Mastermind Champion of Champions Grand Final Preview

Mastermind Champion of Champions – Grand Final Preview

Well this feels rather odd, writing a preview to an event for which I was actually in the audience. So I will not make any predictions, merely run an eye over performances in the heat, and say a little bit about the final subjects all four of our surviving champs have chosen.

First into the chair tonight will be 1993 champion Gavin Fuller. Gavin won heat 2, knocking out Elizabeth Horrocks, Shaun Wallace, and Chris Hughes, when he answered questions on Mike Oldfield. Gavin had the second highest specialist round of all the heats, when he scored a perfect 19. Certainly on the day, and speaking to people since, its generally reckoned that the GK rounds in heat 2 were tougher than the GK rounds in any of the other heats. Tonight Gavin will be answering on HMS Warrior.

Second to go will be 2005 champion Pat Gibson. Pat won heat 4, knocking out Patricia Owen, Leslie Grout, and me, when he answered questions on Pixar Animated films. Pat’s combined total of 30 and no passes was the second highest of the first round heats ( which incidentally made my score of 30 and 4 passes the third highest – look, come on, you don’t know me very well if you thought I wasn’t going to mention that one ! ) Pat carries a heavy burden of expectation into the final, having been one of the pre tournament favourites to win the title. Tonight Pat will be answering on Great Mathematicians – a frighteningly wide subject.

Going third will be 1990 champion David Edwards. David won heat 3, knocking out Richard Sturch, Andy Page and Nancy Dickmann. In the heat David answered questions on possibly my favourite specialist subject of the whole series, not including my own, in the shape of The Mystery of Rennes le Chateau. Tonight he will answer on Count Rumford. No, I didn’t know either. Count Rumford was an 18th / 19th century Anglo American physicist.

Last but not least, Jesse Honey. Jesse carried all before him in heat 1, setting a new all time record for a single 2 minute round with 23 on National Flags. As if that wasn’t enough he went on to beat his own record for a Humphrys era 4 minute total with 38, knocking out Jeremy Bradbrooke, Geoff Thomas and Stephen Allan in the process. When you add this to Jesse’s superlative performances in the semi and final earlier this year , you can see quite rightly that he goes into the final with a huge burden of expectation on his shoulders. Tonight Jesse answers questions on Westminster Cathedral – that’s the Roman Catholic Cathedral and not the Abbey.

Who will win ? I’m not going to tell you ! But I will tell you this, it is an absolutely wonderful show, which you really do not want to miss.