NEWS COPY by Grant Bailey
Sir David Attenborough has been named the nation’s favourite egghead.
The 91-year-old Blue Planet narrator and veteran broadcaster beat QI presenter Stephen Fry and actor and actress and activist Emma Watson to claim top spot.
D:Ream keyboardist and scientist Professor Brian Cox came fourth while Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch was fifth.
Revolutionary physicist Stephen Hawking also appeared in the top 20 list of eggheads you would want on your side at the pub quiz.
Greg Tatton-Brown from Play Absurd by online casino Casumo.com, who commissioned the study to mark their coverage of some of the UK’s most absurd sports, including egg throwing in Lincolnshire, said: “Celebrity culture isn’t always the place you look to for a good dose of intellectualism, but our list proves there is room in the public consciousness for some proper brainboxes.
“Sir David Attenborough has delighted our screens for decades, and has imparted his knowledge about biology, geography and the environment to millions of people around the world.”
As for the intellectual celebs most likely to get on our wick, The Weakest Link presenter Anne Robinson, Question Time host Jeremy Paxman and ex-Countdown mathematician Carol Vorderman found themselves in the firing line.
Sherlock was named the smartest show on television followed by The Big Bang Theory and Black Mirror.
Doctor Who and Criminal Minds also scored highly.
University Challenge is considered the 'brainiest' gameshow followed by The Chase, Mastermind and Pointless.
One in four of those who took part in the survey, conducted by OnePoll, wish they saw more intelligent celebrities in the media, and more than one third would like them to be more outwardly kind and generous.
When Brits really want to put their brain to the test, reading a book is the most popular intellectual pastime, followed by watching a challenging gameshow or an engaging film.
Only seven per cent of Brits think intelligence is an important trait for their friends to have, however 35 per cent consider it a vital trait for their romantic partner to possess.
When it comes to our feelings about the intellectually superior, two in five confess to admiring them, while one in seven experience a twinge of envy.
Forty three per cent think you can spot if someone is intelligent just by the way they look or dress.
According to the study a pair of glasses, smart shoes and a bowtie are all the fashion choices of a person with a skyrocketing IQ.
Seventy five per cent of Brits consider themselves generally intelligent people, yet two thirds wish they were smarter than they currently are.
And 11 per cent have been publicly referred to as an ‘egghead’ as a term of endearment in the past.
If Brits had the opportunity to become an ‘egghead’ in any subject of their choice most would like to dedicate their brainpower to learning a new language, followed by becoming an expert in a specific period of history.
Just over one in ten would like to master one of the core sciences and 9 per cent would like to unpick the mysteries of mathematics.
Science is perceived as the subject you are most likely to dedicate yourself to if you are of above-average intelligence, followed by literature and history.
Greg Tatton-Brown added: “Our study shows that most of us would consider ourselves eggheads in one way or another, but it has also demonstrated that there is always more to learn and find out.
“In the latest addition to our Play Absurd series, in which we explore the stranger corners of our World of Play, comedian Justin Moorhouse has taken a step back from his usual brand of intelligent humour to find out what it takes to be a true egg throwing champion.
“It isn’t necessarily the smartest pastime in the world, but certainly the most eggheaded.”
THE UK’S TOP 20 FAVOURITE INTELLIGENT CELEBRITIES
1. David Attenborough
2. Stephen Fry
3. Emma Watson
4. Brian Cox
5. Benedict Cumberbatch
6. Rowan Atkinson
7. Richard Ayoade
8. JK Rowling
9. Stephen Hawking
10. Victoria Coren Mitchell
11. Carol Vorderman
12. Rachel Riley
13. Sue Perkins
14. Matt Damon
15. Richard Branson
16. Bill Gates
17. Brian May
18. John Humphrys
19. Alan Davies
20. Clive Anderson
THE UK’S TOP 10 INTELLIGENT TV SHOWS
1. Sherlock
2. The Big Bang Theory
3. Black Mirror
4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
5. Doctor Who
6. Criminal Minds
7. Game of Thrones
8. Downton Abbey
9. Star Trek
10. Breaking Bad
THE UK’S TOP TEN INTELLGENT GAMESHOWS
1. University Challenge
2. The Chase
3. Mastermind
4. Pointless
5. Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
6. Countdown
7. Eggheads
8. Only Connect
9. QI
10. Weakest Link
ENDS
Videos to accompany the story can be found here
