Episode 56 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.

Taking on our awesome quiz champions today

are the Springhill Superstars.

Now, this team all work or volunteer

at Springhill Hospice, in Rochdale.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Sheila and I'm a director of clinical services.

Hi, I'm Ian and I'm a former fundraising manager.

Hi, I'm Laura and I'm a community liaison nurse.

Hi, I'm Michael and I'm a delivery manager.

Hello, I'm Chris and I'm the admissions coordinator.

-So, Sheila and team, welcome.

-Thank you, Jeremy.

Great to see you. Do you quiz together?

We quiz for the hospice.

This is the first time actually that we've come together as a quiz team.

But we do a lot of quizzes fundraising for the hospice.

Tell me about the hospice and what brings you all together.

The hospice is in Rochdale.

It's an adult hospice, so we care for patients

with life-limiting illnesses both in the hospice and in the community.

Three of us actually work in the hospice.

Ian used to be our fundraising manager

-and Michael volunteers for us.

-Right.

And I know it's a very, very serious place to be

-but I guess a bit of levity doesn't go amiss.

-Absolutely.

-OTHERS:

-Absolutely.

-Good.

-It's not a sad place to be at all.

There's a lot of joy in the hospice. A lot of joy.

I'm just having a vision of everyone there gathered round the TV

-for this.

-Absolutely! Willing us on, yes.

Yeah, exactly. Well, good luck against the Eggs here.

-Jobs are on the line.

-Jobs on the line, exactly.

Every day there is £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs

for our Challengers but if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize-money rolls over to our next show.

So, Springhill Superstars, the Eggs have won the last seven games.

And it means £8,000 is on the table today. Would you like to go for it?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

-Good stuff.

-For the hospice.

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

-Well, we know who that's going to be.

-We know who that is, Ian!

-That's going to be me, Jeremy.

-It's going to be Ian. OK.

Ian against which Egghead?

-There they all are, looking very eggy.

-Who shall we have?

Who's not good at music?

-What do you think?

-I don't know. Who do you think, Ian?

I'd like to go against Chris, please.

I can't tell what he's thinking.

I think music is a bit of a sore point for Chris.

Well, it depends what you mean by music.

That's true. OK.

So, Ian from Springhill Superstars versus Chris from the Eggheads

on Music. Please take your positions.

Ian, would you like to go first or second?

I shall go first, please.

So, on Music. Good luck, Ian.

Which of these musical instruments is often referred to

as a mouth organ?

Well, me dad plays an accordion, so I know it's not that.

I'm pretty sure it's not a kazoo.

So I'm going to go for harmonica.

Harmonica is correct.

Chris,

the 1970 single I Want You Back

was the debut UK hit single by which act?

Erm... Well, T Rex were glam rock, so it wasn't them.

ABBA... No.

Waterloo was their first big break, so it's the Jackson 5.

It is the Jackson 5. Well done.

Ian, over to you.

In which year was the pop star Harry Styles,

of One Direction, born?

Erm...

It's not 2000 cos he's a bit older than...

than that.

And 1988 seems too early.

I'm going to go down the middle for 1994.

1994 is correct.

I think he went out with Taylor Swift and I'm realising that

he was five years younger than her then. She was born in '89.

-Does that make you jealous?

-Oh, yeah.

Chris, Hello was the title of a 2015 UK number one single

by which singer?

You've got me thinking Lionel Richie now.

Erm... It's not Adele.

BARRY GROANS LOUDLY

Ellie Goulding, Jessie J.

Jessie J.

OK. Barry had a sort of cardiac arrest there.

Barry, why did you react like that?

Because it's Adele.

Oh, Chris, it's Adele.

-Is it?

-Adele is the answer.

Ian, your advantage. Get this right,

you're in the final.

Which composer, born in 1685,

used to have to sneak into his attic to secretly practice on a clavichord

as his father did not approve of his musical ambitions?

I was dreading a classical music question

from that era of classical music cos I'm not so hot on that.

Erm...

I really don't know, so it's going to be a guess

and I'm going to guess at Handel.

Chris, is he right?

George Frideric Handel, yeah.

You're right, Ian. Well done. You're in the final round.

So, return to us, you two,

and we'll play on.

So, well done, Superstars. Well done, Ian.

That's a good start for Springhill

-and everyone at the hospice is now cheering you on.

-Yes.

You haven't lost a brain, the Eggheads have lost one

and the next subject is History.

Who would like this?

-What did we decide?

-Not me.

Is it you, Laura?

-I think it's you, isn't it, love?

-Yeah.

-Laura's going to take the hit

-on this one.

-Laura from Springhill Superstars

against which Egghead? It can't be Chris.

Who do we think, guys?

-Try CJ.

-CJ.

-Yeah, CJ.

-Try CJ.

Laura from the Springhill Superstars versus CJ from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please go to our famous Question Room.

-Well, Laura, would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

OK. So here's your first question.

Laura, in Viking culture, what were the runes?

I don't think they were long ships.

Runes?

Sounds more like stories.

Stories?

I don't think it's alphabet.

Erm...

I'm going to go with fairytales.

OK. Does your team know?

-Yeah, alphabet.

-Alphabet.

What because of the phrase, "reading the runes"?

-Is that right?

-Yeah.

Yeah. Sorry, Laura. Alphabet is the answer.

CJ.

Charlemagne was the ruler of which historical empire?

He became, in 800, the first Holy Roman Emperor.

So, the Holy Roman Empire.

Holy Roman Empire is right. Laura, back to you.

Which lawman

of the Old West, is said to have shot and killed Billy the Kid

in 1881?

Oh, gosh. I've never heard of any of those.

Let's think. Let's just go straight down the middle. Pat Garrett.

Pat Garrett? Let's have a look.

Eggheads, is she right?

-EGGHEADS:

-Yes.

You're right, well done!

So, well done to you, Laura. That was good.

Straight down the middle.

CJ. World War I zeppelin airships were filled with which type of gas?

Do you know, I always get this the wrong way round.

I don't think it's nitrogen.

In a quiz a few years ago, I answered helium

and I think that was wrong.

I'm hoping I haven't got my memories of getting a question wrong

mixed up and I'm going to go for hydrogen.

Do you know, Laura?

I'm not so sure but I thought it'd be helium.

-Yeah, I would have thought helium.

-Yeah.

Hydrogen is right, though, CJ. Well done.

OK, Laura, your question.

Before he came to power,

by what name was the Roman emperor Augustus known?

I have absolutely no idea.

Erm...

Octavian.

-CJ?

-How does she do this?!

Octavian is right.

Well done. It's just a mystery how the first question went wrong!

Right, you've got two out of three.

CJ, if you get this right,

you will be in the final.

Thomas Fairfax became a celebrated military leader

during which war?

My immediate thought is the English Civil War.

I think that's where he's known from.

So, I think it's the English Civil War.

English Civil War is quite right, CJ.

Well done, you've taken the round. Sorry, Laura. Once you warmed up,

my goodness, you were amazing.

Come back to us, both of you, and we'll play on.

So, Springhill Superstars have lost a brain.

The Eggheads have lost a brain.

Next subject... You're going to be good at this. ..Arts & Books.

-Who would like this?

-Oh, Arts & Books.

-Now then...

-Shall I take this one?

-Sheila?

-Sheila?

-It's not my strongest subject but I'll take this one,

-Jeremy, thank you.

-All right. Sheila, against which Egghead?

Pat or Barry or Judith?

Who do you reckon?

-Rock and a hard place, I think.

-Yeah, isn't it just?

-I think I'll go with Pat...

-Going with Pat.

..because I like Pat.

Known as The Silent Destroyer.

OK. Sheila from the Springhill Superstars

versus Pat from the Eggheads.

Would you please take your positions?

So, Sheila, up against Pat.

I said The Silent Destroyer, Pat. Was that fair?

-You hardly expect me to reply, Jeremy, do you?

-No, I know.

-I thought...

-And undermine my nickname.

..you were not going to reply.

Arts & Books, Sheila. Would you like to go first or second?

Yes. I'll go first please, Jeremy.

OK, Sheila, here we go.

In which year was the artist Damien Hirst born?

Oh, this is probably one of the worst questions

you could possibly have asked me.

Here's either a little bit older than me,

or a little bit younger than me

and I would go for younger. I'll say 1965.

And it is the correct answer. 65.

OK, Pat.

Which of these novels is largely set in rural Kent

and features the Larkin family?

Well, Tom Brown's Schooldays, I think,

are in Rugby School,

in Rugby.

And The Darling Buds Of May is set in Kent.

So it's The Darling Buds Of May.

The Darling Buds Of May is quite right.

Sheila,

the classic children's book The Water Babies

was written by which author?

The Water Babies.

This isn't a book I've read. I know of it.

I've known of it, obviously, for a long time.

I haven't read the book but something for some reason...

..is drawing me to Charles Kingsley.

JM Barrie, obviously, was Peter Pan.

I'm going to go with Charles Kingsley.

