Nick Hewer (pictured left)
Countdown, Channel 4
Nick Hewer has been the main presenter (along with Rachel Riley and Susie Dent) on word and numbers gameshow Countdown for six years. For the first two years on the show he was still Alan Sugar’s right-hand man on The Apprentice.
Best thing about your job?
I genuinely think that the team we’ve got is brilliant. It’s a big team, about 40 people, and a really well-oiled machine. No Autocues, none of that. Also the contestants love it so much. They don’t win a trip to Miami, they get a bloody teapot. And yet, that’s all they want. It’s the absolute enjoyment of the contestants actually.
Why are you a good quiz host?
If I do have a talent, it is the ability to talk to people. Some people shy away from people in the street but I like them. I make them comfortable. Kindness is part of the role. I’m always terrified that somebody won’t score – my heart goes into arrhythmia. It hasn’t happened yet but someone can get a bit beaten up. They can get agitated. But it’s OK, because we have breaks. Then I can say: “Don’t worry, we’ll look after you, it’s fine.”
What advice would you give to contestants?
Be calm and enjoy it. They all say: “I’m brilliant at home”, and I say: “Listen, everybody is brilliant at home.” But they don’t have all those lights, they don’t have that bloody big clock. They haven’t got all those people. Generally speaking though they love it. It’s been what they’ve been wanting to do for years, to get on Countdown. It has an extraordinary following. And, for what? A teapot? Some people have got a tremendous ability in that area [word and number puzzles]. They can just see things.
Who is your inspiration?
I think Paxman is great on University Challenge. Though he can be hard.
Best and worst moments on the programme?
The best moments come with having a great rapport with the [special] guests who appear [in Dictionary Corner]. That’s so important, it livens the show up. We have some wonderful people. I loved Michael Whitehall, Jack Whitehall’s dad. He is terribly funny. Ranulph Fiennes is good. Jo Brand – she’s such a sweet, decent woman. The worst is when guests don’t prepare their anecdotes. Some people try to wing it.
What’s your favourite quizshow?
I love Mastermind.
What would be your specialist subject?
I was at the same school as James Joyce but I don’t think I’d want to be questioned about Finnegans Wake – too complicated. I could hone up on Jack Kennedy – my generation loved him. And he had a short life too. I was at school when he was elected and of course it was a huge thing if you were Catholic. He was Irish. He was a great man.
Are you any good at quizzes?
I’m quite good at general knowledge.
Do you do pub quizzes?
I don’t. I’m not a pub sort of bloke. When I can I do the Dimbleby Cancer Care quiz, which they do every year. It’s great.
Do you have any favourite board games at Christmas? From childhood?
In the old days we used to play Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, which is great fun.
Quick-fire round
Turkey or nut loaf? Turkey! It’s traditional. But actually turkey is pretty boring, you can get stick to death of it. We had goose for a little while, but there’s nothing on them, and they’re terribly expensive. But turkey is a visual feast as much as anything.
Queen’s speech or family games? Queen’s speech. She’s fantastic, extraordinary. No, I’ve never met her. I have met Philip, who was fun.
Midnight mass or Christmas Eve pub crawl? Midnight mass. We’ve got a beautiful Norman church in our village and it’s only used for that service.
Do you prefer to give or receive? It depends who you’re giving to, doesn’t it? I love to give to children.
Christmas jumper or a sharp suit? Never a Christmas jumper. They’re horrible. What is all this crap about Christmas jumpers? From the wool industry, undoubtedly. So no, but probably not a smart suit on Christmas day. Somewhere in between, I think.
White Christmas or barbecue on the beach? White Christmas. I’ve never been away at Christmas. And certainly not on a beach.
Lesley-Anne Brewis
The Code, BBC One
Co-host with Matt Allwright of BBC One gameshow The Code, in which contestants answer questions to crack a three-digit code, Brewis is also the founder and director of QuizQuizQuiz, a company that hosts corporate quizzes and writes quiz questions. She studied history but after graduating decided her calling was to be a professional quiz mistress.
