The team from Imperial College London ran out clear winners over opposition from Corpus Christi, Cambridge, in a one-sided University Challenge final.
The decider had been billed as a duel between Imperial’s Brandon Blackwell and Cambridge’s Ian Wang, who had both impressed viewers during the series with their seemingly bottomless depths of knowledge.
Blackwell, from New York, had proven a hit on social media thanks to his hyper-expressive gestures and confidence, while Wang, from Sale in Greater Manchester, earned fans for his more low-key approach.
My teammates are the GOATs. CPC-C are the most cohesive team in the modern era & would've for sure won other recent series. It was wildly humbling & a great honor to meet Prof Wiles. Receiving support like my team & I have has been truly incredible. Thx all#universitychallenge
— Brandon Blackwell (@_brandon2_) April 20, 2020
However, the epic head-to-head hoped for by many failed to materialise during an uneven final.
After the episode was broadcast on BBC Two, victorious Blackwell paid tribute to his teammates, saying they are the “GOATS” (greatest of all time).
He also praised his defeated opponents, describing the Corpus Christi group as “the most cohesive team in the modern era & would’ve for sure won other recent series”.
He added: “It was wildly humbling & a great honour to meet Prof Wiles. Receiving support like my team & I have has been truly incredible. Thx all.”
Sir Andrew Wiles, an English mathematician best known for proving Fermat’s Last Theorem, presented the winning team with its award.
Following the defeat, Wang, who is studying English, shared a meme about life being “nothing but disappointment”.
In all seriousness, massive congratulations to the Imperial team who gave a dazzling performance and who fully earned their win. I'm incredibly proud of our team for making it this far and a huge thank you to everyone who's been rooting for us #UniversityChallenge
— Ian Wang (@iantwang) April 20, 2020
He added: “In all seriousness, massive congratulations to the Imperial team who gave a dazzling performance and who fully earned their win.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team for making it this far and a huge thank you to everyone who’s been rooting for us #UniversityChallenge.”
Announcer Roger Tilling promised viewers the next series of University Challenge will arrive later this year, despite the coronavirus outbreak.
He said: “Despite this treacherous Covid-19 we will get the next series of #UniversityChallenge to you this year. Stay safe.”
