Victoria Coren Mitchell
Victoria Coren Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Victoria Elizabeth Coren August 18, 1972 Hammersmith, West London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Author, television presenter, professional poker player |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Presenter of BBC quiz program Only Connect; first female to win a European Poker Tour event; author of poker memoirs |
Victoria Elizabeth Coren Mitchell (Template:Nee Coren; born ) is a British author, television host, and accomplished professional poker player. She contributes weekly columns to The Daily Telegraph and has been the presenter of the BBC quiz program Only Connect since 2008.
Early life
Victoria Elizabeth Coren entered the world in Hammersmith, West London, on 18 August 1972. She is the sole daughter of journalist and humorist Alan Coren and Anne Kasriel. Although both parents were brought up in Orthodox Jewish environments, they eventually distanced themselves from religious observance. Victoria was raised in Cricklewood, North West London, alongside her older brother, journalist Giles Coren, and shares family ties with Canadian journalist Michael Coren.
Her education took place at private girls' schools from the age of five until eighteen, including attendance at St Paul's Girls' School. She pursued English studies at St John's College, Oxford. Reflecting on her time at St Paul’s, she remarked on feeling somewhat alienated, describing her classmates as "elegant, goyishe west Londoners" whose life experiences differed greatly from her own.
Writing
At just 14 years old, Coren had a short story published under a pseudonym in Just Seventeen magazine. She earned a spot through a competition in The Daily Telegraph to write a teenage lifestyle column for its "Weekend" section, which she maintained throughout her adolescent years. During a Channel 4 appearance, she recalled receiving criticism from a reader who employed numerous Latin curse words to express their disapproval of her column.
Her literary works include Love 16 and Once More, with Feeling, co-written with Charlie Skelton about their endeavor to produce "the greatest porn film ever." Their project was inspired by their experience reviewing adult films for the Erotic Review, where they found most offerings to be of substandard quality.
Coren transformed John Diamond's newspaper columns into the stage play A Lump in my Throat, which was showcased at the 2000 Edinburgh Festival and various London theatres. This work was later adapted into a docudrama broadcast on BBC Two in 2001.
Together with her brother Giles Coren, she penned the introduction to Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks, a collection of their father Alan's finest humorous writings, released by Canongate Books in 2008.
Her memoir about poker, titled For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker—reissued as Confessions of a Player in paperback—was published in 2009 and garnered favorable critiques from both The Times and The Observer.
Additionally, she crafts questions for Only Connect using the pseudonym "Geri Wiley," paying homage to Ronnie Barker's alter ego "Gerald Wiley."
Ormerod hoax
Following her father's passing in 2007, Coren learned about a group of persistent funeral crashers operating in southern England who tracked death announcements to infiltrate services. To unmask these individuals, she fabricated an obituary for a fictional "Sir William Ormerod" in The Times. A week later, adopting the persona of his mourning partner, she organized a memorial event and reception. The group contacted her claiming acquaintance with Ormerod and requested invitations.
Initially contemplating disrupting the gathering with laxatives, she instead arranged for a friend to inform the gang leader—a known serial fraudster and former magistrate—that his presence was unwelcome. The remaining members were permitted entry, offered refreshments, and subsequently asked to leave. Coren has recounted this episode in pieces for both the Observer and The Guardian.
Poker
Coren Mitchell made history as the first female to claim victory in a European Poker Tour (EPT) event, accomplishing this feat at EPT London in 2006. She also holds the distinction of being the inaugural player to win both a televised professional tournament (EPT London 2006) and a televised celebrity poker event (Celebrity Poker Club 2005). Additionally, she is the first competitor to capture two EPT Main Event titles, triumphing in London 2006 and Sanremo 2014. Regularly engaging in Texas hold 'em games at London's Victoria Casino, she has also hosted prominent poker broadcasts such as William Hill Poker Grand Prix 2 on Sky Sports, Late Night Poker, The Poker Nations Cup on Channel 4, and the World Poker Tour aired on ITV2.
