University Challenge fans were left distracted by an unexpected detail during Monday night’s episode.
Hosted by Amol Rajan, who recently took over from long-time presenter Jeremy Paxman, the episode saw Darwin College, Cambridge, face off against Birkbeck, University of London, in the seventh first-round match.
Amol Rajan joined University Challenge as the new host in 2023, taking over from long-time presenter Jeremy Paxman, who had hosted the show for 29 years.
During the head-to-head matches, some viewers were left distracted by Birkbeck contestant Van Onzenoort, after her festive Christmas jumper stole the spotlight.
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Taking to X, one person asked: “Is Van Onzenoort on #UniversityChallenge wearing a Christmas jumper?!” A second person joked: “#universitychallenge Van Onzenoort busting out the Christmas Jumper a tad early if you ask me.”
A third person said: “#UniversityChallenge When was this recorded Christmas? Earliest sighting of a Xmas Jumper” A fourth person added: “Is that an early Christmas jumper from van onzenoort? #universitychallenge”
Unfortunately, by the end of the programme, Darwin College outscored Birkbeck, resulting in their elimination from the competition.
Some people were left disappointed by the results, one person said: “Fair effort from both teams there, but it was Mr Whitaker's remarkable ELEVEN(!) starters that won the game for Darwin; well done them and best of luck next time! And thanks Birkbeck for playing; a pleasant team to watch! #UniversityChallenge.”
Another wrote: “It's remarkable how often on #UniversityChallenge one person does all the heavy lifting which makes for a rather dull and one-sided affair. To any future teams... when in doubt get an American. Nice to see Birkbeck have two creative writing students on their team though.”
A third person chimed in: “Never mind Birkbeck. Next year maybe. #UniversityChallenge.”
University Challenge continues on Monday, October 7 at 8:30pm on BBC Two.
