Is Christmas University Challenge coming back?
Christmas University Challenge (2011–present) on BBC Two
The answer: Between seasons — last episode January 2, 2026, no return date announced yet.
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15seasons
147episodes
About Christmas University Challenge
The show is currently between seasons on BBC Two. The most recent episode aired on January 2, 2026, and no new season has started yet.
Christmas University Challenge is a Christmas-themed quiz series that features distinguished university alumni competing against each other. It first premiered on December 19, 2011, and has become a seasonal fixture during the holiday period. The show involves teams answering questions related to history, culture, and general knowledge, all set within a festive atmosphere.
The series stars Jeremy Paxman and Amol Rajan as presenters, with Roger Tilling serving as the narrator. The show has aired 15 seasons, with the latest concluding in early January 2026.
Christmas University Challenge episode schedule
147 aired
Aired · 147
| Date | Ep. | Title |
|---|---|---|
| January 2, 2026 | S2025·E10 | Final |
| January 1, 2026 | S2025·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| December 31, 2025 | S2025·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| December 30, 2025 | S2025·E7 | Middlesex v Lancaster |
| December 29, 2025 | S2025·E6 | St Hilda's College, Oxford v Edinburgh |
| December 28, 2025 | S2025·E5 | Exeter College, Oxford v Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
| December 26, 2025 | S2025·E4 | Trinity College, Cambridge v Bristol |
| December 24, 2025 | S2025·E3 | Keble College, Oxford v Hull |
| December 23, 2025 | S2025·E2 | UCL v Leeds |
| December 22, 2025 | S2025·E1 | Durham v Manchester |
| January 3, 2025 | S2024·E10 | Final |
| January 2, 2025 | S2024·E9 | Episode 9 |
| January 1, 2025 | S2024·E8 | Episode 8 |
| December 31, 2024 | S2024·E7 | St Andrews v LSE |
| December 30, 2024 | S2024·E6 | Emmanuel College, Cambridge v Queens' College, Cambridge |
| December 29, 2024 | S2024·E5 | Southampton v Churchill College, Cambridge |
| December 27, 2024 | S2024·E4 | Leeds Trinity v Nottingham |
| December 26, 2024 | S2024·E3 | Manchester Metropolitan v Brighton |
| December 24, 2024 | S2024·E2 | Worcester College, Oxford v Bristol |
| December 23, 2024 | S2024·E1 | Warwick v Durham |
| December 29, 2023 | S2023·E9 | Episode 9 |
| December 28, 2023 | S2023·E8 | Episode 8 |
| December 27, 2023 | S2023·E7 | Episode 7 |
| December 26, 2023 | S2023·E6 | Episode 6 |
| December 22, 2023 | S2023·E5 | Episode 5 |
| December 21, 2023 | S2023·E4 | Episode 4 |
| December 20, 2023 | S2023·E3 | Episode 3 |
| December 19, 2023 | S2023·E2 | Episode 2 |
| December 18, 2023 | S2023·E1 | Episode 1 |
| December 30, 2022 | S2022·E10 | Grand Final |
Show 117 earlier episodes
| December 29, 2022 | S2022·E9 | Semi Final |
| December 28, 2022 | S2022·E8 | Semi Final |
| December 27, 2022 | S2022·E7 | University of Bristol v University of Cardiff |
| December 26, 2022 | S2022·E6 | UCL v University of Aberdeen |
| December 23, 2022 | S2022·E5 | University of Hull v University of the West of England |
| December 22, 2022 | S2022·E4 | Exeter College, Oxford v Queen Mary University of London |
| December 21, 2022 | S2022·E3 | Durham University v University of York |
| December 20, 2022 | S2022·E2 | University College, Oxford v University of Glasgow |
| December 19, 2022 | S2022·E1 | SOAS University of London v Balliol College, Oxford |
| December 31, 2021 | S2021·E10 | Grand Final |
| December 30, 2021 | S2021·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| December 29, 2021 | S2021·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| December 28, 2021 | S2021·E7 | Kent v Goldsmiths, London |
| December 27, 2021 | S2021·E6 | Birkbeck, London v Portsmouth |
| December 24, 2021 | S2021·E5 | Corpus Christi, Cambridge v St Anne's, Oxford |
| December 23, 2021 | S2021·E4 | LSE v Hertford, Oxford |
| December 22, 2021 | S2021·E3 | Bristol v King's, Cambridge |
| December 21, 2021 | S2021·E2 | Winchester v Bradford |
| December 20, 2021 | S2021·E1 | Edinburgh v Leicester |
| January 1, 2021 | S2020·E10 | Grand Final |
| December 31, 2020 | S2020·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| December 30, 2020 | S2020·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| December 29, 2020 | S2020·E7 | New College Oxford v Reading |
| December 28, 2020 | S2020·E6 | Durham v Downing, Cambridge |
| December 26, 2020 | S2020·E5 | UCLAN v Loughborough |
| December 24, 2020 | S2020·E4 | Nottingham v Sheffield |
| December 23, 2020 | S2020·E3 | Courtauld v Goldsmiths |
| December 22, 2020 | S2020·E2 | Manchester v Queen's Belfast |
| December 21, 2020 | S2020·E1 | Christ's Cambridge v St John's Oxford |
| January 3, 2020 | S2019·E10 | Final |
