Former University Challenge quizmaster, playwright,
and author Bamber Gascoigne has died at the age of 87.
Bamber Gascoigne fronted the popular UK TV quiz show University Challenge (based on the US series College Bowl) for 25 years, from 1962 to 1987. He also presented TV documentaries and wrote a number of books, including A Brief History of the Great Moghuls.
Gascoigne was born in London on 24 January 1935. He was the elder son of Lieutenant-Colonel Derek Ernest Frederick Orby Gascoigne. H was educated at Sunningdale School in Berkshire before winning scholarships to both Eton College and Magdalene College, Cambridge (Wikipedia).
Bamber died from heart failure after a short illness, less than a month after his 87th birthday. He was best known for his famous University Challenge catchphrases such as "Fingers on buzzers", "Your starter for 10", and "I'll have to hurry you".
The tributes have been pouring in.
Paul Sinha, star of ITV's quiz show The Chase, tweeted: "[Gascoigne's] effortless erudition, making whole swathes of impenetrable knowledge seem cheerfully accessible, was totally inspiring to this kid of the 80s. Sadly we may never see his like on our screens again."
Stephen Fry, who took part in University Challenge in 1980, wrote on Twitter: "Oh no, not Bamber. He was so kind and warm to us students who sat nervously at those desks." He was "such an elegant, intelligent man".
Only Connect presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell said: "No quiz host has ever seemed more like they could answer all the questions themselves."
David Nicholls, who wrote the book the film Starter For Ten was based on (about Bamber Gascoigne), posted on Twitter: "Very sad to see this. Bamber was a big part of my TV childhood and was very gracious about his fictional cameo in Starter For Ten. He came to the book launch and left me quite star struck."
The Challenge continues...
University Challenge aired for 913 episodes on ITV from September 1962 to December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC revived the program on 21 September 1994 with Jeremy Paxman as the quizmaster.
The 51st series of the University Challenge began on BBC 2 on 12 July 2021.
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