Jump to content

Brandon Blackwell: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
start draft
 
Citation bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
5,349,466 edits
Altered template type. Added magazine. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:IQA team event gold medalists | #UCB_Category 12/12
 
(13 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|}}
{{Short description|American quizzer (born 1993/1994)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Brandon Blackwell
| name = Brandon Blackwell
Line 8: Line 8:
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|30|2024|04|07|slash=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|30|2024|04|07|slash=y}}
| birth_place =
| birth_place = [[Queens]], New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| other_names = "Imperial Brandon"
| occupation = {{hlist|Quiz show contestant and personality}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Quiz show contestant and personality}}
| alma_mater = {{ublist|[[New York University]]|[[University College London]]}}
| alma_mater = {{ublist|[[New York University]]|[[Imperial College London]]}}
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
}}
'''Brandon Blackwell''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date|30|2024|04|07|slash=y|noage=y}}) is an American professional [[quiz]]zer and television personality.
'''Brandon Blackwell''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date|30|2024|04|07|slash=y|noage=y}}) is an American professional [[quiz]]zer and television personality. A native of [[Queens]], New York City, he won the [[University Challenge 2019–20|2019–20]] edition of ''[[University Challenge]]'' as a student at [[Imperial College London]]. He has been one of the "chasers" on the American game show ''[[The Chase (American game show)|The Chase]]'' since 2022.


==Life and career==
==Life and career==


Blackwell went to elementary school on [[Long Island]] and later attended the [[Bronx High School of Science]].<ref name="NY24">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/07/business/uk-university-challenge-brandon-blackwell.html|title=Q: Who Found a Way to Crack the U.K.'s Premier Quiz Show?|last=Segal|first=David|date=2024-04-07|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref> His mother teaches middle school, and his father is an insurance adjuster.<ref name="NY24"/> He earned his undergraduate degree in [[computer science]] from [[New York University]].<ref name="NY24"/> Before moving to London, he won about {{USD|400,000}} from quiz shows, including the [[Jeopardy! Teen Tournament|''Jeopardy!'' Teen Tournament]] ({{USD|10,000}}), ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (American game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]'' ({{USD|43,100}}), and ''[[The Million Second Quiz]]'' (runner-up) in 2013.<ref name="NY24"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://ew.com/article/2013/09/10/million-second-quiz-react/|title='Million Second Quiz' react: Hourglasses, doublers, and money, oh my!|last=Gonzalez|first=Maricela|date=2013-09-10|website=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref>
Blackwell was born in the New York borough of [[Queens]].<ref name="ABC">{{cite news|url=https://abc.com/shows/the-chase/cast/brandon-blackwell|title=Brandon Blackwell|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref> His mother teaches middle school, and his father is an insurance adjuster.<ref name="NY24"/> He went to a gifted elementary school on [[Long Island]] and attended the [[Bronx High School of Science]].<ref name="NY24">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/07/business/uk-university-challenge-brandon-blackwell.html|title=Q: Who Found a Way to Crack the U.K.'s Premier Quiz Show?|last=Segal|first=David|date=2024-04-07|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref> He earned his undergraduate degree in [[computer science]] from [[New York University]].<ref name="NY24"/> By age 20, he had won about {{USD|400,000}} from quiz shows, including the [[Jeopardy! Teen Tournament|''Jeopardy!'' Teen Tournament]] ({{USD|10,000}}), ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (American game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]'' ({{USD|43,100}}), and ''[[The Million Second Quiz]]'' (runner-up) in 2013.<ref name="ABC"/><ref name="NY24"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2013/09/10/million-second-quiz-react/|title='Million Second Quiz' react: Hourglasses, doublers, and money, oh my!|last=Gonzalez|first=Maricela|date=2013-09-10|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref>


