Oxford college lifts quiz trophy

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Gail Trimble in action during the University Challenge final

A team from Corpus Christi College in Oxford has won this year's University Challenge.

The team, captained by 26-year-old Gail Trimble, beat Manchester University by 275 points to 190 in the BBC television quiz chaired by Jeremy Paxman.

Much of the college's success has been down to Ms Trimble, who scored two-thirds of her team's 1,200 points before the final.

Ms Trimble's performance was likened to an "intellectual blitzkrieg".

She was presented with the winners' trophy by the poet Wendy Cope.

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This young lady was exceptional in every round

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It is the second time that the Oxford University college has won the competition, having also taken the title in 2005.

Founded in the early 16th Century, it is one of Oxford's smaller colleges, with fewer than 400 students.

The team played in five matches during the six-month tournament.

Their high winning margins included their victory over Exeter University in the quarter-finals when they scored 350 points and their opponents could manage only 15, the lowest score since 1972.

Gail Trimble and Jeremy Paxman on her success

Runners-up Manchester University were series champions in 2006.

Ms Trimble, a Latin scholar, told BBC Breakfast she had been surprised to be talked about as an attractive sex symbol.

"It is nice that people are saying nice things about my appearance, and not nasty things.

But on the other hand it's really sad that they feel the necessity to say things about my appearance at all."

She also revealed that a men's magazine had approached her for a photo session.

"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 photo shoot?'.

"So of course he sent them an answer saying, 'seriously mate would you give your sister's contact details to Nuts?'."