They became unlikely heroes after stellar performances on University Challenge, cementing their place as two of the quiz show’s most memorable contestants. Now, Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull, whose performances became the source of nationwide delight earlier this year, are joining forces to present a radio show, after hitting it off during the BBC series.
Monkman, the 29-year-old Canadian captain of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an economics graduate, led his team to the finals of University Challenge after charging through earlier rounds by correctly answering an impressive number of questions and scoring most of his side’s points.
So popular were his performances that the term Monkmania was coined, with fans expressing a passion for his intellect as well as his meme-able facial expressions.
“I love him more than my children” and “We now know God walks among men” were among the many comments posted about him on Twitter.
One Instagram user even proudly revealed that her boyfriend stalked Monkman in Bath, running after him in the street and asking for a selfie “because my girlfriend loves you”. “I really do,” she added. “He’s a hero and an inspiration.”
As Monkman’s fame grew, BBC Radio 4 ran a profile of him, celebrating him as a knowledgable individual at a time when the public was deeply suspicious of experts. His sister Katie, a doctor like their parents, said fondly of her brother, who was a Latin-speaking expert on ancient Egypt by the age of eight: “I wouldn’t describe him as crazy – eccentric maybe.”
#TeamEmma @EmmaCambridge v @WolfsonCam. SEMI-FINAL #UniversityChallenge 8 pm Mon 27 March @BBCTwo #Monkmania #rumbleinthejungle @e_monkman pic.twitter.com/jvCmqXBezn
— Bobby Seagull (@Bobby_Seagull) March 20, 2017
Seagull, a 32-year-old master’s student in education and maths who captained the team from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, won the nation’s hearts because of his enthusiasm and leadership.
“I want Seagull to be my best friend. What a guy,” one viewer said. Others called him the “best contestant of all time”, much akin to “a southern lawyer in a Coen brothers film”.
Monkman and Seagull’s ultimate head-to-head show was one of the most highly anticipated moments of University Challenge.
Their radio show, Monkman and Seagull’s Polymathic Adventure, will air on BBC Radio 4 on 21 August.
According to the BBC, it will explore whether being highly intelligent is actually a useful quality, and listeners can expect discussions on the topic with guests including the writer, actor and comedian Stephen Fry.
