Brandon Blackwell

Brandon Blackwell (born ) is an American quiz player and television personality. A native of Queens, New York City, he won the 2019–20 edition of University Challenge as a student at Imperial College London. He was one of the "chasers" on the American version of The Chase from 2022 to 2023, and the Australian version in 2024.

Life and career

Blackwell was born in the New York borough of Queens. His mother teaches middle school, and his father is an insurance adjuster. He earned his undergraduate degree in computer science from New York University.

By 2016, Blackwell saw London as "the epicenter" of high-level quizzing and sought to win University Challenge, a television quiz show featuring UK college students. Blackwell, introduced on the show as "Imperial Brandon", attracted attention for his depth of knowledge and his charismatic personality.

Blackwell appeared as a "chaser" (alias "the Lightning Bolt") on The Chase (US) in 2022-23 and as a guest on The Chase Australia in 2024.

Blackwell has represented the United States in several quizzing tournaments. He won the national team event at the 2023 International Quizzing Championships in Torremolinos, Spain, as part of the United States national team which included his fellow chaser Victoria Groce.

Personal life

, Blackwell lives in the neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens.