Former Lancashire pub landlord holds virtual quiz with over 300,000 participants

A former pub owner who set up a virtual quiz "for a laugh" during the coronavirus crisis attracted almost 500,000 responses.

Jay Flynn, from Darwen, Lancashire, said users from as far as Geneva, New York and New Zealand had all expressed interest in taking part in the Facebook event.

The quiz took place last night with Jay saying that over 300,000 people viewed on the stream that was being broadcast on Facebook and Youtube.

Jay said that the hardest part about setting the quiz was not knowing who his audience would be.

"I think there will be hardened quizzers in there who will get 50 out of 50, no sweat, there will be other people that will really struggle," he said.

"But for the first ever one I've got to try and find a balance, really."

Mr Flynn, a sales executive who used to run a pub in his local area, said he originally set up the quiz on Saturday for friends as a "bit of a laugh and a giggle" amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said he "made the mistake" of setting the event to public, as it quickly surpassed 10,000 responses by Monday - when the lockdown was announced.

"I was just watching it and watching, and it was snowballing all day," he said.

"I can't get my head round it, I really can't."

Mr Flynn stopped the quiz briefly so that people could go outside and cheer for the NHS.

He added that during the quiz he urged players to donate to a local charity.

Jay said that he was so "grateful" to everyone who took part and he will be carrying it on every Thursday until the UK lockdown ends.