Jeremy Paxman has revealed University Challenge 'sexism' storm is row over joke he made about a knitted doll and a 'crude' joke he allegedly made.

On Tuesday students at Reading University announced they were boycotting the BBC Two quiz show over 'misogynistic and sexist remarks' allegedly made by Jeremy Paxman.

The university's student union voted not to take part in the programme after hearing remarks made to female students on set which 'should not be taken lightly'.

But Mr Paxman has said he had to 'rack his brains' to understand what the students were 'on about' as the incident took place in February last year when Reading University lost to Imperial College London 110 to 285.

The broadcaster and author said he was 'baffled' as to why a complaint has emerged a year and a half later over remarks he made 'in a brightly lit studio" in front of several hundred people.

Through his agent, Mr Paxman said: "There was a technical fault which meant we had to interrupt the recording, leaving all of us sitting at our desks in the studio while the problem was sorted out in the control gallery.