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{{short description|English writer, presenter, and poker player}}
{{British barrelled name|Coren Mitchell|Mitchell}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Victoria Elizabeth Coren
| name = Victoria Coren Mitchell
|image =
| birth_name = Victoria Elizabeth Coren
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1972|8|18}}<ref name="standard">{{Cite web |last=Coren |first=Victoria |date=19 August 2002 |title=I made a porn film for my 30th |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/i-made-a-porn-film-for-my-30th-6302157.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617064237/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/i-made-a-porn-film-for-my-30th-6302157.html |archive-date=17 June 2012 |access-date=4 May 2013 |website=[[London Evening Standard]]}}</ref>
|caption =
| birth_place = [[London]], England
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|08|18|df=y}}
| spouse = {{marriage|[[David Mitchell (comedian)|David Mitchell]]|November 2012}}
|birth_place =
| children = 2
|other_names =
| relatives = {{ubl|[[Alan Coren]] (father)|[[Giles Coren]] (brother)|[[Michael Coren]] (first cousin once removed)}}
|partner =
| occupation = Journalist, television presenter, poker player, writer
|parents = [[Alan Coren]] (deceased)<br>Anne (née Kasriel)
| website = {{URL|victoriacoren.com}}
|occupation = [[Journalist]], [[TV presenter]],<br>[[poker]] player, writer
| education = [[St John's College, Oxford]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
|nationality = [[British nationality law|British]]
| known_for = ''[[Only Connect]]'' (2008–present)
}}
| module2 = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Victoria Coren BBC Radio4 Saturday Live 16 April 2011 b010dd3z.flac|title={{center|Victoria Coren Mitchell's voice}}|type=speech|description={{center|[[:File:Victoria Coren BBC Radio4 Saturday Live 16 April 2011 b010dd3z.flac|Recorded in April 2011]] from the BBC Radio 4 programme ''[[Saturday Live (radio series)|Saturday Live]]''}}}}
{{Infobox poker player
| module = {{Infobox poker player |child=yes
|image =
|image =
|nickname=Vicky, Teacup
|caption=
|caption=
|hometown=London, United Kingdom
|hometown=
|wsop bracelet count= ''None''
|wsop bracelet count= ''None''
|wsop money finishes=1
|wsop money finishes=2
|wsop main event best finish rank=''None''
|wsop main event best finish rank=''None''
|wsop main event best finish year=
|wsop main event best finish year=
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|wpt final tables=
|wpt final tables=
|wpt money finishes=
|wpt money finishes=
|ept titles=1
|ept titles=2
|ept final tables=1
|ept final tables=2
|ept money finishes=3
|ept wins=2
|ept money finishes=6
|updated=2014-04-20
|website = http://www.victoriacoren.com
|name=
}}
}}
}}
'''Victoria Elizabeth Coren''' (born 18 August 1973) is a [[British people|British]] [[writer]], [[presenter]] and champion [[poker]] player. Coren writes weekly columns for ''[[The Observer]]'' and ''[[The Guardian]]'' [[newspaper]]s and hosts the [[BBC Four]] television quiz show ''[[Only Connect]]''.
'''Victoria Elizabeth Coren Mitchell''' (''{{nee}}'' '''Coren'''; born {{birth date|df=y|1972|08|18}}) is a British writer, TV presenter and [[professional poker]] player. She writes weekly columns for ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' and has hosted the BBC television quiz show ''[[Only Connect]]'' since 2008.


==Early life and education==
==Early life==
Victoria Elizabeth Coren was born in [[Hammersmith]], [[West London]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2013 |title=Victoria Coren's new moniker unveiled |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/victoria-corens-new-moniker-unveiled-8615629.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619195518/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/victoria-corens-new-moniker-unveiled-8615629.html |archive-date=19 June 2013 |access-date=23 May 2013 |website=[[London Evening Standard]]}}</ref><ref name="thetimes.co.uk">{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Deborah |date=17 August 2019 |title=Victoria Coren Mitchell: smart, sharp, witty. Just like her quiz show, Only Connect |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/victoria-coren-mitchell-smart-sharp-witty-just-like-her-quiz-show-only-connect-rx0dwh9v6 |access-date=26 October 2019 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref> the only daughter of the humorist and journalist [[Alan Coren]] and Anne Kasriel. Her parents had been brought up in [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] households but distanced themselves from their faith.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cailler |first=Adam |year=2016 |title=Judaism Gives Giles Plenty Of Food For Thought |url=https://www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_342.html |access-date=13 November 2021 |website=www.jewishtelegraph.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 October 2007 |title=Alan Coren |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alan-coren-395092.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220817/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alan-coren-395092.html |archive-date=17 August 2022 |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> She grew up in [[Cricklewood]], [[North London]], with her elder brother, journalist [[Giles Coren]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coren |first=Giles |date=5 December 2013 |title=Giles Coren: I married my wife for Christmas |url=http://www.tatler.com/news/articles/december-2013/a-giles-coren-christmas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516113709/http://www.tatler.com/news/articles/december-2013/a-giles-coren-christmas |archive-date=16 May 2016}}</ref> She is related to Canadian journalist [[Michael Coren]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coren |first=Michael |date=5 December 2013 |title=Canada: A rogue state? Hardly |url=http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/12/05/canada-a-rogue-state-hardly |website=[[Ottawa Sun]]}}</ref>


