Mastermind 2015 Grand Final Preview

Let’s have a look at the form guide before we start, then. In order of semi final : -

Name		R1 SS	R1 GK	R1 Tot	Semi SS	Semi GK	Semi Tot
Marianne	Fairthorne	14 - 0	13 - 2	27 - 2	10 - 0	12 - 1	22 - 1
Gareth	Williams	10 - 0	16 - 0	26 - 0	10 - 0	13 - 0	23 - 0
Diane	Hallagan	16 - 1	12 - 2	28 – 3	12 - 0	15 - 0	27 - 0
Liz	Gore	14 - 0	11 - 1	25 – 1	9 - 0	14 - 1	23 - 1
John	Beynon	14 - 0	11 - 1	25 - 1	10 - 0	13 - 0	23 - 0
David	Greenwood	11 - 1	14 - 4	25 - 5	10 - 0	12 - 0	22 - 0

I won’t lie to you, I find a Mastermind Final difficult to call these days since they changed the amount of time given for the rounds. Just 30 seconds more or less in a GK round can actually make a wealth of difference. So whatever I say, please accept that  I have no idea and no insider knowledge of who actually won – and I have no wish to know before the show is broadcast either.  This is just my opinion, and is no more to be taken seriously than anybody else’s.

Let’s go through the runners and riders, then.

Semi final winner 1: Marianne Fairthorne. Marianne is a quizzer, as opposed to someone who has just had a go at Mastermind for the hell of it, and I always think the winner is far more likely to be a quizzer than anyone else. She’s maintained a very good level of GK in both rounds – but then so have all our other finalists. She has had fine performances on specialist in both rounds – but so have two other finalists. With Marianne’s quiz pedigree, and with her TV experience from Only Connect, I predict the podium, but not necessarily the top step.

Semi final winner 2: Gareth Williams. I don’t know Gareth, but the way he has gone about his GK rounds in particular convince me that he is a quizzer. I said before that Gareth could well be the person who strips me of the title of the last school teacher to win Mastermind, and I stand by that – and Gareth – if you do it, I will be delighted to hand you that title – you will deserve it. His first round specialist score of 10 was the lowest of all of our finalists – maybe that was just nerves at a first go in the chair. What we can say though is he can’t afford to give away points in specialist in the final. Again, a potential podium place – which colour of medal I can’t say.

Semi final winner 3: Diane, if you’re reading I feel I should apologise to you for what I’m about to do. With the highest score of the first round and the semi, and a wonderfully impressive quiz pedigree, Diane looks like the favourite to me. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but you have to say that she was mightily impressive in her semi final. I really think it will all come down to specialist for Diane. If she has a third great specialist round in a row, then there is no reason why she can’t carry all before her in GK, and as a former podium placer she has experienced all the pressure and hoopla of a final before, and knows how to deal with it. Prediction – another podium place – and tipped for the title. (Sorry Diane)

Semi final winner 4: John Beynon. You’re maybe working out that I’ve already picked my three podium places, and may be asking yourself how I can possibly leave a Brain of Britain runner up off my predicted podium. Good question, and make no bones about it, John can win this show. So can they all, and that’s the difficulty that I have here.  I’m just going on the fact – well, I don’t really know what I’m going on, and if I’m wrong I will be absolutely delighted for John. It’s not fair if I sit on the fence though, so my prediction is that while John CAN win it, I see him finishing in the minor placings. Sorry.

Semi Final Winner 5: Liz Gore.  As I said all of the finalists are capable of winning this show. Liz had that amazing semi  final win when she took two really impressive scalps in the shape of Gareth Kingston and Alan Gibbs. Can she do it again, though, that’s the question. Put it another way, the one who wields the knife rarely wears the crown. She has absolutely nothing to lose, but I have to make a prediction, and my prediction is that she will be among the minor placings.

Semi Final Winner 6: David Greenwood. David had the second best GK round of all our finalists in the first place, and yet the joint lowest GK round in the semis of all of our finalists. What are we to make of that? I think that he needs a terrific SS round to give himself a chance, but if he does then he has as good a chance of winning as most. Prediction – Dark Horse. Looks set for minor placings, yet could still come through and win the whole thing.

So there we are. In terms of other predictions – well I think there’s at the very least an even money chance of having a new female champion – Diane looks most likely, but Marianne has a fine chance too, and I won’t discount Liz either.

Whatever the case, I humbly ask that none of the contenders takes my ramblings to heart, and can only hope that you enjoy(ed) your Grand Final experience tremendously, however well you did.