University quiz hires diversity tsar to boost show’s women

UNIVERSITY Challenge bosses have recruited a diversity producer to boost the number of women taking part.

As The Mail on Sunday revealed last week, only 17 out of 64 contestants featured so far in the current series have been women.

The alarming disparity comes despite quizmaster Jeremy Paxman questioning six years ago why so few made it on to the long-running BBC2 show.

Now ITV Studios, which makes the programme, have appointed a staff member to work with organisers in universities to increase the number of female contestants.

When asked for a reason why women steered clear of the show Rose McKeown, a star of the 2017 winning team from St John’s College, Cambridge, said: ‘The most obvious one is, unfortunately, the hostility some female contestants are subjected to on social media.’

A University Challenge spokesman said: ‘The make-up of each team is decided by the university it represents. However, ensuring that the teams are much more representative of student populations around the UK is a priority for us.’