And, team, do you know if she's right?

-Oh, she's right.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, they like the answer, Sheila.

Well done. Charles Kingsley.

OK.

Pat, in which country was the artist Marcel Duchamp born?

He could be one of the various famous Belgians, I suppose.

I don't think he was Canadian.

Is he French? I mean, the obvious answer is French.

Is there any reason to go over to Canada or Belgium?

I don't think there is. I think he's French.

France is right. Well done, Pat.

Sorry, Sheila, he's a hard man...

-He is.

-..to shake off.

Silent but deadly, our Pat.

Your third question.

Who was the UK's first-ever Scottish-born poet laureate?

Again, not a good question for me.

This is going to be a complete guess.

And I'll be really honest, it's the only poet that I'm familiar with.

I'm going to go with Ted Hughes.

That's interesting, yeah.

It's the wrong answer.

I don't know whether he had a Scottish connection, Ted Hughes,

-did he?

-Not that I'm aware of.

-No. Carol Ann Duffy, it was.

Carol Ann Duffy. You got two out of three.

Let's see if Pat takes the round.

Cloud Atlas is a bestselling 2004 novel by which author?

I think it's a pretty fantastical book

and it was made into a mind-blowing film.

I think it's by David Mitchell.

David Mitchell is the right answer, Pat. Well done. Three out of three.

He is so hard to beat. Sheila, you did well

but I'm sorry, you won't be in the final round.

Still, much to play for. Please return to us and rejoin your teams.

So, the Challengers have lost another brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have still just lost the one.

We play on with Geography.

Who would like this?

-I'll have a go.

-Chrissy.

-I'll have to have a go at this one.

-THEY CONFER

-Are you sure?

-Yeah, I'll have a go.

-Go for it, Chris.

-Yeah, Chris is going for that one.

OK. Chris on the end. Against which Egghead, Chris?

It can be Judith or Barry.

-I'd go for Judith.

-Yeah?

-Judith?

-I'd go for Judith.

Judith, please cos I like Judith.

The very well-travelled...

The well-travelled Miss Keppel.

Yeah, but there's more to Geography than places.

That's true.

Please.

So, Chris from the Springhill Superstars

versus Judith from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room.

Chris, you used to be a housekeeper for a multimillionaire?

Yeah. I lived in Greece for 16 years.

I did a Shirley Valentine and that was one of the jobs

that I went into because I couldn't get into nursing.

It was a fabulous place and met people like Yves Saint Laurent

and Madame Swarovski and Valentino.

It's nice to see how the other half live.

And what was it like working for Judith?

LAUGHTER

-Amazing.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

All right. So, Geography.

Chris against the great Judith

and would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please. It's not my forte but I'll go first.

OK. Here is your first question, Chris.

Which of these continents contains the fewest number of countries?

The fewest number of countries?

Africa's got lots.

So has South America.

South America or Asia...

I'm really not sure.

I'll try...

..South America.

Let's see if the Eggheads can give us a countdown. Africa, 50?

-54.

-54?

Asia? 30?

-About 30-ish, I would say.

-About that.

And South America?

12 or 13, depending on how you count them.

Yeah, so only about a dozen in South America.

So, Chris, well done, you're right. SHE SIGHS WITH RELIEF

Nice one.

Judith,

which of these island groups is a self-governing region

of the kingdom of Denmark?

Well, it's not the Isles of Scilly cos they're off Cornwall.

And the Orkneys are Scottish.

So, it's the Faroe Islands.

I said Fa-ro, you say Fair-o.

I say Fair-o.

You're right anyway.

Well, however you pronounce it.

Yes, I can't get away from the fact that you are right.

You've chosen the right one, well done. OK, Chris.

The Svalbard Islands are located in which ocean?

And they're spelt, Chris... S-V-A-L-B-A-R-D.

No, I really don't know this one.

It's going to have to be a guess.

Arctic Ocean.

OK. Team, is she right?

-Oh, yes.

-I think so.

-Yeah, they like that.

You're right.

A bit of Laura's genius for guessing.

This is one of the best guessing teams we've ever had!

OK, Judith.

Little Rock is the capital of which US state?

It's not Alabama or Alaska.

It's Arkansas, which is where Clinton came from.

He was the governor, I think, of Arkansas.

And his headquarters, Little Rock.

Little Rock, Arkansas, quite right.

OK, your third question, Chris.

Which of these countries has a border on the Atlantic Ocean?

I don't know why but I'm just going to say Angola.

I knew she would! I knew she would!

Brilliant.

You're right.

