Only Connect viewers switch off as audio special divides fans

Fans of Only Connect were reaching for the remote within minutes of Monday night’s episode after the BBC quiz took a very different approach to its usual format.

The May 12 edition was billed as an audio-based special, with many of the clues delivered through sounds and music rather than the visual puzzles viewers have come to expect. The unusual format quickly divided the show’s audience, with some viewers taking to social media to complain that the music-focused questions did not belong on the famously demanding quiz.

Hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, Only Connect is known for its fiendish questions, obscure links and lateral-thinking challenges. Its Connections round normally asks contestants to work out what seemingly unrelated clues have in common, while the Missing Vowels round is one of the programme’s most recognisable tests.

Monday’s episode, however, changed the experience considerably.

Music clues leave Only Connect fans frustrated

The special was titled Sounds Special: Record Collectors v Jukeboxers. Rather than simply including an occasional music question, the episode made audio central to the format. Nearly all of the questions were audio-only, including the Missing Vowels round, in which contestants had to hear the clues rather than see the letters.

Music-based questions have appeared on Only Connect before, but they remain an occasional variation rather than a standard part of the programme. For some long-time viewers, that distinction mattered.

As the Connections round got under way, complaints began appearing online from viewers who felt that the audio format did not suit the show’s traditional appeal.

One unhappy viewer wrote: “This awful music format should never happen again. Switching channels.”

Another said: “I love Only Connect, but as soon as the music round starts I’m out.”

A third viewer summed up their objection by writing: “It’s a quiz for thinkers, not karaoke night.”

The reaction reflected a familiar split among the show’s audience. While some viewers enjoy the occasional change to the format, others prefer Only Connect when its questions rely on visual clues, wordplay, knowledge and deduction.

The May 12 programme was not the first time the BBC quiz had experimented with sound. The audio-only concept had also been used in a previous special, but its return once again prompted strong reactions from viewers.

Victoria Coren Mitchell takes on another BBC role

Away from Only Connect, Victoria Coren Mitchell was also preparing for another television appearance.

The presenter, who had been at the helm of Only Connect since 2008, was scheduled to host Have I Got News For You on Friday, May 23, 2025.

She was due to be joined by comedian Chris McCausland and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, with regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. The episode was broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on May 23.

Street-Porter was also a familiar face on the programme, with the May 23 appearance marking her 18th stint on Have I Got News For You, according to the original report.

The episode ultimately saw Paul Merton and Janet Street-Porter’s team win 6-5.

Victoria Coren Mitchell’s long-running Only Connect career

Coren Mitchell has become closely associated with Only Connect during her years as presenter. The original report noted that she had hosted more than 500 episodes across 20 seasons, becoming one of the defining figures of the BBC quiz.

Away from television, she has family life with her husband, David Mitchell, best known for his role in Peep Show, and their two daughters.

In a candid interview with the Evening Standard in 2012, Coren Mitchell also discussed her feelings about motherhood. She said she had not experienced the intense desire to start a family that some women described in their twenties, although she added that she was “slightly obsessed with children” and might still have children.

For Only Connect viewers, however, the immediate talking point remained the show’s unusual musical twist. The special offered a significant departure from the visual, puzzle-driven format that has helped make the programme one of BBC Two’s most distinctive quiz shows.

Only Connect is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.