University Challenge duo Monkman and Seagull get TV show - BBC News
The ex-University Challenge captains will tour the country on a hunt for hidden gems of British ingenuity.
The four-part series will see Monkman and Seagull tour the UK

University Challenge stars Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull will tour the country looking at Britain's technological achievements in their first TV show.

The duo who rose to fame as rivals on the 2017 series will be searching the UK for hidden gems of British ingenuity.

The pair have also presented a show for BBC Radio 4 about polymaths.

Monkman And Seagull's Genius Guide To Britain will be a four-part series shown on BBC Two.

Canadian Mr Monkman sparked "Monkmania" with his expressive responses and extensive knowledge as he captained Wolfson College Cambridge to the final of University Challenge in 2017, where they lost to Balliol College Oxford.

In the semi-final, Wolfson beat Emmanuel College Cambridge, captained by Mr Seagull, but the two leaders became good friends.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Monkmania" took the nation by storm

Their new TV venture will see them explore the science of the deep-fried Mars bar and the world's smallest museum in a phone booth, among other things.

Mr Monkman said: "Curiosity is an approach to life. The more you know, the more you realise you don't know.

"My admiration for British genius is one of the major factors that led me to study in the United Kingdom.

"I look forward to learning more about Britain's scientific discoveries and to sharing what I learn with everyone."

Mr Seagull added: "The beauty of our friendship is that we're both driven by the same thing - a curiosity about the world."

The Londoner also recently confirmed he had turned down a spot on Celebrity Big Brother shortly after his University Challenge appearances.

Mr Seagull said he was "very flattered" but that it was not a "right fit" at the time.

"Who knows in the future?" he said.