Hughes was a winner of
Mastermind (1983),
International Mastermind (1983) and
Brain of Britain, 2005. He is one of only seven people ever to have won both
Mastermind and
Brain of Britain, the others being Roger Pritchard,
Kevin Ashman,
Pat Gibson, Geoff Thomas, Ian Bayley, and Clive Dunning. He competed for the Mastermind Club in the
Quiz League of London, alongside other former champions and contenders including Ashman. Hughes also appeared on
The Weakest Link on 24 September 2001, and was voted out in the final elimination round without answering a single question incorrectly during the whole show, having been named the strongest link in six of the seven elimination rounds. Host
Anne Robinson declared Hughes to be "the best contestant we have had on
The Weakest Link" and opted not to use her signature "you are the Weakest Link, goodbye!" catchphrase, instead simply saying "goodbye, Chris". He was a member of the regular panel of quiz experts on the UK television show
Eggheads as part of the original lineup. Hughes appeared on the programme for 20 years before making his last appearance in 2023. == Personal life and death ==