Jeremy Paxman steps down as University Challenge host
Jeremy Paxman steps down as University Challenge host
Jeremy Paxman will be stepping down as host of the University Challenge television quiz show after more than 28 years.
The former Newsnight presenter became just the longtime show's second host in 1994, and its final episode will air next summer.
The news comes a year after the broadcaster revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
"I've had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years," Paxman, 72, said in a statement.
"I had the chance to work with an incredible team and meet some of the brightest minds in the country. It gives me hope for the future."
The formidable former journalist took over as host when the quiz show for Students was revived by the BBC, and has already outgrown the reign of its predecessor Bamber Gascoigne, who featured it on ITV from 1962 to 1987.
Paxman will film its final episodes this fall and its replacement will be announced later this week.
It's not yet clear who is being considered for the role, but Kirsty Wark - one of Paxman's former Newsnight colleagues - has replaced him for a Children In Need special charity edition of the quiz in 2021.
Jeremy Paxman will be stepping down as host of the University Challenge television quiz show after more than 28 years.
The former Newsnight presenter became just the longtime show's second host in 1994, and its final episode will air next summer.
The news comes a year after the broadcaster revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
"I've had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years," Paxman, 72, said in a statement.
"I had the chance to work with an incredible team and meet some of the brightest minds in the country. It gives me hope for the future."
The formidable former journalist took over as host when the quiz show for Students was revived by the BBC, and has already outgrown the reign of its predecessor Bamber Gascoigne, who featured it on ITV from 1962 to 1987.
Paxman will film its final episodes this fall and its replacement will be announced later this week.
It's not yet clear who is being considered for the role, but Kirsty Wark - one of Paxman's former Newsnight colleagues - has replaced him for a Children In Need special charity edition of the quiz in 2021.
