Christmas University Challenge - Final

Christmas University Challenge - Final

Trinity, Cambridge

Robin Bhattacharyya

Daisy Goodwin

John Lllyod

Edwin Stourton

Vs

Warwick

David Jean

Daisy Christodoulou

Christian Wolmar

Carla Mendonca

So, after a very enjoyable series of Christmas University Challenge we reached the final stage. One team has stood out more than others so far, in fact one player has stood out more than anyone. If you devised a drinking game around how many times you heard the phrase....

Warwick Christodoulou 

....then you would be pretty drunk by the half way point of the show normally. Daisy Christodoulou  has of course won the normal version of the show before with Warwick in 2007 and I would love to see the percentage of how many points she has earned her team during this run. Certainly she dominates the team and answers most of the questions with a superb general knowledge. 

Anyway, Christodoulou  took her seats with the others as the Christmas University Challenge final began. And guess who buzzed first? Warwick  Christodoulou!....glad I didn't start that drinking game now. 15-0 and Warwick were off the mark. Christian Wolmar moved in next with a buzz and Christodoulou then earned a round on Hamburgers (.....as in people from Hamburg!). A few minutes in and Warwick had opened up a lead of 40-0.

Robin Bhattacharyya   had gave his team victory in the semi final and popped up with some excellent knowledge on China to bring Trinity straight back into it. Bhattacharyya was not finished there giving his team control of an Astronomy round which narrowed the score to 40-35.

It was another Daisy, Daisy Goodwin (who always looks rather uncomfortable answering) who got the buzz that put Trinity ahead. Again Daisy Goodwin got the next buzz with a great Dickens question. It had been a while since we heard Warwick Christodoulou and with the team 85-35 down it was Trinity Bhattacharyya that was being heard far more often. Daisy Goodwin was also chipping in with some solid buzzes. 120-35 and Warwick were getting left far behind....Daisy Goodwin was turning into the star player. I quickly looked on Twitter at this point and Christodoulou's silence was being notice.

Wolmar gave Warwick their chance for some point's but they failed to score anything noteworthy and were still training. They would need a miraculous final ten minutes from here to win. 155-50 as the second picture ground kicked in. Warwick Christodoulou was heard again....but a wrong answer! What was going on! Too little to late when the next Warwick Christodoulou came. By this point it was well and truly over.

A real team effort all round from Trinity, the domination of Christodoulou simply did not occur whether it be a mixture of the question setting and the way Trinity played, but either way it was a fantastic performance all round. The final score ended with 235-60.

Therefore, your winners and champions of Christmas University Challenge 2011 are Trinity, not as I predicted.  Congratulations!

It has been a really enjoyable series, not toned down as much as other "Special" versions of notable quiz shows and indeed Christmas University Challenge has been watched by many people I know who would not dream of watching the main show. There was a worthy winner, some great quizzing entertainment and despite some odd scheduling I am sure the show has been a success and will return next year.

All that leaves me to say on this series of Christmas University Challenge is the phrase that is stuck in my head...

Warwick Christodoulou !

For those University Challenge fans the normal show returns as usual on Monday 2nd January.