Only Connect viewers say Victoria Coren Mitchell ‘dodged a bullet’ after being set up with celebrity

Victoria Coren Mitchell has revealed she almost had a very different life after being set up with a famous politician.

The Only Connect host, 52, married Peep Show actor David Mitchell in 2012 and share two children together.

However, Victoria almost dated Ed Miliband, she’s revealed, though things didn’t quite work out.

Speaking on the BBC gameshow yesterday, after a question involving the 2010 Labour leadership result with brothers Ed and David Miliband, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Good Morning Britain host Ed Balls, Victoria shared: ‘Someone once tried to set me up with Ed Miliband.’

She went on to explain: ‘We were seated next to each other at a wedding.

‘He’s actually a very nice chap, it didn’t work out.

‘He was gallant enough that ages later we were on a political chat show together, and he claimed: “Oh I had no idea it was meant to be a fix up.”‘

Fans were shocked at the revelation, with @NorbertEFresno writing on X that the presenter ‘dodged a bullet’.

‘Just imagine Victoria Coren Miliband,’ @Rndheadedmoron laughed.

@VictorianDad2 said: ‘God, I love Victoria. That Ed Miliband anecdote was short and sweet.’

David and Victoria tend to keep their private lives and children out of the spotlight, having welcomed their eight-year-old Barbara Elizabeth June Mitchell in 2015 and June Violet in October 2023.

Last month, Ludwig star David, 50, addressed the fact that they rarely speak about their marriage or relationship.

He told RadioTimes: ‘The thing about it is – in an interview people often ask about her. And when I’m asked about her, I’m going to say that I love her and she’s amazing.

‘But I wouldn’t have brought her up. And I don’t mean that disrespectfully. She’s often on my mind.

‘At the same time, I think I have a very happy marriage to a wonderful person, but I don’t consider that to be of broader interest.

‘And so I always feel in this situation that I don’t want to be coy and say, “I refuse to discuss my wife – let’s talk about scene 15, it’s such a wonderful puzzle.” But at the same time, by answering the implication can be that, “He can’t stop going on about his wife – OK. You like your wife. Get over it.”‘

The couple married at a church in Belsize Park in 2012, with David’s Peep Show co-star Robert Webb as his best man and Claudia Winkleman as one of Victoria’s bridesmaids. 

They first began dating in 2007 with comedian David Baddiel playing cupid as Victoria once revealed to Radio Times: ‘[Baddiel] specifically said to me, “There’s David Mitchell over there, I think you should probably marry him, I’ll get the ball rolling by introducing you”.’ 

‘I thought that was ridiculous but, a couple of hours later, I thought I probably would marry him.’

It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing though as Victoria and David had a short relationship before splitting and then rekindled their romance in 2010. 

Only Connect airs Mondays at 8pm on BBC Two.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.