I don't know how... Honestly.

How you guys do it. It's amazing.

It's brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Judith,

this to stay in.

Which Hawaiian volcano measuring over 33,000ft

from its underwater roots to its peak

is considered by some geographers to be the world's highest mountain?

Oh, they're all called Mauna. It's just not fair.

I'm going to have to guess.

Erm...I just don't know.

I'm going to go down the magic right

and pray that it works this time. Mauna Kea.

-Is she right?

-Yes, she is.

-You're right.

-Oh, well, there you are.

-There we are.

-We're all doing very well guessing.

Something mystical is happening today.

All the guesses are correct on both sides.

-So, Chris, we go to Sudden Death on Geography.

-Oh, no!

-It gets a bit harder, I don't give you alternatives.

-Yeah.

Here's your question.

The flag of Mexico features an eagle eating a snake

while standing on what type of plant?

I only know cacti in Mexico, I can't think of anything else.

HE MOUTHS SILENTLY

Um...

No, I've no idea. I'll just have to say cacti.

-That's the correct answer.

-Oh, gosh!

THEY CHUCKLE Cactus is right.

-Oh, gosh!

-Judith, to stay in.

The Huangpu River on which the city of Shanghai is built

is a branch of which major Asian river?

-The Yangtze.

-The Yangtze is the right answer.

Here's your next question.

What colour, Chris,

is the middle vertical stripe on the Romanian national flag?

I've no idea.

No idea at all.

I'll say blue.

Well, let's just see. The Romanian national flag. Give us the stripes.

It's red, blue and yellow. I think yellow is in the middle.

Yes. Blue is in the flag but it's not the answer.

-Yellow is in the middle, Chris.

-Yellow.

OK, Judith. I hardly dare say this, if you get this right,

you're in the final round.

Pegwell Bay is a feature of which English county's coastline?

I think that's Kent.

-Kent is the right answer, Judith.

-There's a painting.

You've won your place in the final. Chris, well fought.

That was a really dogged attempt to get into the final.

You couldn't get past Judith though.

Come back to us, both of you, and we will play the final round.

Well, what a round that was and it takes us to our final.

This is what we've been playing towards. Time for the final round.

As always, General Knowledge questions here.

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

aren't allowed to take part.

Which means that Sheila, Laura and Chris from the

Springhill Superstars,

but also our own Chris from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

Very enjoyable game today. And it leaves you, Ian and Michael,

playing to win the Springhill Superstars £8,000.

Pat, CJ, Barry and Judith,

you are defending the Eggheads' reputation here.

It's that serious, OK?

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

They're all General Knowledge, you can confer.

So, Springhill Superstars, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-We hope so.

-That's a good attitude.

Would you like to go first or second?

Go first please, Jeremy.

And here we go.

Which historical figure is often said to have leapt

from his bath shouting, "Eureka"?

-It's definitely not Socrates.

-No.

-It's definitely not Aristotle.

-Correct.

-I think it's Archimedes.

-Funnily enough, so do I.

We're going for Archimedes, Jeremy.

Archimedes is quite right. Well done.

OK, Eggheads.

Tim Sherwood was sacked as the manager of which football club

in October 2015?

Not my thing. It's up to you.

Tottenham Hotspur for a while.

And then he finished there and he was idle for a while

-and then I think he had a spell at Villa.

-I thought...

-It's certainly not Stoke.

-And they brought in...

-So are we going for Villa?

-OK.

We're going to go for Aston Villa.

Aston Villa is correct.

Well done.

Back to you, Challengers.

Which is the largest muscle in the human body?

Where have all the nurses gone now we need them? I know!

MICHAEL LAUGHS

Hmm...

I think it's the gluteus maximus.

-It's definitely not biceps.

-No.

-I was going to gluteus maximus.

-Well, let's go...

-Shall we go with that?

-Yes, go on.

We'll go with gluteus maximus, please, Jeremy.

I guess the maximus is the clue, isn't it? Gluteus maximus.

-Is that the buttock area?

-It is indeed.

Yeah. Gluteus maximus is right.

OK, Eggheads, your second question.

Which band released the 2015 album A Head Full Of Dreams?

Not my thing again either.

Muse's album was called Drones so I don't think it's Muse.

-I think...

-It's a bit Coldplay.

My initial thought was Coldplay, I'm just eliminating the others.

Muse was Drones.

I don't know of an album by Kasabian but I'm fairly sure Coldplay was...

-I think they did release an album in 2015.

-They certainly did.

-I think it's Coldplay.

-I think it's Coldplay.

