Jeremy Paxman ‘looking forward to watching University Challenge at home’
J
eremy Paxman has signed off University Challenge for the final time, saying he’s wanting “forward to watching it” together with followers at dwelling.
The 73-year-old veteran broadcaster and former Newsnight presenter has hosted the sequence for the reason that BBC revived it in 1994 till Monday’s episode.
Paxman had introduced he was stepping down from the quiz present a 12 months after being identified with Parkinson’s illness.
He will probably be changed by journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, who’s the third host of the programme in its 61-year historical past. The present was first launched by Bamber Gascoigne in 1962.
Signing off, Paxman stated: “It remains for me to thank Jung Chang for presenting the trophy, all the teams who have entertained us over the past months, and you for watching.
“University Challenge returns later in the year and I look forward to watching it with you. So it’s good night for me. Good night.”
In the ultimate episode, Durham University turned the 2022-2023 University Challenge champions and acquired rapturous applause as Wild Swans: Three Daughters Of China creator Jung Chang handed over a chrome steel e book award to the winners.
Chang stated: “I’m really pleased to be invited here to present the trophy because University Challenge was the most prestigious programme to me when I first arrivetd in Britain in 1978.
“I grew up in Cultural Revolution China, when schools and the universities were all closed, (Chairman) Mao said: ‘The more books you read, the more stupid you become.’
“And (the) books were burned across China and so tonight, I watched these brilliant minds at work, and I want to congratulate them for their brilliant brains, and I do hope that they would use their brains to make our world a better place.”
Opening the quiz, Paxman informed the 2 groups: “Well you’re all old hands at this now, so just get on with it.”
During his 29 years on the helm, his well-known disapproving appears and combative model has seen him conflict with numerous contestants.
Durham beat Bristol by 155 to 120 with Paxman telling the latter it’s “absolutely fine” to grow to be the runners-up and “go out in the final” after the groups had been requested about science fiction, proteins, an image spherical that includes scenes of historic battles, composers and literary criticism.
Born in Leeds, Paxman started his broadcasting profession on the BBC’s graduate trainee programme in 1972.
He labored in native radio and reported on the Troubles in Belfast and shortly after transferring to London in 1977, he transferred from Tonight to investigative flagship programme Panorama.
He additionally had stints on the Six O’Clock News and BBC One’s Breakfast Time.
In 1989, he turned a presenter of Newsnight the place he interviewed high-profile figures from politics and tradition till June 2014.
Bowing out after 25 years, Paxman offered a Newsnight programme together with an interview with then-London mayor Boris Johnson, whereas they each rode a tandem bicycle.
In May 2021, he introduced he was being handled for Parkinson’s however stated his signs had been “currently mild”.
The BBC confirmed in August final 12 months that he was stepping down as University Challenge host.
University Challenge is because of return this summer time with each a brand new title sequence and batch of scholars.
The BBC just lately launched first look pictures of the modernised set of University Challenge with Rajan however the well-known title music and peerless voice of Roger Tilling will stay.