Coren attended independent girls' schools between the ages of five and 18,<ref name="Interview Victoria Coren">{{Cite web |date=17 September 2009 |title=Interview: Victoria Coren |url=https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/interviews/interview-victoria-coren-1.11349 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404173740/https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/interviews/interview-victoria-coren-1.11349 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |access-date=9 September 2023 |publisher=[[The Jewish Chronicle]]}}</ref> including [[St Paul's Girls' School]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Waugh |first=Paul |date=13 November 2017 |title=Exclusive: St Paul's Girls' School Reveals Former Pupils Have Alleged 'Sexual Abuse' |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/st-pauls-girls-school-former-pupils-allege-sexual-abuse-after-metoo-campaign_uk_5a0a1bdbe4b0b17ffcdfc0e3 |access-date=27 April 2019 |website=[[HuffPost UK]]}}</ref> and read English at [[St John's College, Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tufnell |first=Nicholas |date=13 November 2011 |title=Interview: Victoria Coren |url=http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/story_type/site_trail_story/victoria-coren/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111060510/http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/interviews/0012147-victoria-coren.html |archive-date=11 November 2014 |access-date=13 November 2021 |work=[[The Cambridge Student]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 December 2018 |title=In Conversation with Victoria Coren Mitchell |url=https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/news/in-conversation-victoria-coren-mitchell/ |access-date=30 September 2022 |website=St John's College |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Victoria Coren Mitchell |url=https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-spotlight/victoria-coren-mitchell/ |access-date=30 September 2022 |website=St John's College |language=en}}</ref> She recalls not fitting in to the culture at St Paul's, stating, "My parents sent me to a very posh school in West London. I was not like the girls there. They were elegant, goyishe west Londoners — they knew things I didn’t".<ref name="Interview Victoria Coren" />
Coren was born in [[North London]].<!-- more precisely? --> She is the daughter of the [[list of humorists|humorist]] and [[journalist]] [[Alan Coren]] and the sister of journalist [[Giles Coren]]. She is a graduate of [[St John's College, Oxford]], and has said that she regularly stays up until 6 am, 'Smoking, and drinking and gambling. But I like cooking and gardening too, which makes me sound like a very strange mix of an old lady and teenage boy.' When asked about this she stated: 'It is still true. I'll grow up one day, but not quite yet.'<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2011/vicky-coren-the-royal-wedding-and-cucumb-080618.html |title=Vicky Coren, the Royal wedding and cucumber sandwiches |publisher=PokerStarsBlog.com |date= |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Coren lives in [[London]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-406923/Poker-face-Victoria-Coren-wins--163-frac12-m.html |title=Poker face Victoria Coren wins £½m &#124; Mail Online |publisher=Dailymail.co.uk |date=2006-09-25 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref> and announced her engagement to actor and comedian [[David Mitchell (actor)|David Mitchell]] on 20 March 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://announcements.thetimes.co.uk/celebration/timesonline-uk/celebrations-announcement.aspx?n=david-mitchell&aid=156588611 |title=David MITCHELL & Victoria COREN Engagement Announcement &#124; The Times |publisher=Announcements.thetimes.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17449465 |title=BBC News - David Mitchell and Victoria Coren announce engagement |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2012-03-20 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref>


==Writing==
==Writing==
Aged 14, she had a short story published under a pseudonym in ''[[Just Seventeen]]'' magazine <ref>{{cite web|author=Victoria Coren|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/18/victoria-coren-teenage-girls-magazines-great?INTCMP=SRCH |title=Girls' mags are not sexy, but sweet &#124; Victoria Coren &#124; Comment is free &#124; The Observer |publisher=Guardian |date=2012-03-18 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref> and then won a competition in the ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' to write a column about teenage life for their "Weekend" section, which she continued writing for several years.
At the age of 14, Coren had a short story published under a pseudonym in ''[[Just Seventeen]]'' magazine<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coren |first=Victoria |date=19 March 2012 |title=Girls' mags are not sexy, but sweet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/18/victoria-coren-teenage-girls-magazines-great |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204042742/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/18/victoria-coren-teenage-girls-magazines-great |archive-date=4 February 2014 |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=[[The Observer]]}}</ref> and then won a competition in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' to write a column about teenage life for their "Weekend" section, which she continued writing during her own teenage years. During a Channel 4 broadcast, she explained that one ''Telegraph'' reader had written to her, criticising her column and had used a very great number of swear words, all in Latin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown: Series 10 Episode 1 – All 4 |url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/8-out-of-10-cats-does-countdown/on-demand/63885-005 |access-date=7 October 2022 |website=[[Channel4.com]]}}</ref>


Her books include ''Love 16''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coren |first=Victoria |title=Love 16 |publisher=Ebury Press |year=1989 |isbn=978-0712-63012-2}}</ref> and ''[[Once More, with Feeling (book)|Once More, with Feeling]]'', about her attempt (with co-author [[Charlie Skelton]]) to make "the greatest porn film ever".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Coren |first1=Victoria |title=Once More, with Feeling |last2=Skelton |first2=Charlie |author-link2=Charlie Skelton |publisher=Fourth Estate |year=2010 |isbn=978-1841-15437-4}}</ref> Their jobs reviewing porn films for the ''[[Erotic Review]]'' led them to believe that most of what they were watching was terrible and that they could make better films themselves.<ref name="standard" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Carpenter |first=Louise |date=10 August 2002 |title=Proud to be pornographers |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3581266/Proud-to-be-pornographers.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312082026/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3581266/Proud-to-be-pornographers.html |archive-date=12 March 2014 |access-date=18 September 2013 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref>
Her books include ''Love 16''<ref>
{{Cite book|title=Love 16 |publisher=Ebury Press |first=Victoria |last=Coren |year=1989 }}
</ref> and ''[[Once More, with Feeling (book)|Once More, with Feeling]]''<ref>
{{Cite book|title=Once More, with Feeling |publisher=Fourth Estate |first=Victoria |last=Coren |coauthors=Skelton, Charlie|year=2010 }}
</ref>, about her attempt (with co-author [[Charlie Skelton]]) to make the best [[hardcore pornography|hardcore]] [[porn]] movie ever. This came off the back of their jobs reviewing porn films for the ''[[Erotic Review]]''—a job which led them to believe that most of what they were watching was terrible and that they could make better films themselves.


