Only Connect viewers blast show for ‘wrong’ question as BBC contestant is ‘stitched up’

ONLY Connect viewers have called out Victoria Coren Mitchell for providing ‘wrong’ answers to contestants on the latest edition of the series. 

One baffling question caused a stir online, and fans took to social media to help correct the misinformation.

In the first round of Only Connect’s semi-finals, which premiered on Monday, contestants were given a callous but somewhat confusing question. 

The clues given pointed towards characters in the Harry Potter franchises, including the likes of Mad-Eye Moody, Fleur Delacour and Lord Voldemort.  

The first hint given in the episode was: “Grindelwald is the younger of the two main characters,’ followed by: “Fleur Delacour dates Grindelwald.”

The final two hints read: “Mad-Eye Moody is the older of the main characters” and “Lord Voldemort is the boss of Grindelwald and Mad-Eye Moody.”

After the hints were provided, the teams tried to guess whether the connection had to do with spin-off films or actors dressed as those characters named in sitcoms.

As the episode continued, Victoria revealed that the correct answer was: “Wizarding World actors in In Bruges.”

She continued: “Let’s go through the actors from the Wizarding World, the world of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and so on, do we know who plays Grindelwald?

“It’s Colin Farrell, Fleur Delacour is Clemence Poésy,’ she said before answering: “It’s actors who have appeared in In Bruges.”

After the episode aired, viewers were uni-impressed and unsure of Victoria’s explanation and took to X(Twitter) to pen down their own explanations, with many pointing out that Colin Farrell didn’t actually play Grindelwald.

One user stated: “Hello #onlyconnect Colin Farrell actually played the character of Lord Percival Graves, who Grindelwald was disguised as. 

“Grindelwald himself was played by Johnny Depp and then later Mads Mikkelsen. Sorry to call you out in public like this.”

Another added: “Nah, #onlyconnect, that Grindelwald question is b******s. Colin Farrell plays a disguised version in one film and has a different character name. Also Grindelwald is so played by Johnny Depp and Mads Mikkelsen. And I’m not even a fan, those films are trash.”

A third wrote: “The Harry Potter/In Bruges question on #onlyconnect would’ve been clever if Colin Farrell had actually played Grindelwald? But he didn’t.’

A fourth agreed: “Haha. That’s exactly what I said. Technically, Colin Farrell is does not play Grindelwald. It’s Johnny Depp or Mads Michelson. Question is wrong.”

In the Harry Potter film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, released in 2016 and set 70 years before Harry Potter, Colin plays Percival Graves, while Johnny plays Grindelwald.

In the movie, it is revealed by Eddie Redmayne’s character, Newt Scamander, that Graves is Grindelwald in disguise, with the final scene of the film showing Farrell gradually turning into Johnny. 

In the sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen replaces Depp as Grindelwald.

However, the 2008 thriller In Bruges sees Farrell as Ray and Mad Eye Moody actor Brendan Cleeson as Ken Daley.

While Ralph Fiennes, who plays the role of  Voldermort, stars as the two hitmen’s boss, with Poésy as Chloe Villette.

In a separate episode, fans of Only Connect were left baffled after a tricky question was posed to them. 

Click here if you think you have the brains to solve the question. 

Only Connect airs Mondays at 8pm on BBC Two.