PABroadcaster, author and maths teacher Bobby Seagull has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s New Year Honours list.
The 41-year-old, currently completing his doctorate at the University of Cambridge, has been recognised for services to public libraries.
Seagull rose to fame in 2017 after appearing on the BBC’s University Challenge as team captain of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, when he faced Wolfson College’s Eric Monkman.
Reacting to the appointment, Seagull said he briefly wondered if the letter notifying him was actually a summons for jury service.
Seagull is an ambassador for The Reading Agency, a UK charity that aims to get more people interested in reading.
He is also passionate about libraries and is a former library champion of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).
In 2020, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by the institution for presenting his 10-point manifesto for libraries at the House of Lords and pushing for long-term funding for libraries.
Previously on his website, Seagull, who was raised in Newham, east London, recalled visiting East Ham Library every Saturday with his brothers, and said they would “lie on the floor for hours reading books”.
Seagull studied at Eton College, Berkshire, having applied after seeing an advertisement for scholarships at the prestigious school.
He attended the University of Oxford to study mathematics, but later dropped out, and re-enrolled and graduated from the Royal Holloway University in London instead.
He completed his teaching qualification at University of Cambridge and finished his master’s degree in education at Emmanuel College whilst finishing his newly qualified teacher (NQT) year.
In 2017, Seagull became an ambassador for the charity National Numeracy, which works to empower children and adults in the UK to feel confident with everyday maths.
After his appearance on University Challenge, he teamed up with Monkman to write The Monkman and Seagull Quiz Book, which was released in 2017.
The duo launched a TV series titled Monkman and Seagull’s Genius Guide to Britain in 2018.
Before he became a maths teacher, Seagull worked as an investment banking trader at Lehman Brothers & Nomura, and qualified as a chartered accountant from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
He has also worked with the Financial Times as a columnist and appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Puzzle for Today.
