Essex lecturer takes part in LEGO MASTERS

A lecturer, who sometimes uses LEGO to get his point across to students, is appearing in Channel 4’s latest televised competition.

Dr Nicolas Geeraert, a senior lecturer in psychology, has teamed up with his 13-year-old son, Kobe to take part in LEGO MASTERS  – a four-part series which aims to find the best LEGO-builders in the UK.

A total of 48 pairs auditioned for the show with just eight teams making it through to the first round, in which competitors had to create a spectacular brick banquet, with a super-sized centrepiece.

Dr Geeraert said:  “I loved playing with LEGO as a kid, and got back into it a couple of years ago, through my son. It is something we love doing together and I also occasionally use LEGO in my teaching. I have recreated famous psychological experiments in LEGO.  It’s a good way of demonstrating something tangible. The students seem to like it and it makes the lecture memorable, so as well as being a bit of fun, there is a serious side to it too.”

LEGO-building has quite a following, but the competition element is something new. “When my son and I saw an advert for the programme, we both decided we should give it a go,” added Dr Geeraert.

Their competition included nine-year-old friends, a mother and son partnership and third year engineering students from Cambridge.  Nicolas and Kobe successfully made it through to the second round, but remain tight-lipped about future episodes which will include the challenge of building a mode of transport, a miniature fun fair and a menagerie of insects, birds and wild animals.

The final, to be screened on 14 September, will  involve competitors building a massive 2 metre by 2 metre structure using 500,000 bricks. LEGO fan Dara O’Briain will join regular judge Matthew Ashton, Vice-President of Design for LEGO, as a judge for the final.

LEGO MASTERS, Thursdays at 8pm. Channel 4.