Local quiz team reach another round of Only Connect

Photo: BBC

L-R: Jonathan Kershaw, Brett Bostock and Peter Barlow - the Eco-Warriors

A local team of quiz masterminds have reached another round of notoriously difficult quiz show, Only Connect.

All three members of the Eco-Warriors team – Jonathan Kershaw, Brett Bostock and Peter Barlow – are ‘quiz whizzes’, and between them they have played in different leagues across the district for over 20 years, such as JW Lees Summer League, Rochdale and District Quiz League, Blue Pitts Raiders, Blue Pitts Rovers and Healey Hotel. 

The trio made their Only Connect screen debut in August 2017 when they saw off competition from the Escapologists, returning in October to face the Snake Charmers.

• https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/138/community-news/113526/rochdales-ecowarriors-through-to-second-round-of-only-connect
• https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/138/community-news/111950/jonathan-kershaw-brett-bostock-and-peter-barlow-to-feature-on-only-connect-on-friday

In February, they took on the Inquisitors for a spot in the quarter-finals. After round one, the Eco Warriors took an early lead with two points, before storming ahead with nine in the second round. The trio continued to lead by three points after the third round, before ultimately falling behind in the final round.

Despite this, the Eco-Warriors will not be returning home as they still have a shot at a place in the semi-finals, should they win two of three further games.

Team captain Brett, from Littleborough, is no stranger to television quiz shows, having appeared on shows like 15-1 since the mid-90s. He believes he has reached more grand finals of 15-1 over the years than any other contestant, having appeared in five.

Peter, a local government officer from Littleborough, has been quizzing for about 25 years. He has also appeared on 15-1 and reached the semi-finals of Brain of Britain.

However, for Jonathan, 48, from Castleton, Only Connect marked a new experience. Previously he had sat in the audience for the recording of University Challenge: The Professionals and gone through the ‘games-test’ phase of the short-lived Britain’s Brightest with other individuals from local quiz leagues. 

They had applied for the show five times and auditioned three.

Originally airing on BBC Four, Only Connect moved to BBC Two in 2014. Hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, the show features two teams of three people competing in four rounds of tough gameplay, to find connections between seemingly unrelated clues.

Watch the Eco-Warriors take on the Wanderers at 8.00pm on BBC Two on Monday 5 March.