Amol Rajan has confirmed he will replace Jeremy Paxman as University Challenge host, following the latter’s announcement that he was leaving after 28 years.
Rajan, writing on Instagram on Thursday, said he was “extremely humbled and excited”. “This is a proper dream come true”.
He said he could “honestly say University Challenge is my favourite show. I love it. The music, the students, the format, the history, the shameless intellectual ambition. And I love being a quizmaster, as my mates can attest. So this feels massively humbling”.
“Jeremy Paxman has been a giant in British broadcasting and culture ever since I can remember. He has total authority behind that desk: something I will have to earn. Thanks largely to him, the show, and format (which was imported from America 60 years ago) is stronger than ever.”
Paxman has presented the quiz show since 1994 and will film his last episode in autumn, with his final series of the programme airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from August 29 through to summer 2023. He revealed in May 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The journalist and broadcaster, 72, said earlier this week : “I’ve had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work with an amazing team and to meet some of the swottier brains in the country. It gives me hope for the future.”
This year the popular BBC programme celebrates 60 years as Britain’s longest running quiz show.
Rajan also spoke of the grief he had been experiencing since the death of his father.
“I haven’t posted much on here for a while, because to be frank I have been in a pit of grief since my dear Dad died. It’s hit me extremely hard, and changed me profoundly. I know we all have to go through it, and I’m doing all that processing that people talk about, but it sucks.
“Especially when very cool life events like this happen, and even more so when it’s do with universities and knowledge. That was everything for my dear Dad, still the cleverest guy I ever me... He would have loved to see me do this show. Then again, as my brother says, he would have loved me to pay off my mortgage even more…”
