Isabelle Heward
Isabelle, from Alkborough, Linconshire appeared in series 3 of Fifteen to One, and made the Grand final after scoring about 211 points. Other contestants to appear in the final included Gwen Kingsley, Top of the finals board trophy winner Mal Collier and the eventual champion Kevin Ashman.
After elimination on her next appearance, in her own words, Isabelle was flattered to be invited to take part in the Millennium Quiz, after such a brief connection with 15 to 1. Although she went out in the early stages, she certainly wasn't out of her depth.
In the intervening years, Isabelle participated in many Quiz Shows to increase her quiz experience. Here is a brief rundown of some of the other quiz shows Isabelle appeared in:
- Early 1990's - Sky's Sale of the Century, BBC1's Brainwave, A pilot of Regent Productions' 'Buzzer' which was renamed Famous People, Famous Places (a show Isabelle eventually appeared in for real), and Connections (Regent Productions).
- Mid 1990's - Countdown quarter-finalist, and a Mastermind semi-finalist with specialist subjects of: "The life and films of Cary Grant" and "The life and films of Gene Kelly" - The latter, scoring an impressive 20 points in the specialist subject round.
- Late 1990's - Brain of Britain semi-final runner up, a finalist on Radio 4's Screen Test and a contestant on Radio 4's Counterpoint.
Prior to Isabelle's first Fifteen to One experience, she had made earlier appearances in Mastermind and Brain of Britain. In 1984, Isabelle was also the only female contestant in 5 series of BBC2's 'Film Buff of the Year' - her unique claim to fame.
Isabelle originally began applying for quizzes in an effort to encourage her father to apply. This began with Mastermind in 1983, a show Isabelle was selected to appear in after several auditions. For some reason, her father - a retired schoolmaster was never called for an audition. A situation he puts this down to the probable large number of applicants from people of similar professions.
In terms of quiz preparation, the only non-specialist quiz knowledge revision Isabelle does is watching and listening to TV and Radio quizzes, and taking part in her local league - something she has done for nearly 12 years.
As for work, Isabelle recently completed a maths degree, and since then, has worked as a teacher, secretary / administrator, canvasser, shop assistant and nanny / housekeeper. She now does voluntary work for victim support and is soon to begin some Open University courses, though not with the specific hope of applying for University Challenge.
In late 2000, Isabelle made an appearance in The Weakest Link on BBC2. As one of the most impressive contestants to appear on the show, she was the strongest link in every round, and left with the prize money in a show she describes as surprisingly enjoyable.
Many thanks go to Isabelle Heward for the information on this page.