# University Challenge 2022–23

The 52nd series of University Challenge began on 29 August 2022 on BBC Two. A special programme commemorating the show's 60th anniversary was broadcast on the same night.
This was the final series hosted by Jeremy Paxman, who then stood down from the role after 29 years. From July 2023 onwards, Amol Rajan succeeded Paxman as host for the 53rd series of the long-running student quiz show.
Paxman’s last-ever appearance as host aired on 29 May 2023 at the end of the series, when the University of Durham won their third title by defeating the University of Bristol in the final, which was coincidentally a rematch of the very first game back in August.
In this series, the universities of Coventry and Roehampton made their debut appearances, while Robert Gordon University made only their second appearance since 1994 in Jeremy Paxman's inaugural series.

## Results

* Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
* Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated (as it was impossible for them to be in the highest scoring losers).
* Teams with orange scores had to win one more match to return in the next round.
* Teams with yellow scores indicate that two further matches had to be played and won (teams that lost their first quarter-final match).
* A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.

### First round

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Bristol | 185 | 195 | Durham University | 380 | 29 August 2022 |
| The Open University | 115 | 195 | Newcastle University | 310 | 5 September 2022 |
| London School of Economics | 110 | 175 | University College, Oxford | 285 | 12 September 2022 |
| Coventry University | 50 | 230 | Cardiff University | 280 | 19 September 2022 |
| Cranfield University | 110 | 155 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 265 | 26 September 2022 |
| University of Glasgow | 105 | 165 | Queen's University Belfast | 270 | 3 October 2022 |
| Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge | 120 | 140 | University of St Andrews | 260 | 10 October 2022 |
| University of Sheffield | 170 | 180 | University College London | 350 | 17 October 2022 |
| Oriel College, Oxford | 130 | 150 | Christ's College, Cambridge | 280 | 25 October 2022 |
| Jesus College, Cambridge | 225 | 105 | St Catherine's College, Oxford | 330 | 1 November 2022 |
| Balliol College, Oxford | 115 | 210 | University of Southampton | 325 | 8 November 2022 |
| Bangor University | 135 | 125 | University of Nottingham | 260 | 15 November 2022 |
| Newnham College, Cambridge | 160 | 175 | The Courtauld Institute of Art | 335 | 21 November 2022 |
| Robert Gordon University | 210 | 90 | University of Roehampton | 300 | 28 November 2022 |

#### Highest scoring losers play-offs

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Sheffield | 110 | 175 | Newnham College, Cambridge | 285 | 5 December 2022 |
| University of Bristol | 185 | 150 | Oriel College, Oxford | 335 | 12 December 2022 |

### Second round

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of St Andrews | 90 | 145 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 235 | 2 January 2023 |
| Robert Gordon University | 180 | 75 | The Courtauld Institute of Art | 255 | 9 January 2023 |
| Newnham College, Cambridge | 150 | 140 | Cardiff University | 290 | 16 January 2023 |
| University of Bristol | 205 | 90 | Queen's University Belfast | 295 | 23 January 2023 |
| University College, Oxford | 85 | 160 | Jesus College, Cambridge | 245 | 30 January 2023 |
| University College London | 180 | 170 | Newcastle University | 350 | 6 February 2023 |
| Christ's College, Cambridge | 90 | 175 | University of Southampton | 265 | 13 February 2023 |
| Durham University | 240 | 35 | Bangor University | 275 | 20 February 2023 |

### Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Southampton | 135 | 165 | Durham University | 300 | 27 February 2023 |
| Royal Holloway, University of London | 170 | 85 | Robert Gordon University | 255 | 6 March 2023 |
| Newnham College, Cambridge | 110 | 205 | University of Bristol | 315 | 13 March 2023 |
| Jesus College, Cambridge | 115 | 185 | University College London | 300 | 20 March 2023 |
| Durham University | 100 | 125 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 225 | 27 March 2023 |
| University of Southampton | 180 | 65 | Robert Gordon University | 245 | 3 April 2023 |
| University of Bristol | 205 | 70 | University College London | 275 | 10 April 2023 |
| Newnham College, Cambridge | 215 | 115 | Jesus College, Cambridge | 330 | 17 April 2023 |
| Durham University | 160 | 145 | University College London | 305 | 24 April 2023 |
| Newnham College, Cambridge | 120 | 135 | University of Southampton | 255 | 8 May 2023 |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Royal Holloway, University of London | 90 | 160 | Durham University | 250 | 15 May 2023 |
| University of Bristol | 200 | 70 | University of Southampton | 270 | 22 May 2023 |
This was the first time since the 2006-07 series that there were no Oxbridge teams in the semi-finals.

### Final

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Durham University | 155 | 120 | University of Bristol | 275 | 29 May 2023 |
* The trophy and title were awarded to the Durham team of Harry Scully, Chloe Margaux, Alex Radcliffe, and Bea Bennett, who beat the Bristol team of Sam Kehler, Jacob McLaughlin, Tess Richardson, and Alejandro Ortega.
* The trophy was presented by Jung Chang.
* This was the last regular series to be hosted by Jeremy Paxman after 29 years.

## Spin-off: Christmas Special 2022
### First round

Each year, a Christmas special sequence is aired featuring distinguished alumni. Out of 7 first-round winners, the top 4 highest-scoring teams progress to the semi-finals. The teams consist of celebrities who represent their alma maters. This was the last Christmas special to be hosted by Jeremy Paxman after 11 years.
* Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
* Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
* Teams with grey scores won their match but did not achieve a high enough score to proceed to the next round.
* A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.
| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| SOAS University of London | 75 | 155 | Balliol College, Oxford | 230 | 19 December 2022 |
| University College, Oxford | 75 | 110 | University of Glasgow | 185 | 20 December 2022 |
| Durham University | 45 | 200 | University of York | 245 | 21 December 2022 |
| Exeter College, Oxford | 150 | 70 | Queen Mary University of London | 220 | 22 December 2022 |
| University of Hull | 135 | 35 | University of the West of England | 170 | 23 December 2022 |
| University College London | 85 | 115 | University of Aberdeen | 200 | 26 December 2022 |
| University of Bristol | 125 | 105 | Cardiff University | 230 | 27 December 2022 |

#### Standings for the winners

| Rank | Team | Team captain | Score |
| 1 | University of York | Tom Scott | 200 |
| 2 | Balliol College, Oxford | Martin Edwards | 155 |
| 3 | Exeter College, Oxford | Reeta Chakrabarti | 150 |
| 4 | University of Hull | Sian Reese-Williams | 135 |
| 5 | University of Bristol | Dominic Waghorn | 125 |
| 6 | University of Aberdeen | Jon S. Baird | 115 |
| 7 | University of Glasgow | Chris Brookmyre | 110 |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of York | 100 | 155 | University of Hull | 255 | 28 December 2022 |
| Balliol College, Oxford | 215 | 125 | Exeter College, Oxford | 340 | 29 December 2022 |

### Final

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Hull | 70 | 165 | Balliol College, Oxford | 235 | 30 December 2022 |
The winning Balliol College, Oxford team consisted of Elizabeth Kiss, Andrew Copson, Martin Edwards and Martin O’Neill, who beat the University of Hull and their team of Katharine Norbury, James Graham, Sian Reese-Williams and Graeme Hall.
* ↑ As the opening weekend of Graham's musical Tammy Faye clashed with the recording of the Final, Sarah Peverley took his place.