Best thing about your job?
I like watching other people succeeding. When people aren’t getting the answers to questions I really want to nudge them in the right direction.
Advice for guests on your show?
Take a deep breath, keep calm and read the question. If a question has been written well, no word is redundant, there will be breadcrumbs in it, signposts, to help people towards the right answer.. If they miss those clues they may pick the wrong path.
Best moment?
Every time anyone’s won. There was one contestant called Paul, who was on the show for such a long time, for so many questions. He’s a pilot so we nicknamed him Long Haul Paul. We were all willing him along. When he won it was such a relief.
Worst moment?
When people are talking themselves out of the correct answer – especially when they’re in pairs or threes. Often the dominant person will lead the others astray.
What makes you a good TV quiz host?
I often call myself a professional explainer. I like finding the right words and analogies to explain things to people. Matt Allwright, who’s the primary host of The Code, he’s a journalist. He’s great at finding a way into a conversation with people really quickly. I lack those skills. Mine are in facts and information rather than people and personalities.
Are you any good at quizzes?
I’m not bad. I’m pretty handy at pub quizzes because when there’s no time pressure I am able to examine the question. If you put a buzzer in front of me I fall to pieces.
What would your specialist subject be?
I was a contestant on a quizshow many years ago where I needed a specialist subject and it was the novels of Jane Austen. This was A Question of Genius. I don’t go on quizshows as a contestant much any more. There was a period when I was at university when I was applying for them all the time. And I’ve won a lot of money from quiz machines. I paid my way through university for a while with pound coins. I once paid a term’s bill with them. I plonked them down at the bursar and said: “I won these in a quiz machine, here you go.”
Do you go to pub quizzes?
Yes. I met my husband at a pub quiz. He was on my team and we were introduced by mutual friends. It took me a while to warm to him. They used to say when I was at university that in order to go out with me you had to pass a general knowledge test. He definitely did. We have a young son now but before starting our family if we weren’t running a quiz then we were at one every night of the week.
Who would be on your dream pub quiz team?
I have to say my husband – that’s the rule of marriage, isn’t it? He’s a king quizzer. I’d ask people I know. Someone like David Stainer, one of the highest-ranking quizzers in the UK. Then a mixture of Chasers and Eggheads. Also the comedian Tim Vine. I worked with him several years ago. If he weren’t already a comedian I’d try to employ him as one of my quizmasters…
Tips for festive family quizzes?
Don’t fall out over the answers! Leave the questions themselves to the professionals, either by buying a quiz pack or something like Trivial Pursuit Family Edition. Balance the teams out: don’t put all the children on one side against the grownups.
Quick-fire round
Turkey or nut loaf? Turkey. But they can be a bit dry. I’d prefer a nice goose.
Queen’s speech or family games? There’s time for both. The Queen’s speech is a tradition but we have our dinner and family games and then watch it on catch-up. You have to watch Doctor Who when it’s on telly though.
Midnight mass or Christmas Eve pub crawl? What you want is a pub next to a church. Or midnight mass with a festive quiz. I have once done a Christmas Eve pub quiz. There was one on my road a couple of years ago. My husband and I wiped the floor with everyone so I’m not sure we’ll ever be invited again. I do go to midnight mass but if I knew there was a pub quiz on it would be really tempting.
Prefer to give or receive? Oh, I like both. I particularly like to come up with something for my husband that he didn’t know he wanted. Last year I got him a personalised Lego figure that looked like him. He loved it.
Christmas jumper or fancy frock? Christmas frock – I don’t often get the chance these days, with my little boy, to really glam up.
White Christmas or barbecue on the beach? White Christmas. It may happen.
