But while Monkman fans may have been devastated to see him miss out on the coveted University Challenge trophy, the man himself seemed pretty chufffed – especially when the one and only Stephen Hawking turned up to congratulate both teams.
Monkman tweeted after the meeting: “Thank you as well to Professor Stephen Hawking.
Many were disappointed when one Eric Monkman of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and his team were beaten by Balliol, Oxford in an incredibly tense final.
After one of the most talked-about series of University Challenge we were finally rewarded with a winner – but perhaps not the one a particular set of fans were hoping for.