Latest news with #OscarSiddle
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.
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Any 11-year-old could tell you that!' The University Challenge final, reviewed by last year's winner
This series of University Challenge has been another corker, and the final a gripping showdown between two brilliantly clever teams fighting tooth and nail for every point. After 36 matches and 26 teams knocked out, Warwick and Christ's College, Cambridge, are left standing. But these two have met before, coming face to face in their second quarter-finals. Then, Christ's College emerged victorious (205 – 155). Could Christ's win again? Or would Warwick claim their third University Challenge victory? All we knew for sure was that the trophy would be presented to a captain called Oscar. First, a word for the fashion. Amol Rajan's dapper tuxedo: very nice. The students all looked very smart (in both senses), but for me, Christ's Brendan Bethlehem wins best dressed for his knitted number. To the match then, and Warwick took an early and convincing lead, winning five of the first six starter questions, with buzzes from Benjamin Watson, Thomas Hart and captain Oscar Siddle. Warwick had full conversion of bonuses on poetry, British-Ghanian artist John Akomfrah and Laplace's equation, taking the score to 105-25. Happily, for Christ's, a biochemistry starter was won by their biochemist captain, Oscar Despard, marking the start of their comeback. Two buzzes from Bethlehem on Mozart and singing styles and a maths buzz from their mathematician, Linus Luu and Christ's had soon made triple digits, too, making the score 140 Warwick – 105 Christ's. Bethlehem got a cracking buzz on a Chinese poem, but the team were unable to get any bonuses from it. Warwick's final touch of the proverbial ball was a buzz from Watson and an impressive conversion of points on the Yoruba religion found mostly in west Africa. Warwick never lost their leisurely pace and relaxed reasoning through answers, even while time was whittling down and the scores were getting closer. Christ's was well skippered by Despard, who kept the team moving quickly through the last questions of the series to good effect, closing the gap in the final seconds of the game. The final buzz came 30 seconds before the gong from Christ's Anniko Firman, (the name of Clytemnestra's husband and the brother of Menelaus – Agamemnon) and levelled the scores: 170-170. The winning answer came from Bethlehem seconds later (the name of George II eldest son – Frederick). Final score: 175-170. Victory for Christ's College, Cambridge. They'll probably let Rajan off for not accepting Alexandrine instead of Alexandrina, all things considered. On to the ADC theatre in Cambridge, then, for the trophy presentation by the great Ian McKellen. The ADC theatre was a fitting venue to host him, given that he made his stage debut there in 1958. Good to hear that he liked the Shakespeare question: me too. Some of the questions felt very sporting for the final, though any year-seven student should be able to tell you the most common isotope of carbon. The Edward Hopper was the most textbook of Hoppers. And I hope I don't upset Sir Ian in saying this, but Hecate was also a bit of an easy one for the final! It was baffling, too, that none of this brainy bunch knew diesel was both an engine type and a fuel. Thrilling to the end, it was an absolute nailbiter of a finale. Both teams were firing on all cylinders with every member contributing. We all feel for the Warwick team losing by that most narrow of margins at literally the last minute. Oscar Siddle, Ananya Govindarajan, Thomas Hart and Benjamin Watson played a great match and should be tremendously proud of their success. Who knows how the series would have ended had we had just one more question. But the final word must go to Christ's College, Cambridge: Oscar Despard, Anniko Firman, Brendan Bethlehem and Linus Luu. Huge congratulations on your historic triumph – the first University Challenge win for Christ's College in the programme's 63-year history. I'll even forgive you for knocking out Imperial in the quarter-finals.
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.
