The Old One… Ade Edmondson’s back on University Challenge 

His only previous appearance on University Challenge saw him with a bright orange mohawk representing the very fictional Scumbag College.

Now Ade Edmondson is back behind the buzzer – but this time he is taking part in the real show and not a spoof.

The 63-year-old comedian is representing Manchester University as a team of its alumni take on a team from Queen’s University Belfast in a festive edition of the BBC2 quiz to be shown on Tuesday night.

In 1984, Edmonson appeared in a parody version of the show as punk Vyvyan in an episode of the BBC2 alternative sitcom The Young Ones.

Also representing Scumbag were his anarchic lowlife housemates Rick, Neil and Mike, played by Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan.

The episode saw them take on a team of upper crust students from Footlights College Oxbridge, played by Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson and Ben Elton, with Griff Rhys Jones impersonating presenter Bamber Gascoigne.

The quiz ends in chaos as Vyvyan blows up the opposition with a German stick grenade and Scumag’s efforts to cheat by switching the questions are exposed.

Edmondson was at Manchester University with Mayall and Elton – who co-wrote The Young Ones – while Fry, Laurie and Dame Emma were in the Footlights drama club together at Cambridge.

Of his appearance on the real University Challenge, Edmondson tweeted: ‘And lo, it came to pass, that on 22nd Dec on BBC2, television did eat itself.’