Coren adapted the newspaper columns of [[John Diamond (journalist)|John Diamond]] into a play called ''A Lump In My Throat'' which was performed at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, the Grace Theatre and New End Theatre in London, before Coren adapted it again for a TV play on BBC2 starring [[Neil Pearson]].
She adapted the newspaper columns of [[John Diamond (journalist)|John Diamond]] into a play called ''A Lump in my Throat'', which was performed during the 2000 [[Edinburgh Festival]] at the [[Assembly Rooms (Edinburgh)|Assembly Rooms]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sands |first=Sarah |date=25 August 2000 |title=You've got to laugh&nbsp;– haven't you? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4254287/Youve-got-to-laugh-havent-you.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141604/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4254287/Youve-got-to-laugh-havent-you.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=2 June 2015 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref> the Grace Theatre and the [[New End Theatre]] in London, before she adapted it again for a [[BBC Two]] [[docudrama]] with [[Neil Pearson]], broadcast in 2001.{{cn|date=December 2024}}


Victoria and Giles Coren wrote an introduction to ''Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks'',<ref>
Victoria and Giles Coren wrote an introduction to ''Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks'', an anthology of the best comic writing by their father Alan, published by [[Canongate Books|Canongate]] in October 2008.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Coren |first1=Alan |title=Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks |last2=Coren |first2=Giles |last3=Coren |first3=Victoria |publisher=Canongate |year=2009 |isbn=978-1847-67320-6}}</ref>
{{Cite book|title=Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks |publisher=Canongate |first=Alan |last=Coren |coauthors=Coren, Giles and Coren,, Victoria|year=2009 }}
</ref> an anthology of the best comic writing by their father Alan Coren, published by Canongate in October 2008.


Her poker memoir ''For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Co6ren|first=Victoria|title=For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker|publisher=Canongate|location=Edinburgh|year=2009}}</ref> (the subtitle changed to ''Confessions of a Player'' when released in paperback in 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|title=For richer, for poorer : confessions of a player|website=WorldCat|url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/703843298|year=2011|access-date=2024-06-30}}</ref> was published in September 2009, and was well reviewed in ''[[The Times]]''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frankel |first=Martha |date=19 September 2009 |title=For Richer For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker by Victoria Coren |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article6839678.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809081732/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article6839678.ece |archive-date=9 August 2011 |access-date=13 November 2021 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref> and ''[[The Observer]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Docx |first=Edward |date=27 September 2009 |title=For Richer, for Poorer by Victoria Coren |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/27/for-richer-for-poorer-coren |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204042359/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/27/for-richer-for-poorer-coren |archive-date=4 February 2014 |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=[[The Observer]]}}</ref>
Her poker [[memoir]] ''For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker''<ref>

{{Cite book|title=For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker |publisher=Canongate |first=Victoria |last=Coren |year=2009 }}
She writes questions for Only Connect under the pseudonym "'''Geri Wiley'''", a nod to [[Ronnie Barker]]'s "[[Gerald Wiley]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colvile |first=Robert |date=28 June 2024 |title=What connects me, a Green, a Labour MP and an Islamic activist? |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/only-connect-comment-green-party-labour-party-islamic-activist-xl9tvkl5q |website=[[TheTimes.com]]}}</ref>
</ref> was published in September 2009, and was well reviewed in ''The Times''<ref>[http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article6839678.ece Times Review]</ref> and the ''Observer'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Edward Docx |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/sep/27/for-richer-for-poorer-coren |title=For Richer, for Poorer by Victoria Coren &#124; Book review &#124; Books &#124; The Observer |publisher=Guardian |date=2009-09-27 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref> as well as other places.


==Ormerod hoax==
==Ormerod hoax==
In December 2008, Coren revealed that in 2007 she had instigated a [[hoax]] in order to trap a group who turned up to memorial services for people they had never actually met. She created the fictitious and recently deceased Sir William Ormerod, and placed an advertisement in the main British newspapers for his memorial service "followed by a drinks reception".<ref name="Ormerod memorial service">''The Times'', 14 August 2008.</ref> Coren reported that the group duly applied for tickets claiming to have known Ormerod.<ref name="Ormerod hoax">{{cite web|author=Victoria Coren |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/21/celebrity-victoria-coren |title=Victoria Coren: My dad's memorial service was going so well. Then the ghouls turned up &#124; Life and style &#124; The Observer |publisher=Guardian |date=2008-12-21 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref>
In 2007, after the death of her father, having put a notice in ''The Times'' inviting those who knew him to attend a service, she was warned by a friend that a "gang of serial funeral crashers" based in the south of England were checking death notices to find funerals and memorial services to crash for their own enjoyment. After receiving some suspicious email replies to her notice, she instigated a hoax to trap the group. She created "Sir William Ormerod" and placed a death notice. A week later, she placed another notice in ''The Times'' "in the guise of his grieving boyfriend Peter" for his memorial service "followed by a drinks reception".<ref name="Ormerod hoax" /> She reported that the group duly claimed to have known Ormerod and applied for tickets.<ref name="Ormerod hoax">{{Cite news |last=Coren |first=Victoria |date=12 December 2008 |title=Victoria Coren: My dad's memorial service was going so well. Then the ghouls turned up |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/21/celebrity-victoria-coren |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204040301/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/21/celebrity-victoria-coren |archive-date=4 February 2014 |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=[[The Observer]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=24 December 2008 |title=Wily Daughter Outs 'Funeral Crashing' Group Who Tried To Attend Dad's Memorial – CityNews Toronto |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2008/12/24/wily-daughter-outs-funeral-crashing-group-who-tried-to-attend-dads-memorial/ |access-date=14 November 2020 |website=toronto.citynews.ca}}</ref>

After first suggesting holding the memorial service and putting [[laxative]] in the canapés, she got a friend to telephone the ringleader (a serial fraudster and ex-magistrate)<ref name="Jolley Gang">{{Cite web |last=Coren |first=Victoria |date=21 March 2010 |title=Return of the Jolley gang |url=http://www.victoriacoren.com/main/blog/archive/return_of_the_jolley_gang |access-date=17 June 2019 |publisher=Victoria Coren}}</ref> to let it be known that she knew who they were and that he was not welcome, but she let the others in the gang come to her father's service, "gave them a drink and sent them on their way".<ref name="BBC Radio 4 Interview">{{Cite web |title=Chain Reaction – Series 11 – 3. Ian Hislop interviews Victoria Coren-Mitchell – BBC Sounds |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b072my2p |website=[[BBC.co.uk]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> She has written articles in the ''Observer'' and ''[[The Guardian]]'' about her experience.{{cn|date=December 2024}}