Over the course of her poker career, she has forged strong connections with The Hendon Mob and frequently participates in weekly home games alongside regular casino visits. While appearing in five episodes of Late Night Poker, her significant televised victory came when she defeated Willie Thorne in the grand final of Celebrity Poker Club series two, leading to her role as a commentator for the third series. In 2003, she served as a guest dealer during the final table of the Hold-Em 100 tournament.
Among her most notable achievements is winning the EPT London main event in September 2006, where she secured £500,000 by besting professional player Emad Tahtouh. In November 2011, she placed second at the International Federation of Poker's inaugural The Table World Championship, earning $100,000 and donating $10,000 to Age UK. In April 2014, she captured the EPT Sanremo main event title with a prize of €476,100, becoming the first player ever to win two EPT titles. By 2021, her live tournament earnings had surpassed $2.5 million, positioning her as the 14th highest-earning female poker player in live events.
She was formerly part of Team PokerStars Pro but resigned in November 2014 shortly after PokerStars launched an online casino platform, citing ethical concerns related to addiction risks.
Coren Mitchell has described her lifestyle as a balance between late nights spent smoking, drinking, and gambling and relaxing pursuits such as cooking and gardening. In recognition of her contributions to the game, she was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2016.
Personal life
On 20 March 2012, Coren announced her engagement to actor and comedian David Mitchell. The couple initially met at a film premiere in 2007, had a brief early relationship, and then began dating seriously three years later. They married in North London in November 2012. Their daughter was born in May 2015, and in November 2023 Coren shared news of their second child's birth.
In April 2012, she disclosed a fear of flying and later confirmed via Twitter that the therapist who was helping her with this phobia had tragically died in an aviation accident.
Television and radio credits
rowspan="2" |2016 rowspan="2" |2018| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off the Page: Radio 4 | Presenter | ||
| Fourth Column: Radio 4 | Presenter | ||
| 1992 | 100% | Performer | |
| 2001 | I Love the 80s | Guest | |
| 2003 | Double Entry | Judge | |
| 2004 | The Pedants' Revolt | Guest | |
| 2006–2007 | Balderdash and Piffle | Presenter | |
| 2007 | Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe | Guest | |
| 2008–present | Only Connect | Host | |
| Heresy | Host | ||
| 2009–2010 | You Have Been Watching | Guest | |
| The Wright Stuff | Guest panelist | ||
| 2010 | The Bubble | Guest panelist | |
| My Teenage Diary: Radio 4 | Guest | ||
| 2010–2015 | Question Time | Guest panelist | |
| 2010–2014 | Have I Got News for You | Guest panelist | |
| 2014–present | Guest host | ||
| 2011 | Frank Skinner's Opinionated | Guest | |
| 2011–2013 | 8 Out of 10 Cats | Guest Comic Relief Special (2011), Season 15, Episode 7 | |
| 2011–2023 | Would I Lie to You? | Guest | |
| 2012 | Room 101 | Guest | |
| 2012–present | QI | Guest | |
| 2013 | Goodbye Television Centre | Presenter | |
| The Secret Life of Mary Poppins: A Culture Show Special | Presenter | ||
| 2015 | The Unbelievable Truth | Guest | |
| '‘How To Be Bohemian With Victoria Coren Mitchell’' (3 episodes): BBC Four | Presenter | ||
| '‘The Great Sport Relief Bake Off’' | Celebrity contestant | ||
| '‘Chain Reaction’': Radio 4 | Interviewer/Guest | ||
| '‘Women Talking About Cars’': Radio 4 | Host | ||
| '‘Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier’' | Guest panelist | ||
| '‘The Big Narstie Show’' | Guest Season 1, Episode 3 |
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| '‘Hypothetical’' (game show) | Guest panelist 2019–2021 |
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| '‘The One Show’' | Guest 2019 |
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| '‘Celebrity Gogglebox’ for Su2c' | Guest 2020 |
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| '‘Taskmaster’' | Contestant Series 12 (2021) |