Here's why a Wearside university has made history on BBC's University challenge

The team became the first in the show’s history to win back-to-back titles.

In what was the alumni final of the long running iconic TV show the Durham team beat Keble College, Oxford.

In their route to the final, Durham prevailed over the University of Manchester and Trinity College, Cambridge. To regain the title the team showcased their knowledge on an array of subjects including the Ruskin art collection, the philosophy of Sartre, the performance artist Leigh Bowery, and the feeding habits of whales.

One of 14 teams to feature in seven heats, the Durham team remained unchanged from last year’s victory.

The Durham team was made up from captain Carla Denye, Member of Parliament for Bristol Central, Professor Liz James, an author and Fellow of the British Academy, and Tracey MacLeod, journalist and broadcaster known for presenting arts and music programmes like The Late Show and the Mercury Music Prize.

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The final team member was Sophia Smith Galer, an author, journalist, and content creator who has pioneered journalism on TikTok in the UK.

Following their victory the team said: “We were proud to represent Durham again, and even prouder to be back-to-back winners, the first in University Challenge history.

“We played against some really tough opponents, all of whom had distinguished themselves in previous tournaments. But our super-power was our teamwork, and the friendship we forged along the way.”

University Challenge is an iconic television quiz programme which first aired in 1962, pitting teams representing British Universities against each other on specialist general knowledge.

The show has been hosted by Amol Rajan since 2023. He is the third host, following Bamber Gascoigne and Jeremy Paxman.

The alumni version of the competition has been running since 2011.