University Challenge — 2025/26
Prepare to witness the pressure cooker of academic excellence! Journalist Amol Rajan takes on the role of inquisitor, challenging some of Britain’s brightest young minds as they tackle demanding and intricate exams. This season, watch as students from diverse backgrounds navigate these high-stakes assessments, revealing both their brilliance and the intense scrutiny they face.
The series opens with a contest between students representing the universities of Sheffield and Warwick, with Amol Rajan presiding over the proceedings.
The competition progresses to its second stage. Representatives from University College London face off against a team from the nearby School of Oriental and African Studies. Amol Rajan serves as the questioner.
Bath University will compete against the University of Southampton in a first-round encounter. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
Two more teams of students, representing Newcastle University and the University of Edinburgh, tentatively touched the buzzers for the first time. Amol Rajan posed the questions.
Manchester University faces New College, Oxford, in a match for advancement to the second round. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
The 2025/26 competition progresses with a local rivalry: Cardiff University meets the University of Bristol. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
In one of the preliminary matches, representatives of Trinity College, Cambridge, compete against a team from Linacre College, Oxford. Amol Rajan conducts the interview.
Lincoln University enters the contest facing a team from Lancaster. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
In one of the opening matches, Green Templeton College, Oxford, makes its competitive debut against Darwin College, Cambridge. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
The competition progresses to its second stage. Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics are now fielding their initial contestants for the tenth question. Amol Rajan poses the inquiries.
The competition intensifies with a contest between Durham University and Merton College, Oxford. Victory secures passage to the next stage. Amol Rajan will be the interrogator.
For the first time, Harper Adams University participates in this contest, facing off against representatives from the University of Strathclyde. The questions will be posed by Amol Rajan.
The opening contest features a clash of academic powerhouses: Imperial College London and Churchill College, Cambridge, both renowned for their scientific pursuits. Amol Rajan will be the interrogator.
The initial stage of the contest draws to a close with a pairing between Magdalen College, Oxford, and Robinson College, Cambridge. Amol Rajan will be the questioner.
The two teams with the lowest scores from the preliminary rounds are granted a second opportunity to advance. Amol Rajan will conduct the interviews.
The remaining two teams with the highest scores from the preliminary rounds vie for a spot in the final round. Amol Rajan will conduct the interviews.
The competition enters its second round. Two teams of students now vie for a coveted spot in the quarter-finals. Amol Rajan will be posing the questions.
The competition progresses to its second round. Two final teams of students now contend for a spot in the quarter-finals. Amol Rajan poses the questions.
Two further teams of students compete for a spot in the quarter-finals. The victor will advance to the next stage. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
The round of sixteen progresses, with two more student teams vying for a place in the quarter-finals. They return to the competition, hopeful for another opportunity to advance. Amol Rajan guides the conversation.
The competition progresses to its second stage. Two further teams of students now contend, their fingers poised over buzzers, vying for a spot in the quarter-finals. Amol Rajan poses the questions.
The competition progresses to the round of sixteen, where two more teams of students vie for a spot in the quarter-finals. Amol Rajan guides the discussion.
With the quarter-finals within reach, two final teams vie for a coveted spot in the second-to-last match of the round. Amol Rajan guides the proceedings.
The second round culminates tonight with a decisive contest. The victor will claim the final place among the quarter-finalists. Amol Rajan poses the questions.
The quarter-finals proceed under a double-elimination format. Two of the eight teams that remain will compete in their initial match, a contest that may extend to a maximum of three games. Amol Rajan will be the interviewer.
