BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman has castigated TV bosses for insulting viewers' intelligence.
The Newsnight and University Challenge host criticised TV executives for underestimating their audience and dumbing down TV shows.
Paxman, 63, said: "The main reason I love University Challenge is it gives the lie to the media stereotype about young people – that they all know nothing, and couldn't care less. It's complete rubbish.
"Every year we see more and more teams of young people who know amazing things"
Paxman said: "Television bosses should stop insulting the public's intelligence by assuming we're all idiots.
"University Challenge pays the audience the courtesy of assuming we're quite clever enough to take part."
Paxman, however, refused to divulge how he fared against the students on his BBC2 show, saying: "That one I'm not going to answer."
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