University Challenge announcer faces ultimate test with tongue twisting contestant name

The brainbox contestants on University Challenge are used to being put to the test by Jeremy Paxman – but they weren’t the only ones with a tough task on their hands on Monday night.

Roger Tilling, the announcer who introduces the contestants on the quiz, had an admirable challenge of his own with one of the BBC2 show’s longest surnames.

“Oh my giddy aunt. I’m doomed,” tweeted Tilling in reaction to the surname of one Spanish contestant: Rubio Gorrochategui.

https://twitter.com/rogertilling/status/912391381729054721

BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce was among viewers enthralled by the name game...

https://twitter.com/RealKenBruce/status/912395280091422720

https://twitter.com/SamarydMk2/status/912395545947369472

https://twitter.com/livvypaige/status/912393029163585537

https://twitter.com/markshaw/status/912396034080493568

Tilling definitely did rise to the challenge – at 10 minutes 50 seconds in to the episode on iPlayer you can even hear him rolling his “R”s. Smashed it.

This is not the first time Tilling has been faced with a tricky name on University Challenge – he mastered the seven-syllable Papaphilippopoulos in 2013.

And just a few weeks ago a contestant with the surname of "Snape" appeared on the show, to the delight of Harry Potter fans.