Roger Tilling, the voice-over artist who has announced University Challenge since 1997, has revealed a behind-the-scenes secret about how he handles contestants' names. In a recent Instagram post, the broadcaster shared a photo of his notepad, positioned just out of sight of the two teams, showing their surnames written phonetically to help him pronounce them correctly.
Names learned at the last moment
Tilling wrote: "The first time I find out the contestant surnames on University Challenge is actually when we all come into the studio to start filming! So I check the pronunciations with them and resort to that tried-and-tested secret - frantically scribbling the phonetics down on a piece of scrap paper!"
The post drew comments from former contestants. Claudia Fogl, who attended the University of Birmingham, said: "Thank you so much for getting my name right back in the day." A former player from the University of Bristol Law School added: "I remember you coming over to check with Callum that Woof was in fact pronounced 'Woof' - unsung hero of the programme!"
Viewer praise and filming insight
Another commenter praised Tilling for a particularly challenging name, writing: "Still mind-blown by Ruth Ní Mhuircheartaigh last series! That must've taken some practice." A fourth viewer commented: "I admire your skill every week!"
Tilling also gave fans a glimpse into how the show is filmed, sharing a video on Instagram of him introducing presenter Amol Rajan before the first question. He wrote in the caption: "The director declares 'roll to record', a clock on screens counts down from ten seconds, and then the strings of the Balanescu Quartet begin to fill the air. Applause ripples across the studio floor about 14 seconds in. 'University Challenge! Asking the questions: Amol Rajan!' Then over to Amol on camera one!"
