This festive season, a team of accomplished alumni is set to represent Trinity Hall as they compete in this year’s Christmas University Challenge on Sunday 28 December against Exeter College, Oxford.
Champion alumni take on Christmas University Challenge
Posted:
17 Dec 2025
The famous University Challenge desk decorated for Christmas with the Trinity Hall Christmas 2025 team sat behind it. Courtesy of the BBC.
The team is led by novelist and literary critic Adam Mars-Jones, who joined Trinity Hall as an undergraduate in 1972 to study English. He’s joined by actor Dan Starkey (1996, Anglo Saxon, Norse & Celtic), engineer, author and former professional athlete Dr Emma Pooley (2001, Engineering), and investigative reporter and broadcaster Datshiane Navanayagam (2006, History) in episode 5 of the Christmas 2025 series.
As returning champions, Adam, Dan and Emma – who was elected an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall this year – bring experience as members of Trinity Hall’s victorious 2014 Christmas University Challenge team. In a memorable final, they secured the win against the University of Hull, competing alongside Olympic rowing gold medallist Tom James (Engineering, 2002).
The most recent series of University Challenge was won by Christ’s College, Cambridge, who beat rivals Warwick University in the final earlier this year. The 2025/26 series is currently in the second round with Churchill College, Cambridge, taking on Merton College, Oxford, on 5 January. A Trinity Hall team lost out to the London School of Economics (LSE) in a hard-fought competition in September. Since 2023, University Challenge has been presented by Cambridge alumnus Amol Rajan.
Tune in to BBC Two on Sunday 28 December at 8.30pm for what’s sure to be an exciting and highly competitive first-round battle. Check the BBC website for all upcoming episodes.
Missed it live? Catch up online.
Lead image, left to right: Dan Starkey, Dr Emma Pooley, Adam Mars-Jones and Datshiane Navanayagam. Courtesy of the BBC.