| January 2, 2020 | S2019·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| January 1, 2020 | S2019·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| December 31, 2019 | S2019·E7 | Warwick v Imperial |
| December 30, 2019 | S2019·E6 | Trinity Hall, Cambridge v St Peter's College, Oxford |
| December 27, 2019 | S2019·E5 | Royal Holloway v Sussex |
| December 26, 2019 | S2019·E4 | Liverpool v Hull |
| December 25, 2019 | S2019·E3 | Guildhall School of Music and Drama v UCL |
| December 24, 2019 | S2019·E2 | Birmingham City University v Wadham College, Oxford |
| December 23, 2019 | S2019·E1 | Leeds University v Clare College, Cambridge |
| January 4, 2019 | S2018·E10 | The Grand Final |
| January 3, 2019 | S2018·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| January 2, 2019 | S2018·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| January 1, 2019 | S2018·E7 | Edinburgh University v LSE |
| December 31, 2018 | S2018·E6 | Sheffield University v Manchester University |
| December 29, 2018 | S2018·E5 | St Catherine's, Oxford v Peterhouse, Cambridge |
| December 28, 2018 | S2018·E4 | Exeter University v Birmingham University |
| December 26, 2018 | S2018·E3 | Pembroke College, Cambridge v King's London |
| December 25, 2018 | S2018·E2 | Westminster University v University of East Anglia |
| December 24, 2018 | S2018·E1 | Brasenose, Oxford v Bristol |
| January 5, 2018 | S2017·E10 | The Grand Final |
| January 4, 2018 | S2017·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| January 3, 2018 | S2017·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| January 2, 2018 | S2017·E7 | Brunel University v Reading University |
| January 1, 2018 | S2017·E6 | Queen Mary College, London v Cardiff University |
| December 29, 2017 | S2017·E5 | St John's College, Cambridge v St Edmund Hall, Oxford |
| December 28, 2017 | S2017·E4 | University of Leicester v UCL |
| December 27, 2017 | S2017·E3 | University of York v University of Southampton |
| December 26, 2017 | S2017·E2 | Selwyn College, Cambridge v St Andrews University |
| December 24, 2017 | S2017·E1 | Durham University v Keble College, Oxford |
| December 29, 2016 | S2016·E10 | The Grand Final |
| December 28, 2016 | S2016·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| December 27, 2016 | S2016·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| December 26, 2016 | S2016·E7 | Bristol v Nottingham |
| December 25, 2016 | S2016·E6 | Magdalene, Cambridge v St Hilda's, Oxford |
| December 23, 2016 | S2016·E5 | Edinburgh v St Catharine's, Cambridge |
| December 22, 2016 | S2016·E4 | Soas v Leeds |
| December 21, 2016 | S2016·E3 | City v Newcastle |
| December 20, 2016 | S2016·E2 | Kent v Sussex |
| December 19, 2016 | S2016·E1 | Manchester v St Anne's, Oxford |
| January 1, 2016 | S2015·E10 | The Grand Final |
| December 31, 2015 | S2015·E9 | Semi-Final 2 |
| December 30, 2015 | S2015·E8 | Semi-Final 1 |
| December 29, 2015 | S2015·E7 | Durham v LSE |
| December 28, 2015 | S2015·E6 | Aberdeen v Sheffield |
| December 24, 2015 | S2015·E5 | Exeter v Magdalen, Oxford |
| December 23, 2015 | S2015·E4 | Christ's, Cambridge v Essex |
| December 22, 2015 | S2015·E3 | Manchester v UEA |
| December 21, 2015 | S2015·E2 | Oriel, Oxford v Trinity, Cambridge |
| December 20, 2015 | S2015·E1 | UCL v Birmingham |
| January 2, 2015 | S2014·E10 | Episode 10 |
| January 1, 2015 | S2014·E9 | Episode 9 |
| December 31, 2014 | S2014·E8 | Episode 8 |
| December 30, 2014 | S2014·E7 | Episode 7 |
| December 29, 2014 | S2014·E6 | Episode 6 |
| December 26, 2014 | S2014·E5 | Episode 5 |
| December 25, 2014 | S2014·E4 | Episode 4 |
| December 24, 2014 | S2014·E3 | Episode 3 |
| December 23, 2014 | S2014·E2 | Episode 2 |
| December 20, 2014 | S2014·E1 | Episode 1 |
| January 3, 2014 | S2013·E10 | Episode 10 |
| January 2, 2014 | S2013·E9 | Episode 9 |
| January 1, 2014 | S2013·E8 | Episode 8 |
| December 31, 2013 | S2013·E7 | Episode 7 |
| December 30, 2013 | S2013·E6 | Episode 6 |
| December 27, 2013 | S2013·E5 | Episode 5 |
| December 26, 2013 | S2013·E4 | Episode 4 |
| December 23, 2013 | S2013·E3 | Episode 3 |
| December 21, 2013 | S2013·E2 | Episode 2 |
| December 20, 2013 | S2013·E1 | Episode 1 |
| January 4, 2013 | S2012·E10 | Episode 10 |
| January 3, 2013 | S2012·E9 | Episode 9 |
| January 2, 2013 | S2012·E8 | Episode 8 |
| January 1, 2013 | S2012·E7 | Episode 7 |
| December 31, 2012 | S2012·E6 | Episode 6 |
| December 21, 2012 | S2012·E5 | Episode 5 |
| December 20, 2012 | S2012·E4 | Episode 4 |
| December 19, 2012 | S2012·E3 | Episode 3 |
| December 18, 2012 | S2012·E2 | Episode 2 |
| December 17, 2012 | S2012·E1 | Episode 1 |
| December 27, 2011 | S2011·E8 | Episode 8 |
| December 26, 2011 | S2011·E7 | Episode 7 |
| December 25, 2011 | S2011·E6 | Episode 6 |
| December 24, 2011 | S2011·E5 | Episode 5 |
| December 22, 2011 | S2011·E4 | Episode 4 |
| December 21, 2011 | S2011·E3 | Episode 3 |
| December 20, 2011 | S2011·E2 | Episode 2 |
| December 19, 2011 | S2011·E1 | Episode 1 |
