I believe dozens of past "students" were no longer students by the end of the process - so why disqualify Corpus Christi?

Because of meeeejah pressure, that's why.

Always give in, BBC. Never stand up to the bullies.

Here's your starter for ten. Who's had its backbone surgically removed?

At least Yeo, the Manchester captain, is a class act, like Trimble.

Oh well... another BBC show to boycott in future then.

Truly stupid and absurd move by the BBC, but sadly that's all the BBC seem capable of doing these days.

Surely the main question has to be - did they break the rules?

It's ok to say that others might have done the same, but maybe the BBC were not aware of that at the time. Once they have been made aware of it, within a decent time period, they have to respond.

Couldn't they also be seen as spineless if they failed to enforce the rules? Then, if a team we supported were to lose to a team who broke the rules and nothing was done about it, we'd be moaning.

The whole production team of the programme should be sacked immediately.

I cant believe that they did not check the eligibility of each team when they entered. Surely they had to fill out an entry form with their details on it ? Surely they had to provide proof of where they studied and a college letter to confirm this ? Surely this would be the mininum proof.

We get told we need ID to prove who we are - yet on a major TV station they dont even check the most basic information about who is taking part. This shows that every team on University Challenge could have been "Ringers"

It reminds me of the Stephen Fry "Competition" in the excellent ST TRINIANS movie........and if you have seen that you know what I mean - hilarious.

The BBC once having approved this team to play in the competition should have let the result stand.

What it means now is that the whole competition is basically now meaningless. Everyone has taken part in a competition where the BBC is spineless - gutless - and once again caving in to the Political Fascist Classes who want to destroy everything in the UK. Universities are dangerous things - they breed people who question things.

Well done OXFORD CORPUS CHRISTI - worthy champions - and no amount of revisionism by the BBC Fascists can change the fact that you won the competition. Two finger salutes all round.

All the checks (in your second paragraph) were carried out - and each contestant had to affirm that they would advise the BBC of any change in their student status.

One of the Oxford team failed to comply (probably knowingly; these people are not stupid !) - simple.

The only punishment possible (and the correct one) was given.

No, I disagree. Yeo of Manchester was dignified and correct - perhaps the mistaken contestant should be reprimanded and better checking installed but this was a game, a team contest and the result should stand.

The only reason it didn't is because the BBC is terrified of media criticism and disqualification was a BETTER STORY.

From what I understand, when the team registered for the contest, they were all students at the Universtity, but this one guy's course finished before the final. This being the case, it seems they did check that they were all members of the named University. If there is a clause in the rules where you must inform the BBC if you leave the University before the end of the competition, then the responsibilty for that is with the contestant, but in the final he clearly states he was studying chemistry even though he had already graduated.

It's a technicality, but it was a fair cop, Guv.

It was'nt difficult to comply - but, with a nice new job, the Oxford chap decided not to and, presumably, owned up to his error/subterfuge.

His affirmation - to advise the BBC of any change in his student status - placed this onus solely on him; it was clearly set out that any breach of the rules (which is what happened) could result in disqualification, not an uncommon consequence in competitions and sport.

To blame the media/BBC for this chap's own failings is wrong; the Winslow Boy option is always there !

Bamber Gascoigne got in right when he said that the series should be recorded in a single university year. If that isn't possible, then the rule should be changed to say that the contestants must be students when the early rounds are recorded. Simple.

The saddest truth of all is that BBC now stands for Bendy Backbone Cowards.

So are you telling me that for the 6 months of the filming this "Bloke" was pretending to the camera crews and his fellow challenge entrants that he was still in college - when he quite clearly had left.

He did not tick the right box. That is his CRIME !!! and a whole programme has been sacrificied on the altar of BOX TICKING. This is NEW LABOUR BBC at its very worst

That makes it not spineless or gutless - it makes it deeply sinister and petty.

I would like anyone on here to say that they have correctly ticked every box in their life on every form ?

I thought so - box ticking is mind paralysing for anyone who is a real human being. It was developed by those who wish to enslave us and is aimed at the lowest intelligence in society. They get around that by calling it "inclusive" - or to those who look at it as a restriction of choice and freedom as DUMBING DOWN.

