Alexander Guttenplan

Alexander Guttenplan
Born (1990-06-08) 8 June 1990
New York, NY, U.S.A
Nationality British and American
Known for University Challenge 2010 series, captain of winning team (Emmanuel College, Cambridge)

Alexander Guttenplan (born 8 June 1990) is a student primarily known as the captain of the team from Emmanuel College, Cambridge that won University Challenge in 2010, scoring 315 points to 100 against St John's College, Oxford, in the final. His performance in this has been compared with that of Gail Trimble. He also "got the better" of presenter Jeremy Paxman, in an exchange which became an Internet sensation.[1] He has hundreds of fans who call themselves Guttenfans: "Guys want to be him, girls want to be with him!".[2] He also took part in a special edition of Only Connect, leading a team from University Challenge against the champions of the first series of Only Connect, the Crossworders.[3] In September 2017, Guttenplan appeared as part of "Team Emma" on Eggheads.

He is currently pursuing a PhD at Emmanuel College.

Guttenplan is of Jewish and Greek ancestry.[4] His father is of U.S. Jewish origin, and mother from Greece: both are writers, D. D. Guttenplan and Maria Margaronis. He has two siblings. He was educated at the Hall School Hampstead and Westminster School, where he showed prodigious talent in a school quiz at the age of eleven.[5] His hobbies include ceilidh, sailing, rowing, science fiction and browsing Wikipedia.[6] He was chairbeing of the Cambridge University Science Fiction Society.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Jeremy Paxman clash student in University Challenge win". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  2. ↑ Razaq, Rashid (29 March 2010). "No guesses why University Challenge whizz is a huge internet hit". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 29 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  3. ↑ "University Challenge Special". Only Connect. BBC Four. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  4. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (16 February 2010). "University Challenge: Guttenplan vs Amit". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  5. ↑ Ed Cumming (4 April 2011). "Alexander Guttenplan envy: I could have been a contender". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  6. ↑ Liz Thomas, Tom Kelly (6 April 2010). "The pin-up Einstein: TV victory for brainbox who had nerve to take on Paxo". Daily Mail. London.
  7. ↑ Peck, Tom (3 April 2010). "Your starter for 10...Where is the student who taught politicians how to handle Paxman?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
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