The University Challenge contestants Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull are to be given their own TV series.
The pair, who rose to fame as rivals on the quiz show, will tour the UK on the hunt for Britain’s most remarkable inventions in a four-part series for BBC Two.
Monkman and Seagull’s Genius Guide to Britain will feature the Cambridge graduates road-tripping around England, Wales and Scotland. On their way they will explore the science behind deep-fried Mars bars and visit the world’s smallest museum, in a phone booth.
Monkman, from Ontario, Canada, said: “My admiration for British genius is one of the major factors that led me to study in the United Kingdom. I am fortunate to now have the opportunity to see more of your beautiful country.”
Although they were rivals on the show, with Monkman captaining Wolfson College, Cambridge and Seagull chairing Emmanuel College at the same university, the duo became best friends. They have previously co-hosted a BBC Radio 4 show about polymaths.
Seagull, from London, said: “The beauty of our friendship is that we’re both driven by the same thing: a curiosity about the world. We obviously faced off on University Challenge. Eric defeated me … but I’ve forgiven him now.”
Monkman became the subject of a social media buzz last year because of his forthright answering style. Each time his college appeared on the show, the hashtag #Monkmania trended on Twitter.
Seagull turned down a place on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother, which started on Thursday, although he suggested he may be open to appearing on the show in the future.
Abigail Priddle, the BBC’s specialist factual commissioning editor, said: “We are thrilled to be able to join Eric and Bobby on their intellectual journey around Great Britain as they visit some of the scientific and technological gems of our nations, bringing with them their own special brand of insight on everything from time travel to Beethoven’s Fifth, to biscuits.”
Monkman led his team to the final of University Challenge in 2017, where they lost out to Balliol College, Oxford.
