Eric Monkman (born c. 1987)[1] is a Canadian academic and television personality based in the United Kingdom.

Eric Monkman
Born (1987-07-04) July 4, 1987 (age 37)
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Alma materUniversity of Waterloo
Wolfson College, Cambridge

Monkman comes from Oakville, Ontario, Canada. His father, a doctor, died when Eric was thirteen. Monkman obtained his first degree from the University of Waterloo[2] and then studied for a master's degree in economics at Wolfson College, Cambridge, when he captained the college's University Challenge team. The team lost in the 2017 final to a team from Balliol College, Oxford.[3]

His girlfriend, Jiang Na teaches law at Beijing Normal University. [1] Viewers described him as the most intense contestant ever: a reviewer called him an "unexpected hero".[1]

Television career

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Together with Bobby Seagull, Monkman presented the BBC Radio 4 programme Monkman and Seagull’s Polymathic Adventure, and wrote the quiz book The Monkman and Seagull Quiz Book published by Eyewear Publishing in October 2017.[4] They presented Monkman & Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain, a four-part series on BBC Two, first broadcast in 2018.[5] The show was commissioned for a second series in 2019.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Pells, Rachael (10 April 2017). "Who is Eric Monkman? All you need to know about the University Challenge finalist". The Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  2. ^ Vincent, Alice (10 April 2017). "Quizzing, canoeing and family tragedy: 10 things you didn't know about University Challenge finalist Eric Monkman". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. ^ Westbrook, Caroline (17 September 2018). "Who are Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull and how are they best known?". Metro.
  4. ^ Monkman, Eric; Seagull, Bobby (20 December 2017). "Monkman and Seagull's brainbox quiz of 2017". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. ^ Walker, Amy (17 August 2018). "University Challenge duo Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull to star in BBC show". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "BBC Two commissions Monkman & Seagull for second series". Media Centre. UK: BBC. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
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