Only Connect Victoria Coren Mitchell and Nigella Lawson
TV

Only Connect: BBC viewers fume over schedule switch-up with new Nigella Lawson series

Some accused the BBC of 'ruining quiz night'

Only Connect viewers were furious last night over a BBC schedule change that saw some miss their favourite game show.

Usually, Only Connect airs on BBC Two at 8pm on Mondays and is immediately followed by University Challenge.

A number of Only Connect viewers missed the show last night (Credit: BBC)

What happened with the Only Connect schedule change?

However, schedulers have shifted Only Connect to 7.30pm for the next few weeks, putting Nigella Lawson‘s new show – Cook, Eat, Repeat – in the 8pm slot before University Challenge.

Taking to Twitter on Monday evening, a number of viewers were fuming over the change.

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One said, alongside some swearing emojis: “#onlyconnect thanks @bbc2 for moving Only Connect so I missed it… wtf would I want to watch Nigella?”

Only Connect was on earlier, making way for Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat (Credit: BBC)

Another tweeted: “Argh! Missed the first third of #onlyconnect as BBC have crowbarred a Nigella show into quiz night. What?”

Put Nigella on at a different time and leave our beloved Only Connect.

A third said: “What @BBCTwo, why have you put a gap between #QuizNight?! I know it’s Nigella but that’s not how it works! #FirstWorldProblems #OnlyConnect.”

Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell had tweeted to warn viewers about the change (Credit: BBC)

Someone else wrote with an angry-face emoji: “@BBC2 you have ruined #QuizzyMonday! Put Nigella on at a different time and leave our beloved #OnlyConnect in its rightful place.”

A fifth demanded: “I’m sorry but who does Nigella think she is interrupting quiz night, being in the middle of #OnlyConnect and #UniversityChallenge?”

ED! contacted the BBC for comment.

https://twitter.com/gemmaa_e/status/1325883885545267200

What did host Victoria Coren Mitchell say?

However, earlier in the day, Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell took to Twitter to alert fans of the show to the schedule change.

That’s because she feared many who had not heard about the switch-up would miss her show.

She tweeted: “From tonight, Quizzy Monday gets broken up and Only Connect moves to 7.30pm for six weeks. Please RT! I don’t know why @BBCTwo does this sort of thing, but historically when we get moved around, half our audience end up missing it. Please help spread the word.”

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In another tweet, the presenter defended “brilliant” Nigella as she said it wasn’t her fault.

She tweeted: “To be clear, this is not about Nigella’s show being in ‘the Only Connect slot’. It’s not her fault, she would normally be at 8.30! This is just schedulers’ playtime. It’s brilliant that Nigella has managed to make a new series in this terrible year, and it looks full of delights.”

Nigella, who was on The One Show last week, replied saying: “Thank you darling x.”

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor