We go behind-the-scenes with our 2025 University Challenge student team ahead of their first show appearance.
At 8.30pm (BST) on Monday 22 September, our 2025 team will make its first appearance in BBC Two quiz show, University Challenge.
The team members are:
We catch up with the team to find out more about their University Challenge journey, from their internal selection, to working together to prepare, through to filming in the ITV studios.
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Caspar: I’ve always been the kind of person who enjoyed watching reality TV shows and TV game shows. The big one was always University Challenge. I remember being 11 or 12, feeling like the stupidest person watching it, and thinking one day it’d be awesome to go on that.
I’ve always quite liked doing general knowledge things. After getting to uni, I ended up going for University Challenge. I thought ‘I’m not going to get in, but I may as well try’. Somehow by accident I got in, and the rest will be on your TV screens very soon.
Tom: I’m similar. I wasn’t a regular watcher of University Challenge, but all the way back in my first year a friend reminded me of an email about University Challenge selection, and I thought I might as well give it a go, what’s the worst that’s going to happen? And then I got through selection to the round where the Colleges played against each other, and that was incredibly fun. And it went from there
James: The first time I really did a quiz tournament was when I was in my first year, actually alongside both Seb and Tom. We were all on the Trev’s team for the intercollegiate competition that was run, and we got to the final of that. That piqued my interest, so in my second year I tried out for University Challenge (I’d tried out for it in my first year too). You may as well give it a go – it’s a no-lose situation because all the questions are so hard. I somehow scraped my way in to the reserve role.
Amelia: As a team we're quite well-rounded already to begin with. Seb and I both do chemistry, but we’re both interested in different things within chemistry. James is naturally good at geography and history. We decided, as a team, how we were going to approach the different topics and who had a natural interest in things like music or sports.
I remember a lot of evenings where we’d get together to watch old episodes of University Challenge, to see how well the five of us could do.
Sebastian: There’s a spreadsheet that other teams have used in the past, and that we updated for this year to help us divide up the topics. And after watching enough episodes, you get a sense of which areas of history or geography or music you’ll be quizzed on. You also know that you’re not going to need to look at some things as they’re too niche.
Our approach was to each take topics. For instance, Caspar likes politics, so he learnt all the prime ministers, their associated cabinets etc. James was big on geography and history, so he learnt about things like rivers in Eastern Europe. And it would go like that.
As the reserve I was a bit scared, because there were all these topics left over that I had to have a look at in case anyone got ill. I never knew which of the four team members I might need to stand in for.
Tom: It is very rare for this to happen. I’ve seen it happen a couple of times, having watched a lot of episodes, where the line up has actually changed, but even then it’s frowned upon.
Amelia: There were two initial rounds. The first round was questions on five or so different areas, across humanities, music, sports, current affairs etc. The top 20 or so people were chosen to go into the second round, which was set up as four teams of five people. You’re randomly allocated alongside four others. The rounds are buzzer style, with [then Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Colleges and Student Experience] Jeremy Cook asking the questions and reading the bonuses. 10 people would have buzzers for the first answer question. We were told that it was based on how you work as a person, not necessarily who got the most questions right. But obviously, if you’re not doing so well at answering the questions as a team, you’re not going to be high up in the rankings.
Caspar: I remember it being like 5 vs 5 Battle Royale style! I was lucky that there wasn’t anyone on my team who was really good at the arts or literature or history.
Sebastian: The written test (the first round) was sat by around 200 people. It was 120 questions in an hour and a half, to test your overall knowledge. Not necessarily how quickly you can recall things, but more how much do you know. They were really hard questions! Tom, I think you got the top score in that, above 50%, which was pretty impressive.
Then as Amelia and Caspar have said, the second round looked more at how you work as a team, how you discuss things out loud, what you might look like on TV, and how you might work with the people around you.
There are actually a couple of cases this season where there are a couple of players who are very much the only player on their team, and it doesn’t make for very good watching in a team competition. What was evident when we were going through the selection process with Caspar, Amelia and I on the same team, and Tom and James on another, was that we were people that would work quite well together.
The process rotated who was captain too, so that’s how they worked out for example, that Amelia was good at managing people who were talking across each other and picking what was probably the best answer to give. So they weren’t just looking at who’s going to be the best quizzer, but who’s going to be a good team player, and able to stand up for someone else’s idea as well as their own.
James: Ultimately while it is a show of knowledge, the programme is also entertainment, so I think they always have to factor who’s going to be good on TV in team selection.
After being picked for the Durham team, which was just before the Christmas holidays for us, we got invited out to Salford to the ITV offices. We had interviews with the show producers, and some of the question writers, alongside another University team. You do a 40 question quiz there in the University Challenge style insofar as you have to think on the spot. And that really does test the ability of the team – if one person gets it right, your overall score goes up.
Sebastian: It’s worth saying that they’re reading out the questions and you’re all in silence, you can’t confer. So you can’t work as a team, but you’re scored as a team.
James: It’s pretty challenging. Then you have a good half hour chat with the producers, which is essentially a screen test where they’re trying to see what your team dynamic is.
I think that was something that Durham’s selection process covered quite well, because by the time you’ve been screened, everyone’s figured out how well you all work on a team. I think the camaraderie we had definitely helped us stand out and get us selected for the programme itself.
Caspar: I remember being asked how many times we met beforehand in the interview. The other team we were there with only seemed to have met once. But we met up almost every week to practice, watching back episodes and so on, which really helped us unite as a team and anticipate what everyone was thinking. So it would make good TV because we’d be good to watch, and also fun.
All: Yes!
Tom: I did notice where teams had basically just met – they hadn’t really had the chance to actually get to know each other, and practice together. They had been a bit more thrown together. Whereas we had a long time to get to know each other.
Caspar: Durham takes University Challenge very seriously, is very proud of it, and that means we as a team take it seriously too.
Sebastian: Good bloke, such a nice guy.
Tom: Yeah, he’s such a nice guy.
Sebastian: He was shorter than I expected though!
James: I have nothing but good things to say about him. I met him before, being the reserve last year, and I was quite touched that he remembered who I was. Or if he didn’t, he did a very good job of pretending that he did!
And I remember, with the team last year, having a chat with him in the hotel afterwards, having a conversation for a good hour. This time we did again after our filming – we saw him when we were out for dinner and he came over and said hello to us. He’s a really nice man. He does a lot to make the experience for the contestants I would say.
Tom: You can tell from his social media how much genuine passion he has for the show.
Caspar: He’s a man with a lot of warmth to him. He didn’t seem like a big TV celebrity, he seemed like a very normal person. He’s there basically to make sure you have a good time, and I think we did, and it was a lot of fun having him on set. It was an experience we’re never going to forget.
Sebastian: Something I thought was interesting during the filming was the crew. They've done this so many times before, but they were so chilled out about it. During filming, they were singing songs over the mics together, cracking jokes and things like that. At one point there was an impression of Donald Trump!
Amelia: Yes. We had one of the little Durham bears, the little purple one.
Caspar: It was called Cuthbert.
Sebastian: Cuthbert...a College that none of us are from! We had the rugby top as well, the women’s rugby top.
All of us are from Trev’s or Grey, and Trev's and Grey women’s rugby share a team. So we thought we’d use the Pegasus rugby top as a secondary banner almost.
Casper: Colleges United! I’m part of my College pool club and they have a big anti-Trev's thing going on. I remember quite comedically after we’d finished filming for the series, James actually played a Trev’s vs Grey pool game where my University Challenge involvement was exposed. I got lots of ribbing about having Trev’s teammates. So it was interesting having this Grey-Trev's rivalry and having to put that to one side to unite for University Challenge.
Sebastian: James and I were pretty active in our last year in Trev’s. James was JCR [Junior Common Room] Chair and I, along with one of my mates, ran Trev’s sports societies. So we had some positions of responsibility within our College. Through that James and I were both members of Trev’s football, and other things like Trev’s rugby etc.
I was very much trying to keep a balance of that more academic, nerdy side with a more sporting side, trying to get as all-round as possible.
Amelia: I did a lot of stuff outside of my chemistry degree, which, as Seb knows, is very full on. I was in the Durham University Orchestral Society last year – I played the flute and piccolo. I really enjoyed playing in concerts and having regular rehearsals.
I was also quite involved in College as well (Grey) - I was the EDI [Equality, Diversity and Inclusion] officer in the Junior Common Room. So I was responsible for running campaigns around welfare and that kind of thing. And I also did College badminton. I wasn’t very good, but I enjoyed it!
James: I was in a band throughout my entire time at Uni and we did quite a lot – I think we did 14 gigs in June. We played at quite a few College balls and College days. That was the main pursuit I had outside of my degree. Other than this obviously.
Caspar: I’ve mentioned I was in my pool club, but Uni-wide, I’ve been involved in a discussion / debate society, where we discuss a topic for an hour. I’ve really quite enjoyed that. I’ve been a moderator over the last year and there are a lot of people coming each week. It’s very low tempo, very different to quizzes.
I went to the University Quiz Society a couple of times and it is certainly fun, but it does go on for three hours every Wednesday from 2-5pm. And while you can leave early, there’s a general feeling of social responsibility if you do. I feel guilty if I leave, but it is enjoyable...I can see Tom’s looking quite aggrieved because he’s quite into it as well! It was enjoyable, but it was certainly taxing and I quite like being at home or spending my free time with friends.
I was involved in the College fashion show as well, but unfortunately the show was the day before University Challenge and I was forced to make the difficult decision to drop it, much to the scorn of my fashion show co-chairs. But that’s the sacrifice you make for University Challenge. And also I wasn’t very good anyway!
