University Challenge

Amazing, I think he's got a computer wired into his brain under that hat!

Don’t like Rajan at all as quiz master. He rushes to create some kind of excitment. What with him and the bloke shrieking the names out in the last 10 minutes, I’m almost inclined to turn it off.

Fantastic! What a clever lad!

How rude to call him a freak!

His parents must be so proud. Loved his hat.

Aldom

Basgetti Luckygirl was not being rude. She's not that sort of person.
Perhaps you could look up the meaning of the word freak?
A person or thing that is highly unusual.

I agree, Lucyirl is not rude.

"Freak" - obviously a knowledge freak just as some people are fitness freaks. He must learn, absorb and retain a lot of information, he has an encyclopedic knowledge.

Basgetti

Allira

Well, it's not just me.

There have been other threads I have seen where several posters say that Amol Rajan gabbles and mumbles.

Perhaps it’s the listener?
I find his diction crisp and clear 🤷‍♀️

No, my hearing is fine.

It is not just me.

He is more pleasant than Paxo, though.

Basgetti Luckygirl was not being rude. She's not that sort of person.
Perhaps you could look up the meaning of the word freak?
A person or thing that is highly unusual.

I also thought he was neuro divergent which probably gives an advantage in some way.

Amol really gabbles on with his little self. Not even seem, he really understands some of the questions.that well.

Long gone are.the days of the classy,erudite and highly intelligent Bamber Gascoigne..

I rest my case.

Eloethan

I think Amol Rajan is a very good replacement for Jeremy Paxman, who in later years became rather arrogant and disdainful of the students. AR is always pleasant, polite and supportive. I don't find his diction especially challenging.

Agreed.

I think Amol Rajan is a very good replacement for Jeremy Paxman, who in later years became rather arrogant and disdainful of the students. AR is always pleasant, polite and supportive. I don't find his diction especially challenging.

keepingquiet

I'm a fan and so glad Manchester won- but why the fuss about the hat?

My DD wore a hat to school because she had alopecia. People should be more sensitive about these things...

Yes, they should.

I'm a fan and so glad Manchester won- but why the fuss about the hat?

My DD wore a hat to school because she had alopecia. People should be more sensitive about these things...

DrWatson

For Basgetti, and "scores were low" -- I think any change in scoring patterns would be more to do with the question setters? We've watched Uni Challenge since the Bamber days, and the questions have gradually become a bit easier.

Oh, and on the Amol/speech topic, yes he gabbles, especially as the show nears the end (when he also starts yelling "come on" to hurry them up).

So have we! As I said, my husband was a member of an Imperial team and questioned by the great Bamber in the late 70s. The questions have absolutely not become easier!
Setting the questions, Bamber Gascoigne!
Sorry but we disagree. Amol does not gabble. Paxman certainly did.

fanastic final and finalists!!

My home town Manchester. My alma mater Edinburgh - who to shout out for ?? Both, it's a win-win.

I think the contestants really appreciate how fast he tries to get the questions out at the end of the contest. And what I really like ( and Amol really praises them for it) when one team has a slender lead they don’t discuss questions that they know they don’t know the answer to in a filibustering sort of way.

For Basgetti, and "scores were low" -- I think any change in scoring patterns would be more to do with the question setters? We've watched Uni Challenge since the Bamber days, and the questions have gradually become a bit easier.

Oh, and on the Amol/speech topic, yes he gabbles, especially as the show nears the end (when he also starts yelling "come on" to hurry them up).

(Had the UC contestants experienced the same issue, I imagine they would have raised it.
The increased scores since AR took over would seem to suggest it’s not a concern.)

I don’t know what I’m going to do on Monday nights till the series starts again. Manchester have always taken UC very seriously I believe. I’m sure someone told me that they used algorithms to work out which questions were likely to come up? Even so their team leader was exceptional; also the girl on the extreme right in the Edinburgh team was pretty good, too. I still don’t understand why teams come back time and time again. It never used to be like that did it?

Allira

Well, it's not just me.

There have been other threads I have seen where several posters say that Amol Rajan gabbles and mumbles.

Perhaps it’s the listener?
I find his diction crisp and clear 🤷‍♀️

Well, it's not just me.

There have been other threads I have seen where several posters say that Amol Rajan gabbles and mumbles.

Allira

Well, Paxo had been diagnosed with Parkinson's.

Amol is friendlier, I think, but he gabbles.

Yes, I know. He carried on for quite some time after his diagnosis. Shouldn’t have, in my opinion.
If you rewatch his last series, the scores were historically low. I think that’s because the teams struggled to interpret the questions on occasion. For their sakes, he ought to have stood down sooner.
I find AR’s diction very clear indeed, as I do on the Today Programme 🤷‍♀️
Looking at the high scores since he took over, presumably the contestants do, too.
He certainly doesn’t “gabble”!

Well, Paxo had been diagnosed with Parkinson's.

Amol is friendlier, I think, but he gabbles.

I immediately thought of neurodivergance when I saw Kai in his hat. Reminded me very much of one of my grandsons and his speech patterns when he was interviewed seemed very familiar. So pleased they won because I loved watching him.

Interesting. I find Amol Rajan’s diction very crisp and clear. Far easier to follow than Paxman was, especially during the last series.

Absolutely, Gran22boys! Staggering, aren’t they?! We feel smug if we get half a dozen answers.

Grandma70s

Treebee

Yes, well done Manchester, especially Kai. My only gripe is that he spoke so quickly I sometimes missed hearing the answer.

I always have the subtitles on, because a lot of people don’t speak well, and my hearing isn’t what it was.

I think good clear speech should be taught in schools, but who would teach it?

Not Amol Rajan for sure!
Never mind the contestants, he speaks so quickly I couldn't follow him half the time.