By Leah Hoyle, Third year, English

The University of Bristol team, along with mascot ‘Isambear Kingdom Brunel’, missed out on a coveted quarter final place by 25 points.

Yesterday on BBC Two at 8.30pm, Bristol faced the University of Warwick, which had previously beaten the University of Sheffield in an ‘astonishing come back.’

University Challenge host Amol Rajan concluded that the game was extremely close – ‘it was so tight, until so late’ – ending with 145 points for Bristol and 180 points for the winning Warwick.

The team tackle a tough question on a 2005 design for the sister gallery of the Louvre | Screenshotted from the BBC, aired on 24 November 2025 on BBC Two

Both Bristol and Warwick showed their support for each other as the game began. ‘It’s very nice of you to applaud your opponents…. But from now it’s war,’ host Amol Rajan warned the competing teams.

Managing to sustain a significant 15-point lead until halfway, Bristol felt like a strong force in the game. At this point, they had nailed bonus questions on trees in poems, noodles in Japanese cuisine, opera, and the elements in control rods.

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Speaking to Epigram,  Bristol captain Huge Goodwill (Meng Aerospace Engineering) said, ‘I feel so lucky to have been part of such a great team, and although our time in the competition has come to an end, the experience will stay with us forever.’

Goodwill was joined by the rest of the previous round’s championing cohort; Lewys Jenkins (BSc Mathematics), Lois Connolly (BA Liberal Arts), and Nathaniel Joyce (MSci Biology)

This year’s University of Bristol team outside Dock10 studios, the filming location for University Challenge | Lewys Jenkins

This episode comes after Bristol’s startling 65-point-win against Cardiff this August, in which Rajan noted ‘Bristol answered almost twice as many questions correctly.’

Lois Conolly told Epigram that there was some pressure to succeed: ‘We desperately wanted to get a spot in the quarter finals. The last two Bristol teams made it very far, so we wanted to live up to that legacy.’

Warwick snatched up the chance for the picture round, featuring stills from films a. The team struggled with this but were much more solid on prime numbers, the rivers of England and Wales, and the history of the National Rugby League.

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When discussing the fight for the picture round, Connolly spoke about the backlash of answering incorrectly: ‘It’s easy to beat yourself up about it, especially since a lot of people were complaining online, but at this point I find it quite funny and I don’t mind.’

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With just 5 minutes to go, Warwick took the lead. However,  Jenkins did not back down, interrupting Rajan to answer a question on the authorship of the Murakami novel 1Q84. This gained Bristol their last bonus question and 15 points.

Despite a strong effort from Bristol, Warwick was victorious after some invaluable bonus questions that Rajan described as ‘wonderfully stressful.’ 

Rajan thanked the Bristol team and their mascot, saying it was a ‘massive pleasure having you here.’

The team beat Cardiff in the first round of the series by 180 points to 100 points | Lewys Jenkins

Goodwill said to Epigram, ‘Meeting Amol Rajan, you can tell he has the perfect balance of intelligence, humility, and wit to present the programme, and long may it continue.’ 

‘I was really proud to represent Bristol!’ Connolly explained, ‘Not only because we’ve done so well on the show before, but I really love this city and I’m proud I go to the University of Bristol.’

Jenkins echoed his teammate’s sentiment, and had a message for fellow University of Bristol quizzers: ‘I’d highly encourage trying out for the show even if you don’t think you have a chance,’ he said to Epigram.

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The next episode of University Challenge is scheduled for December 8 at 8:30pm on BBC Two, although Bristol won’t be a part of it – Edinburgh and Trinity College Cambridge will go head to head.

Featured image: Screenshotted from the BBC, aired on 24 November 2025 on BBC Two