Gail Trimble
Gail Trimble (b. about 1982), is a postgraduate student of Latin literature at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. She came to prominence in 2009 as a contestant on the British BBC television quiz programme University Challenge, where she captained the winning team and, before the final, provided two thirds of her team's total points, 825 out of 1,235.[1] The final, broadcast on 23 February 2009, was watched by more than 5 million viewers, the show's highest audience share since at least 2001, after media hype focussed on Trimble's intelligence, manner and physical appearance.[2][3] Trimble has been described in the British press as a "TV quiz phenomenon",[1] and by a defeated contestant as a "relentless juggernaut of intellectual Blitzkrieg".[4]
Background[edit]
Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, Trimble was educated at Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton, Middlesex, where she achieved 11 GCSEs, grade A standard A-levels in Latin, Greek, English Literature and Maths,[1] and one of the top five marks in the country in A-level General Studies.[5] She was awarded a place at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 2000. She won a declamation prize at Oxford for Latin recital in 2001, and was also reported to give recitals in her lunchtimes at college as a soprano singer, and lecture on Ovid, Hellenistic poetry and Catullus.[1]
University Challenge 2009[edit]
- See also: University Challenge 2009
She won a place on the college's team after several earlier attempts had failed, and contributed substantially to the team's success in earlier rounds. The Guardian noted[1]
"In the Oxford college's run to the final, Trimble has scored more points than her three team-mates combined. In their semi-final, Corpus Christi defeated St John's College, Cambridge, 260-150. Trimble's personal haul was 185. In the quarter-finals, Trimble racked up a record 15 starters-for-10 as Corpus Christi raced to 350 points. Opponents Exeter University limped to 15 points, the equivalent of one correct starter and bonus. It was the lowest score since 1971 and only five points more than the worst of all time."
The grand final win was more of a team effort though, with Trimble even getting the odd answer wrong, such as when she buzzed to say "Pollyanna" when the correct answer was "Goody Two-Shoes".
The final of the 2008/09 series was recorded in Manchester four months before it was broadcast, but all those involved had to keep quiet about the result until the programme was shown on BBC2. The winners' trophy was presented to Trimble by the poet Wendy Cope.[6] Trimble revealed that she had previously had difficulty getting on to the college University Challenge team, making three or four attempts. "I've tried over the years with different teams for the college, but we never made it".[7]
Cultural impact and criticism[edit]
After the final was broadcast, she said she was getting used to being in the public eye. She said that she had been approached by a lads' mag to take part in a "tasteful photoshoot", revealing that Nuts magazine had already been in touch. She said, "Would you believe it, my brother received a Facebook message from Nuts yesterday morning saying 'can we have your sister's email address, we want her to do a tasteful shoot'... So of course he sent them an answer saying: 'Seriously mate, would you give your sister's contact details to Nuts?'" [8][9]
She had been accused of being "smug" and "snobbish" by many bloggers on the internet.[1] However, she was defended from criticism by University Challenge's host, Jeremy Paxman, who said of her "she's actually had rather a mean sort of press. People have accused her of sneering. Actually I think she's quite shy."[10]
The Independent 's columnist Nicholas Lezard stated: "The intellectual powerhouse that is Gail Trimble, captain of Corpus Christi's all-conquering University Challenge team, has divided the nation like no other figure since Margaret Thatcher...Such scorn as she has suffered is really about nothing more than the man's fear of the clever woman."[11] The Mail on Sunday compared her to terminally ill reality TV star Jade Goody, saying of the bloggers:[12]
"You can see how much easier it is to take Jade Goody for your role model ahead of Gail Trimble. If you know nothing, and see someone getting rich and famous precisely for that reason, you are instantly validated. You, too, could become the next poster girl for ignorance. How comforting, too, if the moment an awesomely intelligent woman does come along, you're allowed to attack her for being smug and snobbish."
The Daily Mail's columnist Melanie Phillips wrote that "if anything demonstrates Britain’s steady descent into baying brutishness, it is surely the treatment meted out to Gail Trimble."[13]
Trimble said of internet criticism "I'm glad that people are being nice about me rather than nasty but ... I very much think this would not be happening if I was a man".[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Gallagher, Paul (2009-02-22). "Your starter for 10: is Gail Trimble the cleverest contestant ever?". The Observer. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Rogers, Jon (2009-02-24). "University Challenge final scores 5.3m". Broadcastnow. Retrieved 2009-02-25. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Holmwood, Leigh (2009-02-24). "TV ratings: British Law & Order debut arrests 6m viewers". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Funnell, Jacob (2009-01-28). "On University Challenge (Illustrated)". Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ "Borough-wide delight at exam results". UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London (LexisNexis reprint)
|format=requires|url=(help). 2000-08-23. - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wylie, Ian (2009-02-24). "Manchester lose to quiz queen". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Fryer, Jane (2009-02-24). "'I do worry what people think of me...I try really hard not to seem clever'". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Holmwood, Leigh (2009-02-24). "University Challenge star Gail Trimble adapts to public eye". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Booth, Jenny (2009-02-24). "University Challenge genius Gail Trimble: I have learnt to deal with taunts". The Times. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Sillito, David (2009-02-24). "Student rocks University Challenge". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Lezard, Nicholas (2009-02-25). "The challenge of Gail Trimble". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-02-25. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Mount, Harry (2009-02-24). "Why do we love Jade Goody and vilify a University Challenge brainbox for being bright?". The Mail on Sunday. Retrieved 2009-02-24. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Phillips, Melanie (2009-02-24). "What the mob really hates about Gail Trimble is her glowing self-confidence". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2009-02-25. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|coauthors=(help)