==Poker==
==Poker==
Coren was the first woman to win an event on the [[European Poker Tour]] and the first player to win both a televised professional tournament (EPT London 2006) and a televised celebrity tournament (Celebrity Poker Club 2005). She frequently plays at the Victoria Casino in London's [[Edgware Road (London)|Edgware Road]], where she plays [[Texas hold 'em]]. As a commentator/presenter, Coren has presented Late Night Poker and The Poker Nations Cup for Channel 4, World Poker Tour for ITV2 and commentated on The Monte Carlo EPT, Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (Channel 4), Ultimate Poker Challenge (Channel 5) and William Hill Poker Grand Prix 2 (Sky Sports). During her poker career, Coren has become a close friend of [[The Hendon Mob]], and mixes weekly home games with frequent visits to two regular casinos. Coren appeared in five episodes of ''[[Late Night Poker]]'', although she never made it to a series grand final. However in ''Late Night Poker''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s spin-off ''[[Celebrity Poker Club]]'', she defeated [[Willie Thorne]] to win the series two grand final before joining [[Jesse May]] as the commentator in series three. In the 2003 Hold-Em 100 tournament in [[London]] she was a guest dealer for the final table.
Coren Mitchell was the first woman to win an event on the [[European Poker Tour]], the first player to win both a televised professional tournament (EPT London 2006) and a televised celebrity tournament (Celebrity Poker Club 2005), and the first player to win two European Poker Tour Main Events (EPT London 2006 and EPT Sanremo 2014). She frequently plays [[Texas hold 'em]] at the Victoria Casino in London's Edgware Road. As a commentator/presenter she has presented ''William Hill Poker Grand Prix 2'' (Sky Sports)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victoria Coren Mitchell |url=https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/victoria-coren-mitchell |access-date=28 October 2022 |publisher=Curtis Brown}}</ref> and ''Late Night Poker'' and ''The Poker Nations Cup'' for [[Channel 4]], and ''World Poker Tour'' for ITV2; and has commentated on ''The Monte Carlo EPT, Grosvenor UK Poker Tour'' (Channel 4), ''Ultimate Poker Challenge'' ([[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=http://www.victoriacoren.com/main/biography |access-date=28 October 2022 |publisher=Victoria Coren Mitchell}}</ref>


During her poker career, she has become a close friend of [[The Hendon Mob]] and mixes weekly home games with frequent visits to two regular casinos. She appeared in five episodes of ''[[Late Night Poker]]'', although she never made it to a series grand final. However, in ''Late Night Poker''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s spin-off ''[[Celebrity Poker Club]]'', she defeated [[Willie Thorne]] to win the series two grand final before joining [[Jesse May]] as the commentator in series three. In the 2003 Hold-Em 100 tournament in London, she was a guest dealer for the final table.{{cn|date=December 2024}}
On 24 September 2006, Coren won the main event of the [[European Poker Tour]] (EPT) London earning a prize of £500,000. After a four-day event she found herself [[Glossary of poker terms#H|heads up]] with Australian professional [[Emad Tahtouh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=24051 |title=The European Poker Championships, Main Event - No Limit Hold'em: Hendon Mob Poker Database |publisher=Pokerdb.thehendonmob.com |date=2006-09-24 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}</ref> After only two hands of heads-up play the table saw a [[Flop (poker)|flop]] of 5-3-4. Tahtouh [[Betting (poker)#Open|bet out]] and Coren called. After a 10 on the [[Turn (poker)|turn]], Tahtouh moved [[all in (poker)|all-in]] and Coren [[Betting (poker)#Call|called]] instantly. Tahtouh showed 8-6, and Coren had 6-7. Having flopped the [[Hand rankings#Straight|straight]] and avoiding a seven on the [[River (poker)|river]] to give Tahtouh a higher straight, she defeated her opponent. As of 2008, her total live tournament winnings exceeds $1,200,000. Coren is a member of Team [[PokerStars]] Pro.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/victoria-coren/ |title=Team PokerStars Pro - Victoria Coren |accessdate=2008-04-25 |work=pokerstars.com }}</ref>


On 24 September 2006, she won the main event of the European Poker Tour London, earning a prize of £500,000 and defeating Australian professional Emad Tahtouh.<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Poker Tour – EPT London, No Limit Hold'em – EPT Main Event |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=24051 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105134929/http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=24051 |archive-date=5 November 2012 |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=[[TheHendonMob.com]] |language=en}}</ref> On 20 November 2011 she finished second in the International Federation of Poker's inaugural The Table World Championship, eventually losing heads-up with 29-year-old Spaniard Raul Mestre. She received $100,000 for second place, $10,000 of which she donated to [[Age UK]]. In April 2014 she won the main event of the European Poker Tour San Remo, earning €476,100 and becoming the first player to have won two EPT titles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Op de Woerd |first=Frank |date=20 April 2014 |title=Vicky Coren-Mitchell Wins Sanremo Main Event To Become First Two-Time EPT Champion |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2014/04/victoria-vicky-coren-mitchell-sanremo-two-time-champion-ept-18095.htm |access-date=13 November 2021 |work=[[Pokernews.com]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Halliday |first=Josh |date=21 April 2014 |title=Victoria Coren Mitchell makes poker history with San Remo victory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/21/victoria-coren-mitchell-poker-history-san-remo |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> {{As of|2021}} her total live tournament winnings exceed $2,500,000, making her the 14th best-earning female live poker player ever.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women's All Time Money List |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/ranking/137/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=[[TheHendonMob.com]] |language=en}}</ref>
On 20th November, 2011, Coren finished 2nd in the International Federation of Poker's inaugural The Table World Championship, eventually losing heads-up with 29-year-old Spaniard Raul Mestre. She received $100,000 for 2nd place, $10,000 of which she donated to Age UK.


