Victoria Coren Mitchell

Victoria Coren was born on August 18, 1972, in Hammersmith, West London, and grew up in Cricklewood. She is the only daughter of humorist Alan Coren and Anne Coren (née Kasriel), and the sister of journalist Giles Coren. She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School and St John's College, Oxford. At age 14, she published short stories under a pseudonym in Just Seventeen magazine and won a writing competition for a teenage column in The Daily Telegraph, which she continued to write. Her books include Love 16 and Once More, with Feeling, about making "the greatest porn film ever." She also adapted John Diamond's column into a play, A Lump in my Throat, which aired on BBC Two in 2001. In 2009, she published a poker memoir, For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker.

From 2008, Victoria began hosting the BBC Two quiz show Only Connect, which she continues to do. She writes questions for the show under the pseudonym "Geri Wiley." Additionally, she has long written a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph and has contributed to The Observer and GQ magazine.

Victoria's poker career began in her teenage years. In 2006, she won the European Poker Tour (EPT) main event in London, taking home £500,000 and becoming the first female winner of an EPT main event. In April 2014, she won the EPT Sanremo main event again, earning €476,100, making her the first and so far only player to win two EPT titles. Her total live tournament winnings exceed $2.5 million. She also cashed in the 2007 WSOP $5,000 six-handed event and has had consistent performances in various GUKPT and WSOP events.

Victoria is known for her tight-aggressive (TAG) style, emphasizing patience and reads on opponents. She excels at using position and making decisions based on detailed bet sizing analysis. At the table, she is known for being calm and thoughtful.

In 2012, Victoria married actor and writer David Mitchell, with whom she has two children. Their relationship is often featured in the media, and she has humorously teased her husband's poker skills. Her father Alan Coren was a well-known humorist, and her brother Giles is a food critic.

In 2007, Victoria was harassed by "funeral crashers" after posting a notice inviting mourners following her father's death. She also co-produced a porn film with Charlie Skelton, an experience she wrote about in her book. She is regarded as a pioneer in breaking down gender barriers in poker, inspiring many women to enter the game.