It’s diversity challenge for Paxman quiz show

UNIvERSITY Challenge is introducing ‘gender neutral’ questions to make the Tv quiz show more ‘inclusive and diverse’.

The BBC2 programme, fronted by Jeremy Paxman, should have questions written in a way that does not reveal if they were devised by a man or a woman, said executive producer Peter Gwyn.

It follows calls for greater gender balance on the show amid a perceived lack of questions about women and too few female contestants. Mr Gwyn said ‘gender neutrality’ would help make the show more interesting.

He added: ‘We try to ensure that when hearing a question, we don’t have any sense of whether it was written by a man or a woman – just as questions should never sound as if they are

‘Gender neutrality’

directed more at men than women. We believe very strongly that the more representative, inclusive and diverse we can make the programme, the better and more interesting it will be,’ he told the Radio Times.

The team behind University Challenge decided on the ‘improvement’ following a complaint about how few questions there were about women.

Earlier this year the show’s questions editor Thomas Benson promised the quiz was already trying to be more gender balanced.

Rosie McKeown, from this year’s winning team, St John’s Cambridge, said gender imbalance was also due to women not feeling confident enough to apply.

She said: ‘I think there may also be an issue with women underestimating themselves. I hope that will change soon.’