Countdown Champion Stewart Holden Celebrates Ten Years As Quizmaster

Robert Stewart’s in Drumbeg, Belfast, is celebrating Stewart Holden’s tenth anniversary as host of its weekly Wednesday pub quiz, recognising a familiar face at the heart of a local tradition dating back to 1990.

As Northern Ireland’s longest-running pub quiz, the Wednesday-night fixture has brought people together for more than three decades.

For the past ten years, former Countdown champion Stewart has been the person putting those teams through their paces, carrying forward a tradition that was already well established when he first picked up the microphone. He succeeded former Q Radio newsreader Tony Rice, who had also spent nearly a decade as quizmaster.

The anniversary celebrates his contribution alongside the regulars who have kept the quiz going. For those teams, Wednesday at Robert Stewart’s is a standing arrangement with friends, with a little healthy competition giving everyone another reason to come back.

Stewart brings an impressive quizzing pedigree to the role. He won a series of Channel 4’s Countdown in 2004, has represented the UK at the World Scrabble Championships and was runner-up at the 2007 National Scrabble Championship.

His credentials also include compiling The Guardian’s weekly Scrabble puzzle, writing for the Countdown Desk Calendar and appearing on Al Murray’s Great British Pub Quiz. He also took on Mastermind in 2022, answering questions on the US Space Shuttle Programme.

There is further cause for celebration among the regulars, with quiz participant Gavin Dugan recently winning his heat of BBC Two’s Mastermind. His specialist subject was SAS commander Blair Mayne, adding another television quizzing success to the Robert Stewart’s community.

At Robert Stewart’s, Stewart’s general knowledge questions give people with different interests the chance to contribute to their team.

Stewart Holden said: “Ten years has gone remarkably quickly and I feel very lucky to spend my Wednesday evenings doing something I enjoy with such a lovely group of people. When I took over, the quiz already meant a great deal to the regulars. Being trusted to carry that on has been a real privilege.

“Some of our teams have been coming since the 1990s, so they have a much longer history with the quiz than I do. Their loyalty is extraordinary. I love the fact that people make time for it week after week! I want people to have a good think and enjoy the challenge, but I also want them to have a laugh with their friends. A good quiz gives everyone a moment when they can say, ‘I know this one!’ It is lovely to be part of something people look forward to and I’m very grateful to everyone who has made the last decade so enjoyable.”

For bar manager Lauren Kerr, the occasion is an opportunity to recognise both the host’s commitment and the customers who have supported the quiz over so many years.

Lauren said: “Stewart puts so much care into the quiz and we are delighted to celebrate ten years with him. He understands the people who come along and the importance of making Wednesday a night they enjoy coming back to.

“To have teams who have been joining us since the 1990s is something we are incredibly proud of. They have given so many Wednesday evenings to Robert Stewart’s and their support means a great deal to the whole team here.

“The quiz is a lovely example of the role a local pub can play in people’s lives. It gives friends a reason to get together during the week, catch up and enjoy each other’s company. We want to thank Stewart for everything he has brought to it over the last decade and every team who has helped keep this tradition going.”

The Robert Stewart’s pub quiz takes place every Wednesday at 9pm at 149 Ballyskeagh Road, Drumbeg, Belfast. For details visit bobstewarts.co.uk or follow Robert Stewart’s on social media.