Editing Gail Trimble

'''Gail Trimble''' (b. about 1982),  is a [[postgraduate]] student of [[Latin literature]] at [[Corpus Christi College, Oxford|Corpus Christi College]], [[Oxford University|Oxford]].  She came to prominence in 2009 as a contestant on the [[British people|British]] [[BBC television]] [[quiz]] programme ''[[University Challenge 2009|University Challenge]]'', where she captained the winning team and, before the final, provided two thirds of her team's total points, 825 out of 1,235.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web
  | last =Gallagher
  | first = Paul
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Your starter for 10: is Gail Trimble the cleverest contestant ever?
  | work =[[The Observer]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-22
  | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/feb/22/university-challenge-trimble
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}
</ref> The final, broadcast on 23 February 2009, was watched by more than 5 million viewers, the show's highest audience share since at least 2001, after media hype focussed on Trimble's intelligence, manner and physical appearance.<ref name="Broadcastnow">{{cite web
  | last =Rogers
  | first = Jon
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =University Challenge final scores 5.3m
  | work =Broadcastnow
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2009/02/trimble_makes_opposition_tremble.html
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-25  }}
</ref><ref name="Guardian ratings">{{cite web
  | last =Holmwood
  | first = Leigh
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =TV ratings: British Law & Order debut arrests 6m viewers
  | work =[[The Guardian]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/24/tv-ratings-law-and-order
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  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}
</ref> Trimble has been described in the British press as a "TV quiz phenomenon",<ref name="Guardian"/> and by a defeated contestant as a "relentless juggernaut of intellectual Blitzkrieg".<ref name="Exeter contestant journal">{{cite web
  | last = Funnell
  | first = Jacob
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title = On University Challenge (Illustrated)
  | work =
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-01-28 
  | url=http://lystellion.livejournal.com/84288.html
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}
</ref>

==Background==
Born in [[Walton-on-Thames]], Surrey, Trimble was educated at [[Lady Eleanor Holles School]] in [[Hampton]], [[Middlesex]], where she achieved 11 [[GCSE]]s, grade A standard A-levels in Latin, Greek, English Literature and Maths,<ref name="Guardian"/> and one of the top five marks in the country in A-level General Studies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Borough-wide delight at exam results |format=[[LexisNexis]] reprint |work=UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London |date=2000-08-23 }}</ref>  She was awarded a place at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 2000.  She won a declamation prize at Oxford for Latin recital in 2001, and was also reported to give recitals in her lunchtimes at college as a soprano singer, and lecture on [[Ovid]], [[Hellenistic poetry]] and [[Catullus]].<ref name="Guardian"/>

==University Challenge 2009==
{{seealso|University Challenge 2009}}
She won a place on the college's team after several earlier attempts had failed, and contributed substantially to the team's success in earlier rounds.  ''The Guardian'' noted<ref name="Guardian" />  <blockquote>"In the Oxford college's run to the final, Trimble has scored more points than her three team-mates combined. In their semi-final, Corpus Christi defeated St John's College, Cambridge, 260-150. Trimble's personal haul was 185. In the quarter-finals, Trimble racked up a record 15 starters-for-10 as Corpus Christi raced to 350 points. Opponents Exeter University limped to 15 points, the equivalent of one correct starter and bonus. It was the lowest score since 1971 and only five points more than the worst of all time."</blockquote> The grand final win was more of a team effort though, with Trimble even getting the odd answer wrong, such as when she buzzed to say "Pollyanna" when the correct answer was "Goody Two-Shoes". 

The final of the 2008/09 series was recorded in Manchester four months before it was broadcast, but all those involved had to keep quiet about the result until the programme was shown on [[BBC2]]. The winners' trophy was presented to Trimble by the poet [[Wendy Cope]].<ref name="Manchester lose">{{cite web
  | last =Wylie
  | first = Ian
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Manchester lose to quiz queen
  | work =[[Manchester Evening News]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz/s/1098452_manchester_lose_to_quiz_queen
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}</ref> Trimble revealed that she had previously had difficulty getting on to the college University Challenge team, making three or four attempts. "I've tried over the years with different teams for the college, but we never made it".<ref name="Daily Mail clever">{{cite web
  | last =Fryer
  | first =Jane
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title ='I do worry what people think of me...I try really hard not to seem clever'
  | work =[[Daily Mail]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-1153804/I-worry-people-think--I-try-really-hard-clever.html
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}
</ref>

