Who’s Bobby Seagull? MBE-recipient who stumped teachers with viral math puzzle
Bobby Seagull, a globally acclaimed teacher, author, and broadcaster, has been honored with the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s New Year’s Honors List.
Who is Bobby Seagull?
Seagull was born in London’s Newham to parents originally from Kerala, India.
He has often shared the story behind his name; while his family surname is Jose, his father adopted ‘Seagull’ after the inspirational novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach in the 1970s.
Maths teacher Jay Bobby Seagull, 41, has received recognition for his committed work supporting public libraries.
Seagull rose to fame first during his standout 2017 run on BBC’s University Challenge, where he captained Emmanuel College, Cambridge, to the semi-finals.
His infectious enthusiasm made him a viral sensation. He used his newfound fame to promote mathematics and motivate students.
Bobby Seagull made a live TV appearance on BBC Breakfast, where he shared his excitement about the MBE while revealing he had kept the news secret from his family. “I thought about, should I message my family on WhatsApp? But I thought like, this deserves more than a thumbs-up emoji.”
He added, I would tell each person in turn… I have a little niece called Emma and I told her I’ve got an MBE and she’s like, ‘Uncle Bob, MBE. Uncle, Bob, MBE.’”
The Viral moment
A viral math question that Seagull posted on Threads by a British elementary school math teacher and TV personality, Bobby Seagull, stumped the internet in mid-August this year, and everyone suddenly needed a protractor.
Students, teachers and social media were baffled by a tricky math question shared
Bobby Seagull posted that viral math puzzle that his friend’s 7-year-old was given at school.
Following his University Challenge appearance, Seagull has maintained a prolific public career, his work has included co-authoring a 2017 quiz book with Eric Monkman titled The Monkman and Seagull Quiz Book and serving as an ambassador for National Numeracy, where he advocates for greater math confidence.
