A WOKINGHAM schoolteacher is one of four contestants representing the University of Reading in tonight’s University Challenge.
The show, hosted by Jeremy Paxman, sees two teams battle each other out in a general knowledge quiz. Each show is a knockout heat, and this week is a first-round tie that sees Reading take on students from the University of Strathclyde.
Last year’s team lost their opening tie, and it is hoped that this year’s cohort will progress to the latter stages of the contest.
The team is captained by Michael Hutchinson (30), who completed his maths PGCE in June. He lives in Caversham and will begin his career as a teacher at Highdown School in September.
Margaret Ounsley (62) has lived in Reading for 45 years. She is a former Reading Borough Councillor, one-time SPAD and lobbyist, who is studying a PhD in Poor Law History.
Kira Bishop is the youngest member of the team. The 20-year-old is a second-year student from Slough, reading maths and psychology.
And completing the line-up is Sarah Turvey, who teaches music part-time in a Wokingham secondary school in Wokingham. The 47-year-old is studying for a Masters in education.
Mr Hutchinson said that the whole experience had been a blast, and covid had made preparing much harder.
“It is very exciting to represent the University of Reading on one of the most famous of quiz shows,” he said. “It has certainly been an interesting experience preparing and filming under lockdown.
“We only met in person the first time on the day of filming.
“We hope people enjoy watching as much as we enjoyed filming.”
As well as hoping to progress to the second round, they will also be looking to avoid the fate of the 2018 Reading alumni team.
The team, comprising famous and notable former students, reached the final of the Christmas celebrity tournament, but ending up with nul points against the University of Oxford’s Keble College.
The show will air on BBC Two at 8.30pm tonight (Monday, August 16).
It can also be watched online https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000yxfy
