BBC University Challenge fans say same thing as mature students take on youngsters

BBC Fans were praising show bosses for the latest episode of University Challenge after two of the contestants were mature students.

As students from Reading and Exeter joined the show to battle it out in a series of trivia rounds with host Amol Rajan, fans were introduced to four new students from each university.

As they took turns to speak to the camera, fans quickly spotted one student from both universities was a mature student.

Delighted fans applauded the diversity of the new panels, dubbing it an accurate portrayal of modern student bodies across the UK.

“Fantastic to see mature students on the show. that's what campuses actually look like I love the diversity,” said one fan.

Another penned: “Big up the mature students!”.

A third chimed in saying the mature students were “inspiring others” while a fourth joked: “Lovely to see both teams fielding an old boy to get the token Beatles question.”

Reading student Stuart Rock from West Dorset appeared studying an MA in history as well as Exeter students Martin Newman from Bedfordshire who introduced himself as a PHD candidate in modern history.

The University of Reading has Rock’s age listed as 63.

Speaking about their experience on the show, Reading Team captain Rhiannon Snook said: “My favourite part of the experience was definitely the filming that we got to take part in and meeting the team behind the scenes who make the show happen every year.

"I hope you’re just as excited as I am to see us and see how we got on!”

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “It is fantastic that our student team has made it through to the televised stage of this year’s University Challenge. That in itself is an achievement.

He also acknowledged the age diversity and said he was “proud” to see students at different stages in their career.

“I’m proud to see students at different stages in their academic career, and from a diverse range of subjects, represent Reading on national television, and will be tuning in next week to see how they get on.”

Diversity has been a hot topic for the show of late.

The BBC’s highbrow quiz show has been overshadowed by accusations of sexism for years, with some series having as few as 15 per cent female contestants, but new analysis suggests that it is quietly turning a corner.

This season, which began in August, has the second-largest proportion of female competitors in the programme’s history and features only one all-male team, the University of Leicester.

This year there are 34 female contestants, 31 per cent of the total, competing alongside 77 men and one non-binary person. The average for the past 20 years is 24 per cent.