Blackwell saw London as "the epicenter" of high-level quizzing and sought to win ''[[University Challenge]]'', an institution of British quiz television featuring UK college students.<ref name="NY24"/> He applied and was accepted into [[Imperial College London]] and intensely taught himself British history, using [[Wikipedia]], [[flashcard|flash card]]s, and old episodes of ''University Challenge''.<ref name="NY24"/>
By 2016, Blackwell saw London as "the epicenter" of high-level quizzing and sought to win ''[[University Challenge]]'', a television quiz show featuring UK college students.<ref name="NY24"/> He was accepted into [[Imperial College London]] for a computer science master's program.<ref name="NY24"/> He intensely taught himself British history using [[Wikipedia]], [[flashcard|flash card]]s, and old episodes of ''University Challenge''.<ref name="NY24"/> He briefly left Imperial because he felt the school's selection process for ''University Challenge'' did not produce a team well rounded enough to compete seriously.<ref name="NY24"/>

Blackwell then returned to Imperial and rejoined the quiz team alongside Richard Brooks, Conor McMeel, and captain Caleb Rich for [[University Challenge 2019–20|''University Challenge'' 2019–20]].<ref name="NY24"/> The group practiced once a week for three months; Blackwell suggested a rule that a subject specialist defer to his teammates to float the first guess.<ref name="NY24"/> They dominated the tournament, winning all of their episodes by large margins.<ref name="NY24"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-queens-yankee-takes-the-u-k-quiz-crown-11587765498|title=A Queens Yankee Takes the U.K. Quiz Crown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200424233112/https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-queens-yankee-takes-the-u-k-quiz-crown-11587765498|archive-date=2020-04-24|date=2020-04-24|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|last=Kaufman|first=Eliot}}</ref> Blackwell, introduced on the show as "Imperial Brandon", attracted attention for his depth of knowledge and his charismatic personality.<ref name="NY24"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/apr/22/university-challenge-brandon-blackwell-us-star-team-would-have-killed-it-without-me|title=University Challenge's US star: the team would have killed it without me|last=Addley|first=Esther|date=2020-04-22|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref><ref name="WSJ22">{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/university-challenge-final-brandon-blackwells-imperial-rout-rivals-sfg5hd8zp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210706061212/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/university-challenge-final-brandon-blackwells-imperial-rout-rivals-sfg5hd8zp|archive-date=2021-07-06|title=University Challenge final: Brandon Blackwell's Imperial rout rivals|last=Moore|first=Matthew|date=2020-04-21|newspaper=[[The Times]]}}</ref>

Blackwell has appeared as a "chaser" (alias "the Lightning Bolt") on [[The Chase (American game show)|''The Chase'' (US)]] since 2022 and as a guest on ''[[The Chase Australia]]'' in 2024.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tvline.com/lists/the-chase-season-3-first-look-new-chasers/|title=The Chase Season 3: Get First Look at Key Art, Meet the Quintet of Chasers|last=Webb Mitovich|first=Matt|date=2022-04-21|website=[[TVLine]]|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/tv/meet-the-new-chaser-brandon-the-lightning-bolt-blackwell-c-13660279|title=The Chase Australia: Meet the new Chaser, Brandon 'The Lightning Bolt' Blackwell, set to join Larry Emdur|last=Rigden|first=Clare|date=2024-02-24|website=PerthNow|access-date=2024-04-10}}</ref>

Blackwell has represented the United States in several quizzing tournaments. He won the national team event at the 2023 [[International Quizzing Championships]] in [[Torremolinos]], Spain, as part of the United States national team which included his fellow chaser [[Victoria Groce]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.geekswhodrink.com/questionist/team-usa-takes-gold-at-international-quizzing-championships/|title=Team USA takes gold at International Quizzing Championships|last=Short|first=Christopher|date=2023-11-05|website=Geeks Who Drink|access-date=2024-04-12}}</ref>

==Personal life==

{{As of|2020}}, Blackwell lives in the neighborhood of [[Jamaica, Queens]].<ref name="WSJ22"/>


==References==
==References==
Line 30: Line 37:


