Episode 1 Celebrity Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together, they make up the Eggheads, arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to a celebrity edition of Eggheads,

where a team of five challengers pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

You might recognise them, as they've won some of the toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

Taking on our champions...

After scouring his address book,

Nicky Campbell recruited four friends who he considers to have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

-Let's meet them.

-I'm Nicky Campbell. I'm a broadcast and journalist.

I'm Shelagh Fogerty and I'm a journalist and broadcaster.

I'm Robert Harley. I'm a writer and actor.

I'm Jonathan Maitland. I'm a journalist, presenter and author.

I'm Fiona Foster. I'm a broadcaster and journalist.

Welcome, Live Five. Are you mad? Do you know what you're taking on?

It's formidable, an incredible challenge.

These people are amazing.

In a small way, we can do an Accrington Stanley.

We can do a giant-killing act.

-We can do a Scotland.

-Thank you(!)

Always the analogy.

We've got a secret weapon there in Jonathan Maitland who, in another life, would be over there.

You think you've got the categories covered, what might come up?

You've got different talents?

-I'm a pop music anorak.

-A little bit?

-A little bit.

In the '90s, Fiona and I used to go to a quiz in Clapham Junction.

Pop music was...certainly kind of high on my agenda.

-Fiona, was he insufferable?

-You've never met anyone more competitive!

-Apart from Nicky!

-Shall we put it to the test?

Let's get the gloves off.

Every day, there's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers' charity.

If they fail, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

Live Five, as this is the first of our celebrity specials,

£1,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first head-to-head battle is going to be music.

Jonathan!

We're going to keep Jonathan. He's our secret weapon.

-Ah.

-For the end, so, music.

I work with Nicky. He knows every song lyric there ever was.

And sings them a lot. It's clear who's going to do music for us.

I'm going to fall flat on my face.

OK, Nicky. Who do you want to play?

I would like to play against the one and only..

-AS JIMMY SAVILE:

-Dame Judith Keppel.

-LAUGHING:

-..As they've dubbed you. I've been trying for years - Dame Judith Keppel.

Nicky Campbell and Millionaire winner Judith into the question room, pease.

-Nicky, challengers choose. Do you want to go first or let Judith start?

-I'll go first.

Hoping to put a score on the board. Nicky, your question.

In which year was Lulu the joint winner of the Eurovision Song Contest with Boom Bang-A-Bang?

# It's such a lovely feeling

# Having you so near. #

1969.

It's straight in there, Nicky. Yes, good start.

I see what you have to put up with!

Judith's question. A modern orchestral trumpet has how many valves?

-I'm thinking what it looks like.

-Trumpet-shaped!

Trumpet-shaped!

I'm trying to have a picture.

I think it's three or four.

-Four.

-Four?

-Yup.

A modern orchestral trumpet has...

three valves.

Great start for Nicky and the Live Five.

Chance for a 2-0 lead. Call The Shots and Sexy! No No No

were hit singles for which group in 2007?

I've taken my eye off music a bit in the last few years.

Um... I would say...

..it's the Sugababes.

-Sugababes. Your favourite, Chris.

-As if!

Always the Sugababes catch you out.

They caught you out, Nicky. It's Girls Aloud.

Call The Shots and Sexy! No No No.

But Judith's already got one wrong so it's not terminal.

Judith still has to get this just to catch up.

Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley were vocalists with which band?

I've absolutely no idea.

You know I don't know this kind of thing.

-What are they called?

-Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley.

Became famous as vocalists with which band?

Perhaps they're not twins, in that case. Oh, God!

I don't know. Down the middle, for a change. Bananarama.

Thompson Twins weren't twins,

but weren't Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley, either,

-who were in the Human League.

-Oh!

Nicky retains the lead!

If you get this, you win the round.

Which Yorkshire city hosts a prestigious international piano competition every three years?

-Leeds.

-Oh, right.

Yorkshire city hosts a prestigious international piano competition...

Leeds. You're through to the final round. Vanquished Judith Keppel.

Would you both please join your teams?

Flying start, Live Five. The Eggheads have lost one brain from the final round.

The Live Five are all there. Next subject, politics. Who want to play?

It can't be Nicky. Any of the other four.

-Yeah. I'll go for it.

-Who would you like to play against? It can't be Judith.

-CJ.

-Go ahead with CJ.

-Get him out the way.

-I choose...or WE choose CJ.

