University Challenge: Mother and son compete together on show for UCL team

‘We said, “Oh, come on, let’s do it, it’ll be a laugh just to do a quiz together,”’ Rachel Collier explained

University Challenge will see a mother and son pair up to compete in the prestigious quiz for the first time.

Rachel and Louis Collier both made it to the University College London team after studying at the university during the same year.

Rachel, 53, is studying part-time for a PhD in Classics at the university while working as a teacher.

Her son Louis, 26, meanwhile has received a postgraduate certificate in education from the institution and teaches physics and mathematics.

It was Rachel who suggested that Louis apply for the UCL team when the students’ union began the selection process last year.

As an undergraduate, Louis had been selected for his university’s team, but they had never made it to the rounds shown on TV.

“Louis was a bit hesitant at first,” the mother-of-four told The Times. “But we said, ‘Oh, come on, let’s do it, it’ll be a laugh just to do a quiz together.’”

During the selection process, the pair would meet after each round and discuss how the other had answered the questions over dinner.

“When we were actually selected… we obviously made a beeline for each other and gave each other a big hug,” Louis said.

Rachel and Louis on the UCL ‘University Challenge’ team (ITV)

“There were at least a couple of people who were like, ‘This is kind of odd’. So we explained it.”

The UCL team made it through to the televised shows, with their first round against Sheffield airing in October.

Rachel said: “I found the whole experience extremely nerve-racking, and something of a distraction from my academic work, but the stress was more than offset by the pleasure of spending lots of time with Louis, who flew the family nest a couple of years ago.”

University Challenge airs Mondays at 8.30pm on BBC Two.