Episode 9 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 special celebrity edition of Eggheads,

the show where a team of five quiz challengers pit their wits

against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain - the Eggheads.

And challenging our quiz Goliaths today

are What A Shower. This team of famous faces

from the world of weather presenting have nothing to worry about going up against the Eggheads.

After some high pressure leading to possible periods of dense fog,

I forecast brighter spells and a fine outcome.

As for the Eggheads, I'm expecting the usual - a lot of hot air.

LAUGHTER

-Let's meet the challengers.

-I'm John Kettley. If you believe the song, I'm a weatherman.

Hi, I'm Suzanne Charlton. I was a BBC weather person

from the late '80s up until 2007

and I was famous for standing on a box because I'm short.

Hi, I'm Jim Bacon. I was a TV weatherman from 1978 to 1986.

Hi, I'm Penny Tranter and I was a weather presenter for 16 years between 1992 and 2008.

I still work in weather and was a weather forecaster at London 2012.

Hi, Francis Wilson. I'm an ex-TV newsroom weatherman,

Thames News in the '70s,

BBC News in the '80s,

Sky News until recently.

Welcome to you, What A Shower.

So, John, you put the word out and said, "Weather team, assemble, we'll beat the Eggheads"?

Yeah, we're the ones. We've jumped through a few hoops to come up with this title - What A Shower.

It's based on the fact that if the public chose a team for us, it would be far more insulting.

-This is as good as it's going to be.

-Let's get started with the quiz.

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

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over.

What A Shower, the Eggheads have won the last eight games

which now means £9,000 says you can't defeat the Eggheads.

There's one subject you all will be fighting to do, which is Science.

I don't know if that'll come up, but our first one is Geography.

Also, I'm sure, plenty of you will be qualified for Geography.

-Who wants to do Geography?

-I'll do it.

-You fancy it?

-Francis?

-I don't mind.

-Shall we let John do it?

-Can we both do it?

-You do it, John.

-LAUGHTER

-I'll do it, Dermot.

-OK, straight into the fray with John. You choose your Egghead. Who do you want to challenge?

-Oh, dear.

-Dave.

-OK, right, the two nearest to me.

It's John and Dave playing this one and off you go.

John playing for nine grand today and John Kettley Is A Weatherman -

-who sang it, John?

-A Tribe Of Toffs wrote the song in 1988, Dermot.

-A Tribe Of Toffs?

-One-hit wonders.

The follow-up song was called Oh, No, Terry Wogan's On Television Again and he wouldn't endorse it.

That's a quiz question - who sang it? Not in this round, it isn't. It's Geography.

-Would you like to go first or second? The challenger always chooses.

-I'll go first, Dermot.

Here's your first question.

What is the main Asian language spoken in Hong Kong?

Well, you would think the obvious one would be Cantonese, Dermot.

-That's the one you're going for?

-Yes.

-Indeed it is. Quite right.

One to you.

Dave, what equestrian term is given to a pass or ridge between two peaks?

I hope it's a saddle.

Yeah, it is. You're right.

-We're just easing you in there.

-OK.

-Not that you need any easing.

John is now perfectly at his ease.

Second question. What name is given to the remote outback of Australia?

I used to think when I was watching quiz programmes on TV

that the answer was always the one in the middle.

Never-Never, Witchetty, Coolibah...

I have to say my headache's coming on.

Never-Never, Witchetty...

I'll go Coolibah, please, Dermot.

OK, Coolibah for the remote outback of Australia... Eggheads?

-Never-Never.

-Coolibah is a tree.

-Coolibah is a tree.

It's Never-Never. You never know what Dave will do with his next one.

Let's see if it stays all-square.

The Isle of Sheppey lies off the coast of which county?

-Kent.

-You lot, that would have been so easy.

You're pointing at it all the time on your maps.

It's the correct answer. It means you need this, John.

The Canadian province of Manitoba has a coastline on which body of water?

I don't want to be here any more.

You'll get it - Manitoba.

Manitoba...

Canada was never my strength.

We've got to go for Hudson Bay, Dermot. Hudson Bay, please. Yeah.

-You must have done plenty of global forecasting.

-Yes.

But it doesn't show, does it?

