The spectacular opening ceremony with Professor Stephen Hawking attracted a peak TV audience of 11m.

BBC: The media and the Olympic Games

Professor Stephen Hawking may appear to have the answers to all those deep and meaningful questions about time, but there's one that surely has even him stumped - how come daytime TV host Richard Madeley never looks any older?

BBC: 10 THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS TIME LAST WEEK

Stephen Hawking is an internationally-recognized theoretical physicist, and is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

WHITEHOUSE: 2009 Medal of Freedom Recipients