people tested Covid positively is absolutely irrelevant. This can be easily explained by the # of tests performed worldwide. — What matters really is the # of death and people admitted in ICU. — All stats indicate that the virus is not as virulent as it was before June- as experts acknowledge there is not 1 but multiple (7?) virus strain and a large number of us are aready healthy carriers.
@Eric Vdc: True hardly any deaths in Spain even thought more cases than at height of crisis, it’s burning itself out. Wear masks and wash hands. Simple.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Do you work for the Journal or do you just have plenty of time to have an opinion on absolutely everything? You’ve alot to say on every topic.
@Eric Vdc: please read this https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/09/health/coronavirus-brain.html
And from the start the 5 level plan has already an exception and is adding confusion for the future
(Otherwise at least a plan)
The term “wet pub” needs to fark off
?? Hahahahhaha funny buddy nobody can not tell me how many people can be in my house this is my property not government take this level 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and put in your …
“In Dublin, no more than six people from two households can gather”
Does this mean that if six people live in your house then you can’t have people over at all? Sorry if that’s a stupid question I’m just a bit confused
@A d d y o u r n a m e: it means if theres already more than six in the household you may start workin out your favourites
@Daimhín De Naois: you remind me of the advert where they have to downsize … And get rid of family members.
It is an interesting question though can have your own household ( which could be ten or more ) and six from one and six from another
I never thought of it that way before but it makes more sense..
@A d d y o u r n a m e: I think six people from two different households is twelve people in total. Is six people from Cork and six people from Donegal six people from two different counties or twelve people from two different counties. I think we are counting “people from different households” rather than “people” so six “people from two different households” means a maxinum of 12 people with no more than 6 from any one household. But I could be wrong – oh how I love the different interpretations of the same simple words.
@A d d y o u r n a m e: Do what you want. Everyone else will.
I will have as many people on my house as I choose. The pandemic has passed. Only fear and crass $tup|d|ty remaining……
@Paul Lanigan: who told you the pandemic has passed? We don’t have a vaccine and we still don’t know all there is to know about this virus yet. It doesn’t just affect the lungs, it also affects the brain. And possibly much more. It hasn’t even been on the planet for a year, strange you’d be so dismissive about it.
Stop playing golf and Country hopping!
I seriously hope there is a one page infographic for this!
@Brian McDonald: It will be a specially coloured in geography map…like what we had in primary school
No that the whole cabinet has to isolate will you all be on the covid payment of 350 per week hope so as that would be a big saving for the state
How can schools remain open at level 5?
And can we pass a law to remove the term “wet pubs” please!
Why is martin not in isolation until the results come back for the minister of health? He knows that minister has been sent forward for testing, he was in contact with him today martin should be in isolation. Better still permanent isolation for not putting the country first over his own needs and greed
Losing the will to live listening to this mumbo jumbo for the last six months, I’ve been working in a hospital all through this. I live in Dublin and do the mask and social distancing bit but…give over on the ridiculous mixed messages your losing credibility fast.
All I want is for my kids to be able to stay in school. So, please can we all do our part to not give it to someone who has children who will possibly pass it on to another child who will then shut down their pod, their class, or even their school? Online learning did not work on so many levels. I certainly do not want to be the reason why my son’s school is shut down.
If we all do our part it can actually make a difference rather than the government having to put us in lockdown.
have your say