Judith Keppel, the original Eggheads star, will participate in the 2,000th episode of the renowned quiz programme.
Judith, 80, revealed in October that she will be quitting the popular programme after 19 years, having joined it when it first aired on the BBC in 2003.
‘I love doing it but I have done it for 19 years and my memory is definitely not what it was,’ Judith said at the time.
But, the TV star was enticed out of retirement for the landmark episode on Channel 5, which took over the show from the Line of Duty broadcaster in 2021.
The special, hosted by Jeremy Vine, will follow the classic concept of a team of participants aiming to beat a panel of professional quizzers in a general knowledge exam.
TV quiz royalty Judith, who was catapulted to fame as the first UK winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, told the PA news agency: ‘It’s amazing. It’s lovely to be able to be doing that. Eggheads obviously has been a great success over the years because we’ve gone on such a long time.”
Explaining the success of the show, she added: ‘I think people love bringing teams. What Eggheads has become is what I call wallpaper TV. Students have their TV on all the time, so they see Eggheads and then they bring a team because they think it’d be a laugh.
‘And then we have families who come on, and we have pub teams, because they always have quiz teams, and work teams and also charity teams.
‘All sorts of people seem to enjoy bringing teams and participating. I think that’s the secret to it really. It’s not University Challenge, which absolutely bamboozles most people… the science questions on University Challenge, I don’t know what they’re talking about.
‘It’s possible to beat us.’
Her fellow original Eggheads panellist Chris Hughes said it was ‘wonderful’ to see Keppel again and ‘have her back on the team for the 2,000th show’.
The 75-year-old added: ‘Who would have ever thought that our little lunchtime quiz would make it to 2,000 episodes, and now be on Channel 5. It’s incredible really.’
Meanwhile, presenter Jeremy told PA ‘we’re so chuffed’ that the show has hit such a remarkable milestone.
‘With any quizzes, there’ll be a time, maybe once a year, twice a year, where you’ve got your heart in your mouth, waiting to see whether it’s recommissioned, and the audience has been so loyal because they’ve come across from the BBC to Channel 5,’ revealed the 57-year-old.
‘I get a lot of people say they’ve been watching it since the very start for nearly 20 years. It’s such a big part of my life, I love it so much.’
The show, according to Jeremy, is in a “privileged position” since it has become a British TV mainstay, with over 70,000 questions addressed during the previous 2,000 episodes.
Eggheads, currently on its 24th series, airs Monday to Friday at 6.30pm on Channel 5.
Source My Celebrity Life.
