Christmas University Challenge: what teams are competing in Xmas special - and who are celebrity guests?

Heather Carrick
By Heather Carrick

Reporter

20th Dec 2021, 8:48pm
Leicester will face off against Edinburgh in episode one of the University Challenge Christmas special. (Credit: BBC)Leicester will face off against Edinburgh in episode one of the University Challenge Christmas special. (Credit: BBC)
Leicester will face off against Edinburgh in episode one of the University Challenge Christmas special. (Credit: BBC) | BBC

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University Challenge will return to screens with a special series of festive showdowns featuring celebrities - but who is on it and what universities will be competing for the crown?

A new series of special Christmas episodes of University Challenge is set to kick off with celebrities facing off against each other to be crowned festive champions.

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Jeremy Paxman will return to provide the guests with their starter for ten - but what celebrities are on the series and what universities are they representing?

Who is on the University Christmas Special?

The first episode will see University of Edinburgh face off against University of Leicester.

Comedian Miles Jupp and cookery writer and founder of the Wahaca group, Thomasina Miers, will be among those representing Edinburgh University.

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Author Jeffrey Boakye and science presenter Dallas Campbell will represent Leicester.

Other celebrities taking part during the series includes comedian Shappi Khorsandi, presenter Mike Bushell, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts, journalist Adam Fleming, olympic rower Oliver Cook, comedian Jon Robins, activist Shabnam Nasimi and musician YolanDa Brown.

What universities are featured on the University Challenge Christmas Special?

Alongside Edinburgh and Leicester in episode one, other matches to look forward to in the 2021 festive edition of University Challenge includes:

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  • Winchester v Bradford
  • Bristol v King’s College, Cambridge
  • London School of Economics v Hertford, Oxford
  • Corpus Christi, Cambridge v St Anne’s, Oxford
  • Birkback, London v Portsmouth
  • Kent v Goldsmiths, London

The winner of each show will progress to the semi-final round, with universities hoping to make it to the grand final.

How many episodes of University Challenge Christmas will there be?

The show will air 10 special festive episodes

When is University Challenge Christmas special on?

The Christmas series will air its first episode on Monday 20 December at 8.30pm .

It will air each night from 20 December until Christmas Eve, with episodes resuming on 27 December.

The final episode will air on Friday 31 December.

What channel is University Challenge on?

The series will air on BBC2.

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It will also be available to watch live in the BBC iPlayer and will be available to watch after it has aired on the streaming services also.

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