1 The January release of Fire and Fury was one of 2018’s biggest publishing bombshells, causing its subject Donald Trump to brand its author, Michael Wolff “a total loser”. Which of the following has never been called a loser by Donald Trump?
a. Alex Salmond
b. Alan Sugar
c. Isis
d. Sacha Baron Cohen

2 January also saw the death of Mark E Smith, iconic singer, songwriter and bandleader of the Fall. Stewart Lee once said that, growing up, “the only people who liked the group’s music were me, John Peel and some of the members of the Fall”. Over more than four decades, how many members did the band amass in total?
a. 33
b. 44
c. 55
d. 66

3 With 10.8m viewers at its peak, The Bodyguard was the most watched show on BBC since records began. But when did those records begin?
a. 1942
b. 1972
c. 2002
d. 2012

4 In May, which alliterative footballer returned to first team action, following a 17-year absence from the game?
a. Andrey Arshavin
b. Roy Race
c. David Dunn
d. Billy Bremner

5 The Coen Bros had one of the biggest Netflix hits of the year with their whimsical patchwork of western vignettes, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Which of the following was not a character in the movie?
a. Gilbert Longabaugh
b. Buster Scruggs
c. Curly Joe
d. Jackamoe Buzzell

6 In September, the world learned of Mark Wahlberg’s punishing daily regimen, involving a 2.30am wake- up, multiple workout sessions and a truly dizzying litany of snacks. According to this plan, how long after he wakes up does Wahlberg have lunch?
a. 4½ hours, just after a 90-minute long shower
b. 6½ hours, just after “golf”
c. 8½ hours, just after “cryo-chamber recovery”
d. 10½ hours, just after “family time/meetings/work calls”

7 In football, 2018 saw Martin O’Neill’s five-year tenure as Republic of Ireland manager come to an end, while his Northern Ireland counterpart Michael O’Neill signed a contract extension until 2024. Which of the following facts is true?
a. Michael O’Neill and Martin O’Neill are nephew and uncle
b. Michael O’Neill’s middle name is Martin and Martin O’Neill’s middle name is Michael
c. Michael O’Neill was the first player ever signed by Martin O’Neill, when manager at Wycombe Wanderers
d. Michael O’Neill was best man at Martin O’Neill’s wedding

8 What all-time first was achieved by the top two films in March’s Box Office chart?
a. Both were animated films
b. Neither were in the English language
c. Both were directed by African-Americans
d. Neither were released in cinemas

9 Doctor Who returned with Jodie Whittaker starring as its first ever female doctor, garnering critical and public acclaim for its new direction. Where was the landmark first episode set?
a. Gallifrey
b. The Dark Side of the Sun
c. Sheffield
d. Nowhere

10 The world mourned the death of Marvel mastermind Stan Lee in November. Of the Top 10 grossing films worldwide in 2018, how many were based on Marvel comics properties?
a. Three
b. Four
c. Five
d. Six

11 After a troubled development period, Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody came out in October. Writer and filmmaker Andrew Todd took particular exception to one sequence, which he felt implied their hit song, Who Wants to Live Forever, was written by Freddie Mercury about his Aids diagnosis. The song was actually written by Brian May, but about which topic?
a. The death of his mother
b. The life of Jim Morrison
c. The film Highlander
d. The campaign for the legalisation of assisted suicide

12 Mary J Blige achieved which feat in 2018?
a. Became the first person to receive Oscar nominations for both acting and an original song in the same year
b. Officially stamped out hateration in all danceries
c. Sang at least one verse on each of the top five albums on Spotify
d. Accidentally deleted her entire back catalogue

13 England had their best performance at a World Cup since 1990, getting to a semi-final and earning striker Harry Kane the Golden Boot for top scorer. What injury did Gareth Southgate sustain during the 2018 World Cup?
a. A broken nose from a wayward Harry Maguire clearance
b. A broken foot from kicking a box of energy drinks
c. A dislocated shoulder while running on a team rest day
d. A lumbar fracture limboing at a hula party in the team hotel

14 Which of the following was notable about the Turner Prize shortlist for 2018?
a. Three of the nominees shared the same name
b. Their works were shown in secret
c. All three consist entirely of film and digital imagery
d. One of the nominees is an Artificial Intelligence bot

15 The world of fashion was rocked in August when Paul Manafort’s fraud trial revealed that the former Trump campaign manager had spent over $400,000 on clothes in one calendar year. Which of the following purchases was not listed in court?
a. A waterproof silk blouson for $7,500
b. A chinchilla cravat for $6,750
c. An ostrich jacket for $15,000
d. A python-skin jacket for $18,500

16 Anna Burns won the Booker Prize for Belfast-set novel described by the Guardian as “experimental”, “brain kneading” and “baffling”. What was it called?
a. Milkman
b. Postman
c. Fireman
d. Roadman

17 Love Island gave ITV2 its biggest-ever audience for the show’s grand finale. Contestant Hayley Hughes gained notoriety for asking which specific question about Brexit?
a. Whether it would leave generations of Britons poorer for no tangible benefit
b. If it was voted in due to large amounts of duplicity and verifiably illegal activity
c. How its purported benefit to the country’s fisheries was deduced
d. Whether it would result in the depletion of the nation’s forestry

18 Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond released their long-awaited band memoir, Beastie Boys Book in October. Which of the following people were not among the audiobook’s 27 guest narrators?
a. Steve Buscemi
b. Bette Midler
c. Jarvis Cocker
d. Paul McCartney

