“When I was at school, I was forced to play lacrosse, a game in which tiny, rock-hard missiles fly at your head, and you must catch them with a stick to avoid a brain haemorrhage. I was regularly punished for not taking part more wholeheartedly.”

British writer, television presenter and professional poker player

Victoria Coren Mitchell is a British writer, television presenter and professional poker player. She writes a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph and has presented the BBC quiz show Only Connect since it began in 2008. She is known for work that crosses writing, broadcasting and poker. Her public profile is especially tied to her long-running column and to Only Connect, while her poker career adds another strand to a varied media life.