It is the right answer. It does show now.

But Dave has a chance to get into the final round with this answer.

Dave, which country has the highest population density in South America?

I don't know,

but I would hazard a guess at Uruguay.

OK. Do you know, it's not Uruguay.

-Do you know, other Eggheads?

-Ecuador.

-Ecuador.

-Ecuador, I didn't know.

-Well, now you do.

That's fantastic news for John.

You're playing for a place in the final round, but as it's all-square after three questions,

we're going to make it harder for you and remove the options.

We've just got to hear the answer from you.

The Lipari or Aeolian Islands belong to which European country?

Lipari or Aeolian.

You're talking as if it's a south Europe thing.

You're almost talking as if it might be...

Italian?

Italy is the right answer. Well done. Lipari, yes.

Dave, the George Washington Bridge connects New Jersey with which borough of New York City?

I should know this, but I don't.

Brooklyn.

-OK, Brooklyn...

-Wrong?

-It is wrong. It is...

-Manhattan?

-The big one, yeah. Manhattan.

OK. Look at that, what a turn-around!

There we were, looking defeat in the face,

and suddenly, you're through to the final round and it's Dave we say goodbye to.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

What a thunderous start by What A Shower,

John storming into the final round there and knocking out Dave, so the Eggheads are missing one brain.

Our second round today then is Science.

A lot of trained scientists there.

-Who would like to play this?

-I think Jim.

-You're all experts at Science.

-Shall I do it?

-Jim fancies it?

-I'm going to be it. I shall do Science.

Jim, choose your Egghead. Remember, it can't be Dave.

I think I might ask Daphne to join me for Science.

Let's see what happens - Jim and Daphne into the question room, please.

Jim, when you got into weather forecasting, you must have started out with the fuzzy felt symbols

or magnetic things. Now it's all hi-tech.

My first television weather was with those magnetic, rubber, stick-on weather symbols

and to make weather move, you had to have a handful of them and put them on in a certain order on the chart,

which is all very well, but if you've got a mixture of bits of sun, bits of cloud and stuff like that...

I did eventually get awarded a Golden Egg Award by Noel Edmonds

for putting a sunshine symbol on a "tonight" chart which was my prime piece of forecasting.

OK, bring a bit more sunshine to What A Shower after that performance by John.

-First or second?

-I think I'll follow John's lead and go first, please.

OK, trying to knock Daphne out. Jim, first question.

The condition jaundice is usually characterised by a complexion of what colour?

Hmm... Um...

When you see people who have a purple complexion,

that implies a high blood pressure, so I don't think it's that.

I think grey, you just look ill, like a cloudy day with rain,

so I'm not sure I'd use that...

I'll have to go for "yellow" on this occasion.

We've just been talking about those sunny colours.

"Yellow" is the right answer, yes.

OK, good start.

Daphne, sudoresis is a medical term for the excessive onset of which bodily process?

I think that's sweating.

It's what you make some contestants facing you in the question room do.

Oh, no.

It's the right answer, anyway. Daphne, you have one.

And back to you, Jim.

Second question. Which of these is another name for the binturong,

a tree-dwelling mammal native to south Asia?

That is something I've never heard of.

I think I'm probably going to remove bearcat from that.

Wolfrat, I don't think I'll use.

It's either pandabat, which sounds too contrived to be the real one...

So I might just move back along the line towards bearcat.

OK, it's correct. Bearcat, yes.

Well played, Jim.

Good change of your mind there.

Sir Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys and Sir Humphrey Davy all served as President of which organisation?

I think that's the Royal Society.

OK, the Royal Society.

It's the correct answer.

Jim, you're going really well.

I hope you know this one. Georg Ohm, after whom the unit for measuring electrical resistance is named,

was born in which modern-day country?

That is something I should know,

but I'm not absolutely sure.

I've got a feeling I might choose Hungary.

OK, Hungary for Georg Ohm. He was born in...

..Germany. Germany.

Which gives Daphne a chance here.

Daphne, which of these words best describes limaciform creatures?

Well, we've been plagued with them

and they are slugs.

Horrible creatures. Ate all my bedding plants.

It is slug-like.

It's the right answer. You're through to the final round.

