Victoria Coren Mitchell explains why she won’t apologise for Only Connect error

Victoria Coren Mitchell has defended a spelling mistake in the notoriously mystifying quiz show Only Connect by likening it to a “deliberate flaw in a Persian carpet”.

The writer and TV presenter, 51, has been the host of the BBC Two programme since its launch on BBC Four in 2008.

Known for being deliberately difficult, the game asks contestants to find the link between seemingly unconnected topics and popular culture items.

On Monday’s edition (22 January) of the show, one of the competing teams was faced with a wall of words they had to find connections between.

They successfully linked the terms “Brown”, “Buono”, “Wolfhart” and “Sink” as the surnames of actors in the hit Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things.

However, viewers were quick to point out that “Wolfhart” should have been written as “Wolfhard”, for the Canadian actor Finn Wolfhard who plays student Mike Wheeler in the series.

Sharing their disappointment with the misspelling, one X/Twitter user wrote: “Only Connect spelling Finn Wolfhard’s name wrong has caused outrage in my house.”

Another person added: “I saw wolfhart on the Only Connect wall and thought hmm maybe Stranger Things, wait no that’s not how his name is spelt it can’t be that… Turns out they just spelt it wrong on the show.”

On Tuesday (23 January), Coren Mitchell addressed the incorrect spelling with a post on X/Twitter, and expressed her belief that the imperfection is comparable to the intentional mistakes traditionally made in Persian rugs.

“Ooh, it seems we had a spelling mistake on the connecting wall last night! Wolfhard was written as Wolfhart,” she began.

“BUT I WON’T APOLOGISE. I think it’s important to have an error in the Third Place Play-Off, like the deliberate flaw in a Persian carpet, lest God be offended.”

Weavers are said to make deliberate mistakes in the rugs due to the belief that only God’s creations can be absolutely perfect.

In response to the host’s message, many fans of the show were sympathetic. One viewer wrote: “It didn’t worry me as I hardly know what the questions are on about anyway!”

Elsewhere, a stricter consumer noted that they’d be getting the BBC’s viewer feedback series involved, writing: “I’ve complained to Points of View.”

Last year, Coren Mitchell pointed out the similarities between Only Connect and a new puzzle from the New York Times.