Release Date 19 December 2013

This Friday four distinguished University of Reading graduates will battle it out against counterparts from Emmanuel College, Cambridge on a festive version of University Challenge.

Columnist, critic and novelist Joan Smith (BA Latin, 1974), BBC weather presenter Jay Wynne (MSc Meteorology, 1999), former Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary John Simpson (MA, Medieval Studies, 1976) and artist and sculptor Cornelia Parker (MFA Fine Art, 1982) form the Reading team.

John Simpson said: "The high point for me was meeting the rest of the Reading team. What an interesting group people! I was only sorry I hadn't met them before. As for the match, what separated the teams for me was confidence on the buzzer and getting the answer exactly right rather than just mostly right - under Paxman's gimlet eye."

Find out if the famous foursome made it through to the second round of the Christmas special series at 7.30pm, Friday 20 December, on BBC 2.