-Do you?

CJ and Pat think it's Coldplay so we'll go for Coldplay.

-Coldplay is the right answer.

-Well done.

Back to you, Challengers. Get this right and the pressure's on them.

Which play by William Shakespeare contains the lines,

"Child Roland to the dark tower came,

"His word was still, 'Fie, foh, and fum,

" 'I smell the blood of a British man.' "

-I'm really not good on Shakespeare.

-I'm pretty certain it's not Macbeth.

-OK.

-Cos did that years ago for O-level English.

-OK.

My gut instinct is King Lear.

-What do you think?

-I really don't know.

Well, let's go with King Lear then. Go with King Lear.

Go with King Lear please, Jeremy.

Yes, King Lear is right. Well done.

-Well done.

-Well done.

OK. So they've got three out of three.

Leaves you a little bit defensive. £8,000 to play for.

If you get this wrong, that's it, you've won.

-It will go to the hospice, right?

-Yeah.

Here's your question.

Which of these is the term for a cut of beef

taken from the flank of the animal?

Oh. Crikey.

I thought the chuck was taken

from somewhere around the neck or other shoulder.

-I've never heard of bavette.

-I don't know what a bavette is.

Is the sirloin...?

-I think the sirloin might be the flank.

-I wonder if it's bavette.

-You don't think bavette is?

-What is a bavette?

Bavette is a French cut.

I'm the least qualified to talk on this so...

I think the chuck is at the neck or the shoulders.

I'm sure the chuck is up at the neck.

I think the sirloin is sort of lower back, middle back.

If you translate it, it's above the loin, if you see what I mean.

Should we just risk bavette?

Not knowing, I'd be inclined to go for bavette.

This is a tricky one.

We are going to go for the bavette but we're not at all sure.

Well, they aren't very sure, are they?

-No, neither are we.

-You don't know?

-No.

-Bavette is beef taken from the flank. You are correct.

-Oh.

Ooh, you were just a few inches away from £8,000 there.

Just where the knife goes.

Three each. You couldn't have played better in the final so far.

Keep it up. Sudden Death we are on now.

I don't give you alternatives. Here we go.

Which actor, playing the role of Vulton the Hawkman

Famously utters the line, "Gordon's alive,"

in the film Flash Gordon?

-Yeah.

-One of my favourite films.

-Brian Blessed!

-IAN LAUGHS

Good impression.

Brian Blessed is right. Well done.

Eggheads, £8,000 on the table here.

If you get this wrong, they've taken it.

What was the name of the basset hound created by Alex Graham

who first starred in a cartoon strip in the Daily Mail in 1963?

-Fred.

-Fred.

-I think it was Fred Basset.

-Fred Basset.

I think all four of us came up with the name Fred instantaneously

so if it's not Fred, we're in trouble. We're going to say Fred.

Fred is correct. Fred Basset.

OK.

Challengers, what was the first name of the physicist

with the surname Mach... M-A-C-H.

..after whom the Mach number measure is named?

-I don't know.

-No, I don't know.

-Mach. It sounds German.

-It sounds German, yeah.

-Franz, Otto...

-Yeah. Otto.

-Otto.

-Otto.

-Let's go with that.

-Why not? It sounds like lotto. Give it a go.

It sounds like lotto. We'll go for Otto, Jeremy.

It's a nice try. Eggheads?

-Ernst.

-Ernst!

-Ernst Mach.

-Damn.

So, if you get this right, the contest is over.

A policeman named James Beaton was awarded the George Cross

for his role in foiling a plot to kidnap which public figure in 1974?

-Princess Anne.

-Princess Anne.

-That was my first thought, yes.

-Princess Anne.

-OK?

-Yes.

We all seem to recall an unfortunate plot to kidnap Princess Anne.

So that's our answer, Princess Anne.

Princess Anne. 1974. Are you right?

-If you're right, the contest is over.

-It's right.

The answer is Princess Anne.

We say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-It should've been Otto.

-It should have been Otto!

-Otto Mach is much better than Ernst Mach.

-Isn't it?

-Absolutely.

I bet his friends called him Otto. Commiserations.

-Wish we could've helped your brilliant cause.

-Not to worry.

-I hope we've helped by having you on.

-Thank you.

You played so well. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally

to them. Bit of a winning streak on now

and it does mean you won't be going home with the £8,000

so we roll the money over to our next show.

Eggheads, very well done.

Who will ever beat you?

Kevin is off now being repaired.

IAN LAUGHS He'll be back soon.

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

have the brains to defeat them.

£9,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.