‘Redefine conversation’: how Just a Minute can help people living with dementia

An academic paper says the show creates ideal conditions for ‘cognitive overload’ and demonstrates how to avoid it

BBC Radio 4’s Just a Minute may be wonderfully entertaining for listeners but it is often excruciating for players as they attempt to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, hesitation or deviation.

An academic paper jointly produced by a university linguist and one of the greatest exponents of Just a Minute has suggested the game is so devious that the best way to succeed is to let go of any ambition to win.