Victoria Coren Mitchell and Her Fear of FlyingVictoria Coren Mitchell, one of Britain’s best-known poker players and television personalities, once battled a crippling fear of flying that affected many areas of her life. The phobia was so intense that it limited her travel and caused significant anxiety. Determined to overcome it, she sought professional help and found a specialist counsellor who focused specifically on treating aviophobia (the fear of flying).
The therapy proved highly effective. Through dedicated sessions, the counsellor helped her confront and manage her fears. For a period, Victoria was cured and able to fly without the previous overwhelming dread.Then tragedy struck. The very counsellor who had helped her conquer her phobia was killed in a light aircraft crash.The news devastated her. The irony of the situation — losing the person who had given her the tools to fly, in the very thing she feared — was profound. When a reader later asked her directly on her blog whether the story was true, Victoria confirmed it with a short, honest reply: “I’m afraid it is true, and I am still scared.”The incident completely reversed the progress she had made.
The trauma was so severe that she has not boarded a plane since. Even today, many years later, Victoria refuses to fly. When she needs to travel to poker tournaments across Europe, she relies on cars and trains instead. A single trip to the south of France, for example, can take her an entire week by road.Despite this limitation, Victoria has built an extraordinary career. She is widely regarded as one of the most successful female poker players in European history and remains the only player to have won the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event twice.
She has earned well over two million dollars in prize money at the tables. In addition to poker, she is a respected writer, broadcaster, and the long-time host of the popular BBC quiz show Only Connect.Her story is a striking example of how a single tragic event can undo years of personal progress and reshape someone’s life in unexpected ways. Victoria has spoken about it with characteristic wit and honesty over the years, but the fear remains real. She continues to travel the long way round, proving that her determination and success have never been dependent on getting on a plane.
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