Episode 15 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 Eggheads - the show where a team of five quiz Challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads, and I don't even know why I say possibly. You clearly are, aren't you?

Hostage to fortune if you say that, Jeremy.

Look at them very quietly saying, "Yes, we are."

Taking on the awesome might of the Eggheads today

are Right Choice from Hampshire.

This team of colleagues all work for the same youth charity

-based in the New Forest. Let's meet them.

-Hi. I'm Chris.

I'm the charity chief executive.

Hi. I'm Alice. I'm a PR and social media officer.

Hi, I'm Dulcie and I'm a lead youth officer.

Hi, I'm Jan and I'm a youth services manager.

-Hi, I'm Kat and I'm a youth advisor.

-So, Chris, team, welcome.

-Thank you.

Good to see you. The youth charity is called what?

It's called It's Your Choice. It's been around for 28 years.

We support around 3,500 young people a year who live

in and around the New Forest on issues like homelessness

and mental health, supporting young people into education,

training, employment.

Some young people have issues with substance misuse.

Those sorts of problems.

Whatever they need, we give them support with that.

I'm thinking this is right up your street, CJ. The sort of thing you support.

It's the sort of work I am very much involved with.

Especially homelessness. That's an absolute passion of mine.

-It's a huge problem where we work.

-And tell me about the quizzing.

At what point do you get together, put all that to one side and have a serious quiz?

We've quizzed individually, but not as a team,

so we're starting right at the top.

You've come together today as individual quizzers to make a team.

-That's correct.

-Well, good luck against the Eggheads.

Every day there is £1,000 of cash up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

that prize money rolls over to our next show. Now, Right Choice,

I can tell you the Eggheads are on one heck of a roll.

-They've won the last 23 games.

-Wow!

But you know what that means.

The jackpot is £24,000.

That's the money that says you can't beat them.

I'd love you to do it. Mustn't say that.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Geography.

-Who would like this?

-Who's going to take Geography, guys?

-Isn't that you, Kat?

-That's me, isn't it?

OK, Kat. Straight to it.

Against which Egghead? Any one of the five.

-Let's see if we can peel them apart.

-Who's good at Geography?

-Do you want to go for Barry?

-That's fine.

-Try Barry.

-Take Barry.

-We'll go for Barry, please, Jeremy.

-OK.

So, Kat from Right Choice versus Barry from the Eggheads.

Any questions on Japan, Barry likes. There the whole time, aren't you?

I wish I was!

To ensure there's no conferring, would you please

take your positions in our Question Room?

-So, you travel a bit, Kat?

-Yeah. Try to.

-I gather not so much in your own car?

-No. Not at the moment anyway.

-How is the driving test going?

-It's going OK. I'm persisting, at best.

Sensitively, tell us how many times you've failed.

-I think we're up to number 17 and we're still going.

-OK.

And the failures, are they all for the same reason?

-Like you reverse instead of driving forward?

-No, various reasons.

Mainly for traumatising the examiner.

You know. I've done numerous things.

I've driven into things, I've closed my eyes when a lorry went past.

It's just not good. I'm going to get a horse.

There was somebody in the area my parents live who...

The examiner fell out of the car when they were taking a corner.

I haven't done that yet, so, I mean... There's time.

-One for your bucket list. Good luck. I hope you pass soon.

-Thank you.

And here we are on Geography against Barry.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

Here is your question, Kat. Good luck.

The US state of Florida is bordered by which ocean?

I have been to Florida, but it's not jumping out at me.

I know it's not the Indian. I'm going to say Atlantic.

Atlantic is spot on. Well done. Well done. Barry, your question.

Which French city is known as the capital of the Alps?

I think, the capital of the Alps, it must be Grenoble.

Grenoble is the right answer.

OK, Kat. Here's your question.

The town of Beaumaris lies at the north-eastern end

of which body of water?

Erm... This is a difficult one. I think...

I don't think it's the Solent cos that's near me

and I certainly haven't heard that term. Erm...

The Wash, I'm not...

I'm going to go with the Menai Strait.

-The Menai Strait is the right answer.

-OK.

OK. Barry.

Which of these Australian states shares a border

with Western Australia?

Ah, yes. It's not Victoria.

I think Queensland is separated by Northern Territories

from Western Australia, so I think it must be South Australia.

-Well done, Barry. Is that on your list? Or have you been there?

-No.

It's very much on my list, is Australia.

I've many friends in Australia.

Many Australian friends and I'd love to visit them.

