Wolfson and Balliol face off in University Challenge final – as it happened

Wolfson, led by internet legend Eric Monkman, was foiled in their bid to win Cambridge a fourth consecutive title by a strong Balliol performance

Sam Harrison

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• The Wolfson team is led by internet legend Eric Monkman
• Balliol enters the final with a higher aggregate score, but Wolfson triumphed in their last encounter earlier in the contest

8:30pm Paxman thanks everyone and the teams exchange handshakes in a fine end to an excellent series.

8:29pm The trophy is being presented by Professor Stephen Hawking, with the Theory of Everything music as background, and my sister hasn't been this happy in years.

8:27pm And there's the gong! Balliol is the victor a hard-fought and well-won match - congratulations to them, and commiserations to Wolfson, which put up a good fight and provided us with endless amusement in this contest. Well done to everyone.

8:25pm We're on to geology, so this arts student is going to trawl Twitter for a bit.

8:25pm Balliol opens up a 50-point lead with just 2 minutes to go. Can Wolfson come back from this?

8:24pm Another premature answer from Monkman - he's going to be, will have been, kicking himself. Balliol is definitely getting easier bonuses, though.

8:23pm Wolfson coming back again - this is turning into a bit of a dogfight.

8:21pm Monkman is not the only one getting some love on Twitter tonight: Chaudhri is also attracting a bit of a following.

8:21pm Second picture round goes to Balliol, putting them in the lead.

8:20pm Monkman loses another five points with a slightly excitable answer. He's shooting a little wide tonight. Bonuses go to Balliol.

8:17pm Wolfson in the lead again, having masterfully navigated a bizarre set of questions about executions on Tudor monarchs.

8:15pm Monkman back on flying form. Wolfson is beginning to regain lost ground.

8:15pm Interesting music round is instead recordings of Reith lectures. Doesn't faze Wolfson, though, which gets the starter and all three bonuses.

8:12pm Balliol takes the lead, or, the Empire Strikes Back.

8:12pm Monkman is feeling the pressure, is too quick again. We're all behind you, though given that this was all pre-filmed, nothing I say is of any real value to you.

8:11pm Monkman is too quick, loses his team five points. Goldman didn't know the answer either, though, so each has yet to establish the supremacy of their name's prefix.

8:09pm Wolfson takes the first set of picture bonuses, but Balliol now wakes up for another starter for ten.

8:07pm Wolfson beginning to pull ahead, defying bonuses on Orkney and chloroform (which both have much the same effect, in fact).

8:05pm 'Mediaeval earls of Orkney' sounds like a friendly set of bonuses.

8:04pm Not to be caught out, Monkman is straight in with the next starter for ten.

8:03pm Balliol takes the first starter for ten and take all three bonus questions. No need to panic.

8:01pm Paxman rubbing in Balliol's previous defeat to Wolfson is a thing of beauty.

8:00pm And here we go...

7:58pm Cambridge University has been running a University Challenge competition on social media all day, which it has rounded off with a ringing endorsement of Wolfson.

Hello and welcome to the Violet liveblog! I'm Sam Harrison and I shall be updating you on the latest happenings in the University Challenge final between Wolfson College, Cambridge and Balliol College, Oxford. Wolfson is led by the formidable, and highly memeable, Eric Monkman, so expect a strong Twitter reaction tonight as well. As ever on the liveblog, all views are my own.