Latest news with #JohnRobinson
ITV News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
From rivals to romance, the couple who fell in love on Mastermind
John Robinson was crowned this year's Mastermind champion in a nail-biting final. But he didn't just leave the competition with the trophy - he also won the heart of his closest rival. After beating Claire Reynolds by just ONE point in the final seconds of the show, the pair ended up being sat next to each other on their flight home - and let's just say, the rest is history! As they become the ultimate quizzing couple, they're telling us all about their unlikely love story.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham Mastermind winner finds love with rival finalist
Becoming the BBC's Mastermind champion is something even the most ardent quiz fanatic can only dream the man who won this year's final walked away from the competition with a lot more than the coveted trophy - after he and the woman he pipped to the post became an blossomed on set for John Robinson and Claire Reynolds, both from Birmingham, as the pair bonded over their shared love of quizzes."They say opposites attract," said Mr Robinson. "But I think in this case, very similar personalities are attracted." Mr Robinson, an English teacher in Kings Heath who previously took home £500,000 following an appearance on ITV's Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, won with a total of 30 points - just one more than Ms Reynolds' total of 29."I have forgiven him now, just about," said Ms Reynolds, who is originally from Kingstanding but now lives in Stratford-upon-Avon. During the final, though, Mr Robinson's thoughts were anywhere but love."It is very nerve-wracking indeed," he told BBC Midlands today. "Especially with the studio lights, and pitch black around you, and the spotlight, it can be quite intimidating."But I thought, I'm just going to stare straight ahead at Clive [Myrie, the presenter], focus on him, and and try and block out everything else around me."And somehow it worked."In fact, it was only after the finalists were able to put all thought of specialist subjects - for Mr Robinson, the Empire State Building; for Ms Reynolds, the early 20th century German mathematician Emmy Noether - out of their minds, that romance had a chance to bloom."During the actual filming of the final [in Belfast], there's not an awful lot of time to actually talk," said Ms Reynolds. "We did have a little chat, we said hello and said good luck."But we spent more time chatting on the flight back to Birmingham afterwards." Despite only missing out on first place by a single point, Ms Reynolds is adamant that the trophy is not for them to share: "No, no. I didn't win it so absolutely not.""You can reapply to go back on a future series," added Mr Robinson. "So it might be that she goes back on in a few years and gets one of her own."Now back home, surely the Mastermind champion and runner-up are destined to become the pub quiz power couple of the West Midlands?"We've been to a couple," said Mr Robinson, "but before anyone knew about our Mastermind experience. They went... rather well, shall we say?"But I'm not sure we can go back to any now." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Mastermind finalists find love after fierce rivalry
A pair of Mastermind finalists have put their rivalry behind them and found love. Claire Reynolds and John Robinson locked horns in a tense battle for the coveted title – where the latter emerge victorious by just a single point. The final of the BBC quiz show aired earlier this week but was filmed back in November. Ms Reynolds, an actuary with National Farmers Union Mutual society, now seems to have got over the disappointment of defeat as the unlikely romance blossomed. The pair said they began going for drinks and combining their prize-winning general knowledge at local quizzes before 'one thing led to another'. She told the Times: 'The show was shot in Belfast and we were both flying back to Birmingham and were on a flight together. 'We had some time to kill at the airport so we had a few drinks, got the plane back — and stayed in touch. Although we started as friends, it's more than that now, to be honest. 'It did generally start with the two of us just going out and having a drink together over a pop quiz. We happened to be single. And then naturally one thing led to another and we became a couple.' During the hotly contested final, Ms Reynolds scored an impressive 29 points after securing 12 points with no passes on her specialist subject of German mathematician Emmy Noether and a further 17 in general knowledge. She was beaten to the title by her now partner Mr Robinson – a teacher at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham. He also scored 12 with no passes on his specialist subject of the Empire State Building, and 18 in the general knowledge round. The performance won him the much-coveted glass bowl trophy in the final of the 52nd series of the BBC show. Mr Robinson, who previously won £50,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? said: 'The first thing I said to her was, 'I feel really bad, because you did so well in the general knowledge, you deserved to win it' 'Obviously, I was delighted for myself, but I also felt really bad.' Ms Reynolds admitted that losing by a single point would always haunt her. She added: 'There were a few questions where I knew the answer, but because I was trying to answer quickly, the wrong thing came out. 'But I don't mind, he was a very good quizzer.' The couple now enjoy competing together in local quizzes. Mr Robinson said: 'So we've gone from being rivals to working as a team. Although I think I'm probably more competitive than Claire.'
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mastermind finalists each make a pass - at each other: Winner and runner up go from rivals to lovers
Two Mastermind finalists have gone from rivals to lovers having entered a relationship after the show. Claire Reynolds, 42, of Stratford-upon-Avon, narrowly missed out on the top score in the final of the 52nd series of the show. John Robinson, a teacher at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham, won the final and later his fellow player's heart. The couple said they became close as they embarked on their return journey to England, The Times first reported, after the final was filmed in Northern Ireland in November. 'The show was shot in Belfast and we were both flying back to Birmingham and were on a flight together,' Reynolds said. 'After we filmed the final, we had some time to kill at the airport. So we had a few drinks together and then got the plane back ... and stayed in touch. 'Although we started as friends it's more than that now, to be honest.' Reynolds added that 'one thing led to another' and the two former singletons became a couple. The pair have reportedly now combined their knowledge and are taking on locals at community games nights. Before the show, Robinson won £500,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2019. Reynolds scored an impressive 12 points with no passes on her specialist round on the German mathematician Emmy Noether, and 17 points on general knowledge.
Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mastermind rivals find love after nail-biting final
It is one of few prime-time game shows that forfeits teamwork for solo acumen so Mastermind was the last place the contestant Claire Reynolds expected to find a romantic partner. However, after just missing out on the top score in the final of the 52nd series, it was the season's victor — John Robinson, a teacher at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham — who became Reynolds's team-mate in life. Reynolds, 42, from Stratford-upon-Avon, was beaten by Robinson by a single point in the last seconds of the show, which requires contestants to answer questions on a specialist subject of their choice and another round on general knowledge. Reynolds, an actuary with National Farmers Union Mutual society, said the single-point loss would always bother her.
