University Challenge viewers hail Reading captain Michael Hutchinson the 'first standout player of the season' as he scores 108 of the team's 175 points himself - so, could YOU do the same?

University Challenge viewers were won over by the Reading University captain Michael Hutchinson last night as he scored more than half of Reading's points
Branded the captain 'swoon worthy' and the 'first stand out player of the series'
Reading beat University of Strathclyde 175-110 answering tricky questions

Published: 09:54 BST, 17 August 2021 | Updated: 10:24 BST, 17 August 2021

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University Challenge viewers were won over by the Reading University captain last night who scored 108 points by himself to become the highest scoring individual of the season.

Michael Hutchinson, a Maths PGCE student, from Andover, captained his team to victory over University of Strathclyde helping them score an impressive 175 - 110.

Viewers branded the captain the 'first stand out player of the series' after he got eight Starter for Ten questions correctly and also answered dozens of bonus questions.

Scroll down for questions and answers

How many Starter for Ten questions can YOU answer?

Each of these questions are worth 10 points and must be answered by a single player without any consultation. The team who wins a Starter For Ten is then given three bonus questions, each worth five points.

1. What weather phenomenon links a repeated line of Feste the Clown's song in Twelfth Night, the first line of the general prologue to the Canterbury Tales and the poem by Emily Dickinson which includes the lines A Half a Dozen kissed the Eaves?

2. Although it's origins are a matter of dispute, what concerted action made its first appearance internationally and the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the phenomenon taking the first part of it's two-part name from the tournament's host country?

3. The Treaty of Trianon was signed in June 1920 between representatives of the allied powers and which central European nation? This landlocked nation lost two thirds of its terrorist as a result including the regions of Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Transylvania?

4. Referring to the route taken by Lenin when he was smuggled into Russia during the First World War, the lyric 'from Lake Geneva to the Finland station' features in which 1986 track from the Pet Shop Boys?

5. Give either the noun of the adjective here. When referring to related techniques in microscopy, what does the letter F stand for in the acronyms - FLIM, FRAT AND FISH?

6. Born in 1876, the sculptor Edvard Eriksen is perhaps best known for which public sculpture, sometimes described as a national symbol? It depicts a character created by an author of the Princess and the Pea.

7. In a move that remains disputed, in 2002, the US House of Representatives resolution 269 asserted that the Italian American inventor Antonio Meucci invented what device in the 19th Century?

8. 'His smile and his dagger were very close' wrote Cabrera de Córdoba, the official court historian of which European monarch born in Valladolid in 1527. He was briefly joint sovereign of England.

9. In which Belgian city is Saint Bavo's Cathedral noted for its alter piece attributed to the van Eyck brothers?

10. Haar, Riemann-Stieltjes and Lebesgue all give their names to what mathematical construct used in calculus?

11. 'If a lion could speak, we could not understand him' - who made this statement in a statement in a work published soon after his death in 1951?

12. What number is represented by the Roman Numeral that matches the chemical symbol of the group five element named after a Norse deity?

Fans described the captain as the 'first stand out player of the season' while many swooned over him joking they were 'in love' and wanted to marry him'

'Great watching Hutchinson vs Strathclyde,' joked one.

'If Hutchinson gets injured then Reading are in trouble,' added another.

'Stand out performance from captain Hutchinson helping @UniofReading through to the next round in a fast paced match,' commented a third.

Others joked they were 'in love with him' and wanted to marry him.

'I have been overtaken with lust for Hutchinson,' said one.

Michael Hutchinson (second right), a Maths PGCE student, from Andover, captained his team to victory over University of Strathclyde helping them score an impressive 175 - 110.

Viewers branded the captain the 'first stand out player of the series' after he got eight Starter for Ten questions correctly and also answered dozens of bonus questions.

'I need to marry Reading Hutchinson,' wrote another.

'Hutchinson is a rare 'I would'' said another.

'Just enjoyed watching #UniversityChallenge where Hutchinson from @UniofReading put Strathclyde to the sword much to Paxman surprise,' added a third.

Many also praised Hutchinson for being kind to his team and for his great communication skills.

'#UniversityChallenge - it was really nice to see a captain talking and being nice to their team. Well done Reading and Hutchinson,' one added.

'Communication will get you everywhere @ReadingFC you know how we need players, get this Hutchinson signed up,

Many also praised Hutchinson for being kind to his team and for his great communication skills.

Other students on the team included Alex Skopic, studying for a Master's in English Literature, Margaret Ounsley , studying for a PhD in Poor Law History and Sylvian Patrick Jesudoss, studying for a PhD in Marketing at Henley Business School.

On the opposing side was Nicolas Kirsch studying for an MSc in data analytics, Andrew Laird studying for PhD in Chemical Engineering, Martin Monaghan studying for a Masters in Physics, and Rhianna McGhee studying English and French.

Despite Hutchinson's valiant effort, Strathclyde still scored well, getting 110 points answering questions on European history, pop music, politics and history.

Speaking ahead of airing Hutchinson said: 'The whole experience has been a blast!

'It is very exciting to represent the University of Reading on one of the most famous of quiz shows. It has certainly been an interesting experience preparing and filming under lockdown. We only met in person the first time on the day of filming!

'We hope people enjoy watching as much as we enjoyed filming.'

The team did better than last year's squad who went out in the first round. They also successfully avoided the unique honour received by the Reading alumni team from 2018.

The team, made up of famous and notable former students, got to the final round of the Christmas series, where they scored zero against the University of Oxford's Keble College.