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Under the inquisition of Jeremy Paxman and with a nation-wide audience, even the brightest students can err on University Challenge.

“The studio, the lights, the cameras, you forget everything you’ve ever known,” says Jasper Maughan (Modern and Medieval Languages 2020).

Jasper is a member of the Gonville & 91ֱ�� College team which features in Series 29 of the long-running show, alongside captain Abigail Tan (Mathematics 2020), Zoe Zhang (History and German 2020) and Stefan Ivanov (Natural Sciences (Physical) 2019).

The quartet’s first-round match will be broadcast on BBC2 on Monday 10 October at 8.30pm.

Zoe says: “I want to say it was really fun, but it was possibly one of the most tense experiences of my life.

“It’s not every day you sit under bright lights with anti-shine make-up on you. That knowledge you only had one chance to put yourself out there is quite nerve-racking.”

91ֱ�� has pedigree in the programme, having won University Challenge in 2015. There are no spoilers in this article – the success or otherwise of the 91ֱ�� team will not be disclosed.

The team was selected in Michaelmas term 2021 after trials run in College by then Gonville & 91ֱ�� Students’ Union President George Skeen. After answering 40 general knowledge questions, a buzzer round was held using mobile phone apps and the final selection made.

All four students are undergraduates, and Abigail was selected as captain once the revision started in earnest, watching old episodes and trying to simulate playing the game.

Abigail became a regular viewer of the show in 2018, Zoe has a passing interest and Stefan only became aware of the show when he moved to Cambridge in October 2019. For Jasper, appearing on University Challenge had been a long-held ambition.

I’ve spent many an episode rolling my eyes at contestants when they say something ridiculous. But when you’re on the studio floor it all makes sense, because the pressure adds up and you just say things ~ Jasper

“I have watched it for a long while, it could be even primary school, and I’ve always thought I’d love to participate if I could,” he says.

“I’ve spent many an episode rolling my eyes at contestants when they say something ridiculous. But when you’re on the studio floor it all makes sense, because the pressure adds up and you just say things.

“It certainly wasn’t easy! With the starter questions against the other team you want to get your answer in. The pressure was a lot but I also really enjoyed it. I was just so glad to have made it.”

Stefan was also part of 91ֱ��’ student team on the BBC Radio 4 quiz, The 3rd Degree, recorded in February and broadcast in July.

“The formats were different, but it helped,” he says.

Jasper adds: “There was one question on a topic I’d had a supervision on this year. I just blanked. The studio, the lights, the cameras, you forget everything you’ve ever known.

“I was kicking myself about that one.”

Stefan says: “I was fairly sure I knew the answer to that question, I was just slow in buzzing. It’s not just knowing stuff, it’s also managing to cope under stress.

“These things do happen. You just move on because the next question is coming and you have to stay in the game.”

There are positive recollections as well.

Jasper says: “As much as I remember on the show completely blanking and knowing that I knew but not being able to remember, I think it happens the other way around as well. Where, somehow the right question comes and something that you didn’t know you knew and was just in there somewhere comes out. That happened to me once or twice.”

This series is Jeremy Paxman’s last as the second host of University Challenge.

“It was great to be on the show with him – he’s a bit of a legend,” says Jasper, who, along with Zoe, will miss the broadcast while on their year abroad.

“It’s a lot of fun because however curt and brusque he’s always ready with those witticisms and comebacks.”