Ulster man Jim bids to win BBC Mastermind crown

Lurgan man Jim Maginnis is aiming to conquer the terrifying black chair and lift the coveted 2016 Mastermind title on Friday night.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Apr 2016, 07:45 BST
Jim Maginnis reached the Mastermind semi-finals in his first appearance in the show in 1991Jim Maginnis reached the Mastermind semi-finals in his first appearance in the show in 1991
Jim Maginnis reached the Mastermind semi-finals in his first appearance in the show in 1991

Jim, an RAF squadron leader at Aldergrove, is no stranger to the quiz show, having reached the semi-finals in 1991.

Then, he finished “second or third” when he “blew up” in the general knowledge round, after leading at the end of the specialist subject.

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This year he sailed through the first round, with a perfect 14 answers on his specialist subject ‘The Life and Times of Sir Arthur Harris’.

And in his semi-final last Friday he held his nerve again to win by two points.

His specialist subject was ’Ulster Since The Plantation 1609-1960’, and he answered 11 questions correctly.

He doubled that tally with 11 more correct general knowledge answers, and just two passes, to book his place in tonight’s finale.

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He joins five other contestants in competition for the glory of the title and the Mastermind glass bowl.

The six specialist subjects are The Thunderbirds; English Test cricket since 1970; Elizabeth Gaskell; The Seven Years War 1754-1763; The Ryder Cup 1927-2014 and The Battle for Berlin April-May 1945,

John Humphrys presents the Mastermind final on BBC Two NI at 9.30 on Friday night.

Related topics:UlsterBBCRAF