Only Connect host Victoria Coren has shared a rare family update on her two children with actor and comedian David Mitchell as she says her daughter is ‘just like her’

David Mitchell and Victoria Coren keep their family out of the spotlight(Image: Getty Images)

Victoria Coren Mitchell has shared a rare glimpse into her home life with husband David Michell and their children. The Only Connect host has two daughters – Barbara, 10, and June, two – with David, 51, and they have always shielded them from the public spotlight.

But Victoria, 52, has revealed their bundles of joy have TV programmes they never want to miss – including one that Barbara loves just like her mum.

She told the new issue of Radio Times magazine: “My 10 year old loves The Masked Singer and old episodes of Poirot, just like her mother. The baby doesn’t have any screen time; she’s only 18 months old.

The couple have two daughters aged 10 and two(Image: Getty Images for BFI)

“She loves Bluey – an excellent TV show – but she doesn’t know it’s a TV show. She just thinks it’s a source of really great plastic dog Weebles.”

Victoria writes a weekly television column in the Saturday Telegraph, but she will never criticize bad actors because they are trying their best to entertain people.

Asked how she stays unbiased when she has to review a programme that Peep Show star David, 51, has been in, such as the BBC One detective dramedy series Ludwig, Victoria explained: “Well, I’m not a critic.

“When Ludwig came out, I just wrote a column about puzzles, but I knew it was a great series. I tend not to write about bad shows – I can’t see any joy in attacking people who are trying to entertain.

“Mind you, I hated Squid Game and said so. But they seem to have soldiered on without my approval.” Victoria has received lots of feedback from viewers who watch the BBC Two game show Only Connect, in which teams compete by finding connections between unrelated clues.

However, one letter criticising her comments on “a man’s bottom” has stuck with her. Asked what her most memorable piece of feedback has been, Victoria said: “I’ve never forgotten a letter from a few years ago.

“We get all sorts of feedback – be it on a translation, or a clarification of parliamentary procedure. This chap asked, ‘Why is it acceptable for Victoria Coren Mitchell to comment on a man’s bottom?’ I’m not even sure I had.”

Last summer, Victoria and David were all smiles on a rare night out together without their children. It marked one of their first public appearances together since their surprise baby announcement 10 months earlier.

Victoria had shared the couple’s happy news on social media back in November 2023. Taking to X, Victoria posted: “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.”

David also addressed their new arrival in a short but sweet comment on the social media platform, posting under a tweet that read: “A huge congratulations to @RealDMitchell and @VictoriaCoren on the birth of their second child,” he said: “Thank you! We’re very happy.”