Controversy followed the 1998/99 competition when it was announced that the winning team contained professional competitors. The Open University team contained at least two members who had appeared on television quiz shows before. John Burke, the team captain, had reached the semi finals of Mastermind, and Lance Haward had also appeared on Mastermind and may other TV quiz shows. In particular, Mr Haward was quoted as saying that he only enrolled at the Open University so that he could take part in University Challenge. In a letter to the Telegraph Mr Haward tried to justify his action on the grounds that he was attempting to explode the myth that the student teams on University Challenge represents the cream of general knowledge talent. This is irrelevant. The point of University Challenge is that the teams of full time students are not professional quiz entrants, but genuine students. While the entry of the OU team may not contravene the rules of the competition, it violates the spirit of them, and the organisers should consider strongly if an OU team should be invited to the 1999/2000 competition.
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Last updated 24th June, 1999