Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind is a celebrity version of Mastermind, a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. It began in 2002 as a one-off special, expanding to the current arrangement of 10 episodes, broadcast during December and January. It is hosted by John Humphrys, who also hosts the main show.
Format
The format is the same as the standard show, although each episode is treated as a single contest with the winner receiving a trophy and contestants fees being donated to charity.History
The original BBC version of Mastermind, hosted by Magnus Magnusson, was broadcast on BBC One from 1972 to 1997. While other versions continued on radio and satellite television, the show did not return to BBC Television until 2002, with a one off episode, the Mastermind Celebrity Special, originally broadcast on 30 December 2002 on BBC Two to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first ever Mastermind final. The original host, Magnus Magnusson, was brought back for this special.This was a precursor to the main show also being returned to the BBC with a new host, John Humphrys. The first series of the main show hosted by Humphrys began on BBC Two on 7 July 2003. The celebrity version then also aired on BBC Two for a first full series of three episodes in December 2003/January 2004, also hosted by Humphrys.
The celebrity version of the show has continued every year since, alongside the main show. Although the main show has remained on BBC Two, the celebrity version was promoted to BBC One from series 2 onwards.
Episodes
2002 Special
Transmission date | Celebrity | Specialist subject |
30 December 2002 | Adam Hart-Davis | Heroes of Science and Invention before 1900 |
30 December 2002 | Jonathan Meades | English Architecture 1850–2002 |
30 December 2002 | Janet Street-Porter | British Teapots 1735–1970 |
30 December 2002 | Vic Reeves | The Golden Age of Piracy 1680–1720 |
Series 1 (2003–04)
Series 2 (2004)
Transmission date | Celebrity | Specialist subject |
23 July 2004 | Edwina Currie | Marie Curie |
23 July 2004 | Simon King | British wildlife |
23 July 2004 | Tracy-Ann Oberman | The Imperial Roman family |
23 July 2004 | Richard Whiteley | The BBC's history and programmes 1950-60 |
30 July 2004 | Matt Allwright | The films of the Coen Brothers |
30 July 2004 | Bernard Cribbins | Angling |
30 July 2004 | David Grant | Stevie Wonder |
30 July 2004 | Murray Walker | Formula One |
6 August 2004 | Tara Palmer-Tomkinson | The life and works of Audrey Hepburn |
6 August 2004 | Steve Rider | Masters golf |
6 August 2004 | Arabella Weir | Dallas |
6 August 2004 | Adam Woodyatt | Blackadder Goes Forth |
26 December 2004 | Ricky Groves | British pop music |
26 December 2004 | Neil Hamilton | British politics |
26 December 2004 | Martin Offiah | Second World War |
26 December 2004 | Hugh Quarshie | Richard Pryor |
31 December 2004 | Eric Knowles | The artistry of René Lalique |
31 December 2004 | Shirley Robertson | Olympic sailing |
31 December 2004 | Jimmy Savile | Top of the Pops |
31 December 2004 | Tom Ward | Philip Larkin |
Series 3 (2005–06)
Transmission date | Celebrity | Specialist Subject |
28 December 2005 | Jeremy Beadle | The Solar System |
28 December 2005 | Natalie Cassidy | Friends |
28 December 2005 | Jeremy Edwards | Johnny Depp |
28 December 2005 | Tim Rice | London capital murders |
29 December 2005 | Diane Abbott | Jamaican politics |
29 December 2005 | Phil Cornwell | The Apollo space missions |
29 December 2005 | Monty Don | The Beatles |
29 December 2005 | Nicholas Owen | Railways of south-east England |
30 December 2005 | Andrew Castle | Men's Grand Slam tennis |
30 December 2005 | Graeme Le Saux | History of Jersey |
30 December 2005 | Peter Tatchell | Malcolm X |
30 December 2005 | Gina Yashere | Lifts |
1 January 2006 | Diarmuid Gavin | U2 |
1 January 2006 | Lembit Öpik | Kander and Ebb musicals |
1 January 2006 | Wendi Peters | Japanese motorcycles |
1 January 2006 | Paul Ross | The life and work of Ezra Pound |
2 January 2006 | Iain Banks | Malt whisky |
2 January 2006 | Myleene Klass | The third series of Sex and the City |
2 January 2006 | Alistair McGowan | The life and work of Erik Satie |
2 January 2006 | Sid Waddell | The history of rock 'n roll 1955-65 |
Series 4 (2006–07)
Transmission date | Celebrity | Specialist subject |
26 December 2006 | Clare Balding | |
26 December 2006 | Ranulph Fiennes | |
26 December 2006 | Rageh Omaar | |
26 December 2006 | Steven Pinder | |
27 December 2006 | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | |
27 December 2006 | Henry Kelly | |
27 December 2006 | Edward Stourton | Pope John Paul II |
27 December 2006 | Kelli Young | |
28 December 2006 | Todd Carty | |
28 December 2006 | Paul Henshall | |
28 December 2006 | Henry Olonga | |
28 December 2006 | Gok Wan | |
29 December 2006 | Iain Lee | The Monkees |
29 December 2006 | Jimmy McGovern | The First Fleet |
29 December 2006 | Scott Mills | Prisoner Cell Block H |
29 December 2006 | Bernie Nolan | The films of Frank Sinatra |
30 December 2006 | Josie d'Arby | The practices of Reiki |
30 December 2006 | Dave Spikey | Human blood |
30 December 2006 | Brian Turner | Antoine Careme |
30 December 2006 | Matthew Wright | Frank Zappa |
Series 5 (2007–08)
Transmission date | Celebrity | Specialist subject |
31 December 2007 | Paul Bradley | Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band |
31 December 2007 | Dan Snow | Seven Years' War |
31 December 2007 | Peter Serafinowicz | Monty Python's Flying Circus |
31 December 2007 | William G. Stewart | Lord Elgin and his Marbles |
1 January 2008 | Adrian Edmondson | Sex Pistols |
1 January 2008 | Bill Turnbull | Beekeeping |
1 January 2008 | Jan Ravens | Daphne du Maurier |
1 January 2008 | Benjamin Zephaniah | Jamaican Reggae up to 1985 |
2 January 2008 | Steve Cram | Sunderland A.F.C. |
2 January 2008 | Anjum Anand | Partition of India |
2 January 2008 | Tony Hawks | Tony Hawk |
2 January 2008 | Bill Kenwright | The Hit Parade 1957–1964 |
3 January 2008 | Wayne Sleep | Bob Fosse |
3 January 2008 | Yvette Fielding | Henry VIII |
3 January 2008 | DJ Spoony | Ray Charles |
3 January 2008 | Brian Sewell | British motor cars 1930–1950 |
4 January 2008 | Kaye Adams | The Pankhursts |
4 January 2008 | Simon Rimmer | Tranmere Rovers F.C. |
4 January 2008 | Danny Wallace | Ghostbusters |
4 January 2008 | Nicholas Parsons | Edward Lear |