Rick Edwards
Impossible, BBC One
Impossible involves contestants avoiding giving impossible answers and quizshow host Rick Edwards has also presented Tool Academy, Freshly Squeezed and the London 2012 Paralympics on Channel 4. Edwards studied natural sciences and is co-author with Michael Brooks of Science(ish): The Peculiar Science Behind the Movies (Atlantic), based on their podcast of the same name.
Best thing about your job?
Spending a lot of time with a bizarre, diverse group of people. We have contestants on for two weeks, so you get this real family atmosphere. The group dynamics are fascinating.
What advice would you give guests on the show?
There are certain tropes – you should probably know all the character names from The Sound of Music. But by and large you can’t do any useful preparation. I can’t guarantee you’ll win any money, but I can almost guarantee you’ll have a good time – contestants stay in touch and have big Whatsapp and Facebook groups together.
Best moment so far on the show?
In the first series we had a guy everyone really loved who kept getting through to the final question and not getting the £10,000. He must have been there four times, then on the fifth he got it. There was this euphoric mixture of relief and joy: the other players were glad that a) he’d won the money and b) finally someone else could have a chance.
Worst moment?
Very occasionally you have a player who none of the other contestants particularly warm to. There was one in particular who was just incredibly smug, and then went on to win £10,000, and was quite smug in victory as well. Everyone in the room was a bit like, [sarcastically] “Oh, yeah, well done.”
How about in previous shows?
In the first series of Tool Academy [in which men are tricked by their partners into attending a “charm school” to work on their personality], after the reveal, I think we underestimated how angry the “tools” would be. I had to hide in a basement while I could hear it kicking off upstairs. We had more security in subsequent series.
What makes you a good TV quiz host?
It’s just liking people. If you don’t like people, presenting is a mad thing to do.
Who’s your inspiration?
This is not a fashionable thing to say, but Michael Barrymore. He’s unbelievable at going into the audience and chatting to people: funny and warm and charming. He really does rip the piss out of them sometimes, but they love it. I’m basically doing my best to channel Barrymore.
Favourite quizshow?
I really like University Challenge, Only Connect, Pointless. But for nostalgia’s sake I’d go for Fifteen to One – when William G Stewart did it, it was an absolute mainstay in our house.
Are you good at quizzes?
Slightly better than average. But the first time I went on Celebrity Pointless I did terribly, I panicked – all the lights, the cameras – even though it’s my job. People always say this, but it is very different playing at home. When you’re actually there it’s tough.
What would you choose as your specialist subject on Mastermind?
Either Liverpool FC in the 80s and 90s, or the history of maths.
Do you play quizzes at home?
I love a quiz – we watch quizzes on telly and play along. And my friends like them as well, so we often compete against each other on online quizzes, particularly football or sport ones.
How about pub quizzes?
Yes, although at the moment I haven’t got a regular one. You’ve got to get into the pattern and go every week I think, and you’ve also got to find one at the right level. The last one I did was a bit too easy, and that’s no fun.
What’s a good pub quiz team name?
There’s a few absolute classics, like Quizzee Rascal. Personally I like Quiz Akabusi.
Dream pub quiz team?
I’ll have Barrymore, although I’m not sure he’ll offer much in terms of knowledge. Victoria Coren Mitchell – I feel like she knows loads of stuff. And my friend the poet and comedian Tim Key. Not a bad team.
Any tips for festive family quizzes?
My sister-in-law, Beth, runs their family quiz – she dedicates a good few days to getting the rounds right: some active, some singing. You need to have stuff that’s going to keep people interested. And there’s always going to be arguments, so you’ve got to be ready for that.
Best board game to play with the family over Christmas?
Scrabble is one of the greats – but with a chess clock to speed things along. Oddly, me and my mum and dad – who are working-class – play a game called Rat Race, which is a sort of capitalist class aspiration game. It is bizarre when you think about it.
Quick-fire round
Turkey or nut loaf? Turkey. Not that I have a problem with nut loaf but I have the opposite of a problem with turkey – I love turkey.