==Cultural impact and criticism==
After the final was broadcast, she said she was getting used to being in the public eye.  She said that she had been approached by a lads' mag to take part in a "tasteful photoshoot", revealing that ''[[Nuts magazine|Nuts]]'' magazine had already been in touch. She said, "Would you believe it, my brother received a [[Facebook]] message from ''Nuts'' yesterday morning saying 'can we have your sister's email address, we want her to do a tasteful shoot'... So of course he sent them an answer saying: 'Seriously mate, would you give your sister's contact details to ''Nuts''?'" <ref name="Guardian adapts">{{cite web
  | last =Holmwood
  | first = Leigh
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =University Challenge star Gail Trimble adapts to public eye
  | work =[[The Guardian]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/24/university-challenge-gail-trimble
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}</ref><ref name="Times">{{cite web
  | last =Booth
  | first = Jenny
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =University Challenge genius Gail Trimble: I have learnt to deal with taunts
  | work =[[The Times]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5797340.ece
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}</ref>

She had been accused of being "smug" and "snobbish" by many [[bloggers]] on the internet.<ref name="Guardian"/> However, she was defended from criticism by ''[[University Challenge]]'''s host, [[Jeremy Paxman]], who said of her "she's actually had rather a mean sort of press. People have accused her of sneering. Actually I think she's quite shy."<ref name="student rocks">{{cite web
  | last =Sillito
  | first =David 
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Student rocks University Challenge
  | work =
  | publisher =[[BBC News]]
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7906745.stm
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}
</ref> 

''[[The Independent]]'' 's columnist Nicholas Lezard stated: "The intellectual powerhouse that is Gail Trimble, captain of Corpus Christi's all-conquering University Challenge team, has divided the nation like no other figure since [[Margaret Thatcher]]...Such scorn as she has suffered is really about nothing more than the man's fear of the clever woman."<ref name="lezard">{{cite web
  | last =Lezard
  | first =Nicholas
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =The challenge of Gail Trimble
  | work =[[The Independent]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-25
  | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/nicholas-lezard-the-challenge-of-gail-trimble-1631295.html
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-25  }}
</ref> The ''[[Mail on Sunday]]'' compared her to terminally ill reality TV star [[Jade Goody]], saying of the bloggers:<ref name="Daily Mail Goody">{{cite web
  | last =Mount
  | first =Harry
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Why do we love Jade Goody and vilify a University Challenge brainbox for being bright?
  | work =[[The Mail on Sunday]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-1153665/HARRY-MOUNT-Why-love-Jade-vilify-University-Challenge-brainbox.html
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-24  }}
</ref><blockquote>"You can see how much easier it is to take Jade Goody for your role model ahead of Gail Trimble. If you know nothing, and see someone getting rich and famous precisely for that reason, you are instantly validated. You, too, could become the next poster girl for ignorance. How comforting, too, if the moment an awesomely intelligent woman does come along, you're allowed to attack her for being smug and snobbish."</blockquote>  The ''[[Daily Mail]]'''s columnist [[Melanie Phillips]] wrote that "if anything demonstrates Britain’s steady descent into baying brutishness, it is surely the treatment meted out to Gail Trimble."<ref name="Phillips">{{cite web
  | last =Phillips
  | first =Melanie
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =What the mob really hates about Gail Trimble is her glowing self-confidence
  | work =[[Daily Mail]]
  | publisher =
  | date =2009-02-24
  | url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1154145/MELANIE-PHILLIPS-What-mob-really-hates-Gail-Trimble-glowing-self-confidence.html?ITO=1490
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =2009-02-25  }}
</ref>

Trimble said of internet criticism "I'm glad that people are being nice about me rather than nasty but ... I very much think this would not be happening if I was a man".<ref name="Manchester lose" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7907154.stm Gail Trimble interview on BBC Breakfast News]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7852553.stm Corpus Christi winning semi-final of University Challenge 2009]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7906745.stm BBC News item on Gail Trimble]
*[http://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/admissions/profiles/gail.asp  2003 Oxford University undergraduate profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trimble, Gail}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Contestants on British game shows]]
[[Category:Corpus Christi College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:University Challenge]]
[[Category:People from Walton-on-Thames]]