19 Which of the following is not one of the 10 Rules for Writers listed by Jonathan Franzen this November?
a. It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction
b. You need to get yourself a really good chair. Adjustable. You’re not the same height every day
c. Interesting verbs are seldom very interesting
d You see more sitting still than chasing after

20 In May, which TV show was cancelled, only to be rescued by another network after 31 hours, following an outpouring of Twitter grieving from fans, including Guillermo del Toro, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Hamill and Patton Oswalt?
a. Sense8
b. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
c. The 100
d. 666 Park Avenue

21 In June, Drake got into one of the most high-profile rap-beefs in a decade with which MC, who released a blistering diss track alleging the Canadian rapper had abandoned his illegitimate son?
a. Master P
b. Pusha T
c. Schoolboy Q
d. Chris R

22 Which musician removed the term “anti-imperialist” from her Twitter bio shortly after the world learned of her relationship with hyper-capitalist union-sceptical tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk?
a. Leann Rhimes
b. Grimes
c. Busta Rhymes
d. Partners in Kryme

23 Among the five most-viewed songs on YouTube this year, Maroon 5’s Girls Like You holds which distinction?
a. Its video was filmed in space
b. It’s entirely silent
c. It’s the only one not in Spanish
d. It was never released as a single

24 Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie became somewhat viral for his mournful appearance on BBC’s This Week show this year, for refusing to dance with host Andrew Neil to which song?
a. Come on My Selector by Squarepusher
b. Skibidi by Little Big
c. Merry Christmas by the Waitresses
d. Moving On Up by Primal Scream

25 What was the name of the American cleric whose rousing 12-minute speech at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle earned plaudits from the web, but appeared to prompt eye-rolling from certain guests?
a. Bishop Michael Curry
b. Rev Stephen Rice
c. Pastor Pip Chips
d. Fr Bart Gravy

26 Taylor Swift’s deal with Universal this year is reportedly one of the largest ever signed, worth an estimated $200m for the singer. As part of her negotiations, what other unusual guarantee did she insist from Universal in her contract?
a. That they ban airports from playing her music
b. That her next album is released for free
c. That every single artist signed to Universal would receive fairer payment of their Spotify revenues
d. That they sue YouTube over channels that host her content

27 Several artists had two records in this year’s UK Top 40 album chart, but only one had three. Who was it?
a. George Ezra
b. Eminem
c. Post Malone
d. Ed Sheeran

28 Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) was in the news for which reason this year?
a. It was discovered to be the oldest photographic portrait yet found
b. It was the first painting to use the world’s darkest colour, Vantablack
c. Its sale made David Hockney the most expensive living artist
d. It was rigged by its artist to be shredded at the point of sale

29 One viral song became a huge hit with kids – and to a lesser extent their parents – this year, gaining in excess of 3bn views across multiple platforms. It concerned an underage specimen of the class Selachimorpha. What was it called?
a. Squid Kid
b. Baby Shark
c. Octoddler
d. Manateen

30 John Travolta suffered which undesirable accolade this year?
a. He was wrongly listed as dead in the Golden Globes In Memoriam reel
b. He starred in a record three 0%-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes
c. He was specifically named Isis leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s favourite actor
d. He became the first person to have their name spelled wrong on a star within the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The answers

1. d) Sacha Baron Cohen (Trump merely called him a ‘moron’, in 2016)

2. d) 66. Although, we do not have numbers on how many of them liked the band

3. c) 2002

4. b) Roy Race (from the comic Roy of the Rovers, which relaunched in May)

5. d) Jackamoe Buzzell. He was an actor who played a part in the film

6. d) 10½ hours. Just after ‘family time/meetings/work calls’. And just before another hour of ‘meetings and work calls’

7. b) Michael O’Neill’s middle name is Martin and Martin O’Neill’s middle name is Michael

8. c) Both were directed by African-Americans

9. c) Sheffield

10. c) Five. Avengers: Infinity War (number 1), Black Panther (2), Venom (5), Deadpool 2 (7) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (8)

11. c) The film Highlander.

12. a) She became the first person to receive Oscar nominations for both acting and an original song in the same year

13. c) A dislocated shoulder while running on a team rest day

14. c) There were no paintings or sculptures involved at all

15. b) A chinchilla cravat for $6,750

16. a) Milkman

17. d) Whether it would result in the depletion of the nation’s forestry (her exact words being, ‘So, does that mean we won’t have any trees?’)

18. d) Paul McCartney. (Other readers include Snoop Dogg, Jon Stewart, Amy Poehler and Rachel Maddow)

19. b) You need to get yourself a really good chair. Adjustable. You’re not the same height every day. Although, this is true

20. b) Brooklyn Nine-Nine, having been cancelled by Fox and bought by NBC shortly afterward

21. b) Pusha T, who also posted a photo of the Action Man-bearded rapper wearing blackface

22. b) Grimes

23. c) It’s the only one not in Spanish. The other four were all recorded by artists of Puerto Rican heritage

24. b) Skibidi by Little Big

25. a) Bishop Michael Curry

26. c) That they pay every single artist on their roster, the Spotify revenues they’re owed

27. b) Eminem, with Kamikaze (2018), Revival (2017) and Curtain Call (2005)

28. c) Its sale made David Hockney the most expensive living artist, upon being sold by Christie’s in New York for £70.3m

29. b) Baby Shark. Doo doo da-doo da-doo

30. b) Upon the release of mafia biopic, Gotti, he became the first actor to star in three 0%-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes