Mastermind contestants who fell in love on BBC show detail unusual first date
John Robinson and Claire Reynolds appeared on ITV's This Morning on Tuesday to discuss their romance, which blossomed after they both appeared on BBC's Mastermind.
This year, John Robinson narrowly secured the Mastermind trophy by a single point, leaving Claire Reynolds in second place on the popular BBC programme.
John's chosen specialist subject was the Empire State Building, whilst Claire opted for early 20th-century German mathematician Emmy Noether.
Upon the show's conclusion, they found themselves seated together on their return flight to Birmingham, where it became apparent that a bond had formed between them.
During Tuesday's episode of This Morning, the pair recounted their love story to presenters Alison Hammond and Paddy McGuinness.
Claire disclosed that she had bought John a drink at the airport as a congratulatory gesture for his victory, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Paddy queried: "Whose idea was it to meet up and go on a date after the show?"
To which John responded: "Initially, because we both live quite close by, Claire now lives in Stratford-upon-Avon, which is not far from Birmingham.
"I happened to be going to Stratford a few days later to go to the RFC to see a play, so I messaged Claire saying I'm going to be in town. Do you fancy meeting up for a drink? Then the rest is history!"
However, Paddy was quick to point out that their date was fittingly quiz-themed, much like their initial meeting.
John added: "That's right! So we met up, went to a pub and then went to a pub quiz a few weeks later."
Alison enquired whether the couple are gaining more recognition for their romantic tale than for their Mastermind appearances.
John confirmed this was indeed the case, adding that the pupils at the school where he works are thrilled for him.
He further commented: "They've been like, 'Sir, it's great that you won the glass bowl and you've won the trophy!' But I've won an even better trophy now."
The conversation then shifted to Claire, with Alison inquiring about what she loves about John. Paddy humorously suggested it was his £500,000 win on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? which resulted in everyone bursting into laughter.
She responded: "He's a really nice person to begin with. As we got to know each other we realised we had lots and lots in common.
"At one point, he described me as a 'female you'. So we've just got a lot in common!".
John delivered an outstanding performance during the tense Mastermind final, securing victory with a total of 30 points.
Reflecting on the victory, host Clive Myrie remarked: "What a cracking final it was! A nerve jangler right to the very end.
"Congratulations to all our contenders for making it a memorable series, and to John who did himself proud."
This Morning is available to watch on ITVX.
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