The name that conquered University Challenge
Scott and Chris became fixated on York contestant Bartosz Żyłobajło after hearing his name delivered by University Challenge announcer Roger Tilling. They replayed both the introduction and Tilling’s authoritative call when Żyłobajło correctly answered Canada. Better still, Roger had contacted the show to say that he enjoyed Innuendo Bingo and was willing to contribute his famous voice to almost anything.
That followed the online reaction to Chris Ramsey’s exceptionally wet Bingo. Ramsey had needed to return to Norwich after playing in his pants, and the show enjoyed the fact that the unusual clothing decision was now travelling with him.
The Christmas tape that became too much
Jason remembered taking a seasonal job at Matalan when he was 17. The store used one short tape of soundalike Christmas recordings, interrupted by announcements and then restarted throughout every shift. A slow female cover of “Driving Home for Christmas” and a particularly joyless version of a Darkness song became so familiar that he knew exactly which track and announcement came next.
Eventually the music got inside his head while he was working in the changing rooms. Jason walked out, telephoned his mother for a lift and ignored repeated calls over the tannoy asking him to report to reception. A manager offered him time to calm down with a cup of tea, but he had finished and never went back. Scott immediately named him the show’s caller of the year.
Playground Insults
The show launched Playground Insults, a deliberately childish contest in which Scott and Chris took turns trying to make one another laugh. The rules rewarded silly, clean insults rather than genuine cruelty, making it surprisingly difficult once the obvious lines were exhausted. The feature began as a small studio game, although it would acquire much more famous contestants before Christmas.
The day also brought a particularly meaty Bamboleo Wednesday gap and Barbara Windsor on Real or No Real. Meanwhile, Scott and Chris looked back at volunteering at a Barnardo’s centre in Ilford, where they decorated a tree, made cards and cakes and heard from Charlotte about why the centre’s relaxed, supportive atmosphere mattered to young people.
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