Queen’s speech or family games? Family games. Just not that interested in the Queen. Sorry.
Midnight mass or Christmas Eve pub crawl? I’ve done both.
Prefer to give or receive? Give. I’m quite hard to buy for, and I’ve always liked getting people stuff.
Christmas jumper or sharp suit? Oh Christmas jumper, definitely. Although last year my friend Tim lent me his suit that was made out of Christmas material, and I wore that over a Christmas jumper – so, again, both.
White Christmas or barbecue on the beach? I’ve done hot Christmases before but it just feels a bit weird. You want to be snuggling up by an open fire in your Christmas jumper and Christmas suit.
Victoria Coren Mitchell
Only Connect, BBC Two
Victoria Coren Mitchell is a writer, professional poker player and presenter of Only Connect, the quizshow in which contestants make links between apparently unconnected things.
Best thing about your job?
I don’t really think of myself as having a job. And that’s definitely the best thing about it. Whether you mean specifically Only Connect, or the column I write in this paper, or other TV and writing, or playing “professional poker”, basically it’s all just unemployment with an income.
Why are you a good TV quiz host?
Sparkly clothes and big boobs. Jeremy Vine tried that for a couple of episodes but it didn’t work for him. If you host a quiz, the viewers spend a lot of time looking at shots of you while the teams try to work out the answers. The more closely you resemble Danny La Rue, the more there is to look at. And, on the current quiz scene, I would say I am the closest. Merry Christmas!
Best/worst moments?
Best moment: a contestant shouting “COCK, COCK, COCK!” during the missing vowels round when the answer was “CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO”. To be fair, he’d been shouting it since round 2. Worst moment: a picture of a pile of steel rods coming up, as a clue to one of the members of the Gang of Four. But David Steel wasn’t in the Gang of Four. It would have taken a seriously good quizzer to figure out that a pile of steel rods was supposed to indicate Roy Jenkins.
Your inspiration?
Humphrey Lyttelton. He was clever and funny and odd, and you could believe that the quiz wasn’t the most important thing in his life. A quiz shouldn’t be the most important thing in anyone’s life. And he conjured up the filthiest images in the minds of listeners, while never saying anything that couldn’t be repeated in church.
Favourite quizshow?
I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. I wish those panellists would come along to play Only Connect; if they did, I’d make sure it was a very difficult episode. Regular viewers will know I like nothing better than to get my hands on a wrinkly old chap and make it as hard as possible.
What would your specialist subject be on Mastermind?
I would never go on Mastermind. If you’re a quizshow host, you get all the answers in advance and can trick people into thinking you’re clever. Why risk whisking the curtain away?
Who would be on your dream pub quiz team?
It’s not safe to answer that. Over the course of 13 series of Only Connect I have had about 100 favourites, and they’re all brilliant, so I can’t risk naming three of them. I will say that there is a particular person on the winning team of this year’s OC who I think is very special, and it becomes pretty clear over the course of the series how much I admire them, but the final episode won’t be on TV for some weeks yet so I’d better not say.
Tips for festive family quizzes/games?
People don’t play Cluedo enough these days. It may be the greatest game of all time. Also, in any game or quiz, it doesn’t matter who wins. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget that in the heat of battle.
Quick-fire round
Turkey or nut loaf? Turkey. I aspire to be a vegetarian, while secretly hoping I don’t achieve that goal in my lifetime.
Queen’s speech or family games? I would say family games but my family don’t play games. Other than idiomatically.
Midnight mass or Christmas Eve pub crawl? Ideally, both. Unfortunately I have a two-year-old child. So, neither.
Prefer to give or receive? I refuse to answer this question because, as you’ll see from above, I despise innuendo.
Christmas jumper or sharp suit/posh frock? A posh frock, which nobody sees all day because I’ve got my apron on.