Because Eggheads is played there, isn't it?

-So you might get recognised.

-It is. Big hit over there. We're popular.

Would you bring your stand along which says "Meet Barry Simmons"

-if you went to Australia?

-No. I'd bring my wife, Jeremy.

OK. Kat. Abidjan is a chief port in which country?

Abidjan spelt A-B-I-D-J-A-N.

I think I'd go for Cameroon.

-Cos it's a bit French sounding.

-Ah-ha.

-It is Cote d'Ivoire, as a matter of fact.

-Oh, no.

A chance for Barry to take the round on the third question.

The Shinano River, which for part of its length is also known

as the Chikuma River, is the longest river in which country?

It sounds Japanese

but I think the longest river in Japan might be the Bifue.

I'm going to go for South Korea.

I was sort of saying earlier on, your best subject is what, Barry?

-You're going to tell me it's Japan now, aren't you?

-Yeah.

Your strongest bit of geography is Japan and it is Japan

and you got it wrong. How does that work?

-I had another river in my mind for Japan.

-So you're equal after three.

We go to Sudden Death. Kat.

The Great Slave Lake is a major lake on which continent?

South America?

It's actually in Canada, so it's North America.

Barry, for the round.

The most easterly point on the Arabian peninsula is in which country?

The Arabian peninsula is roughly triangular

and the country in the north-east is Oman, so I'll go for Oman.

Can you visualise the map in your head as you say that?

-Are you one of these...

-Roughly, yes.

You've got an amazing facility there. Right. Well done.

Good quizzing. That's a tough question. Oman is right. Sorry, Kat.

On Sudden Death he's knocked you out and he will be in the final, not you.

Please return to us and we'll play on.

So, Right Choice are a brain down but plenty of time yet

and as members of a charity you are always hopeful and optimistic about the future.

-We certainly are.

-OK. The next subject for you

is Film and TV. Who'd like this?

-It's got to be me.

-Is it Dulcie?

-Yeah.

Who do you want to play against, Dulcie?

-Did you want to go against Chris?

-Chris?

-Yeah, I think so.

-OK.

-So it's going to be Dulcie against Chris.

-Dulcie, OK, in the middle.

On Film and TV. From Right Choice. Versus Chris from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you please

take your positions in our Question Room?

So, Dulcie, what's your preferred Film and TV?

I quite like horror, so I watch quite a lot of horror films.

I love horror but my wife won't let me watch it unless I'm on my own.

Have you got a partner who can actually enjoy it with you?

Yeah, my husband. He will watch horror with me.

-He's not a great fan but he's not a baby about it.

-It's Film and TV.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go first, please.

Here is your question, Dulcie.

Which of these films was originally released in the 1940s?

Oh. Erm...

Well, I... Originally?

So it means they were obviously done again

cos I think of them all as being done later.

Erm...

I don't think it would be Dr No.

So I'm torn between Breakfast at Tiffany's or Citizen Kane.

Erm... It's a bit of a guess.

I'm going to go with Citizen Kane.

Brilliant. You got it. Well done. Citizen Kane it is.

Tricky, tricky. OK, Chris.

Which show, regularly presented by Chris Evans,

returned for a one-off special in June 2015?

That's an interesting question.

Now, most iconic of those and the one most likely to

-return for a one-off special is The Big Breakfast.

-OK.

-It's wrong, I'm afraid. It was TFI Friday.

-Oh.

OK, back to you, Dulcie. This is good. You're in the lead.

In which year was the UK TV game show Family Fortunes first broadcast?

Now, I remember...

Was it Les Dennis? Did he do the hosting of it?

Was it him? Is that the right show? Family Fortunes? Erm...

I'm going to go with - cos it's a bit of a guess -

1980s?

-1980.

-1980 is correct.

OK, well done, Dulcie. Playing well here. Chris is on the ropes.

Which 2010 animated film features the three orphan girls,

Margot, Edith and Agnes?

They're the three rather sweet little girls in Despicable Me.

Despicable Me is the right answer. Well done. You saw it...

-You didn't see it at the cinema, did you?

-Oh, no.

Cos you don't go to the cinema.

Dulcie. What is the first name of the actress who

appeared in Martha Marcy May Marlene and Avengers: Age of Ultron,

who is the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen?

This is really hard because I remember seeing something

written about her and now I'm trying to remember what her name is.

I think for some reason Elizabeth seems to be ringing a bell

so I'm going to go with Elizabeth.

