Latest news with #AnanyaGovindarajan
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Nail-biting final for Warwick in University Challenge series
Warning: This story contains spoilers about the University Challenge winnersThe grand final of University Challenge turned into a tightly fought contest when it aired on competition began with 28 teams, featuring students ranging in age from 18 to were playing on behalf of universities and university colleges from all four countries of the United 35 matches and about 3,000 questions, the final two teams were Christ's College - Cambridge and the University of Warwick. The Christ's College team eliminated Exeter College and St Edmund Hall - both from the University of Oxford - in the first two rounds of the tournament. They then beat defending champions Imperial College London, as well as their rivals for the final, in the quarter finals that, they then beat a team from the University of Bristol in the semi-finals, taking an average score of 205 into the final team from the University of Warwick beat the University of East Anglia, Oriel College - Oxford, Queen's University Belfast, UCL and Darwin College – Cambridge to reach the rivals for Monday's programme were the only team to have beaten them on their journey to the final team – Oscar Siddle (Mathematics), Ananya Govindarajan (Engineering), Thomas Hart (Mathematics), and Benjamin Watson (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) – had an average score of 210 going into the final. 'Incredible honour' The match was closely contested, with just five points separating the teams in one of the tightest finals in recent the end, Warwick ended on 170 points with Christ's College finishing on 175."We're obviously crushed by the result but the trophy couldn't have gone to a nicer team," said Mr Watson."We're all very proud of how far we went in the competition. It was an incredible honour to represent Warwick and a great experience."The University of Warwick has previously won the competition in 2007 and president Prof Stuart Croft said he was "incredibly proud" of the team, and described it as a fitting accomplishment for the university's 60th anniversary year."This achievement not only showcases their exceptional talent but also underscores our commitment to academic excellence and ambition," he said."We are thrilled to celebrate with them and the entire Warwick community." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
University Challenge final is dream come true
A former University of Warwick student said getting to the final of BBC Two's University Challenge, one of the UK's most prestigious quiz contests, was a dream come Hart, Benjamin Watson, Ananya Govindarajan and Oscar Siddle will appear in the final of this year's series at 20:30 BST against Christ's College Hart, 22, was in his fourth year studying maths when the programme was filmed about a year ago."I applied every single year I was at university. I made the Warwick team my first two years and we weren't cast to go on the show," he said. "I was the reserve in my third year."To actually finally make it on at the last chance, as it were, and to actually make a fairly decent fist of it was really quite gratifying."This is the university's third appearance in the show's final and both times, in 2007 and 2021, their teams walked away with the Watson, 21, was completely new to the show."I watched it a few days before we had the try-outs in the university but I'd never seen the show," he said."When I watched it I thought: 'This is pretty fun, I'd like to try out for this'."Ms Govindarajan, 20, one of his team-mates, is the only one left studying at the university."I found that once we actually started playing the game, I stopped noticing that I was being filmed because I started to focus on actually playing the game," she told the BBC. 'Excellent TV' The university is hosting a watch party of the episode."My parents are driving up to watch it with me, they're actually showing it on the big screen in the piazza of the university and so my parents are coming up," Ms Govindarajan added."A few of my friends are going to go on campus and watch it together."The team has had to keep the result a secret for more than 12 months, which Mr Hart said was its own challenge."I've had to endure a lot of family and friends trying to get us to spill the beans," he Watson added: "Although we're not allowed to say what the result was, it's a very, very good final and you should watch it."It is excellent TV." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
University of Warwick reaches University Challenge final
The University of Warwick has reached the final of BBC Two's University Challenge, one of the UK's most prestigious and fiercely contested quiz was one of 28 universities from across the UK to take part in this year's series and has now made it to the final university in Coventry is now vying for its third win, having taken home the trophy in 2007 and year's team is captained by maths student Oscar Siddle, joined by Ananya Govindarajan (engineering), Thomas Hart (maths), and Benjamin Watson (philosophy, politics, and economics). Oscar Siddle said: "It's been a great experience – hanging out with the other teams backstage, getting to see the ins and outs of television production, and entertaining our semi-serious long list of acquired superstitions. "Hopefully everyone's as excited for the final as we were to play it."They will take on Christ's College Cambridge in the final, to be aired on Monday 12 May on BBC Two at 20:30 team made a strong start in the series, beating the University of East Anglia 275–125 in the first round. In round two, they triumphed over Oriel College, Oxford, 215–110, and then outsmarted Queen's University Belfast 215–95 in their first second quarter-final against Christ's College Cambridge - the team they will face again in the final - proved tougher and at one stage they trailed by 150 a late push narrowed the final score to 155– clinched a rematch by going on to defeat University College London and Darwin College, Cambridge, in their last quarter-final and the ensuing is the second series of the hit quiz show hosted by journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, following Jeremy Paxman's retirement in 2023. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