She has been a member of Team [[PokerStars]] Pro,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victoria Coren |url=http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/victoria-coren/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107155859/http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/victoria-coren/ |archive-date=7 November 2014 |access-date=20 April 2014 |publisher=Team PokerStars Pro}}</ref> but in November 2014 she removed her endorsement a few hours after PokerStars had announced they were starting an online casino. She said she was uncomfortable about potential addiction by vulnerable people to a site where the odds are in favour of the operator, and did not want to be associated with such an operation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coren Mitchell |first=Victoria |date=26 November 2014 |title=Goodbye Team Pro |url=http://www.victoriacoren.com/main/blog/archive/goodbye_team_pro |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129201012/http://www.victoriacoren.com/main/blog/archive/goodbye_team_pro |archive-date=29 November 2014 |access-date=26 November 2014 |publisher=Coren Mitchell's blog}}</ref>
==TV and radio credits==


She has said that she regularly stays up until 6{{nbsp}}am, "Smoking and drinking and gambling. But I like cooking and gardening too, which makes me sound like a very strange mix of an old lady and teenage boy." When asked about this in 2012, she stated: "It is still true. I'll grow up one day, but not quite yet."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carswell |first=Sue |date=19 April 2011 |title=Vicky Coren, the Royal wedding and cucumber sandwiches |url=http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2011/vicky-coren-the-royal-wedding-and-cucumb-080618.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314170012/http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2011/vicky-coren-the-royal-wedding-and-cucumb-080618.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |access-date=21 March 2012 |publisher=PokerStarsBlog.com}}</ref>
*''Off The Page'' - Presenter
*''Fourth Column'' - Presenter
*''The Pedants' Revolt'' - Herself
*''[[I Love the '80s (U.K. TV series)|I Love the 80s]]'' - Herself (2001)
*''Double Entry'' - Judge (2003)
*''[[Balderdash and Piffle]]'' - Presenter (2006–2007)
*''[[Only Connect]]'' - Host (2008–present)
*''[[Heresy (radio series)|Heresy]]'' - Presenter (2008–present)
*''[[You Have Been Watching]]'' - Guest (2009–2010)
*''[[The Wright Stuff]]'' - Guest panellist (2009, 2010)
*''[[The Bubble (UK TV series)|The Bubble]]'' - Herself (2010)
*''[[Question Time (TV series)|Question Time]]'' - Guest panellist (2010)
*''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' - Guest panellist (2010-2011)
*''My Teenage Diary'' - Herself (2010)
*''[[Frank Skinner's Opinionated]]'' - Herself (2011)
*''[[Would I Lie to You? (TV series)|Would I Lie to You?]]'' - Herself (2011)


Coren Mitchell was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burton |first=Earl |date=21 May 2016 |title=Victoria Coren-Mitchell, Debbie Burkhead Earn 2016 Induction into Women in Poker Hall of Fame – Poker News Daily |url=http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/victoria-coren-mitchell-debbie-burkhead-earn-2016-induction-into-women-in-poker-hall-of-fame-28457/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808035102/https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/victoria-coren-mitchell-debbie-burkhead-earn-2016-induction-into-women-in-poker-hall-of-fame-28457/ |archive-date=8 August 2017}}</ref>
== Notes ==

{{reflist}}
==Personal life==
On 20 March 2012, Coren announced her engagement to actor and comedian [[David Mitchell (comedian)|David Mitchell]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 20, 2012 |title=David Mitchell and Victoria Coren: Engagement Announcement |url=http://announcements.thetimes.co.uk/celebration/timesonline-uk/celebrations-announcement.aspx?n=david-mitchell&aid=156588611 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711215113/http://announcements.thetimes.co.uk/celebration/timesonline-uk/celebrations-announcement.aspx?n=david-mitchell&aid=156588611 |archive-date=11 July 2012 |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=[[The Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 March 2012 |title=David Mitchell and Victoria Coren announce engagement |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17449465 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320182658/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17449465 |archive-date=20 March 2012 |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> According to David, they first met at a film premiere in 2007, and had a short-lived series of dates, but only began dating properly three years later.<ref name="guardianMitchell">{{Cite news |last=Freeman |first=Hadley |date=19 October 2012 |title=David Mitchell: goodbye lonely nerd |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/19/david-mitchell-victoria-coren-engagement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108004404/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/19/david-mitchell-victoria-coren-engagement |archive-date=8 January 2014 |access-date=21 October 2012 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> The couple married in November 2012, in North London, and their daughter was born in May 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eames |first=Tom |date=22 May 2015 |title=David Mitchell and Victoria Coren have a baby girl: 'We're extremely happy and sleepy' |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a648852/david-mitchell-and-victoria-coren-have-a-baby-girl-were-extremely-happy-and-sleepy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527001002/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a648852/david-mitchell-and-victoria-coren-have-a-baby-girl-were-extremely-happy-and-sleepy.html |archive-date=27 May 2015 |access-date=2 June 2015 |publisher=[[Digital Spy]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hodges |first=Michael |date=19 September 2018 |title=Upstart Crow's David Mitchell on Shakespeare – and watching Only Connect with his wife |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-19/david-mitchell-victoria-coren-mitchell-interview-upstart-crow-only-connect-shakespeare/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105170840/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-19/david-mitchell-victoria-coren-mitchell-interview-upstart-crow-only-connect-shakespeare/ |archive-date=5 November 2019 |access-date=13 November 2021 |website=[[Radio Times]]}}</ref> In November 2023, Coren announced on Twitter that she had given birth to her second child in late October.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coren Mitchell |first=Victoria |date=1 November 2023 |title= Many people are assuming my tweet yesterday was a Halloween costume. Not at all; last week I had a baby and nothing currently fits me except cloaks. Luckily, Only Connect is a pre-record. Happy All Saints Day! ❤️ |url=https://x.com/VictoriaCoren/status/1719751398399541273?s=20|publisher=@VictoriaCoren|website=X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 November 2023 |title=Victoria Coren Mitchell announces birth of second child |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67296329 |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

In April 2012 she reported that she was [[Fear of flying|terrified of flying]], and in August 2012 she confirmed on [[Twitter]] that the therapist she had been seeing to address her fear had been killed in a plane crash.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victoria Coren Mitchell on Twitter: "@yellowyell It wasn't a joke...." / Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/VictoriaCoren/status/239821600709558274 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426133416/https://twitter.com/VictoriaCoren/status/239821600709558274 |archive-date=26 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Coren |first=Victoria |date=5 April 2012 |title=Fear of flying |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/fear-of-flying-7435742.html |access-date=10 May 2022 |newspaper=[[Evening Standard]]}}</ref>

