Bamber Gascoigne dead: University Challenge host dies aged 87 after battling short illness
University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne has died at his home in Richmond, London. The star, who had been married to his wife Christina for 55 years, suffered a short illness.
Bamber was best known for being the original host of BBC’s University Challenge.
He presented the first version of the show for 25 years between 1962 to 1987.
When the show started up again in 1994, Jeremy Paxman then took on the role, which he has retained since then.
Bamber’s signature catchphrases included “Your starter for ten”, “fingers on buzzers” and “I’ll have to hurry you”.
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One of those catchphrases even went on to inspire the title for David Nicholls’ 2003 novel Starter for Ten, which is about a University student who joins the University Challenge team in his first year.
Bamber was also an established author and documentarian, with a particular interest in history.
In 1972 he released a book called Murgatroyd’s Empire, a satirical novel concerning an entrepreneur who finds an island of pygmies, and trades them arms for treasure, recreating the development of European medieval weaponry and armour.
He wrote another book in 1983 entitled Quest for the Golden Hare, an account of the internationally publicised treasure hunt associated with the publication in 1979 of Kit Williams’ book, Masquerade.
Many people took to social media to pay tribute to the late star, including Samuel West, who wrote: “RIP Bamber Gascoigne. My parents were in a 1984 play of his at the Old Vic, BIG IN BRAZIL, directed by Mel Smith.
“The critics didn’t care for it, but they had a great time. My mother, who was 52, particularly enjoyed playing a 36-year-old in Victorian underwear. As you would.”
Paul Sinha tweeted: “It seems that Bamber Gascoigne has passed away. His effortless erudition, making whole swathes of impenetrable knowledge seem cheerfully accessible, was totally inspiring to this kid of the 80s. Sadly we may never see his like on our screens again.”
Bamber was born in London on January 24, 1935 and was educated at Sunningdale School.
Already academically gifted from an early age, the future TV presenter went on to win scholarships at both Eton College and Magdalene College, Cambridge.
He read English literature at Cambridge University from 1955, and two years later in 1957, he wrote a musical called Share My Lettuce, which was produced in London and starred Maggie Smith and Kenneth Williams.
A man of many talents, he then went on to be a Commonwealth Fund scholar at the University of Yale.
In 2018, Bamber was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen for services to the Arts.
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