Only Connect: The Official Quiz Book by Jack Waley-Cohen and Victoria Coren Mitchell is out now; the show returns to Monday nights from New Year’s Day
Jeremy Vine
Eggheads, BBC Two
Best known for hosting his own Radio 2 show, since 2008 Vine has also presented the long-running BBC2 quizshow Eggheads in which a team of five top quizzers (including the official world quizzing champion, Kevin Ashman) is challenged by a team of five contestants for prize money.
Best thing about your job?
Meeting members of the public who love to quiz.
What advice would you give to guests who come on your show?
Know your capital cities and your currencies, your states of the US and your presidents. Be aware particularly of stuff that’s happened in the past 12 months. We often have people on who are shocked when they’re suddenly asked, for example, who won the Olympic 400 metres two months ago. They assume quiz questions are things you keep in the box for 20 years. Also, if you want to win Eggheads, you’re going to have to take out Kevin.
Best moment on the show?
We had a period where Kevin didn’t lose a history round or even get a history question wrong for eight years. I began to pump this up, saying, “This is amazing, we’re watching one of the greatest miracles of modern quizzing…” When he then got a question wrong, lost a round and then lost a round again I realised I’d jinxed him. That was very funny.
Worst/most embarrassing moment?
The most embarrassing was when I mispronounced the name of the band ‘NSync as N-S-Y-N-C. Also, I don’t know whether the question setters were having a little prank day but they had this question which was impossible to read without laughing: “Which world leader was photographed bare-chested in Siberia in 2007 fishing in a river?” and the first choice was Angela Merkel.
Your inspiration?
Richard Whiteley probably because he managed to do something like seven shows a day and you did feel they were all the first time. He was wonderful. The one I remember watching a lot as a child was The Golden Shot with Bob Monkhouse. A guy had a crossbow and a blindfold on and the contestant had to go, “left a bit, right a bit and fire”, and he fired at an apple. It’s amazing that no one was killed. The idea of someone bringing a crossbow into the Eggheads studio…
Favourite quizshow?
I enjoy Only Connect without necessarily being able to answer anything. I haven’t got a cryptic crossword brain, my mum and sister have it.
Are you any good at quizzes?
I’ve got better since I started hosting Eggheads. I know what things come up in quizzes – for example, Greyfriars Bobby, the dog, comes up all the time. Also the fact that John Wayne’s real name was Marion. I’ve got a classic brain that finds something interesting and then digs and digs. The quizzer’s brain is different – they see every fact as being of equal importance because they could all become questions. They’re immersed in everything.
What would your specialist subject be?
Probably the albums of Joy Division.
Do you play quizzes at home?
This sounds like a plug, but the Eggheads brought out a book that has all the questions in and I took it on holiday. I was quizzing my family at this restaurant in France and I could see a British couple looking at me thinking: “Bizarre behaviour. He’s obviously not content with being a quizmaster on TV…” They started trying to take photos of me and I realised I mustn’t do that again, or I’ve got to put some brown paper round the book or something. The British have got an unnatural obsession with quizzing. It’s weird. I think British men particularly think that the knowledge of facts gives you social status.
Do you go to pub quizzes?
I was in a pub recently when a quiz spontaneously started and I hid. There are a couple of areas where I’m in a difficult position and one of them is history. You’ve got to know the order of kings and queens. I didn’t do enough history at school. I’ve got inner pain over it.
Who would be on your dream pub quiz team?
A celebrity team of women writers that we had on Eggheads about six months ago including the historian Kate Williams, Wendy Holden and Jenny Colgan. Through sheer quiz power they were one question away from beating the eggs. They were amazing.
Quick-fire round
Turkey or nut loaf? Turkey. If I had nut loaf I think I’d go into cultural trauma because every single Christmas I’ve had turkey.
Queen’s speech or family games? You can’t miss the Queen’s speech.
Midnight mass or Christmas Eve pub crawl? That’s a very hard question. Christmas Eve pub crawl. Sorry, Christians everywhere. I’d do the pub crawl and then Christmas morning get up and go to church, if I’m able.