You've got it bang on. Well done.

And you've got three out of three, so Dulcie, well done.

You've knocked Chris out. There's no way back for him.

His wrong answer has been fatal. He will not be in the final. You will.

Come back and we'll see what happens next.

So, as it stands, Right Choice have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one as well. Well played, Dulcie.

Let's see what happens next. It's Politics. Who's the politician?

Well, I think that's going to be Jan. Yep.

-OK, Jan.

-Who?

-Up against CJ?

-CJ?

-Yeah, go on. Let's have CJ.

Jan will go up against CJ, Jeremy.

Jan from Right Choice versus CJ from the Eggheads. He's like, yep!

-Happy with that?

-Happy with Politics.

-You do like your Politics.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

So, we are on Politics. Jan, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go second, please.

CJ, your first question.

Which of these is one of the currencies

replaced by the euro in 2002?

Well, I think the shekel is Israel and the baht is Thailand.

The escudo is Portugal which I think is in Europe so I'll try the escudo.

Portugal is definitely in Europe. Escudo is the right answer.

Jan, your question.

In which year did journalist Martin Bell famously defeat Neil Hamilton

in the general election to become the MP for Tatton?

Right. 2010 is too late. Erm...

Just trying to think whether it would be as early as 1983.

Or whether actually it was a bit later.

I'm going to go down the middle. 1997. I think it was a bit later.

-1997.

-Yes, it was 1997.

It was the first year of the Tony Blair landslide. OK, CJ.

What is the name of the official residence

of the Speaker of the House of Commons?

This is one of those where I've heard of one of those answers...

..and I'm just wondering if I've heard it because it's

the answer to the question or it's just something else.

It's not Speaker's Palace.

I'm sure I've heard of Speaker's Lodge.

But have I heard of Speaker's House?

If it is Speaker's House, I apologise because it is nagging me

but I have to go with my first instinct, which was Speaker's Lodge.

Yes, it's a tricky old question, this.

Not mentioned that much, although they had a bit of a refurb

so it came into the news.

The refurbishment was done in Speaker's House. CJ.

Speaker's House. It was nagging you for a reason.

Oh, never ignore the nag.

OK, Jan, your question.

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, third Marquis of Salisbury,

first became British Prime Minister in which year?

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil? Not a name that I know.

Um...

1905, I think.

-OK. And this gentleman was known as Lord Salisbury, was he not?

-Yep.

-And is she right?

-No.

-No.

-1885.

-1885. Not the 20th century.

-Oh!

You're level, one point each. Third question. CJ?

The Bishop of Urgell is one of the two co-princes of which country?

CJ, Urgell is U-R-G-E-L-L.

Again, not a name I've heard of.

But I can't imagine it's Monaco.

That's... Surely the Grimaldis have got that all tied up?

Just going on the language more than anything else, I mean, Andorra?

I mean, the name obviously sounds more French.

Has Andorra got princes? I don't know.

But I think Luxembourg does have princes as well as a government.

And, certainly, the language is leading me towards Luxembourg

rather than the other two. So, I will try Luxembourg.

OK, Barry, I'm going to ask you for this answer.

Andorra has two co-regents,

the Bishop of Urgell, and the French President.

-Ah, I see. And Luxembourg, no?

-No.

-The Grand Duke.

Grand Duke, Luxembourg has a Grand Duke.

And Andorra has two co-princes, Barry says.

-Two co-regents.

-Co-regents.

-One is this fella. And then the President of France.

-Yes.

Sorry, CJ, you got it wrong.

Jen. Your third question, get this right, you're in the final.

We are playing for £24,000.

Which politician told the BBC that he would eat his hat

if the exit polls for the 2015 general election were right?

I actually know the answer to this one, I saw him on television,

on election night. And, yeah, it's Paddy Ashdown.

But I haven't actually seen him eat his hat yet.

JEREMY LAUGHS So, you were watching the programme?

-Yes.

-Did you enjoy it?

-It was an interesting night.

-Yeah, it was amazing.

And we were sweating on the exit poll, that's for sure.

But it turned out to be right because the guy who did it

was a bit of a genius, John Curtice.

So, it was Paddy Ashdown who had to eat his hat.

You've done really well there.

I think, on the matter of the hat,

somebody made him a chocolate cake in a hat shape, and he ate that.

-That's cheating.

-Typical, isn't?

You never quite get what was promised.

Anyway, well done, Jan.

Sorry, CJ. Sin-bin for you. Jan's in the final.

