Following his debut show as the new presenter of University Challenge, Amol Rajan has replied to fan response.
The BBC journalist, 39, was selected as the quiz show’s replacement last year after long-time presenter Jeremy Paxman announced his retirement after 29 years at the helm.
Amol described the gig as “dream-come-true terrain” after watching the programme “obsessively” for years.
Fans of the famous series had lots to say when it returned on Monday night, and while many appreciated the presenter, they did point out that the new set design wasn’t working for them.
Amol has now replied to the comments, stating on social media that he will forward the messages.
‘Thanks so much for all the kind, thoughtful or constructive feedback about my first episode of #UniversityChallenge,’ he posted on Twitter.
‘I really appreciate it and will discuss with the team.’
His statement was well received by admirers, who commented on his post.
‘Well done. Such a nail-biting episode. I expect the new set will grow on me, but I do like the new titles,’ one person shared.
‘Congrats. It’s going to take me years to get used to the set/font/style changes though. That was a cracker of a first match,’ someone else wrote.
Another added: ‘I think the biggest points of feedback were the title sequence; set design; fonts; some of the question speed; and the screen rather than question cards…Nothing major then(!) I appreciate you’ve followed along though, and that you’ll pass it on. Until next Monday!’
When fans tuned in, one of the most common comments was that Amol’s chair appeared to be so large that it might swallow him up.
‘Amol Rajan looks like a kid in a highchair, reading questions from a silly screen,’ one viewer joked.
Another questioned if the set was ‘extremely enormous’ or Amol was ‘incredibly little’.
Amol began his career in the newspaper sector and as a secondary presenter on The Wright Stuff before becoming the BBC’s Media Editor.
In the years afterwards, he has been on Radio 2, The One Show, The Media Show, and Today on Radio 4.
Since 1962, University Challenge has been on the air.
University Challenge airs Mondays at 8.30pm on BBC Two.