Bad luck, Jim. Three-two. It means you won't be in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

That's just levelled it up. Both teams have lost one brain from the final round.

Round Three is History. Who's left there?

Oh, Suzanne, Penny or Francis.

-Who wants to make an Egghead history?

-Not many volunteers.

-No.

-I'll do it if you like, but I don't know anything about History.

-No-one else wants to do it.

-I'm the oldest. I'm doing it.

-OK, Francis, choose your Egghead - Chris, Barry or Pat.

I'll take the youngest - Chris. LAUGHTER

Even Chris looked astonished at that.

Let's have Francis and Chris into the question room, please.

Francis, when you got into weather forecasting,

there was a certain formality about it

which you kind of helped to break down.

Was that a conscious decision or just the way you do it?

I was encouraged to be a bit more entertaining because weather forecasts were a bit of a joke then.

They didn't really expect too much, the viewers. They needed something that was slightly entertaining.

It's changed though now, hasn't it? Weather forecasts, most people will take note of them.

OK, History. Would you like to go first or second, Francis?

First, thanks, yeah.

Here's your first question, Francis.

In AD 37, Caligula succeeded Tiberius as Emperor of which civilisation?

Oh, dear.

I don't know, really.

When a question's beyond my power to answer,

it never usually occurs to me and this one never has before.

-I guess Roman. I'll go for Roman.

-Yeah, it is. Roman, yes, it is.

Caligula...

All right, good start.

And your first question, Chris.

Whom did Lord Burghley, Elizabeth I's principal adviser,

describe as "a fearful man to the King of Spain" for his daring sea raids?

El Draque, as the Spanish called him, Francis Drake.

-Yeah. Francis Bacon wasn't really noted...

-Not really.

..for his Elizabethan raids on the Spanish. It is the right answer.

Francis Drake. And over to Francis Wilson.

Which English king seized John of Gaunt's estates after his death in 1399?

I think it's Richard II.

It is Richard II. Brilliant.

Two out of two.

Chris, the Battle of Milne Bay was part of which conflict?

It doesn't ring any bells as World War II.

The Second Boer War was fought on land.

So I'll have to go with the American Civil War.

Plenty of sea battles in that, weren't there?

-A few, yeah.

-People concentrate, obviously, on what went on on land.

-But it's not the right answer.

-What?

-Other Eggheads?

-World War II?

-It's World War II.

-Oh.

This is great news, Francis.

A great chance to get you through.

At which naval battle did Nelson reportedly ignore the signal to disengage,

saying, "I really do not see the signal"?

Search me! I think it's Copenhagen.

-It is Copenhagen.

-Brilliant!

So, Francis, "I'm no good at History," struggling with Caligula,

I know what you were doing there!

"Or maybe he was Egyptian."

Yeah, yeah, of course he was(!)

Sailing into the final round

with that Nelson answer and has blown Chris out of the water. He doesn't even face another question.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So, as it stands, What A Shower are rather raining on the Eggheads' parade.

Two Eggheads missing now and only one member of What A Shower.

Our last subject before the final round is Music.

Suzanne or Penny to play.

-Do you want me to go and do it?

-Do you want to do it?

-Yeah, I'll do it.

-Well done, Penny.

OK, Penny stepping up there. Pick your Egghead - Pat or Barry.

-I'll go for Barry, please.

-All right.

Let's have Penny and Barry in the question room now, please.

Penny, of all the jobs you've done,

I would guess that pretty close to the top of your list

would be that forecasting for the London 2012 Olympics.

Yes, it was brilliant fun. We were working down in Weymouth for the sailing events.

Most of the time, the weather behaved itself. We only lost a couple of days because the winds were too light.

Those sea dogs know quite a lot about it themselves.

They stick a finger in the air and say, "Arr, there be a wind comin'!"

We had plenty of that, but also we were a good forecast team and we had good models as well. It was all good.

Make this all good and this will be a storming performance if we can get you through, Penny.

Music. You choose if you want to go first or second.

I'll follow everybody else's lead and go first, please.

Good luck, Penny. What is the first name of the One Direction band member with the surname Styles?

I don't think it's Barry.

I don't think it's Larry. I'm going to go with Harry.

-Harry?

-Yeah.

