Magnus Magnusson

Magnus Magnusson was an Icelandic journalist, translator, writer and television presenter. He came to prominence as a BBC television journalist, and was best known as the presenter of the BBC television quiz program Mastermind, which he hosted for 25 years. He is also known for his famous catchphrase "I've started so I'll finish", which he said whenever the time ran out while he was reading a question on Mastermind.

Magnus was born in Reykjavík but grew up in Edinburgh, where his father, Sigursteinn Magnússon, was the Icelandic consul. Magnus' Icelandic name at birth was Magnús Sigursteinsson (meaning Magnus, son of Sigursteinn), but in Scotland his family adopted British naming conventions and from childhood he used his father's patronymic as a surname. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and was in the school's marching brass band.

After graduating from Jesus College, Oxford, Magnusson became a reporter with the Scottish Daily Express and The Scotsman. He went freelance in 1967, then joined the British Broadcasting Corporation, presenting programs on history and archaeology (including BC The Archaeology of the Bible Lands), as well as appearing in news programs.

Magnusson presented the long-running quiz show Mastermind from 1972 to 1997. His catchphrase, which the current presenter John Humphrys has continued to use, was "I've started so I'll finish". Magnusson made cameo appearances as himself, hosting Mastermind in Morecambe and Wise as well as the children's series Dizzy Heights and as Magnus Magnesium in The Goodies episode "Frankenfido."

Magnusson ended his 25-year run of hosting Mastermind in 1997, and the original Black Chair was given to him at the end of the production passing to his daughter Sally Magnusson after his death.

Magnusson translated a variety of books from modern Icelandic and Old Norse into English. Among these are several works by Halldór Laxness, the Nobel prize-winning novelist from Iceland as well as a number of Norse sagas which he co-translated (with Hermann Pálsson) for the Penguin Classics series: Njal's Saga (1960), The Vinland Sagas (1965), King Harald's Saga (1966) and Laxdaela Saga (1969). Magnusson was also the author of a popular history of the Viking age, called The Vikings (revised edition, 2000).

Magnusson was awarded an honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1989. He was elected President of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, for a five-year period, at their 94th AGM in October 1995, succeeding Max Nicholson. He also became the founder chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage upon its inception in 1992. He was Lord Rector of Edinburgh University from 1975 to 1978 and later in 2002, became Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University.

In later years, Magnusson also wrote for the New Statesman.  He died on 7 January 2007.