Sebastian: I pointed out that the fashion show was notorious for having quite a heavy evening afterwards. Probably not a great event to attend just before going on TV!
Tom: I think you made the right decision!
James: And now you’ll have been on TV.
Caspar: Exactly! And I can say that I’m screen tested.
Sebastian: Think of all your fans that are going to flock to the Grey fashion show.
Caspar: British media star Caspar Chatham is going to be coming in to headline model.
Sebastian: Wear the same outfit you did on the show.
Caspar: I’ll get stopped in the Market Square, in Tesco’s.
Amelia: Don’t let the fame go to your head!
Sebastian: Yeah, don’t start thinking that all of this is going to happen...if it doesn’t.
Sebastian: As a fresher, do everything you can. It’s very different once you’re into second, third, fourth year, when you have to actually decide to prioritise things. Your degree actually starts to matter in second, third year. In first year, there is literally no downside to trying everything. You can, because otherwise, how are you going to know what you enjoy? And also you’ll meet a lot more people that way.
Durham has the benefit of having so many societies that are so active, as well as your College ones. I know so many people that I met outside of College that are now just as good friends as my friends from College that you live with for the first year.
Caspar: Having just come out of my first year and the closest to being a fresher, the whole point for me was to go in thinking ‘this University has everything to offer me’ and not look back. I remember thinking on my first day that I didn’t know anyone, that it could be an absolute disaster, or incredible.
For me, I thought that University Challenge would be great if I could go on it, but it’s the kind of thing you dream about, not that actually happens. That’s a bit like winning the lottery. And then I got in...You just need to do things. Even not getting in is a good thing, because you learn from experience and do better next time.
I think it’s about throwing yourself into everything, because everything is an experience. And it takes you in so many different directions. It’s about seeing where things take you - just throw yourself into it, don’t think about it. I’d say instead of ‘yolo’ [you only live once], it’s ‘yofo’ - you’re only going to be a fresher once.
Amelia: I think I’d just say to enjoy your experiences, and to echo what Seb said about trying lots of different things. But if you do find things difficult, there are always people around to support you. Whether that’s throughout the University, whether that’s your friends from home, new Uni friends, you’ll find people who are like you in the most unexpected places.
James: I think Seb and I are both doing a conversion to law in the next year.
Tom: I am looking for a job. I would like to come back to academia at some point in the future, so doing a doctorate or something like that. But right now I’m looking for a grad job and going through all the lovely fun processes that entails.
Amelia: I want to say thank you to the team. It’s been a really lovely experience and I’m so pleased that we were able to get on to the show, and how we did. And I think we should all be really proud of how we’ve done. Just getting to the show is a massive achievement, and I think that’s what we’ll all take away from it.
Sebastian: I’d like to add that as someone who went through the whole process, all the practices and everything, once I was in the studio just watching, the difference between when you’re watching at home, and then being in the room was so much more scary. I was nervous for them, having the cameras on them. So I want to give some props to the team for being able to sit there and actually get words out.
Caspar: I remember when we'd met for the first time in a small cafe in Durham, and I thought what on earth is going to happen here? I’ve got on the team, what happens next? But we instantly connected as a team, got on really well, and the rest felt very natural. I think we all felt that. I think we’ve all learned a lot, which is a really good thing. And that’s what it’s all about really, the experience in the long-term.
Caspar: I’m good at general knowledge, as we all are. Also teamwork.
Sebastian: Yeah, the teamwork is the one I would have gone with!
Tom: I mean, I’ll definitely use this in job interview examples, if I’m asked ‘describe a time where you showed teamwork’. It’s been really fun, and a useful formative experience.
James: It is a once in a lifetime experience. If you like quizzing, it’s something that you always think maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get the chance to do. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t really matter how far you get, even just getting on the programme is something that you can always look back on with pride for the rest of your life. That’s what I’ll take away the most – when I look back on my life 50 years down the line, I’ll think when I was at University I was able to do this.
Amelia: I’m just so pleased the team was able to put their trust in me, and being the only woman on the team, I was quite intimidated to start with. I was scared of how I was going to manage it all. Throughout the process, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in myself, but I’ve also learned that I couldn’t have asked for any other four guys to do it with me. I’ve loved the experience, and I’m proud that I did it, and knowing I’m just as capable and knowledgeable as these four guys.
Caspar: You’d imagine that people on University Challenge are mega nerds, with scarves and very thick glasses. But they’re actually very normal. You don’t need to be a superhuman to be on University Challenge. I think a message to freshers would be 'it could be you'.
All: (laughing)
Amelia: I would just clarify, we’re not mega nerds! I applied on a whim because I enjoy watching the show. It’s not that I’m a mega nerd or spend all my time revising. I’m sure that applies to the rest of the team.
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