Dave McBryan, the Quizmaster of The Southsider, on West Richmond Street in Edinburgh, was crowned BBC’s 2020 Mastermind Champion on Monday night [Monday 4 May]. The 46-year old, who is originally from Dublin, beat off competition from 96 contestants throughout the series to take home the title, in an experience he described as a “pretty nerve-wracking affair”.
Appearing with five other contestants in the final, Dave chose the View Askewniverse films by Kevin Smith as his specialist subject, and American singer Otis Redding and Olympic Fencing as his specialist subjects in his heat and the semi-final. This is the second time he has won a major TV quiz, after winning ‘Fifteen to One’ on Channel 4 in 2014.
Dave, who is currently ranked Number 2 in the Irish Quiz Rankings and is a member of the Irish Quiz Team, has been competing in quizzes for seven years and has been the quizmaster of The Southsider for over five years. His quizzes were as popular as ever until the pub was forced to close during lockdown, drawing over 20 teams every week. However, it is not for the faint-hearted, with McBryan putting everyone through their paces every Thursday evening at 9pm.
David Moore, General Manager of The Southsider, said: “I am so delighted for Dave, his win is truly well-deserved. It is a real privilege to have him as our Quizmaster, his quizzes are a highlight of our week at The Southsider. He really is a professional and I am looking forward to what he has instore for our quiz programme when we are back open again.”