Congratulations to Regent’s alumnus, Mr Richard Aubrey (Philosophy and Theology, 2002), whose team won five rounds of the BBC quiz show ‘Only Connect’, to be crowned series champions on Monday 18 January. The series final was watched by approximately 2.5 million viewers; it is available on BBC iPlayer until Thursday 18 February.
Richard, who is Ethos and Values Co-ordinator at The Urswick School, appeared on ‘Only Connect’ with fellow musicians, Pete Sorel-Cameron and Tessa North; their tem was called ‘String Section’. Richard wrote of his experience:
It’s an intense format, but the production team are all lovely. A welcoming crew designed to take the stress away because we were just focused on keeping our heads in the studio. The other teams were filled with lovely people too: many of whom became firm friends. (There’s even a reunion for “alumni” of the show planned for next month: some 400 people have been contestants). At The Urswick School, people have been very supportive, both students and staff. The audience for the five episodes, which have been airing since July 2015, has increased with each successive round. I didn’t plug every episode, so it was nice to see which students came in on a Tuesday and said, “I saw you on TV last night, Mr Aubrey”! It’s been a bit of a shock, as the show appeals to the top quizzers in the UK, and the production team scour the country to find the best quizzers from local leagues and national tournaments. We were in none of these categories, and felt a bit like a journeyman team. In fact, on the train to Cardiff, I banned any discussion of the Quarter Finals or later: we’d have been happy to win a round, let alone the whole thing!
(Photograph coutesy of Patrick Olner/Parasol Media/BBC)