Kevin Ashman - Quizzer Extraordinaire

Answer: UK

Kevin Ashman was born on 2 November 1959 and lives in Winchester, England. Having previously worked as a civil servant, Kevin's quizzing ability has allowed him to become a full-time quizzer. He has said that there is definitely scope for more professional quizzers in the future and is enthusiastic about the growth of competitive quiz tournaments. Kevin regularly leads the way in the British, European, and World Quiz Championships.

Answer: History

Kevin's aptitude for history is well known by anyone who has observed him whilst quizzing. On the television programme, "Eggheads," on which Kevin regularly appears, not only has he never lost a history round, he has never gotten a single question wrong on the topic. His astounding ability to recall dates in history is perhaps the foundation for his success. Knowing the chronology of so many historical events is a clear aid in being able to rule out incorrect answers when in a multiple choice situation. Moreover, being able to associate dates with specific events has meant that Kevin is incredibly fast on the buzzer.

However, Kevin is by no means a one-trick pony. After graduating from the University of Southampton with a history degree, Kevin set about expanding his knowledge in other areas. He is an eager traveller, having visited many places, either on holiday or on quiz related visits. Finally, Kevin's love of films (cowboy and western films in particular) has allowed him to become somewhat of a movie buff.

As you would expect, Kevin has admitted to having had a revision regime in the past, however he claims to have gotten "a lot lazier these days." He has claimed that he finds it difficult to just sit and read an encyclopaedia, or learn lists of trivia facts. Instead, he prefers to read around a topic, even if the information he gains is never likely to appear in the form of a quiz question.

Answer: He set the record for the highest ever score

Kevin's appearance on "Mastermind" in 1987 began well, as he scored an impressive 38 points with his general knowledge round along with his specialist category, "The Political History of the United States 1923-80." However, he was knocked out in the semi-finals of that year.

In 1995, "Mastermind" opened up the competition to previous contestants. Here, Kevin chose the specialist subject of "Dr Martin Luther King Jr and the Civil Rights Movement." He ended the first round with an astounding 20 points. In the general knowledge round, Kevin was to amaze everyone further, by winning the heat with a record breaking 41 points! Mr. Ashman kept his form, scoring 38 points in the semi-final and 39 in the final, taking the 1995 "Mastermind" title.

Answer: "Brain of Britain"

It was this programme which was to become the dearest prize to Kevin. He later admitted that if he were to retain one of his titles, it would be the "Brain of Britain." This is mainly due to his long-running association with the programme, later becaming a question setter on the show (from 2002). In this role, Kevin was referred to as "Jorkins," a character out of the Dickens novel, "David Copperfield."

However, before going on to question setting, Kevin extended his reputation in the quiz world by winning both "Brain of Brains" (a contest between the 3 most recent winners of "Brain of Britain"), and "Top Brain" (a contest between the 3 most recent winners of "Brain of Brains").

Answer: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"

It is due to his quiz profile (e.g. winning "Mastermind" and "Brain of Britain") that Kevin was not allowed to take part in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". Furthermore, his contract in "Eggheads" does not permit him to take part in any "big money" quiz shows. In Kevin's words, the "big money" shows came along "a bit too late" for him. Nevertheless, he is enthusiastic about continuing his work as a quiz writer, as well as focussing on the international quiz competitions.

Despite never having had appeared on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" himself, Kevin had agreed to be a "phone-a-friend" to both "Eastenders'" Michelle Collins, and TV's "Max & Paddy," on special charity editions of the show.

Answer: Belgium

In all 5 years (2004-08), the European Quiz Championship team tournament featured the same two national teams in the final - England and Belgium. On review, Belgium was the most successful of the two, winning in 3 of the 5 years (2005, 06, 08). The Belgian team was made up of top quizzers such as Ronny Swiggers and Nico Pattyn. The English team regularly features Mark Bytheway, Pat Gibson and Olav Bjortomt (alongside Kevin).

Answer: Pat Gibson

Pat Gibson arrived on the quizzing scene with a bang in 2004, when he won the £1 million prize on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". This was the start of what was to become an impressive run of titles, one which could rival that of Kevin Ashman. After his first TV appearance in 2004, Pat went on to win both "Mastermind" and "Brain of Britain" in the same year (2005).

Pat did not come out of the blue in the 2007 World Quiz Championships, having been runner-up to Kevin Ashman for the previous three years. He also had his share of success in the European Quiz Championships, winning gold in the team tournaments in both 2004 and 2007, as well as the pairs tournament in 2005.

Answer: Geoff Thomas

The original team was made up of Kevin Ashman, CJ de Mooi, Chris Hughes, Daphne Fowler, and Judith Keppel. They were joined in 2008 by Barry Simmons, after he won the competition, "Are You an Egghead?" All have earned their crust in the world of quizzing:
--- CJ de Mooi has won several shows, including "15 to 1," "Beat the Nation," and "100%." He has also won the title of Mensa chess champion.
--- Chris Hughes has won "Mastermind," "International Mastermind," and "Brain of Britain." He is also noted for being one of the few to have won both "Mastermind" and "Brain of Britain."
--- Judith Keppel became well known in 2000, when she became the first British person to win the jackpot on TV's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
- Daphne Fowler has made her name in several quiz shows, including "15 to 1," "Bullseye," and "Brain of Britain."
--- Barry Simmons has reached the latter stages of both "Brain of Britain" and "Mastermind," and, like Kevin, is an active participant in the World Quiz Championships.

Answer: Celebrities

In each programme, there is £1000 up for grabs if the contestants are able to topple the eggheads. If they fail, the £1000 rolls over to the next show. Although contestants have the advantage of choosing the egghead they wish to face in each category, the eggheads often hold their nerve and have gone on several lengthy undefeated streaks, meaning that the prize money has, on occasion, reached over £70,000!

Kevin has often been referred to as the unofficial team captain. It has been accepted in some categories in "Eggheads" that Kevin is *almost* unbeatable. These include; history (in which he has never given an incorrect answer), politics (where he remains undefeated), and science (where he reigned undefeated for 5 years).

"Eggheads" has also allowed people to see the other side of Kevin - those who have met him have praised him for his humility and friendly nature. His humorous character is also clear to anyone who watches the show.

Answer: Mark Bytheway

Mark has matched Kevin in terms of achievements in "Brain of Britain," winning all three titles ("Brain of Britain," "Brain of Brains," and "Top Brain"). Mark has also partnered Kevin to silver in 2006 and bronze in 2008 in the European Quiz Championship pairs tournament.

Coming back from 2nd place (where he had finished in 2007) and 4th (his position in 2008), Kevin managed to return triumphant in 2009, becoming the first man to ever regain the World Quiz Championship singles title, as well as remaining the only man to ever win the title more than once (with a total of 4). Across the 8 categories in the Championships, Kevin managed to obtain the highest score in 3 (culture, media and history), finishing with a total of 177 points, beating Ronny Swiggers' score of 174, and Mark Bytheway's 166.