This film is part of Free

Pea Pushing Contest

Who will be the first to roll across the finish line?

News 1969 Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Northern Ireland Screen

Overview

This challenge is a far cry from the Krypton Factor but it might be harder than it looks. Watch Gordon Burns and Tony Eames battle it out on the floor of the UTV studios in a clumsy race for the finish line. Could this be the Northern Irish heat for the National Pea Pushing Derby, which took place in Walton on Thames eight days later?

Gordon Burns began his career as a journalist for the Belfast Telegraph before joining UTV in 1967. By the time this was filmed he presented a nightly news programme called ‘UTV Reports’. Burns would go on to become a national celebrity as the host of the Krypton Factor from 1977-1995. It was a popular British game show which tested contestants’ mental and physical stamina, the winner would be crowned ‘Superperson of the Year’. This material is Courtesy of the UTV Archive.