From Brainy to Beautiful: The Brightest Women of ‘What? Where? When?’ Today

From Brainy to Beautiful: The Brightest Women of ‘What? Where? When?’ Today

Most TV shows that started during the Soviet Union era are no longer on air for obvious reasons. Old formats have become boring, as even the most spoiled TV viewers are surprised by new shows almost every six months. There are some ‘old-timers,’ but they can be counted on one hand. The TV game ‘What? Where? When?’, which has been on air since 1975, is one of the undisputed and extremely ‘living’ legends of domestic television.

The Evolution of ‘What? Where? When?’

The first episode was significantly different from what we see today. In the debut program, two Moscow families, the Ivanovs and the Kuznetsovs, competed against each other. A year later, the project’s format changed: students from different faculties of Moscow State University competed for the title of the most erudite, although each played for themselves. The first episode was hosted by Alexander Maslyakov Sr., but he was later replaced by Vladimir Voroshilov.

Voroshilov, by the way, was known to the general public as the ‘Incognito from Ostankino’ for a long time—until 1980, no one knew who the real host was.

In 1977, ‘What? Where? When?’ finally took the form in which we all came to love it. Participants united into teams, the famous spinning top appeared, and the viewers themselves became the authors of the questions, but with one caveat: in the early years, Voroshilov himself composed the questions. In those years, men mainly participated in the project. Now, however, there are women in the teams of experts, some of whom become captains themselves and receive the main prize—the ‘Crystal Owl.’ This article will focus on the well-educated and erudite female participants of ‘What? Where? When?’.

Elena Orlova

Who said that female logic is a strange thing? Businesswoman Elena Orlova has long proven that logic has no gender, and some women think much broader than men. In 1998, Orlova first sat at the table of experts on the show ‘What? Where? When?’, joining Alexey Blinov’s team. Before that, the businesswoman had honed her skills in another intellectual game, ‘Brain Ring,’ for several years.

In 1989, Elena graduated from Plekhanov University. However, soon after receiving her diploma, she realized that economics was not the field she wanted to pursue professionally. In the early 1990s, Orlova tried her hand at advertising and then moved to television, where she worked on creating such projects as ‘Jeopardy,’ ‘Family Feud,’ and ‘Two Pianos.’ Around the same time, she became involved in the quiz show for erudites.

Elena has repeatedly been named the best player of ‘What? Where? When?’ and has also received the Voroshilov Prize. The businesswoman has often said that participating in the intellectual project is an opportunity to train her brain. By the way, Orlova now shares her knowledge with young minds in her ‘Academy of Intellect.’

Little is known about Elena Orlova’s personal life. Immediately after graduating from university, she gave birth to her daughter Maria. The entrepreneur is not alone, but she prefers not to talk about her loved one.

By the way, according to Elena herself, being well-read and having a high level of intelligence has never interfered with her personal life. ‘Apparently, I am lucky because I have met smart men who appreciate intelligent women,’ Orlova said in one of her interviews.

Inna Druz

Inna Druz was born into the family of perhaps the most famous participant of ‘What? Where? When?’, Alexander Druz, and his wife, a medical professional, Elena. No one doubted that the eldest daughter of the master of the intellectual club would make a name for herself. And so it happened: at the age of 15, Inna became the youngest expert in the history of the show. After her first game, she received a red jacket, and in 2003, she won her own ‘Crystal Owl.’

Inna received her education in economics in her native St. Petersburg and then continued her studies in France. After that, she worked in the banking sector for several years. In 2006, Inna married programmer Mikhail Pliskin. The couple has two daughters, Alice and Alina. A few years ago, the family moved to the USA because Mikhail was offered a job there.

Alena Povyševa

Many fans of ‘What? Where? When?’ would probably agree that Alena Povyševa is one of the most striking and talked-about participants of the show in the last fifteen years. One moment Povyševa appears on the show with a choker, which turned out to be a BDSM collar, and the next moment she is in a dress with an extreme slit or an overly deep neckline—viewers have seen it all over the years…

However, clothing style says nothing! Alena turned out to be not only smart but also a talented team captain, which included five men clearly ready to obey the charismatic leader.

Like many other participants, Alena was a fan of ‘What? Where? When?’ since her school days. The girl did not abandon her favorite game even during her student years when she studied at the Belarusian State University. After receiving her higher education, Povyševa moved to St. Petersburg and, since 2011, began working in an advertising agency. And a year later, she started regularly participating in the popular intellectual show.

Alena Povyševa has been happily married to photographer Yuri Filippov for more than ten years. By the way, their love for intellectual competitions brought them together. If usually, male experts bring their wives to the show, then in the case of Alena and Yuri, everything happened the other way around: Filippov tried his hand at ‘What? Where? When?’ only in the spring of 2017.

Elena Potanina

It is now difficult to imagine the TV game ‘What? Where? When?’ without the charismatic Elena Potanina, who has shattered all stereotypes about blondes. Elena has loved the intellectual show since childhood and dreamed of becoming a participant. Her wish came true: since 2006, she has been regularly training her mind in the eternal battle of experts and intellectually savvy TV viewers.