A team from University College appeared in the current series of University Challenge and achieved a victory against their opponents, St John’s College, Cambridge.

The episode was first aired on 27 July 2026 on BBC Two. The College was represented by team captain Delia Cropper (2022, DPhil Theoretical Physics), Adam Sakabani (2021, Physics), Deepro Choudhury (2024, DPhil Statistics and Machine Learning) and Shaaon Bhattacharya (2023, PPE). Patrick Lodge (2023, History) was the team’s reserve member.

The Univ team started the match strongly, correctly answering the first two starter questions and subsequent bonus questions from presenter Amol Rajab, which allowed them to claim an early lead. St John’s began to catch up as the match progressed, but Univ were able to maintain their lead throughout. Univ’s opponents fought hard and attempted to close the gap, but at the gong St John’s had 170 points and University College had an impressive 200 points.

Amol Rajab said: “Univ, what an amazing performance. You guys were so strong in the starters and bonuses, that was terrific.”

The Univ team members, who have worked hard to hone their skills for the notoriously difficulty quiz, enjoyed taking part in the show.

Team captain Delia Cropper said, “I hoped to someday go on University Challenge as a primary school kid, and I’m very pleased to have finally managed it. It was a fun experience with a lovely and talented team.”

Adam Sakabani said, “I’ve been watching University Challenge almost every week for years, and I’d always wanted to take part. It felt surreal being on set, almost like being inside my TV, but I really enjoyed the experience, both the filming and the months of training together as a team beforehand.”

Deepro Choudhury said, “It was an honour to represent Univ on University Challenge, a show I’ve watched for many years. The competition itself was hugely enjoyable. Our practice sessions, including watching episodes together as a team, were just as much fun. Amol and the whole production team were very friendly, and it was a great experience all round.”

Shaaon Bhattacharya said, “Being part of the Univ team on University Challenge was an absolute honour and an incredible experience. Having been an avid watcher of the programme for a long time, it was completely surreal to be in the studio filming with Amol Rajan and the rest of the production team. It is a memory I will cherish for a long time!”

Patrick Lodge, reserve team member, said, “I grew up watching University Challenge ritualistically with my dad and uncle every Monday night, so it’s always been a dream of mine to be on the show. The whole process has been so exciting for me, and being able to support my team and travel to the studios was an incredible experience that I really enjoyed.”

Univ has a long history of taking part in University Challenge and won competition twice in the 1970s, taking home the trophy in 1972 and 1976. A team from the College reached the final in both 1982, which they lost to the University of St Andrews, and 1987, which they lost to Keble College, Oxford.

Univ’s 1987 team was captained by John Authers (1985, PPE), who went on to become a prominent financial journalist and author. The 1987 team also included Dr Robin Darwall-Smith (1982, Classics), College Archivist. Despite not winning the competition, the 1987 team did gain the all-time highest single match score of 520 points against Reading in the first round.

This year’s Univ team will automatically go into the draw for the second round of University Challenge. You can watch the episode on BBC iPlayer here.

Published: 6 August 2026

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