Policy researcher Emily Medhurst has earned praise from fans after answering questions on Transport for London moquettes during Friday's episode of the BBC quiz show Mastermind.
Wearing a knitted vest featuring one of the transport network's iconic prints, Medhurst spent two minutes answering questions on the carpet-like fabrics synonymous with the London Underground.
Medhurst correctly answered questions on designers including Enid Marx and Paul Nash to score eight points in her specialist round.
Fans on TikTok praised the highly specific subject choice. "Christ there's niche subjects, then there's that," one viewer wrote.
Another user noted her outfit: "Nice touch that she even had a jumper to match the topic; Wearing one of the answers is a flex."
"Don't wanna brag but she's in my knit club," a third wrote. "This is what niche actually means btw."
Another viewer added: "This is so British it's unbelievable, I didn't know there was 2 minutes worth of moquette information."
Transport for London also commented on the clip, writing: "Most iconic specialist subject ever."
Medhurst finished the episode in third place after adding eight points during the general knowledge round.
The Moquette Questions
Medhurst faced twelve questions during her two-minute specialist round.
- Question: Which design depicting landmarks such as the dome of St Paul's and the London Eye is named after the publicity manager who commissioned moquettes for London Transport in the 1930s? Answer: Barman (Correct)
- Question: In the 1990s a branded moquette featuring lines of classification headings from the Yellow Pages telephone directory was used on which tube line? Answer: Circle (Correct)
- Question: Bushey and Belsize are two moquettes created by which designer following the brief that the material needed to look fresh at all times, even after bricklayers had sat on it? Answer: Enid Marx (Correct)
- Question: A design by Jacqueline Groag featuring burnt orange, black, brown and olive green rectangles was used on what stock District Line train introduced in 1980? Answer: D78 (Correct)
- Question: Which manufacturing company produced the Lozenge, an early moquette commissioned by the Underground Electric Railways Company in 1923? Answer: Lister and Co (Incorrect. The correct answer was Firth)
- Question: What moquette created by Jonathan Sothcott for the 1992 Central Line trains features a repetitive grid pattern? Answer: Central Line Check (Correct)
- Question: Which artist created a collage artwork entitled The Fabric Of Time, featuring ten past moquette designs that was used on the cover of the 40th Pocket Tube map in 2024? Answer: PASS (The correct answer was Rita Keegan)
- Question: The moquette manufactuers John Holdsworth and Co was based at a complex called Shaw Lodge Mills, constructed in the 1800s in which town in West Yorkshire? Answer: Huddersfield (Incorrect. The correct answer was Halifax)
- Question: Which former official war artist created two moquettes for London Transport called Alperton and Arnos? Answer: Paul Nash (Correct)
- Question: As part of the C stock refurbishment of the early 1990s, a new Circle line moquette was designed by what Coventry-based upholstery firm? Answer: British Vertex (Incorrect. The correct answer was Callow and Maddox)
- Question: What blue and green check moquette was originally commissioned for the launch of the Victoria Line, but because it wasn't ready in time, an existing design was used instead? Answer: Straub (Correct)
- Question: The 1940s moquette known as roundel or bullseye was originally attributed to Eddie Chapman, but was later discovered to be the work of which other designer? Answer: Joy Jarvis (Correct)
BBC Entertainment Cuts
While the main Mastermind series will continue with host Clive Myrie, the BBC revealed last month that it has axed the celebrity version of the show as part of major cost-cutting measures.
The corporation is facing funding challenges that have also led to the cancellation of Live At The Apollo and Blankety Blank. A BBC spokesman said the broadcaster is facing a "really tough" time and must cut costs in the entertainment industry.
The celebrity Mastermind spin-off will end after its next filmed series. The programme launched in 2002 as a spin-off from the main series that began three decades earlier. It has previously been presented by John Humphrys and Magnus Magnusson.
Viewing figures for all three cancelled shows have fallen. Celebrity Mastermind dropped from an average of 4million viewers in 2017 to 1.7million for its most recent series.
Blankety Blank, which host Bradley Walsh recently quit, fell from 5.5million viewers in 2021 to 2.3million. Live At The Apollo dropped from 1.3million viewers in 2018 to around 660,000 for its latest run. The figures include catch-up platforms such as iPlayer.
"Unfortunately we have to make some really tough choices in light of our funding challenges, and these savings have been identified from the Entertainment genre," the BBC said in a statement.
"These difficult decisions form part of the BBC's previously announced first phase of its proposals to make £500m of savings over the next three years," the corporation added.
Corporate Restructuring
BBC Content is targeting a minimum of £100m of recurring annual savings, which will result in a reduction of around 100 to 150 hours of originated television programmes across all commissioning genres by the end of the 2027 to 2028 financial year.
The BBC added it will "still continue to commission ambitious Entertainment shows and invest in distinctive UK content" while aiming to "prioritise digital innovation" to serve fans. Further savings across the content division will be announced in the coming months.
The moves are part of the broadcaster's bid to save £500million over the next three years. Around 700 corporate roles are expected to disappear under a major restructuring programme.
Jonathan Munro, the interim chief executive officer of BBC News, sent an email to staff outlining affected jobs and programmes, the BBC reports. The proposals include 200 job losses in the news division, generating £25million in savings.
The World Tonight, a 45-minute weekday news programme, will be cancelled after 56 years on air. The number of presenters on BBC Radio 4's Today show will be reduced from five to four.
Presenter Roles Reviewed
Television production at weekends will be shared across the News Channel and BBC One bulletins. Broadcast television channels and the radio network portfolio will be reviewed as audiences move online.
The BBC will also review its chief news presenter roles, which are held by journalists including Clive Myrie, Ben Brown, Sally Bundock and Geeta Guru-Murthy. Victoria Derbyshire and Faisal Islam are chief presenters on Newsnight, while Jon Kay and Sally Nugent are chief presenters on BBC Breakfast.
The corporation plans to reduce audio content by between 350 and 400 hours across stations and genres. The News Channel will also shift toward an international focus to broaden its audience outside the UK.
