Pity poor Kajen Thuraaisingham. Last night he appeared on Mastermind and, reports DigitalSpy, scored the lowest number of points in the show’s entire history. Where Michael Burton of Peckham equalled the worst all time score recently with seven points to his name, Kajen managed four right answers in his specialist round and only one in general knowledge. Achieving the lowest tally ever – only five points in all – took 13 wrongs answers and 11 passes.
Owch.
John Humphrys – who’s the question master these days, for those of you who gave up on the most pared down general knowledge quiz on British TV years ago – said:
“It’s the ‘black chair’ syndrome. The mind can just go blank when you’re in the chair.”
Kajen himself declined to be interviewed, simply muttering, sadly:
“I tried my best but it wasn’t my night.”
*end of football comment*
11 Comments
Have you noticed that at no time on Mastermind does anyone so much as slightly put four coloured pegs into four holes and challenge someone else to guess what they are?
No wonder the TV licence fee was abolished.
It hasn’t even got a perspex cube.
*slaps forehead*
Has anyone ever chosen “Mastermind” as their specialist subject? Actually, it would be more fun if they chose “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”.
I was watching this last night. I got three right on the general knowledge round. Ha, take that, contestant. I find Mastermind is best watched if you miss the specialist subjects half as they’re so obscure at times, they may as well be asking questions in Martian.
Said contestant did seem to be sweating more than John Terry on Friday morning though.
*bit of satire there, look*
I like shouting “James Clerk Maxwell!” during University Challenge. One day it’ll actually be appropriate to the question being asked, and I’ll be able to feel all smug.
I absorb your satire and inflate a cynical, weary smile across my chops.
It’s actually illegal to make Mastermind your specialised subject in Mastermind. Producers fear you may really be Magnus Magnusson in disguise (if he’s still alive) or reincarnated (if he’s not). Physicists warn there is also a danger that the whole episode will implode down the back of the chair if this happens so, obviously, Health and Safety advise against it.
I often wonder if the people who choose the original Star Wars trilogy or the novels of Jackie Collins as their specialist subjects feel intellectual shame when placed alongside contestants who choose to specialise in subjects such as the Crimean War, the life and times of James Joyce and the English Counter-Reformation.
BreakfastMan – what if you were to go back in time and meet yourself, tell yourself to make your specialist subject Mastermind on your forthcoming Mastermind appearance, and as a result never fall in love with Magnus Magnus’s Son?
Maybe Kajen’s resorted to “Master-bating” now!
Ho ho!
No idea why I laughed there …