University Challenge has been DUMBED DOWN by the BBC - brilliant.

Everyone involved in the programme should resign. They have hoisted a programme onto the airwaves that failed to carry out regular checks on its contestants. That in itself is totally wrong - if this situation occurs regularly then in EVERY OCTOBER they should all sign a new form saying where they are attending college that academic year. This is how it would be if those organising the competition had any intelligence.

Fancy setting a box tick that referred to April rather than the September of the year of the competition.

BBC incompetence yet again driven by PC madness.

Interestingly, the show is made for the BBC by ITV - Granada. I wonder if they are secretly having a bit of a laugh at the embarassment they have inflicted upon their major competitors?

I certainly haven't ticked every box correctly in my life, but when found out I've generally paid whatever penalty was due, no matter how trivial. That's how life goes, and it's been that way for many decades.

I'm quite pleased that the BBC didn't carry out "regular checks" on their contestants. They explained the rules and then trusted people to abide by them. I wish more people would show that level of trust. That one person did break the rules in entirely down to that one person. Nobody else can be blamed, regardless of how much of a political issue we want to make out of it all.

Dixie - nothing would suprise me. The BBC should not pay them for the series. It was a dud. Not fit for purpose.

Didn't watch the show but surely someone could have worked out what the score would have been without the 'naughty cheat' playing. From what I have heard Ms Trimble answered most of the questions so surely Oxford would have still won, even with the 'naughty cheat' absent?

Because, the contestants are sometimes allowed to confer, it would be impossible to gauge how much the 'cheat' contributed.

Quite rightly, he and his team (did they know he was working!?) were disqualified.

There was no other option; the program (which had a record 5m + viewers) is for students, not graduates.

It's interesting because JK is usually very complimentary towards the BBC. Perhaps he's seen the light. Yes, some of their productions equal the best television in the world...no-one anywhere on earth can come even remotely close to Attenborough's stuff. More recently (as JK promoted) Litte Dorritt was truly compulsive viewing...first class television.

If only they could get their politics right and steer away from New Labour with whom there is no doubt they've been having a quite monstrous affair for the last 12 years. It's blatant... between the sheets at 3 o'clock afternoon, mostly anal, with Auntie serving up croissants and wild fruit for breakfast. It's obscene.

That's why Blair looks so old...10 years of shafting Bush and the beeb.

But he was a student when all the early rounds were recorded. I gather it was only the quarter, semi and final that were recorded after he had a job.

What would have been the situation if he declared he was working? As I understand it, the contestants remain the same throughout the competition.

When the competition started this man WAS at Oxford University.

I really cant see why he has been disqualified.

In addition how come he was not checked by the BBC until AFTER the whole series had finished.

This sounds like the classic GORDON BROWN story. Revising history after it has happened.

You dont get Man Utd getting disqualified after a Premier League season. They may get a fine if they do something wrong....but football clubs dont get demoted for breaking rules unless it happens at the time.

What the BBC have done is to disqualify the WHOLE COMPETITION - not the contestant. Surely those of you posting on here must see that. By all means cancel the prize money of this individual. But to cancel the whole team and then to cancel the whole competition after it has taken place makes the whole thing meaningless.

Revisionist history is what dictatorships do. The BBC let this person take part and checked his entry ( or we think they did ) I believe students in Oxford believe that they followed the rules.

I cant believe that they have been disqualified. I might add that my colleges are UCL - LSE - and Cambridge University - so I have no interest in standing up for an Oxford college.

This is PC rule following gone mad.

Box ticking culture is appalling. The BBC need to stand by their orginal decision to approve this team and have the GUTS to do so.

Otherwise JK is right. They are spineless.

I salute OXFORD and Ms Trimble as the real winners of University Challenge in 2009 - the only winners. Even if the BBC PC brigade dont want to recognise that.

I would hope that when the TORIES get back into power the title will be restored to OXFORD and this sorry little episode will be forgotten about.

Great piece in the Sun by Bamber Gascoigne saying that, now University Challenge takes so long to record, most contestants in their last year now cannot enter. And in the Mirror it's revealed that several previous winning teams should now be disqualified.

Just another example of BBC spinelessness and laxness - not thinking things through or examining consequences.