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://abc.com/shows/the-chase/cast/brandon-blackwell Brandon Blackwell] at ''[[The Chase (American game show)|The Chase]]''
*{{IMDb name|5143463}}
*{{Twitter|_brandon2_}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell, Brandon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell, Brandon}}
{{Draft categories|
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1990s births]]
[[Category:1990s births]]
[[Category:Quiz championship players]]
[[Category:IQA team event gold medalists]]
[[Category:Contestants on American game shows]]
[[Category:Contestants on American game shows]]
[[Category:Contestants on British game shows]]
[[Category:Contestants on British game shows]]
[[Category:People from Jamaica, Queens]]
[[Category:The Bronx High School of Science alumni]]
[[Category:The Bronx High School of Science alumni]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College London]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College London]]
}}

Latest revision as of 08:47, 31 October 2024

Brandon Blackwell
Born1993/1994 (age 30–31)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Other names"Imperial Brandon"
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Quiz show contestant and personality

Brandon Blackwell (born 1993/1994) is an American professional quizzer and television personality. A native of Queens, New York City, he won the 2019–20 edition of University Challenge as a student at Imperial College London. He has been one of the "chasers" on the American game show The Chase since 2022.

Life and career

[edit]

Blackwell was born in the New York borough of Queens.[1] His mother teaches middle school, and his father is an insurance adjuster.[2] He went to a gifted elementary school on Long Island and attended the Bronx High School of Science.[2] He earned his undergraduate degree in computer science from New York University.[2] By age 20, he had won about US$400,000 from quiz shows, including the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament (US$10,000), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US$43,100), and The Million Second Quiz (runner-up) in 2013.[1][2][3]

By 2016, Blackwell saw London as "the epicenter" of high-level quizzing and sought to win University Challenge, a television quiz show featuring UK college students.[2] He was accepted into Imperial College London for a computer science master's program.[2] He intensely taught himself British history using Wikipedia, flash cards, and old episodes of University Challenge.[2] He briefly left Imperial because he felt the school's selection process for University Challenge did not produce a team well rounded enough to compete seriously.[2]

Blackwell then returned to Imperial and rejoined the quiz team alongside Richard Brooks, Conor McMeel, and captain Caleb Rich for University Challenge 2019–20.[2] The group practiced once a week for three months; Blackwell suggested a rule that a subject specialist defer to his teammates to float the first guess.[2] They dominated the tournament, winning all of their episodes by large margins.[2][4] Blackwell, introduced on the show as "Imperial Brandon", attracted attention for his depth of knowledge and his charismatic personality.[2][5][6]

Blackwell has appeared as a "chaser" (alias "the Lightning Bolt") on The Chase (US) since 2022 and as a guest on The Chase Australia in 2024.[7][8]

Blackwell has represented the United States in several quizzing tournaments. He won the national team event at the 2023 International Quizzing Championships in Torremolinos, Spain, as part of the United States national team which included his fellow chaser Victoria Groce.[9]

Personal life

[edit]

As of 2020, Blackwell lives in the neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Brandon Blackwell". American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Segal, David (April 7, 2024). "Q: Who Found a Way to Crack the U.K.'s Premier Quiz Show?". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Gonzalez, Maricela (September 10, 2013). "'Million Second Quiz' react: Hourglasses, doublers, and money, oh my!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Kaufman, Eliot (April 24, 2020). "A Queens Yankee Takes the U.K. Quiz Crown". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Addley, Esther (April 22, 2020). "University Challenge's US star: the team would have killed it without me". The Guardian. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Moore, Matthew (April 21, 2020). "University Challenge final: Brandon Blackwell's Imperial rout rivals". The Times. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Webb Mitovich, Matt (April 21, 2022). "The Chase Season 3: Get First Look at Key Art, Meet the Quintet of Chasers". TVLine. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  8. ^ Rigden, Clare (February 24, 2024). "The Chase Australia: Meet the new Chaser, Brandon 'The Lightning Bolt' Blackwell, set to join Larry Emdur". PerthNow. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  9. ^ Short, Christopher (November 5, 2023). "Team USA takes gold at International Quizzing Championships". Geeks Who Drink. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Brandon_Blackwell&oldid=1254502457"