-Sheelagh versus CJ.

Weakest Link winner, 15 to 1 winner playing politics.

Could I ask you, please, to take your positions in the question room?

-Shelagh, will you go first or second?

-Second. I need to get used to it.

CJ, this is your question.

What term is usually used for the Prime Minister's reorganisation of his Cabinet?

A few other descriptions pop to mind but you're after "reshuffle".

Yes, we are. Reshuffle is correct.

Shelagh, first question for you.

What colour are the leather benches in the House of Commons?

They are green.

They are. Well done. Green. Good start. OK, CJ.

For what does the letter V stand in the political acronym OMOV?

One member, one vote.

Vote is correct. Well done, CJ. OK, Shelagh.

The Peace Palace built by Andrew Carnegie in 1913 is a feature of which Dutch city?

Give the role The Hague plays, I'm tempted to say The Hague.

I was in Amsterdam recently and I don't recall the Peace Palace.

I know nothing about Utrecht so I'm going with The Hague.

And the Peace Palace is there. Well done, Shelagh. Well worked out.

Both going well. This next question each could sort out a winner.

Which Prime Minister's liking for homburg hats led to them being known by his name?

I think that's Harold Wilson but give me a moment to check.

Not Eden...

And... I THINK it's Harold Wilson.

-It's Eden, CJ!

-Oh, is it?

-Yes.

-LAUGHS

-Macs and pipes, Harold Wilson.

-He'll claim he's too young.

-To remember?

-Yeah.

-You're an Egghead. You should know.

Shelagh, a chance to win the round and book your place in the final round.

What was the first name of the former British Prime Minister Campbell-Bannerman?

I think it's George.

-OK.

-I don't know, but I think George Campbell-Bannerman.

It might have been in there, but it's Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

No damage done. A shot to nothing.

It stays all square but we go to sudden death so we're removing the multiple choices.

We've just got to hear answers from you.

CJ faces the first. Who was the last British Governor of Hong Kong?

-That would be Chris Patten.

-Chris Patten is correct.

Shelagh.

Who was elected the First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007?

Peter Robinson.

You see, you know too much, Shelagh.

It's Ian Paisley - 2007!

-Paisley stood down to make way for Peter Robinson. That's your in-depth knowledge.

-That recently?

Yeah. They were stuck in aspic for so long with the wrangling.

Paisley did not remain as First Minister for very long before handing over to Peter Robinson.

You could have done with less knowledge of Northern Irish politics!

I'm afraid you're not playing in the final round. CJ, I'm afraid you are!

Please join your teams.

The Live Five have lost one brain. The Eggheads have lost one as well.

Our third category today is sport.

I suspect there may be some eager takers.

It's Robert, Jonathan or Fiona to play sport.

-What are you like at sport? He's good at sport. >

-Yeah? O...K.

-The big man.

-Robert, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

It's Chris, Daphne or Kevin.

-She doesn't look like she sits on the stands!

-Daphne?

-LAUGHTER

-Do you go to any football matches?

-No. I watch rugby.

-Ah, well. There you are.

I think Robert versus Daphne is the match of the day.

Robert and the last woman to win Brain of Britain into the question room, please.

Robert, would you like to go first or second in sport?

I'd like to take the first penalty, please.

Rather appropriately,

when you hear the question.

Former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks played for which club between 1959 and 1967?

Well, my mate Nick Hancock will remind me that he played for Stoke.

Between those years, he played for Leicester City.

You're right, Leicester City, while they won the World Cup.

So, Daphne. The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are leading teams in which US sport?

SIGHS I HATE American sports.

Basketball?

You got it. Basketball is correct.

In the hoop. Robert's second question.

Which rugby league club moved from Craven Park to New Craven Park in 1989?

Rugby league not my speciality.

I'm going to say...

Warrington Wolves.

No. It's not. It's Hull Kingston Rovers.

Second question to Daphne.

The great slalom skier Ingemar Stenmark was born in which country?

Oh!

I'm hoping, from the sound of his name,

that he's Swedish.

Sweden...is correct.

Ingemar Stenmark born in Sweden. You've got to get this, Robert.

Which rider won at the Burghley Horse Trials on Priceless, Night Cap and Murphy Himself?

Um...

Well...

I wasn't there.

-CHUCKLING:

-You surprise us(!)

-I'll have to rely...

-Judith probably was.

-No idea.

-Do you like that kind of thing?

