Imperial College London triumphed in the 2022 edition of the British quiz show University Challenge on April 4, with a thrilling final win against the University of Reading. However, the true star of the night was undoubtedly Singaporean student Maximilian Zeng, known affectionately as “GPS Zeng.”
A biochemistry student, Zeng earned a devoted fan following for his lightning-fast responses to geography questions throughout the series. His sharp wit was on full display in the final, where he confidently answered the first geography-related question, quickly earning 10 points for his team as the show’s host, Jeremy Paxman, revealed a map.
Zeng’s dominance continued, with his teammates barely able to keep up as he answered questions with ease, even before his team captain, Michael Mays, could nominate him. His team captain shared a slight grin as Zeng effortlessly repeated his correct answer.
Although the victory wasn’t a total landslide, with Imperial College narrowly edging out the University of Reading with a score of 125 to 115, Zeng’s performance was the talk of the night.
The 22-year-old’s standout performance has sparked a frenzy on Twitter, with fans praising his exceptional geography knowledge. One user joked, “If the world were to explode tomorrow, Max Zeng could recreate it in a week or two,” while another humorously claimed Zeng was “more reliable than Google Earth.”
The final episode of University Challenge is now available to stream. Fans are encouraged to channel their inner Zeng for a shot at answering a few questions correctly.