-It's the correct answer.

OK, good start.

Barry, first question. In the words of the children's song,

the feathers of the ugly duckling are described as what?

"There once was an ugly duckling with feathers all..."

# There once was an ugly duckling... #

Shabby and grey.

Are you describing your answer? That's what it is, very shabby.

-Oh, dear.

-Stubby and brown.

OK, well...

Early days, but, Penny, a very positive start from your point of view. And your next question...

Haircut 100 had a 1982 UK hit single with which song?

I think Perfect Day was done by Lou Reed,

so I'm not going to go for Perfect Day.

I think I'll go with Beautiful Day although I'm not 100% sure.

It's not Penny, no. It is... Barry?

-Fantastic Day?

-Yeah, you're not sure. It is Fantastic Day by Haircut 100.

It would have been a fantastic day for Penny if she had got that,

but it could stay that way if Barry messes this up.

In which country did the musical genre K-pop originate?

K-pop...

Kenya's not renowned for its pop groups. Neither is Kazakhstan.

But South Korea has come to the fore recently.

There was Gangnam by Psy,

so I think K-pop might come from South Korea.

Yes, South Korea with K-pop, so you are back in it.

All-square, though.

What was the first name of the jazz musician and band leader Count Basie?

Gosh, this is a difficult one. I really don't have an idea at all.

I'm going to go with Thomas.

No, it's not. Barry, do you know?

-Was it Edward Kennedy Basie?

-No.

-It was William.

-Yes.

-It must be the other one then!

Right, OK, Barry, showing an unassured touch.

Let's hope you apply it to this one because you're in a position to win the round here if you get this.

When The Sex Pistols gave the now notorious live televised interview with Bill Grundy in 1976,

they were a stand-in for which other group who had cancelled?

I remember that interview well, but who cancelled?

Who is least like The Sex Pistols there?

-Let's go for Bay City Rollers.

-The Bay City Rollers...

Well, you know what?

-It's wrong. It's Queen.

-Oh.

It is Queen.

It's not all over, this round.

It's all-square and we go into Sudden Death and remove the options,

so, Penny, which Canadian pop singer

had a UK number one album in 2012 with Believe?

Oh, golly! My children are going to be so disappointed.

Um...

I just can't think of anybody apart from Neil Young and I don't think that's right!

Yes, 2012, Canadian pop singer...

Lady Gaga. I really don't know.

OK, not Lady Gaga. Barry, do you know?

His fan group are Beliebers. It's Justin Bieber.

Justin Bieber, yes. You're getting a lot of those questions about the young male singers.

Well, a chance then again, Barry.

Good Feeling, Wild Ones and Whistle are UK top five singles by which singer

whose stage name bears a close resemblance to that of an American state?

These are all singles by Flo Rida.

-Flo Rida which, of course, looks like Florida.

-Mm-hm.

It is the right answer.

Bad luck, Penny. You're not in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

We've had some fantastic rounds. I wonder what the final round holds?

We'll find out. This is what we've been playing towards, the final round, which is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads can't take part,

so, Jim and Penny from What A Shower and Dave and Chris from the Eggheads, leave the studio, please.

So, John, Suzanne and Francis, you're playing to win What A Shower £9,000.

Daphne, Barry and Pat, you are playing for something money cannot buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn, all General Knowledge, and you are allowed to confer.

What A Shower, the question is, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

What A Shower, would you like to go first or second?

-First again?

-First.

-It's worked so far. Can we go first, please?

Let's hope it works here.

First question then to What A Shower.

On British roads, a brown direction sign for a zoo features a depiction of which creature?

-It's an elephant.

-Yeah.

-Definitely an elephant.

It's an elephant.

-It is, yes, the right answer.

-You never forget.

-Exactly.

Well, a good start there for What A Shower.

The films Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and 28 Days Later

were all made by which British-born film director?

-Danny Boyle.

-Danny Boyle, yeah?

-Yeah.

They're all by Danny Boyle.

Danny Boyle is correct, Eggheads. Back to What A Shower.

Which Director-General of the BBC was made Minister of Information by Neville Chamberlain in 1940?

-I would have said John...Lord Reith.

-John Reith.

-Lord John Reith.

-Are we happy with that?

