Beard Liberation Front
PRESS RELEASE 29th May
Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266
Beard Liberation Front pays tribute to Jeremy Paxman as he hosts final University Challenge
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has paid tribute to Jeremy Paxman as he hosts his final edition of University Challenge on 29th May.
He has hosted the quiz for 29 years but the hirsute Amol Rajan takes over for the next series in the autumn.
On August 12th 2013, almost ten years ago, Paxman presented Newsnight with a beard he had grown during a break. The clean shaven and pogonophobic BBC hierarchy had previously banned news and current affairs presenters from wearing beards.
Paxman defied them but appeared clean shaven when presenting Newsnight on 6th January 2014
It is not thought that he ever presented University Challenge while wearing a beard but is frequently to be seen wearing one off-air.
The campaigners say that Paxman’s action broke the clean shaven mould at the BBC and since then hirsute presenter have become a relatively familiar feature
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Jeremy Paxman said in 2013 that he had become a ‘poster boy’ for the Beard Liberation Front. As he steps down from University Challenge we pay tribute to him and his beard.
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