==Television and radio credits==
{{More citations|section|date=December 2024}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Show
!Role
!Notes
|-
|
|''[[Off the Page (radio series)|Off the Page]]'': Radio 4||Presenter
|
|-
|
|''Fourth Column'': Radio 4||Presenter
|
|-
|1992
|''100%''||Performer
|
|-
|2001
|''[[I Love the '80s (UK TV series)|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
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2008–present
|''[[Only Connect]]''||Host
|
|-
|''[[Heresy (radio series)|Heresy]]''||Host
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2009–2010
|''[[You Have Been Watching]]''||Guest
|
|-
|''[[The Wright Stuff]]''||Guest panelist
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2010
|''[[The Bubble (game show)|The Bubble]]''||Guest panelist
|
|-
|''My Teenage Diary'': Radio 4||Guest
|
|-
|2010–2015
|''[[Question Time (TV series)|Question Time]]''||Guest panelist
|
|-
|2010–2014
| rowspan="2" |''[[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)<br>Season 15, Episode 7
|-
|2011–2023
|''[[Would I Lie to You? (British game show)|Would I Lie to You?]]''||Guest
|
|-
|2012
|''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]''||Guest
|
|-
|2012–present
|''[[QI]]''||Guest
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2013
|''Goodbye Television Centre''||Presenter
|
|-
|''[[The Culture Show|The Secret Life of Mary Poppins: A Culture Show Special]]''||Presenter
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2015
|''[[The Unbelievable Truth (radio show)|The Unbelievable Truth]]''||Guest
|
|-
|''How To Be Bohemian With Victoria Coren Mitchell'' (3 episodes): BBC Four<ref>{{Cite web |title=How To Be Bohemian With Victoria Coren Mitchell |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05ywyx6 |access-date=25 April 2018 |publisher=[[BBC Four]]}}</ref>||Presenter
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
|''[[The Great Sport Relief Bake Off]]''||Celebrity contestant
|
|-
|''[[Chain Reaction (radio)|Chain Reaction]]'': Radio 4||Interviewer/Guest
|
|-
|2016–present
|''Women Talking About Cars'': Radio 4<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women Talking About Cars |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084yrjf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130191329/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084yrjf |archive-date=30 November 2016 |access-date=29 November 2016 |publisher=[[BBC Radio 4]]}}</ref>
|Host
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2018
|''[[Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier]]''||Guest panelist
|
|-
|''[[The Big Narstie Show]]''
|Guest
|Season 1, Episode 3
|-
|2019–2021
|''[[Hypothetical (game show)|Hypothetical]]''||Guest panelist
|
|-
|2019
|''[[The One Show]]''||Guest
|
|-
|2020
|''[[Celebrity Gogglebox]] for [[Su2c]]''
|Guest
|
|-
|2021
|''[[Taskmaster (TV series)|Taskmaster]]''||Contestant
| Series 12
|}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Victoria Coren}}
{{Prone to spam|date=March 2012}}
{{Prone to spam|date=March 2012}}
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-->
-->
*[http://www.victoriacoren.com/ Official Victoria Coren Site - www.victoriacoren.com]
* [http://www.victoriacoren.com/ Official website]
* {{IMDb name|1296679}}
*[http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=403 Hendon Mob tournament results]
*[http://poker.sportinglife.com/News/story_71585.shtml Interview with sportinglife.com]
*[http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/the-simon-round-interview/interview-victoria-coren Interview with the Jewish Chronicle]
*{{IMDb name|1296679|Victoria Coren}}


{{Team PokerStars}}
{{European Poker Awards Outstanding Tournament Performance of the Year Winners}}
{{European Poker Awards Outstanding Tournament Performance of the Year Winners}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->

| NAME = Coren, Victoria
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coren Mitchell, Victoria}}
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
[[Category:1972 births]]
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British writer, presenter and poker player
[[Category:Living people]]
| DATE OF BIRTH = 18 August 1973
[[Category:20th-century British Jews]]
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
[[Category:21st-century British Jews]]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coren, Victoria}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Alumni of St John's College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Alumni of St John's College, Oxford]]
[[Category:British child writers]]
[[Category:British gambling writers]]
[[Category:British game show hosts]]
[[Category:English women columnists]]
[[Category:Coren family|Victoria]]
[[Category:English columnists]]
[[Category:English columnists]]
[[Category:English novelists]]
[[Category:English game show hosts]]
[[Category:English poker players]]
[[Category:European Poker Tour winners]]
[[Category:European Poker Tour winners]]
[[Category:Female poker players]]
[[Category:Female poker players]]
[[Category:Gambling writers]]
[[Category:Hoaxers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Jewish English writers]]
[[Category:People from London]]
[[Category:Journalists from London]]
[[Category:People educated at St Paul's Girls' School]]
[[Category:People from Cricklewood]]
[[Category:People from Hammersmith]]
[[Category:Poker commentators]]
[[Category:Poker commentators]]
[[Category:Jewish poker players]]
[[Category:Poker players from London]]
[[Category:The Daily Telegraph people]]
[[Category:The Guardian journalists]]
[[Category:The Observer people]]
[[Category:The Observer people]]
[[Category:The Guardian journalists]]
[[Category:Writers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]
[[Category:English people of Polish-Jewish descent]]

[[de:Victoria Coren]]
[[it:Victoria Coren]]
[[pt:Victoria Coren]]

Latest revision as of 00:04, 23 December 2024

Victoria Coren Mitchell
Born
Victoria Elizabeth Coren

(1972-08-18) 18 August 1972 (age 52)[1]
London, England
EducationSt John's College, Oxford (BA)
Occupation(s)Journalist, television presenter, poker player, writer
Known forOnly Connect (2008–present)
Spouse
(m. 2012)
Children2
Relatives
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)None
Money finish(es)2
Highest ITM
Main Event finish
None
European Poker Tour
Title(s)2
Final table(s)2
Money finish(es)6
Information last updated on 20 April 2014.
Websitevictoriacoren.com

Victoria Elizabeth Coren Mitchell (née Coren; born (1972-08-18)18 August 1972) is a British writer, TV presenter and professional poker player. She writes weekly columns for The Daily Telegraph and has hosted the BBC television quiz show Only Connect since 2008.

