Paxo fury over students’ University Challenge gag
TOFF TEAM WINS £500 BET ON ‘DEBORAH MEADEN’ ANSWER
JEREMY Paxman was livid when students won a £500 bet by sneaking Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden’s name into an answer on University Challenge.
Contestants from Clare College Cambridge had told housemates they would mention the millionaire investor on the telly quiz.
And the four Cambridge brainboxes could barely disguise their delight when they pulled off their wager on the very last question of the game.
Delivering his final starter for ten, straightfaced Jeremy asked: “The etching known as the Plum Pudding In Danger is the 1805 work by which caricaturist?”
Cambridge captain Andrew Gurr, who is reading law, collapsed in giggles as he slapped his buzzer and blurted out: “Deborah Meaden.” Gobsmacked Paxman, 68, told him the right answer was James Gillray before sarcastically adding: “What an exceptionally informed guess that was.
“Well, Clare, we’ll forget that last answer. We will just say that you tried.” Cambridge were thrashed 245-105 in the tie against St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
But away from the cameras after recording, the peeved presenter groaned at the team for the stunt. A source said: “He hated having the show turned into some pantomime for childish pranks.” “Jeremy takes his duty very seriously and doesn’t see why contestants think they can use the programme for foolish little games. “Everyone knew when it happened that it was a set-up because of the way they all creased up laughing.
“It was only afterwards that someone on set learned that the Cambridge side had been on a £500 bet that they could squeeze the name in. “It’s all very juvenile and there’s not much that can be done about it. But Jeremy didn’t see the funny side.” Dragons star Deborah, 59, made her estimated £40million fortune running her family’s holiday business.
She has been making investments in the BBC Two Den since 2006. Paxman adopted a no-nonsense approach with students when he took over the Challenge hot seat 24 years ago.
The former Newsnight host often tells students to hurry up and looks on scornfully when they answer incorrectly.
The show was launched in
1962 and was more relaxed under its original host Bamber Gascoigne, 83.