Prefer to give or receive presents? Always give, particularly when you’ve got young children. The excitement around Christmas now is fever pitch.
Christmas jumper or sharp suit? Jumper because that to me says day off.
White Christmas or barbecue on the beach? White Christmas every time. One of the many problems of climate change is that I feel I’ve not really had a Christmas Day with snow since I was a child. I also don’t really like people who have barbecues on beaches. That sounds like the beginning of a Radio 2 item…
Susie Dent
Countdown, Channel 4
Lexicographer Susie Dent is the longest-serving member of Countdown’s on-screen team (her Dictionary Corner is responsible for finding the best possible words each round), having first appeared on the show in 1992. She started working on the comedy spin-off show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown in 2012.
Best thing about your job?
The people I sit next to. I have the best seat in the house because I get to sit next to a different guest every week. I have sat next to some of the best comic geniuses in the country. I love that these people have just achieved so many things in their lives. I could be sitting next to [the explorer] Ranulph Fiennes, who is telling stories of amazing feats up a mountain, or I could be sitting next to [science presenter] Liz Bonnin, who has been reporting back from the Galápagos islands. I genuinely never get bored on this show.
Why are you a good at being on a TV quiz?
Looking words up in a dictionary is not something that many people want to boast about, but I happen to be quite good at it. Before we had the laptop which we use now, we had a massive printed dictionary and I got very fast at looking words up. It’s not a very transferable skill and it’s probably the nerdiest one you can possibly imagine.
Best/worst moments?
There are often moments where we just collapse into giggles because I don’t know the rude alternative meanings of words. I’m quite prone to piping up and saying things like “Oh, you could have had blowie for six” without thinking about it, and some other things you wouldn’t be able to print. They’re not really bad moments though, they’re just ones where everybody else gets the joke and I don’t.
Your inspiration?
I am inspired by anyone who is so passionate about what they do, no matter how niche it is, and who doesn’t care if they get labelled as geeky or nerdy – as I’m sure I do all the time. So those people are my inspiration and you can find them in a lot of places.
Favourite quizshow?
Only Connect. Victoria Coren Mitchell is an inspiration. She is fantastic. It’s just one level up – really challenging – but fun at the same time.
Are you any good at quizzes?
Not brilliant. I remember going on Pointless and getting very nervous and being weirdly frozen to the spot. I do love quizzes, but I’m better at them when I’m not standing there with a camera looking at me.
What would your specialist subject be on Mastermind?
Probably trees of the British Isles. I have always been in love with trees. I had one ambition when I was growing up, which was that I would have a garden with a tree in it. And I do have a little fruit tree in my garden now.
Do you go to pub quizzes?
Yes. They’re a great excuse to get people together and there’s a real community spirit. I love pubs and they need to be celebrated as much as possible. They’re having a really hard time at the moment.
What’s a good pub quiz team name?
Thunderplump. It’s one of my favourite words, meaning a heavy downfall of rain, but it also sounds like a good team name.
Your dream pub quiz team?
Jo Brand, Joe Lysett, Richard Osman, Nigella Lawson and Jimmy Carr.
Tips for festive family quizzes/board games?
There are lots of good word games out there. Scrabble or Boggle or the Countdown one, which comes with real clock sound effects. With words games, be brave and go for it. There are so many words you think could never exist but they actually did four or five centuries ago. The language is vast and so is the dictionary.
Quick-fire round
Turkey or nut loaf? Nut loaf. I’m vegetarian.
Queen’s speech or family games? Family games, though my mum loves the Queen’s speech.
Midnight mass or Christmas Eve pub crawl? There’s something special about midnight mass.
Prefer to give or receive? I like receiving, but definitely giving.
Christmas jumper or posh frock? Jumper all the way.
Mince pies or Christmas pud? Mince pies – with lots of brandy butter.
