Category: TV
Ent
Date: 05.12.2004
Printable version
Mastermind Grand Final - 大象传媒 TWO, Sunday 5 December at
9.00pm
Shaun Wallace, a barrister from Wembley, has tonight
(5 December 2004) won the acclaimed title of Mastermind Champion 2004
following a nail-biting finish to a closely contested final.
He becomes the 27th winner of Mastermind and the first black winner.
After both the specialist subject round and the general knowledge round,
the result was decided on the number of passes with Shaun coming out
on top with a score of 24 points and no passes.
John Humphrys was the host for the Grand Final and
大象传媒 Chairman Michael Grade was on hand to present Shaun
with the Mastermind commemorative glass bowl.
John Humphrys congratulated Shaun on his win: "Another worthy champion.
How can they know (and remember) so much? It is truly daunting."
Shaun, who has worked as a barrister for over 20 years, lives within
a stone's throw of Wembley Stadium which provided the inspiration for
his specialist subject.
His knowledge of his specialist subjects was outstanding as he went
into the final with a fantastic record of having answered every question
on his specialist subjects correctly.
But the pressure of the final took its toll. This time Shaun's chosen
specialist subject was FA Cup Finals since 1970 - he scored a total
of 12 points putting him in second place at the halfway stage.
But Shaun fought back with a fantastic general knowledge round scoring
another 12 points and crucially no passes giving him a total of 24 points.
Shaun was delighted to become Mastermind Champion 2004: "I'm living
a dream that I never thought I would fulfil. But it is real and I'm
really enjoying it. It's been one of the happiest days of my life!"
Mastermind is produced by Pam Cavannagh and Sally Evans for 大象传媒 Manchester.
Richard Hopkins is the Creative Head of 大象传媒 Format Entertainment and
Helen Bullough is the Managing Editor of Entertainment and Features
at 大象传媒 Manchester.
Mastermind Grand Final will be repeated on Monday 6 December at 8.00pm
on 大象传媒 TWO.
Notes to Editors
The other contestants in the final were:
Jim Cook, factory worker from Stourport
in Severn in Worcestershire
Specialist subject: American Presidents of the 20th Century
Final Score: 17 points
Previous specialist subjects: US Manned Space Flights 1961-75, 20th
Century British Prime Ministers
Michael Kane, retired chemist from
Barrow-in-Furness
Specialist subject: British Pop Music of the 1960s
Final Score: 9 points
Previous specialist subjects: The Life and Music of Buddy Holly, The
Life and Reign of Charles I
Brent Peeling, financial advisor
from Billericay in Essex
Specialist Subject: English Test Cricket since 1877
Final Score: 21 points
Previous specialist subjects: History of Essex County Cricket Club,
Zulu War of 1879
John Tweddle, job seeker from
Middlesbrough
Specialist subject: Homer's Iliad
Final Score: 15 points
Previous specialist subjects: World Heavyweight Boxing Championships
1895-1978, US Presidential Elections 1940-2000
Don Young, retired from Lancashire
Specialist subject: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth I
Final score: 24 points (and two passes)
Previous specialist subjects: Homer's Odyssey, King Ludwig II of Bavaria
Mastermind was first recorded at Liverpool University in 1972.
The black leather chair struck fear into the contestants and even the
theme tune - Approaching Menace by Neil Richardson - is designed to
intimidate.
The series ran until 1997 and was presented by Magnus Magnusson.
It returned in 2003 presented by John Humphrys.
The quiz was devised by Bill Wright, the programme's first producer,
who died in 1980.
A former RAF gunner, he drew on his wartime experience as a PoW in
Germany of answering three questions - name, rank and number.
Contestants always sit in the chair and go through the ritual - name,
occupation and specialist subject.
If you'd like to be a future contestant on Mastermind, please send
a stamped addressed envelope to:
Mastermind Applications Room 4012, 大象传媒 Manchester, New Broadcasting
House, Oxford Road, Manchester M60 1SJ
Or call 09066 800602 (calls cost no more than 25p per minute) or email:
mastermind2005@bbc.co.uk
