A team of Cambridge University students was mocked mercilessly by viewers after guessing Led Zeppelin’s iconic rock anthem Stairway to Heaven was by Oasis.
The students, from Emmanuel College, made the humiliating blunder during the music round on last night’s University Challenge.
One viewer wrote on Twitter: “The planet is doomed,” while another added: “That’s it. The planet has no future.”
Others jokingly called for a public inquiry into the “total collapse of our education system”.
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Quizmaster Jeremy Paxman couldn’t hide his disdain for their answer, exclaiming: “Good heavens, no! It’s Led Zeppelin, the immortal Stairway to Heaven.”
The team, who went on to lose the long-running BBC2 show’s quarter-final to fellow Cambridge college Fitzwilliam, made the gaffe during the audio bonus round, featuring classic rock guitar solos that they had to identify.
Forget #CambridgeAnalytics , a team from Cambridge on #universitychallenge guessed the solo to Stairway to Heaven was by Oasis!!. That’s it. The planet has no future 😩 pic.twitter.com/XFfVcyE0YJ
— Uncle (@barberville) March 20, 2018
All this money from my taxes to support these Cambridge swots on #UniversityChallenge, yet they think the guitar solo in ‘Stairway To Heaven’ was by Oasis. Doomed. We’re all doomed.
— Ray Palmer (@raystratman) March 19, 2018
#UniversityChallenge 4 students didn’t know Stairway To heaven by Led Zeppelin….. ????? I fear for the futue..I really do.
— Ibrahim Banks (@TheShowOff85) March 19, 2018
4 students have just looked puzzled while listening to ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and identified it as Oasis. Stick a fork in me, life, I’m done. #UniversityChallenge
— Ibrahim Banks (@TheShowOff85) March 19, 2018
#UniversityChallenge Oxford students fail to identify Zeps Stairway to Heaven. Total collapse of our educational system
— Peter Rance (@PeteRanceCamera) March 20, 2018
Screw #brexit. We need to have a thorough public enquiry about the state of education due to those #UniversityChallenge twits thinking Stairway to Heaven was Oasis.
— Harry Neary 📷 (@Grumpyrocker) March 20, 2018
A student mistakes Stairway to Heaven as Oasis…but knows the only large satellite in the solar system to move in a retrograde orbit 😂🤦🏽♀️ #BBC #UniversityChallenge pic.twitter.com/Uw7JfYYQ9G
— Neelam Nijjar (@neelamnijjar) March 19, 2018
Emmanuel incorrectly guessing that Stairway To Heaven was by Oasis – and Paxman’s reaction – was priceless. #universitychallenge
— ɢᴏ ᴍᴀᴅ ᴏʀ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴄᴀʀɪɴɢ (@gomadstopcaring) March 20, 2018
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* University Challenge continues next Monday at 8.30pm on BBC2.