Tom Conroy

He’s the Guinness World Record holder for the Longest Television Interview (26hr 4sec with Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt), fuelled by pineapple juice. But when it comes to hosting University Challenge, Conroy says his predecessor, Peter Sinclair, set the standard for “impeccable diction” during his stint as host in the 1970s and 80s.

How does today’s University Challenge differ from the 1970s version? Without compromising the format, we’ve updated the look, sped up the game and broadened the question range to ensure viewers can play along more, while remaining in awe of the students and their superior knowledge. Do you make healthy eating a priority? I’m conscious of maintaining a healthy eating regime without being obsessive. Simple food in small portions is my motto.

Do you follow a special diet? High protein and low carbs. The whole range of dairy products, including a dozen litres of milk a week … Fonterra must love me.

You eat only two meals a day. When and what do you have for your first meal? Breakfast is around 7am and is a bowl of cereal, a glass of fruit juice and a cup of coffee. On the road, a cooked breakfast with eggs is common.

What about your second meal? It’s usually dinner at about 7pm. It’s more substantial, but never huge servings. Should there be a business or leisure lunch during the day, I just forgo that evening meal. Other than the compulsory fish and chips on a Friday night, I decide on the day what to eat.

Do you ever snack? Rarely. Peanuts are allowed as a filler, or two raw eggs in a large glass of milk if the gap between meals is wider than usual.

What’s always in your shopping trolley? I shop for my immediate needs, because – apart from the food in my emergency kit – the cupboards are bare. Look in my trolley and you’ll see what’s for dinner that night.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? A chocolate-dipped vanilla ice-cream every time I go to the movies. And I mean every time, including the 10am session.

What happens when you dine at other people’s houses? I’m always amused by the spontaneous and well-meaning offers from strangers to “write heaps of questions for University Challenge”, who then find it a lot harder when confronting the task sober. I also find it funny when guests swear they’ve heard me calling particular rugby games – even after I assure

them I was elsewhere.