Victoria Coren Mitchell left BBC viewers scratching their heads when her appearance seemed to drastically change within seconds during a recent episode of Only Connect.
The notoriously difficult quiz show was back on Monday, with Coren Mitchell sporting the same exact outfit and hairstyle during the bizarre change – but there was another part of her look that went askew.
Opening the show, she shared a quip about getting AI to form a more exciting welcome for her.
“Good evening. This week I invited the BBC’s in-house AI remarks generator to look beyond ordinary light entertainment, panel shows and quizzes and trawl other genres to come up with an introduction suitable for a big popular ratings hit,” she said.
Her nails were clearly polished in a bright red as she spoke before she picked up her phone to read out the auto-generated introduction.
“It came up with this, ‘Good evening and welcome to Connect-Enders, a world of bitter rivalries and long-running feuds’.
Victoria Coren Mitchell’s sudden appearance change on Only Connect was noted by fans
BBC
“‘Where devious characters are forever coming and going, amid a bewildering maelstrom of Byzantine promiscuity.'”
As she held up her phone, the clearly-coloured nails were on full display.
Strangely though, in the next clip, the presenter had bare nails despite being in the same outfit.
Eagle-eyed viewers quickly caught on to the inconsistency and discussed it on social media.
Victoria Coren Mitchell sparked an online discussion
BBC
Taking to X, one penned: “Watching #onlyconnect on delay and in @VictoriaCoren’s intro she has red nails holding the phone, yet later with the question cards, no nail varnish.
“The viewers of this show are far too observant and analytical to miss something like that continuity!!”
“@VictoriaCoren hang on, how long does it take to film a show. At the beginning you have red nails and then a few moments later they have gone #OnlyConnect,” another asked.
A third added: “Did anyone else notice Victoria’s nails?” (sic)
Coren Mitchell responded to one post, offering a potential explanation.
She penned: “What was the intro? There was one where I had to record a whole different start on a different day because I made a joke about Strictly which spooked the powers that be. Sounds like must have been this one!”
Victoria Coren Mitchell has previously sparked major online reactions
BBC
It’s not the first time the host has caused a stir online following an episode of Only Connect.
Not one to shy away from an inappropriate joke, the 52-year-old recently quipped about her attraction to Michael Portillo.
As she signed off a December episode of Only Connect, she commented: “Coming up next on BBC Two is another episode in that wonderful series sponsored by the RSPB, where celebrities look after birds before handing them on to other celebrities to raise awareness of struggling avian numbers.”
She added: “I have so enjoyed watching the big names of BBC Two passing their feathered dependents onto other presenters that I’ve decided to join in myself.
“Tonight, I will eagerly be taking several swallows from Michael Portillo.”
Viewers were stunned by the racy joke, with many complaining online and one viewer going as far as to say they had been left “traumatised”.
