Mr Wilderspin, who also works part-time for the UK Parliament, elected ‘The German Occupation of the Channel Islands, 1940-1945’ as his specialist subject, following the experiences of his family during the Occupation.
His great-grandfather was deported to Laufen (because he had been born in England), and his great-great grandparents later sheltered an escaped Russian slave.
“They were also neighbours and friends of Louisa Gould, who hid a Russian prisoner of war but was arrested and died in a German concentration camp,” Mr Wilderspin explained.
He impressed with correct answers to questions about German officers and historic dates, and was equally successful in a general knowledge round which saw him creep ahead into second place.
However, he lost out on a place in the semi-finals to a fellow competitor who was a whizz on English garden birds.
Pictured: Oliver Wilderspin, currently a student in London, filmed the episode earlier this year.
Mr Wilderspin said: “Filming the episode was a really fun experience, and I highly recommend that people consider applying for a future series.”
WATCH…
You can catch Mr Wilderspin on the New Year’s Day episode on BBC iPlayer here.