-John Reith. I'm sure it is.

-I can't think of anybody else.

-Yeah.

We're going to plump for John Reith.

John Reith. I heard you saying later Lord Reith. It's the right answer.

You have two. OK, Eggheads,

what is the meaning of "vainglorious"?

-I think it's boastful.

-Boastful.

-That was my first thought.

-Yeah.

-It's not deceitful.

-No.

-Or hateful.

-No, it's boastful.

-Boastful.

-Vainglorious...

It's what I call you every day. That's the right answer.

It's all-square.

This could decide the fate of the game.

So, What A Shower, Chambertin is the name of a Grand Cru vineyard in which French wine region?

Doesn't it sound like champagne?

-Aren't Bordeaux and Burgundy the same?

-They are in my book.

In that case, why could it be those? It would be the other answer.

-Champagne sounds the closest to it.

-I would go for Champagne.

-We would go for Champagne.

-Right. We'll keep our fingers crossed

that we might be popping corks later and go for Champagne, please.

There's a "Cham" in Chambertin.

-It's wrong.

-It's the wrong answer.

-Do you know, Eggheads?

-I'd be tempted to go for Burgundy.

It is a very fine Burgundy, yeah. Well, a chance, Eggheads, to win.

Amongst other projects, the 17th century Dutch artist Jan van der Heyden

helped to improve what aspect of Amsterdam life?

Street lighting in the 17th century? Sounds a little early for that.

-I don't know.

-Ambulance service?

-Could be.

-It's possible, but...

-I'd go for "drainage".

-Yeah.

-A bit tenuous, but yeah?

-Yeah.

We don't know. It's a bit tenuous, but we'll go for "drainage".

-But it's not the right answer. It is street lighting.

-Oh.

Yes, street lighting with Jan van der Heyden.

Live to fight another day! It's as if the whole quiz could pivot on just one Sudden Death question.

If you get this correct, it will put the pressure back on the Eggheads.

Which American folk hero, who died in 1836, was known as the King of the Wild Frontier?

Which American folk hero, who died in 1836, was known as the King of the Wild Frontier?

-He was there at that time.

-I'll not sing it though, shall I not?

-# Davy, Davy Crockett

-King of the Wild Frontier... #

-She's away now.

-I'll accept that as your answer if that's what you're giving me?

-We'll go for that.

Davy Crockett is the right answer, King of the Wild Frontier.

Eggheads, you need this then

or your unbeaten streak is over.

Which photographer took the official portrait photographs for the engagement

of Prince William and Kate Middleton?

-Is Lord Snowdon still a photographer?

-No.

-No, I don't think it was him.

-It wasn't Lichfield.

-It wasn't Mary McCartney?

-She does photography, but I don't think it was her.

-Oh, goodness!

It wasn't Mario Testino, no?

-It could be.

-I don't know.

-Mary McCartney?

-Mary McCartney?

-Yeah.

-It's a very long shot.

-Yeah, I had a suspicion at the back of my mind it might have been somebody female.

-OK.

We're in trouble here, Dermot.

Big trouble. We're going to go for Mary McCartney.

OK, Mary McCartney, the photographer who took the official photographs

for the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton...

-It was Mario Testino.

-Oh, the other one! I said it.

You've beaten the Eggheads!

-And you said Mario Testino, Daphne, in the discussions.

-Yes.

-How does that feel?

-That's wonderful.

-A great relief.

I could feel something in the air when you came in. You started as a shower, moved into a downpour,

-then became a torrent that swept the Eggheads away.

-It's all for a good cause.

-Tell me about that.

-Where is the money going to go?

-We've chosen to split it between two different charities.

The first is Riding For The Disabled and we've chosen another charity

which is a national children's charity of hospices, a range of hospices, Short Lives.

Fantastic use being put to that money. Thank you very much for winkling it out of the Eggheads.

What a game! Congratulations as well to Penny and Jim who were so unlucky in the head-to-heads.

It could have been more balanced in your favour in that final round. Didn't need to be.

Look what you've done to the Eggheads! Congratulations. You've won £9,000 for your charities.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads. You've proved it can be done.

Join us next time when it's the turn of a team of national treasures

to see if they will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.