The Challengers are winning, and there's a lot of money to play for.

Please come back, we'll get on with it.

It's looking rather good for Right Choice.

They've lost a brain from the final round.

But they have taken out two Egghead brains.

The Eggheads started with this little bit of jaunty swagger.

It's gone, it's completely gone!

You can see the fear in their eyes now.

The next subject is Music.

Who's the musician?

-It's got to be you.

-Got to be you, Alice.

-Who are we going to have?

-Alice? OK.

And you can have either Judith or Kevin,

-so, one of the two on the right.

-I think we'll go for Judith.

-I think we'll go for Judith, please, Jeremy.

-Good stuff.

Alice, from Right Choice, versus Judith from the Eggheads, on Music.

And, to ensure there's no conferring,

please go to our special room.

So, we're getting closer to the all-important final.

Last round before it is Music.

And, Alice, would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go first.

Here is your question.

Which of these musicians died first, Alice?

I want to say that they all died quite young, maybe. Um...

But I'm not...not sure.

I think I'll go straight down the middle and go for Elvis Presley.

Elvis? Anyone on your side know?

-Buddy Holly.

-Yeah, Buddy Holly, plane crash, in, I think, the '50s.

-Was it '58, '59, when was it?

-'59.

-'59.

Elvis, '77. Jim Morrison?

-'71 he died.

-OK, '71. He was in his 20s when he died.

He was one of the 27s.

Oh, 27, OK.

Jim and Elvis died in the '70s. Buddy was the '50s.

Judith, your question to take the lead.

"Friday night, and the lights are low,"

is a line from which Abba song? I'm not singing it.

"Friday night, and the lights are low,"

is a line from which Abba song?

-UNDER HER BREATH

-# Friday night, lights are low. #

I think it's Dancing Queen. Is it?

-Can you sing it for us?

-No, I certainly can't.

You did, you sung it under your breath just then.

I can hear it in my head.

# Friday night and the lights are low. #

Dancing Queen, well done.

Your question, Alice. Whose performance at Glastonbury 2015

was interrupted when the comedian Lee Nelson ran on stage?

I think I remember seeing something on the news about him

being quite offended by this,

and I think the other two would take it quite well.

So, I think it's Kanye West.

It is Kanye West. Well done, yeah, absolutely.

Judith.

Jade Thirlwall has found fame as a member of which girl group?

I have absolutely not the faintest idea. Um...

I'm going to say Little Mix.

Little Mix is right.

Well, it was an instinct, actually.

So...

two to the Eggheads, one to our challenger.

Alice, you need to get this one right.

In which UK city is the Northern Chamber Orchestra based?

Well, the answer that popped into my head was Newcastle.

But that's not an option!

LAUGHTER

Um...

I'm going to go straight down the middle again, I think Manchester.

I get the feeling their universities might have

quite a good reputation for music. So, Manchester.

Yeah, it is Manchester. Good stuff. Got it right.

So, Judith, this is for the round,

because of Alice's wrong answer earlier.

If you get it wrong, we go to Sudden Death.

A cover of which James Bond theme song provided Guns N' Roses

with a UK top ten hit in 1991?

Live And Let Die.

If you have it right,

you are in the final round.

-Written by McCartney, I think.

-Yeah, McCartney.

-Yeah.

Live And Let Die is the right answer. Well done.

-It was a good guess.

-So, Judith, you are in the final.

Sorry, Alice, she's knocked you out and you won't be in the final round,

but your team is still doing pretty well.

Let's see if you can win the money. Come back and we'll play the final.

And this is what we have been playing towards.

It's time for our final round.

As always, it is General Knowledge,

but I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So, Alice and Kat from Right Choice,

and CJ and Chris from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

Chris, Dulcie and Jan, you are playing to win Right Choice £24,000.

Wow.

Eggheads, you're playing to protect that jackpot.

You're playing for your reputation.

As usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn.

They're all going to be General Knowledge -

you can confer with each other.

So, Right Choice, the question is,

can your three brains defeat these three mega-brains over here?

Catch them off guard - take them down.

Would you like to go first or second?

We'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

OK, Chris and team, here we go. General Knowledge. First question...

The mythical land called Avalon

features in the stories about which figure?

-I think it's definitely King Arthur.

-OK, it's King Arthur, yeah.

-Yeah. Camelot, yeah.

-No, I'm unsure, so...

-No, King Arthur, I think probably that.

-OK, yeah.

