It’s been almost a year but the 2020 Mastermind champion will finally be crowned on Monday 15 Feb at 6.00pm on SBS. The following week sees the return of the series proper with a new host in the shape of journalist Marc Fennell.
Jennifer Byrne returns one last time as quizmaster for finals week before handing over the reins to Walkley-winning journalist, Marc Fennell, who will helm the third season from Monday 22 February. Marc, best known for The Feed (SBS) and Download This Show (ABC), is no stranger to Mastermind having jumped into the iconic quizmaster seat for a short but successful stint in 2019.
Marc Fennell said: “I think Mastermind is a genuine insight into Australia’s psyche. Every one of us has that one obsession, that one thing we know and love above all things. The best part of being the quizmaster is seeing the wild diversity of obsessions and topics that the contenders bring with them. But make no mistake, it is the toughest quiz show on Australian television. I’ve been both a fill-in host and celebrity contender on Mastermind Australia, I know first-hand how intimidating it can be. While I may be the one holding the questions, I truly marvel at the gumption of the contenders. It’s going to be intense.”
SBS Commissioning Editor, Josh Martin, said: “It’s been a long wait, but we’re thrilled to finally be presenting the 2020 Mastermind winner. Jennifer has expertly quizzed contenders since we re-launched Mastermind to Australian audiences in 2019. She leant the show her considerable intellect, warmth and authority and we thank her for the instrumental role she has played in the show’s success. We’re excited that the quizmaster baton will be passed on to SBS’s own Marc Fennell, no stranger himself to the Mastermind hosting role, who will bring his own unique style and energy to this one-of-a-kind quiz show.”
After a season of speciality subjects such as Lady Gaga, the Nimitz UFO Sighting, Sydney architecture, the Stolen Generation, Donald Glover, Aussie slang, the history of European beers, the comedies of Shakespeare and nuts (just to name a few), it is down to 16 contenders competing in the Season 2 finals.
Specialist subjects for finals week will include the Kokoda Track Campaign, The Wombat, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, The Kingkiller Chronicle, Casablanca, Ozzy Osborne, Joan of Arc and the Spike Milligan War Memoirs.
Running for nearly 50 years on the BBC in the UK, Mastermind is an addictive global phenomenon, originally inspired by creator Bill Wright’s experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II and captured on screen using a spotlight, black chair and rapid-fire questioning.
Mastermind is produced for SBS by BBC Studios.
