Preston entrepreneur and activist to feature on BBC Christmas special

Lee Chambers will be on our TV screens on Boxing Day

A Preston entrepreneur and psychologist will appear on a BBC special this festive season.

Lee Chambers, who runs Male Allies UK, will be representing Manchester Metropolitan University on Christmas University Challenge.

The show, which starts on Monday 23 December, will see the MMU alumni compete against other universities to be crowned Christmas champions. The MMU team will be live at 8.30pm on Boxing Day, competing against the University of Brighton.

Alongside Lee, the MMU team is made up of professor of applied disability and para sport Vicky Tolfrey, impressionist, comedian and actor Debra Stephenson, and the Archdeacon of Salford and Bolton Rachel Mann.

Lee with his MMU team and presenter Amol Rajan on University Challenge

Lee said: “Appearing on University Challenge was a real bucket list moment for me. Growing up in Preston, I remember watching as a child dreaming that I could get a chance to sit in one of those chairs and truly test myself.

“It was an experience I’ll never forget and such a pleasure to play with both my team and representing the University I once attended and now am a board advisor to.”

The Christmas special will see 56 distinguished alumni from 14 universities compete against each other in a bid to be crowned Christmas champions.

Amol Rajan, who will be hosting the show, said: “There is always something magical about the Christmas series of University Challenge, and this year is no exception.

“The contestants are a rather lovely bunch of journalists, academics, politicians and other assorted professionals, all trying desperately to remind themselves of what they’ve forgotten from their own student days.

“I can’t give away too much but we have some wonderful laughs, several thrilling finishes, and a little Christmas surprise that you won’t want – or be able – to miss.”

The University Challenge Christmas series starts on Monday 23 December at 8.30pm on BBC
iPlayer and BBC Two.

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