Well, we know it's not Robin Hood, Jeremy, or Ivanhoe.

We're fairly confident

that it's King Arthur.

King Arthur is quite right.

Well done.

OK, Eggheads, which businessman

did Wendi Deng marry in 1999?

-Rupert Murdoch.

-Rupert Murdoch.

-Yes.

-Was it?

-Mm-hmm.

-Yeah.

-She married Rupert Murdoch.

She married Rupert Murdoch. You're right.

They're not together any more,

-I don't think.

-No.

-No.

-OK.

Right Choice,

which team knocked England out of the Women's Football World Cup

in 2015?

-Japan.

-Japan. They got to the semifinals, didn't they?

They scored, and then Japan scored.

-It was Japan who knocked them out, I'm sure.

-Definitely.

Yeah, well, they did really well, Jeremy,

They got to the semifinals, I think, and I think they played

Japan in the semifinals and got knocked out by Japan.

Japan is correct.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Nicely done.

Two out of two. Eggheads,

in the UK, for what does the letter P stand

in the name of the veterinary charity the PDSA?

-People.

-People's.

-People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.

People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, yeah.

The full thing is the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals,

so it's people's.

You didn't even hesitate. Impressive.

People's is correct.

So, it's tight.

We're playing for £24,000.

Third question, often crucial, here it is.

In the Dickens work Dombey And Son,

what first name is shared by Mr Dombey and his son?

I don't think it's Gregory.

-I don't know.

-Do you not think it's Gregory?

-Do you think it is?

-I don't know at all on this, I'm afraid.

I think it's Robert.

I don't think it's Paul, so do we think it's Robert or Gregory?

What makes you think it's Robert, Jan?

Robert seems more of a...

I don't know. Victorian name, is it?

We have to give an answer, so let's...

Shall we go for...? You came in at Robert, Jan, or shall we?

It doesn't matter.

-We've got too much pressure.

-No?

-We'll go for it, yeah.

-Go for it.

We don't really know this, Jeremy,

but we think we're going to take a stab at Robert.

Third question, here. Let's see if the Eggheads know. Do you know?

-Paul.

-Paul.

-Paul.

Paul is the answer.

OK, Eggheads, here we are again.

You have matters in your hands now.

If you get this right, the contest is over.

Which daughter of Queen Victoria was the mother of Alexandra Feodorovna,

the wife of Tsar Nicholas II?

-I don't know, straight off.

-No. Um...

OK, let's think who they all married. Um...

So she was the...

I mean, Alexandra was...

"..of Hesse", wasn't she? I think.

-Was she?

-Alexandra of Hesse... Alexandra of...

The one who married Nicholas II,

-so Queen Victoria's granddaughter, she...

-Yes.

-I think she was the Princess of Hesse, or "Hess-e."

-Was she?

So it's who...

Who married the Prince of Hesse?

I... I don't know why, I'm having a sort of blip.

-I have an inkling for Alice but I don't know why.

-Yes, so do I.

I have an inkling for Alice.

I think Louise married...

Isn't she the one who married the Duke of Cornwall?

She was one of the younger ones, wasn't she?

Cos obviously...

um, Alexandra and Nicholas were already...

-you know, obviously, married, then.

-Mm-hmm.

-That was 1894,

when he came to the throne,

-so it's got to be one of the older daughters.

-Yeah.

My instinct is Alice, but I've no great...

-My instinct is Alice too.

-Well, my instinct...

The three of our instincts are Alice, which...

Yeah, I've no great confidence in it, but...

Does three instincts make an inkling?

-I think, on balance, we all have an instinct for Alice.

-Yeah.

We've got an instinct for Alice. OK.

-All of us.

-I mean it could be...

-It could be because Alexandra was known as "Alix"...

-Alix of Hesse.

..so we could be being fooled by that, but we're not sure, basically.

We should know this, but we don't think it's Louise.

A little bit of a problem with the other two,

but, on balance, we'll go for Alice.

Names, easy, but you've struggled.

Mmm.

You have got it right. The answer is Alice.

Well done, Eggheads, we say congratulations. You've won again.

Always fascinating, when they have to work their way to it.

Well, commiserations, Right Choice.

They won on a difficult question

and they've done what comes naturally to them.

This winning streak continues,

so it does mean you won't be going home with the £24,000.

The money rolls over to our next show. Eggheads, well done.

You're looking impregnable,

but there are just moments when I wonder.

Join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers

will have the brains to defeat them and win £25,000.

Until then, goodbye.