Francis Sedgemore is the wrong answer

Francis Sedgemore, Monday 1 February 2010

The question, in the final of BBC Radio 4′s Brain of Britain 2010, is: “Who wrote the bestselling nonfiction book ‘Bad Science?’”. The contestant who responded with the name of yours truly is one Rob Hannah from Torquay.

Ben Goldacre’s enforcer is currently en route to the southwest.


  Feed the writer!   

Comments

  1. Alec

    How many people tittered, and how many said “who?”?


  2. Francis Sedgemore

    There was a half a second of stunned silence. If you listen to the recording of the programme (available for the next week), it all happens (or not, as the case may be) at around 16 minutes in.


  3. Alec

    Heh, smart Google helpfully adds Torquay for those searching for Rob Hannah.


  4. Rob Hannah

    I have just stumbled across this site. I’m afraid I am the victim of misidentification. It was not I who committed this calumny, it was one of my fellow finalists.


  5. Francis Sedgemore

    Rob – I do apologise, and hope that Goldacre’s boot-boy has not yet tracked you down. But I wouldn’t worry too much, for these metropolitan types tend to get hopelessly lost beyond the M25.

    So who was the offender? Please name and shame.


  6. Rob Hannah

    I’m afraid I can’t remember although I suspect it was probably Dr Ian Bayley of Oxford.


  7. Rob Hannah

    I’ve just listened to the audio again and it was, in fact, Anne Hegerty who gave the answer ‘Francis Sedgemore’. I rather think Anne wouldn’t be too pleased to know she’d been mistaken for a man!


  8. Francis Sedgemore

    My bad!


  9. Francis Sedgemore - Simon Singh’s weird idea

    [...] a media type who thrives on seeing his name in print or voiced on radio quiz shows, please let me know if you sign the libel law reform petition as a result of my urging. [...]