Pea Pushing Contest

From the collection of

Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive
Launched in 2000, Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive spans from 1897 to the present day and currently contains an ever-expanding catalogue of 13,000 items. It comprises material from a variety of depositors including feature films, sport, documentaries, animation, amateur footage, light entertainment, and a significant proportion of broadcast material from the UTV Archive.

Pea Pushing Contest


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

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.


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