BBC forced to deny University Challenge team’s blue octopus mascot was reference to antisemitic Jewish global conspiracy after online abuse

The BBC says it ‘utterly condemns’ online claims that a University Challenge team’s blue octopus mascot was an anti-Semitic symbol.

The University of Oxford’s Christ Church College appeared on last night’s episode of the popular BBC Two quiz with the cuddly toy on their desk in full view of the audience.

A row broke out over the object on social media as some viewers believed the toy was a reference to the ‘anti-Semitic trope’ for an imaginary global Jewish conspiracy.

The BBC said the mascot was intended to represent one of the team’s favorite animals and many people online felt its inclusion in the panel was completely innocent as the blue octopus’s connotations as anti-Semitic imagery were not are so well known.

The octopus was featured throughout the episode, filmed in March 2023, when the group of students defeated Emmanuel College from Cambridge by 155 points to 130, and was not mentioned by presenter Amol Rajan.

The Octopus featured throughout the episode as the College defeated Emmanuel College from Cambridge by 155 points to 130

Some viewers believed the toy was a reference to the “anti-Semitic trope” for an imaginary global Jewish conspiracy

Teams on University Challenge are encouraged by the show to bring a lucky mascot to sit on the desk for them, and they have done so since the show’s inception in 1962.

The soft toy animal was not the mascot of the university’s first appearance at the show in August, when they defeated Southampton University.

The blue octopus symbol can be traced back to the anti-Semitic propaganda cartoon of one of Nazi Germany’s most famous cartoonists, Seppla (Josef Plank), who showed Winston Churchill as an octopus in a cartoon warning of a global Jewish conspiracy.

The cartoon shows an octopus with a Star of David above its head and tentacles encircling a globe.

Greta Thunberg recently deleted a pro-Palestinian social media post after critics claimed a stuffed octopus in the photo could be seen as an ‘anti-Semitic’ symbol – with the activist saying the toy helps with her autism.

Ms Thunberg removed the original photo and replaced it with a photo with the octopus cut out.

The BBC also decided to shut down further online rumors that one of the participants was wearing a top in the colors of the Palestinian flag.

The national broadcaster said the jacket worn by Melika Gorgianeh, an Astrophysics DPhil student, was navy blue, orange, pink and green.

The company said it was purchased from a High Street shop and was not related to any flag.

said the jacket worn by Melika Gorgianeh – an Astrophysics DPhil student – ​​was navy blue, orange, pink and green and was not associated with any flag.

Ben Obese-Jecty, a parliamentary candidate for Huntingdon, wrote on X: ‘This is a shame from the BBC. How on earth was @ChCh_Oxford allowed to feature a blue octopus, a well-known anti-Semitic trope, as a mascot at #UniversityChallenge? Why didn’t @amolrajan notice?’

Another X user wrote: “Anti-Semitic trope proudly on display here. Anti-Semitic propaganda in the 19th/20th centuries often used octopus imagery to represent Jewish influence and control. I struggle to believe that this is a coincidence in the current climate. BBC has serious questions to answer.”

A third person added: ‘Christ Church College Oxford has a long history and many symbols/mascots, but I can’t find any reference to the anti-Semitic blue octopus symbol. I can therefore only imagine that @BBC was happy to condone this egregious display.”

A fourth posted: ‘University challenge. The Palestinian flag colors worn by one participant – unintentionally? The octopus mascot, is that a coincidence?’

Others dismissed the claims, with one person writing: ‘So now a stuffed octopus is automatically interpreted as anti-Semitic? Does this mean that the production of cuddly octopuses should be banned? Wtf is wrong with people? Until Greta’s photo a month ago, no one thought octopuses were an anti-Semitic trope.”

Another said: ‘I’ve criticized Greta’s octopus, and I’m not Jewish so don’t rule on this, but it’s going to take a lot to convince me that a team from an Oxford university in an episode of University Challenge those months ago were filmed were anti-Semitic by displaying a toy octopus.’

A third person supported this argument, saying: ‘The idea that a University Challenge team would bring a toy octopus as a mascot *on the BBC*, and actually it’s a secret anti-Semitic Nazi message, is just so laughable and absurd. People go out of their way to be offended, convinced that everyone is against them.”

The BBC told MailOnline it was aware of “false claims” made online regarding the episode and “strongly condemned the abuse that was posted and shared.”

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: ‘We are aware of a number of incorrect claims being made online in relation to last night’s episode of University Challenge and we strongly condemn the abuse that has been posted and shared.

“To be clear, this episode was recorded in March. The mascot is one of many the team has chosen over the course of the series and is one of their (Christ Church College) favorite animals.”

Christ Church College has been contacted for comment.