# UK dopers: see me (Univ. Challenge FINAL) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819 "2008-11-28T18:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/101 "2009-03-02T19:42:13Z")
> [@alexandra](#): > > As a Manchester alumini, I should damn you to hell. šŸ˜‰ Wellā€¦That was a crappy way of snatching victory. Sorry, **Daphne**. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/102 "2009-03-02T20:15:45Z")
What a load of bollocks all round - bad luck Daphne ā˜¹ If the guy had lost PhD funding and wasnā€™t doing anything the BBC might have had some wriggle room. To be actually working a professional job, though, puts them in an impossible position. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/103 "2009-03-02T20:51:05Z")
> [@alexandra](#): > > As a Manchester alumini, I should damn you to hell. šŸ˜‰ (Weirdly, thatā€™s three tenuous connections I have with the final contestants- Gail T went to a school thatā€™s sort of the ā€˜sister schoolā€™ of my brotherā€™s, just down the road from where I live.) > > Butā€¦Well done - great final. How can you be ā€œ\*\*a \*\*Manchester **alumini** ā€? šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/104 "2009-03-02T21:01:10Z")
Iā€™m so sorry **Daphne**. To have victory snatched from you in such a manner is very unfortunate. ---
**Author:** ![Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/105 "2009-03-02T21:08:42Z")
Daphne this is most unfortunate for all involved. But I reckon its got the makings of a good movie, it would need a tad more sex though;) ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/106 "2009-03-02T21:36:36Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > How can you be ā€œ\*\*a \*\*Manchester **alumini** ā€? šŸ˜• Bad grammar.:o ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/107 "2009-03-03T08:16:13Z")
Hi guys. Thanks for the support. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/108 "2009-03-03T11:08:17Z")
Iā€™ve just seen this in the paper. Iā€™m sorry. ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_Murder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@Professor\_Murder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_Murder)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/109 "2009-03-03T11:39:49Z")
Yes itā€™s a shame how its turned out. Corpus Christi won a tough match with style. Iā€™m surprised the BBC didnā€™t know one of the team was about to graduate during filming, I thought you had to give them this type of info when applying. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/110 "2009-03-03T11:42:29Z")
**Daphne** Can you enlighten us? How did this happen? Did the rest of you not realise he was no longer a student or did you assume it was ok as he was one when the series started? ps Agreeing with everybody else - this sucks. A brilliant contest shouldnā€™t come down to this but I guess the Beeb had ne choice under the rules. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/111 "2009-03-03T13:33:51Z")
Really sorry to hear this **Daphne**. That said, I agree with the Beebā€™s decision. Manchester representatives seemed quite magnanimous in the papers. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/112 "2009-03-03T17:01:49Z")
Just want to say that Gail Trimble is truly awesome,I would not be stunned with amazement if we hear a lot more of her in the future. But Sun readers most probably will not. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/113 "2009-03-03T19:24:32Z")
Iā€™m not really supposed to talk about it (per: Granada and the college). I will just say that we entered in good faith, believing that we were following the rules. I will say that Manchester has been exceedingly gracious. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/114 "2009-03-04T10:05:47Z")
Tough luck, Daphne. Still, on the bright side, can you remember a final of University Challenge ever getting this much publicity before? 5.3 million viewers is good going as well. The Daily Mash is continuing to provide sensitive coverage: [UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE CONTESTANT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WORTHLESS LAYABOUT](http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-%26-entertainment/university-challenge-contestant-may-not-have-been-worthless-layabout-200903021612/) ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/115 "2009-03-04T12:14:44Z")
Oh dear. > [@](#): > > Two members of the Imperial College team that won in 2001 were on one-year masterā€™s courses and so had graduated by the time that the final was filmed. Siegfried Hodgson, another member of that team, said yesterday: ā€œWe were completely upfront about this with the production team and there was never any suggestion we broke any rules"ā€¦He said that Gavin Estcourt, Imperial Collegeā€™s captain, was a banker in the City and his team-mate Alexander Campbell was a journalist with Flight International magazine by the time that the final rounds were filmed in October 2000. [Link](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/student/article5841000.ece). ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819/116 "2009-03-08T07:38:14Z")
**DaphneBlack**. Congrats and commiserations at the same time. Cheer yourself up by listening to the latest [Now Show](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/nowshow.shtml) from BBC Radio 4. Ms Trimble features quite a bit, including a Barry White style tribute song - ā€œ_She put the Cor in Corpus Christi_ā€. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-see-me-univ-challenge-final/474819.md?page=5)