-Well, quite.

-Good.

Burghley Horse Trials, Priceless, Night Cap and Murphy Himself.

I think that was Virginia Leng.

-It WAS. You said that very confidently.

-I was kidding you all.

I WAS there!

Daphne has a chance to win.

Daphne, at which weight was Jimmy Ellis, the WBA World Boxing Champion between 1968 and 1970?

I'm sure he wasn't a heavyweight cos I might have heard of him.

I haven't heard of him so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed

and hope he's a featherweight.

No. Eggheads?

Heavyweight. Was he?

-Yeah. Jimmy Ellis.

-Oh, no!

-Sudden death!

-Sudden death approaches!

Yes. It's all-square.

Robert, I'm taking the choices away.

Nothing to guess at, should you need to guess!

A dog named Cobi was the mascot at the Summer Olympic Games in which year?

Cobi - C-o-b-i.

Well, it sounds...sounds like it might be a bit...

..Tokyo.

-1964.

-OK. '64, Tokyo.

No, it's not. It's later than that. Do you know, Daphne, if it had been your question?

-Barcelona?

-Barcelona, '92. Yeah.

A chance to win it, Daphne.

At which racecourse is the Welsh Grand National run?

Chepstow?

It is Chepstow, Daphne. That is correct. You are through.

Great round. Bad luck, Robert.

You won't be playing in the final round. Come and join your teams.

The Eggheads biting back after the first victory by the Live Five.

Two brains missing from the Live Five and at least one Egghead.

This is your last chance to even it up in the final round. This one is geography.

-Jonathan or Fiona to play.

-I'll take it.

-And leave Johnny.

-I think. Yeah.

It's a far, far better thing that I do now!

I'm happy to give it a go.

Let's do it!

-Hold on, Fiona.

-Oh, yes!

-To compound your problems.

Kevin or Chris?

Let's go with Chris. My dad likes Chris. He talks about Chris.

Let's go for Chris. It'll make my dad proud.

Fiona and Brain Of Britain, reigning International Mastermind...

That's getting stale, Dermot. That's 25 years ago.

-No-one's challenged you for it.

-No.

-Must set up a competition.

The question room awaits Fiona and Chris.

-Do you want to go first or second, Fiona?

-I'll go first.

The African city of Maputo is located on which body of water?

Obviously, it's not the Mediterranean.

I'm going to go for the Indian Ocean.

-When your hands went down the middle, I thought...

-The Atlantic!

-No! We've lit the Indian and it's the right answer!

-Oh.

DERMOT LAUGHS

Mozambique, isn't it?

The distinctively shaped Alpine peak the Matterhorn straddles the border between Italy and which country?

It's not Slovenia. That's over to the east.

It's not France cos that's over to the west.

The Matterhorn's on the border of Italy and Switzerland.

That is correct.

All too soon, back to you, Fiona.

In which South American capital city does the street called the Avenida Nueve de Julio

commemorate National Independence Day?

-Um... I'm going to say Buenos Aires.

-OK.

Gone for Argentina.

That's correct. Well done, Fiona. Buenos Aires.

Chris, which island lies off the tip of the Lleyn peninsula in north Wales?

It's spelled L-l-e-y-n. Lleyn Peninsula.

That's Pwllheli and keep going!

Well, it's not Lundy cos that's in the Bristol Channel.

It's not Skomer cos that's south Wales.

It used to be a monastic settlement and it's Bardsey Island.

Well worked out, Chris. That's the right answer.

Fiona going really strongly!

It's a great moment for me, being equal with Chris.

Get this and you might put him out.

The US city of Milwaukee lies in which state?

-How long did you live in the United States?

-Three years.

-And I'm married to an American.

-DERMOT LAUGHS

-Not from Milwaukee, is he?

-He's not. He's from New England.

Well, um... I'm going to say Wisconsin.

Probably easier for you if we hadn't given you choices. It's right.

Three out of three!

-If my old teacher Mrs Newton could see me now!

-She'd be proud.

-She'd be flat out on the floor.

Chris, to save yourself, which country has a coastline on both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf?

Jordan's only got a coastline on the Med.

Yemen's at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula on the Red Sea.

The only one with a coastline on both is Saudi Arabia.

We're going to sudden death. That's the right answer. Fiona's face!

I think you might be better without the choices. They spread confusion.

You've just got to tell me this.

