Jeremy Paxman is retiring from University Challenge

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Sorry to hear this. I think he's done a great job for the last 28 years. Different from Bamber Gascoigne, of course, but UC has remained a huge favourite in our house. I thought he might retire soon when I heard about his Parkinson's diagnosis. The news release below seems to imply he's filming the current series and someone else will be replacing him for the next series.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62561558

Two things then:

1. When will the current series start? It's long overdue and I'm getting twitchy. It normally gets under way in July. Not scheduled for next Monday.
2. Who will replace him? Due to be announced later this week. Speculation in the article it could be Kirsty Wark, Sandy Toksvig, Samira Ahmed, Victoria Coren-Mitchell or Richard Osman, and various others. My personal choice would be Richard Osman from that group but I think it's a lot more likely to be a woman.

I wouldn’t want anyone with any background in comedy or ‘light’ entertainment I don’t think. Amol Rajan would be good but frankly, Michael Portillo is an inspired choice (though possibly not enough trains in it for him)

Susie Dent would be a good choice, but I can't see her leaving Countdown.

I think I read the new series starts August 29th.

It needs to not be about the presenter. You don't need a big (highly paid) celeb presenting it. You need someone with a nice voice and someone who is intelligent enough to read all the tricky questions. I'd be struggling to read some of those questions let alone answering them.

Oh God please not Victoria CM or Naga!! Don’t spoil one of my favourite programmes!

On another thread about this I suggested Sian Williams (used to present BBC breakfast with Bill Turnbull). She’s articulate, highly intelligent but not a show off. She wouldn’t make it all about her.

Mary Beard

Hadn't realised Paxo had been doing it for so long. Portillo, yes, I think he'd be great. Richard Osman is leaving Pointless (much to DMum's distress ) so he'd have time. Mary Beard?

I personally think Victoria CM is a bit 'arch'.

Ooh, X post Bore.

I always thought he was a terrible presenter. Very scornful, like he was personally offended if someone didn't know the answer. I know it's a quiz for highly educated people but there's no need to be a dick about it.

I hope they get someone who has some kindness to go with their vast knowledge

Hallelujah!

Well he did get a roasting on this site earlier this year

Ooh, I came on to suggest Mary Beard. I think she'd be brilliant.

Amol Rajan. Harrumph. I like him but he's everywhere on the BBC.

I'm sorry that he's suffering from Parkinsons, but I've never liked Jeremy Paxman. Very sneery and a bit of a bully. He spoiled the show IMO.

Mary Beard on the other hand is too nice and smiley.

I don't mean too nice for the shows she does present, but maybe too nice to be the quizmaster.

Ian hislop and Paul Merton alternating rounds.

Sad to see him go but understandable given the diagnosis. He definitely seemed to have aged in the last series.

It's going to be Amol Rajan

It's going to be Amol Rajan

He's becoming very popular at the BBC. He seems to be in every other radio show on R4.

I don't really know anything about Amol Rajan but good luck to him. Is he an academic type?

Read English at Cambridge. He presents the Today programme now. He's pretty good. Definitely more heavyweight that some of these suggestions (was the Rylan one serious? )

Amol Rajan went to a comprehensive school and then to Cambridge. He doesn't come from a wealthy background. His parents were first-generation immigrants to the UK. He presents the Today Programme and he is the BBC's Media Editor. He did a good documentary a while back about why the BBC and other media companes recruit from such a limited range of backgrounds. I like him as a presenter and I think he must be very bright to have achieved what he has without the public school or family connections many top media people have.

However:

He used to work for Evgeny Lebvedev as Editor of The Independent and he has been accused of pro-Tory sentiment and bias.

He is a man and this makes the third male presenter for a flagship BBC programme when there were plenty of well-qualified female candidates, notably Samira Ahmed.

I see on Twitter that some people are very upset it's him because he has in the past been accused of 'pro-TERF' sentiment and they believe that University Challenge has been a trailblazer in including trans, gender nonconforming and 'queer' contestants without comment. This last point puzzles me as I can't see why on earth there would ever be any reason not to let anybody compete on a quiz if they have the talent. It also of course shows the usual wilful misunderstanding that people campaigning for women's rights are against gender nonconforming behaviour, when the opposite is actually true. I can see no reason why Amol Rajah should be any less welcoming to GNC and trans people than Jeremy Paxman.

Not an uncontroversial appointment!

Hmm, bit on the fence with this one. I'm glad he isn't white but he is still very 'establishment' and this still seems a bit of a 'jobs for the boys' appointment. He isn't a big celeb so that's a good thing.

IDK, I think presenting a show like UC might be harder than you might think so appointing someone well known is safer than an unknown.
I don't understand why Oxbridge is such a prominent force in media. There is too much nepotism.