Early life

[edit]

Victoria Elizabeth Coren was born in Hammersmith, West London,[2][3] the only daughter of the humorist and journalist Alan Coren and Anne Kasriel. Her parents had been brought up in Orthodox Jewish households but distanced themselves from their faith.[4][5] She grew up in Cricklewood, North London, with her elder brother, journalist Giles Coren.[6] She is related to Canadian journalist Michael Coren.[7]

Coren attended independent girls' schools between the ages of five and 18,[8] including St Paul's Girls' School,[9] and read English at St John's College, Oxford.[10][11][12] She recalls not fitting in to the culture at St Paul's, stating, "My parents sent me to a very posh school in West London. I was not like the girls there. They were elegant, goyishe west Londoners — they knew things I didn’t".[8]

Writing

[edit]

At the age of 14, Coren had a short story published under a pseudonym in Just Seventeen magazine[13] and then won a competition in The Daily Telegraph to write a column about teenage life for their "Weekend" section, which she continued writing during her own teenage years. During a Channel 4 broadcast, she explained that one Telegraph reader had written to her, criticising her column and had used a very great number of swear words, all in Latin.[14]

Her books include Love 16[15] and Once More, with Feeling, about her attempt (with co-author Charlie Skelton) to make "the greatest porn film ever".[16] Their jobs reviewing porn films for the Erotic Review led them to believe that most of what they were watching was terrible and that they could make better films themselves.[1][17]

She adapted the newspaper columns of John Diamond into a play called A Lump in my Throat, which was performed during the 2000 Edinburgh Festival at the Assembly Rooms,[18] the Grace Theatre and the New End Theatre in London, before she adapted it again for a BBC Two docudrama with Neil Pearson, broadcast in 2001.[citation needed]

Victoria and Giles Coren wrote an introduction to Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks, an anthology of the best comic writing by their father Alan, published by Canongate in October 2008.[19]

Her poker memoir For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker[20] (the subtitle changed to Confessions of a Player when released in paperback in 2011)[21] was published in September 2009, and was well reviewed in The Times[22] and The Observer.[23]

She writes questions for Only Connect under the pseudonym "Geri Wiley", a nod to Ronnie Barker's "Gerald Wiley".[24]

Ormerod hoax

[edit]

In 2007, after the death of her father, having put a notice in The Times inviting those who knew him to attend a service, she was warned by a friend that a "gang of serial funeral crashers" based in the south of England were checking death notices to find funerals and memorial services to crash for their own enjoyment. After receiving some suspicious email replies to her notice, she instigated a hoax to trap the group. She created "Sir William Ormerod" and placed a death notice. A week later, she placed another notice in The Times "in the guise of his grieving boyfriend Peter" for his memorial service "followed by a drinks reception".[25] She reported that the group duly claimed to have known Ormerod and applied for tickets.[25][26]

After first suggesting holding the memorial service and putting laxative in the canapés, she got a friend to telephone the ringleader (a serial fraudster and ex-magistrate)[27] to let it be known that she knew who they were and that he was not welcome, but she let the others in the gang come to her father's service, "gave them a drink and sent them on their way".[28][26] She has written articles in the Observer and The Guardian about her experience.[citation needed]

Poker

[edit]

Coren Mitchell was the first woman to win an event on the European Poker Tour, the first player to win both a televised professional tournament (EPT London 2006) and a televised celebrity tournament (Celebrity Poker Club 2005), and the first player to win two European Poker Tour Main Events (EPT London 2006 and EPT Sanremo 2014). She frequently plays Texas hold 'em at the Victoria Casino in London's Edgware Road. As a commentator/presenter she has presented William Hill Poker Grand Prix 2 (Sky Sports)[29] and Late Night Poker and The Poker Nations Cup for Channel 4, and World Poker Tour for ITV2; and has commentated on The Monte Carlo EPT, Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (Channel 4), Ultimate Poker Challenge (Channel 5).[30]

During her poker career, she has become a close friend of The Hendon Mob and mixes weekly home games with frequent visits to two regular casinos. She appeared in five episodes of Late Night Poker, although she never made it to a series grand final. However, in Late Night Poker's spin-off Celebrity Poker Club, she defeated Willie Thorne to win the series two grand final before joining Jesse May as the commentator in series three. In the 2003 Hold-Em 100 tournament in London, she was a guest dealer for the final table.[citation needed]

On 24 September 2006, she won the main event of the European Poker Tour London, earning a prize of £500,000 and defeating Australian professional Emad Tahtouh.[31] On 20 November 2011 she finished second in the International Federation of Poker's inaugural The Table World Championship, eventually losing heads-up with 29-year-old Spaniard Raul Mestre. She received $100,000 for second place, $10,000 of which she donated to Age UK. In April 2014 she won the main event of the European Poker Tour San Remo, earning €476,100 and becoming the first player to have won two EPT titles.[32][33] As of 2021 her total live tournament winnings exceed $2,500,000, making her the 14th best-earning female live poker player ever.[34]

She has been a member of Team PokerStars Pro,[35] but in November 2014 she removed her endorsement a few hours after PokerStars had announced they were starting an online casino. She said she was uncomfortable about potential addiction by vulnerable people to a site where the odds are in favour of the operator, and did not want to be associated with such an operation.[36]

She has said that she regularly stays up until 6 am, "Smoking and drinking and gambling. But I like cooking and gardening too, which makes me sound like a very strange mix of an old lady and teenage boy." When asked about this in 2012, she stated: "It is still true. I'll grow up one day, but not quite yet."[37]

Coren Mitchell was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2016.[38]

Personal life

[edit]

On 20 March 2012, Coren announced her engagement to actor and comedian David Mitchell.[39][40] According to David, they first met at a film premiere in 2007, and had a short-lived series of dates, but only began dating properly three years later.[41] The couple married in November 2012, in North London, and their daughter was born in May 2015.[42][43] In November 2023, Coren announced on Twitter that she had given birth to her second child in late October.[44][45]

In April 2012 she reported that she was terrified of flying, and in August 2012 she confirmed on Twitter that the therapist she had been seeing to address her fear had been killed in a plane crash.[46][47]