Which Canadian city is located between the Burrard Inlet, an arm of the Strait of Georgia,

and the delta of the River Fraser?

Strait of Georgia? How do you spell the inlet?

Burrard - B-u-r-r-a-r-d. Burrard.

-Let's say Montreal.

-Montreal.

It's not Montreal.

It's your first wrong answer. I'll see if he knows. Any idea, Chris?

-The Canadian Pacific comes down the Fraser River canyon on the way to Vancouver.

-On the sea.

The Strait of Georgia. Vancouver!

You win it if you get this, Chris.

Which tourist centre for exploring the Great Barrier Reef

is located in the far north of Queensland, 850 miles northwest of Brisbane?

The great tourist centre for that part of the world is Cairns.

Damn your eyes! It is the right answer. Cairns is correct.

Bad luck, Fiona.

You're not playing in the final round. Come and join your teams.

Bad luck, Fiona. Real chance to make it all square in the final round.

It's going to be highly competitive, what we've been playing towards, the final round.

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't take part.

Shelagh, Robert and Fiona from the Live Five and Judith from the Eggheads, leave the studio now.

Nicky and Jonathan, you're playing to win the Live Five £1,000.

Kevin, CJ, Daphne and Chris, you're playing for something which money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions, all general knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

That's the difference with the head-to-heads.

Live Five, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-Shall we go first?

-OK.

First question, Live Five. Good luck, Nicky, Jonathan.

Gussie Fink-Nottle, Roderick Spode and Sir Watkyn Bassett

are characters created by which writer?

Gussie Fink-Nottle, Roderick Spode and Sir Watkyn Bassett.

Sir Watkyn Bassett?

Yeah, we'll go with...

PG Wodehouse.

That's the right answer. PG Wodehouse.

Which royal palace is a mixture of Tudor architecture and a renaissance design by Christopher Wren?

MUMBLE: Hampton Court?

CJ: It's the only Tudor one.

That's Hampton Court.

-Hampton Court?

-Yeah.

Is the right answer, Eggheads.

One each. Nicky and Jonathan.

Ben Kingsley and which other Oscar-winning actor were born in the Yorkshire resort of Scarborough?

Ben Kingsley and which other Oscar-winning actor were born

in the Yorkshire resort of Scarborough?

It's not Tony, surely.

Because he is Welsh to his core. Although an American citizen now.

Was Charles Laughton in Hobson's Choice,

about a family from the north of England way?

# She was a working girl north of England way

# Now she's hit the big time #

-In the good old...

-# USA #

Go with your instinct.

-Mine's Laughton.

-Laughton as well. That's OUR instinct.

So we'll go with Laughton.

-Charles Laughton. Well done.

-Get in!

-All right, Eggheads. It's 2-1.

Second question.

Which artist lived for over 40 years in a farmhouse called Hoglands in Perry Green, Hertfordshire?

DAPHNE: That's definitely Henry Moore.

< They've got all the sculptures.

He left the estate to... OK. Must be. Yup.

The one who famously lived in Hertfordshire was Henry Moore.

Correct, Eggheads. Straight back to Jonathan and Nicky.

If either of you falters on this question, the game will be over.

Since Edward VII, "the boy" has been a colloquial term for which drink?

Since Edward VII, "the boy" has been a colloquial term for which drink?

I remember hearing a story, possibly on 5 Live

or on the Today programme, about absinthe making a comeback.

I thought you were going to say

"absinthe making the heart grow fonder"!

-So did I.

-That implies it's been around a long time.

-Brandy, I guess, has been around a long time.

-Let's discount champagne.

-OK.

-Let's throw out the champagne.

-Shall we just go for instinct again?

-What's your instinct?

I had my go earlier on. I've had my time. This is you in the spotlight.

What do you think?

My instinct says brandy so we'll go for brandy.

OK, "the boy" colloquial term for...

It's champagne! Champagne.

But it's not over yet.

The Eggheads have to get this right. If not, we go to sudden death.

Whose 2005 book about writing poetry is entitled The Ode Less Travelled?

Whose 2005 book about writing poetry is entitled The Ode Less Travelled?

Quite prolific in all sorts of areas, Stephen Fry.

Stephen Fry.

Is the right answer. You've won.

Why couldn't you have got that Stephen Fry one?

Really great players. Fantastic! One question in it.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them. They reign supreme over quizland.

You won't be going home with the £1,000. The money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a team of BBC news presenters have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£2,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd