John Hart

The 1975 champion was the first man to win Mastermind, the senior classics master at Malvern College, Worcestershire. He won his heat with 'Athens in the Fifth Century BC' and his semi-final with 'Rome in the First Century BC'. In the final he reverted to his initial subject. The main threat appeared to be from Francis Lambert who had attended the same school as John, and had done very well in his heat and semi-final. However, it proved to be John's final all the way - he led at the halfway stage with 15 and won with 29. According to John, Francis had not done as well as expected because he had taken the quiz too seriously - the object of the game was to have 'fun'. Apparently John was so pleased to win the title that he did not worry about putting so much effort into the first Supermind, contested between the first four champions - he came fourth. Nevertheless, he had broken the female stranglehold on a competition that had for the last three years been won by women.

There was an unusual postscript to John's victory - he was given a free holiday in Greece, courtesy of the Union of Greek Shipowners. Apparently his choice of a subject relating to Greece in the final had made him a national celebrity in that country!