Television and radio credits

[edit]
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[48] Presenter
2016 The Great Sport Relief Bake Off Celebrity contestant
Chain Reaction: Radio 4 Interviewer/Guest
2016–present Women Talking About Cars: Radio 4[49] Host
2018 Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier Guest panelist
The Big Narstie Show Guest Season 1, Episode 3
2019–2021 Hypothetical Guest panelist
2019 The One Show Guest
2020 Celebrity Gogglebox for Su2c Guest
2021 Taskmaster Contestant Series 12

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Coren, Victoria (19 August 2002). "I made a porn film for my 30th". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Victoria Coren's new moniker unveiled". London Evening Standard. 14 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  3. ^ Ross, Deborah (17 August 2019). "Victoria Coren Mitchell: smart, sharp, witty. Just like her quiz show, Only Connect". The Times. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  4. ^ Cailler, Adam (2016). "Judaism Gives Giles Plenty Of Food For Thought". www.jewishtelegraph.com. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Alan Coren". The Independent. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022.
  6. ^ Coren, Giles (5 December 2013). "Giles Coren: I married my wife for Christmas". Archived from the original on 16 May 2016.
  7. ^ Coren, Michael (5 December 2013). "Canada: A rogue state? Hardly". Ottawa Sun.
  8. ^ a b "Interview: Victoria Coren". The Jewish Chronicle. 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  9. ^ Waugh, Paul (13 November 2017). "Exclusive: St Paul's Girls' School Reveals Former Pupils Have Alleged 'Sexual Abuse'". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  10. ^ Tufnell, Nicholas (13 November 2011). "Interview: Victoria Coren". The Cambridge Student. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  11. ^ "In Conversation with Victoria Coren Mitchell". St John's College. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Victoria Coren Mitchell". St John's College. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  13. ^ Coren, Victoria (19 March 2012). "Girls' mags are not sexy, but sweet". The Observer. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  14. ^ "8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown: Series 10 Episode 1 – All 4". Channel4.com. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  15. ^ Coren, Victoria (1989). Love 16. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0712-63012-2.
  16. ^ Coren, Victoria; Skelton, Charlie (2010). Once More, with Feeling. Fourth Estate. ISBN 978-1841-15437-4.
  17. ^ Carpenter, Louise (10 August 2002). "Proud to be pornographers". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  18. ^ Sands, Sarah (25 August 2000). "You've got to laugh – haven't you?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  19. ^ Coren, Alan; Coren, Giles; Coren, Victoria (2009). Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks. Canongate. ISBN 978-1847-67320-6.
  20. ^ Co6ren, Victoria (2009). For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker. Edinburgh: Canongate.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "For richer, for poorer : confessions of a player". WorldCat. 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  22. ^ Frankel, Martha (19 September 2009). "For Richer For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker by Victoria Coren". The Times. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  23. ^ Docx, Edward (27 September 2009). "For Richer, for Poorer by Victoria Coren". The Observer. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  24. ^ Colvile, Robert (28 June 2024). "What connects me, a Green, a Labour MP and an Islamic activist?". TheTimes.com.
  25. ^ a b Coren, Victoria (12 December 2008). "Victoria Coren: My dad's memorial service was going so well. Then the ghouls turned up". The Observer. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  26. ^ a b "Wily Daughter Outs 'Funeral Crashing' Group Who Tried To Attend Dad's Memorial – CityNews Toronto". toronto.citynews.ca. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  27. ^ Coren, Victoria (21 March 2010). "Return of the Jolley gang". Victoria Coren. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  28. ^ "Chain Reaction – Series 11 – 3. Ian Hislop interviews Victoria Coren-Mitchell – BBC Sounds". BBC.co.uk.
  29. ^ "Victoria Coren Mitchell". Curtis Brown. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  30. ^ "Biography". Victoria Coren Mitchell. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  31. ^ "European Poker Tour – EPT London, No Limit Hold'em – EPT Main Event". TheHendonMob.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  32. ^ Op de Woerd, Frank (20 April 2014). "Vicky Coren-Mitchell Wins Sanremo Main Event To Become First Two-Time EPT Champion". Pokernews.com. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  33. ^ Halliday, Josh (21 April 2014). "Victoria Coren Mitchell makes poker history with San Remo victory". The Guardian.
  34. ^ "Women's All Time Money List". TheHendonMob.com. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  35. ^ "Victoria Coren". Team PokerStars Pro. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  36. ^ Coren Mitchell, Victoria (26 November 2014). "Goodbye Team Pro". Coren Mitchell's blog. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  37. ^ Carswell, Sue (19 April 2011). "Vicky Coren, the Royal wedding and cucumber sandwiches". PokerStarsBlog.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  38. ^ Burton, Earl (21 May 2016). "Victoria Coren-Mitchell, Debbie Burkhead Earn 2016 Induction into Women in Poker Hall of Fame – Poker News Daily". Archived from the original on 8 August 2017.
  39. ^ "David Mitchell and Victoria Coren: Engagement Announcement". The Times. 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  40. ^ "David Mitchell and Victoria Coren announce engagement". BBC News. 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  41. ^ Freeman, Hadley (19 October 2012). "David Mitchell: goodbye lonely nerd". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  42. ^ Eames, Tom (22 May 2015). "David Mitchell and Victoria Coren have a baby girl: 'We're extremely happy and sleepy'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  43. ^ Hodges, Michael (19 September 2018). "Upstart Crow's David Mitchell on Shakespeare – and watching Only Connect with his wife". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  44. ^ Coren Mitchell, Victoria (1 November 2023). "Many people are assuming my tweet yesterday was a Halloween costume. Not at all; last week I had a baby and nothing currently fits me except cloaks. Luckily, Only Connect is a pre-record. Happy All Saints Day! ❤️". X. @VictoriaCoren.
  45. ^ "Victoria Coren Mitchell announces birth of second child". BBC News. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  46. ^ "Victoria Coren Mitchell on Twitter: "@yellowyell It wasn't a joke...." / Twitter". Archived from the original on 26 April 2023.
  47. ^ Coren, Victoria (5 April 2012). "Fear of flying". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  48. ^ "How To Be Bohemian With Victoria Coren Mitchell". BBC Four. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  49. ^ "Women Talking About Cars". BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
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