Imperial storms to record fifth University Challenge title

Imperial won a record fifth University Challenge title this year with a rampant final-round display against University College London (UCL).

In a manner that has become familiar over the past few months, the team of Haddad, Debnath, Lee and Jones eased passed their London rivals, winning 285-120.

Both teams came into the final unbeaten and appeared evenly matched with the scores at 40-40 early in the game. But Imperial quickly accelerated away from their opponents, demonstrating their knowledge of literature, music, science and art.

UCL’s team members put in a spirited performance but were unable to get off the mark and had their heads in their hands by the halfway point.

The victory is Imperial’s third since 2020 and fifth in total, making it the most successful team in the competition’s 62-year history.

“I’m thrilled to have captained Imperial College London to its fifth historic win, making us the institution with the most wins in the history of the programme,” said team captain Suraiya Haddad. “We have all worked incredibly hard and done Imperial proud.

“The level of support we have received from the Imperial community and beyond has been amazing, thank you to everyone who has been cheering us on!”

Read Felix's interview with the team here.