An Only Connect contestant has hit back at online trolls after she received disparaging comments on social media.
Contestant Danielle Cope, who appeared on the new episode on Monday night, defiantly responded to detractors, saying she is proud to be a “loud, fat, confident woman.”
The BBC quiz show, hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, 51, returned for a new season and featured two teams: the Al Frescans, led by Danielle, and the Midlanders.
Danielle, who was introduced as a health and wellness professional, expressed her excitement about taking part in the show, explaining that her team had been fans of her for a long time and was thrilled to have been selected.
However, despite winning the match by 28 points to the Midlanders’ 18, after the episode aired Danielle took to X to address the huge amount of attention she received online, much of which was negative.
An Only Connect contestant has hit back at online trolls after they attacked her with derogatory comments on social media (pictured: presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell)
Danielle Cope (middle), who appeared in the new episode on Monday night, defiantly responded to the detractors, saying she is proud to be a “loud, fat, confident woman.”
She wrote: ‘I was scrolling through the tweets about Only Connect and was a little surprised to see that most of them are about me.
“But then again, I’m a loud, fat, confident woman. Maybe I should be proud of myself for upsetting so many people! I also felt embarrassed by 99% of the things I said.”
She also discussed how some viewers misinterpreted her pronunciation of ‘horned viper’ as pretentious and that despite the criticism, she remains positive and focused on the competition as her team progresses to the next round.
Danielle continued: “It’s also funny that so many people consider saying ‘horned viper’ to be pretentious rather than silly.
“Anyway, I’m glad I made a good impression and helped the series get off to a good start. I can’t wait to see her again as usual next week.”
Host Victoria publicly supported her on social media, telling her that viewers appreciate her presence on the show.
She wrote: ‘Ssh now go away you beautiful creature. Social media isn’t real it’s just a place people go to yell stuff. You’re smart and funny and viewers adore you ‘
Danielle quickly responded, thanking the host and stating that she would not be affected by the online comments.
Danielle turned to X to address the large amount of attention she received online, much of which was negative.
Host Victoria publicly supported her on social media, telling her that viewers appreciate her presence on the show.
Danielle was quick to respond, thanking Victoria and confirming that she would not be affected by the online comments.
The new series returned earlier this week and featured two teams: the Al Frescans, led by Danielle, and the Midlanders.
Other viewers also offered words of support and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, praising Danielle for her performance and character.
She replied: “Thank you so much Victoria, you are absolutely right! I’m not going to let this get to me .”
Other viewers also offered words of support, praising her performance and character and writing: “A guy who thinks he’s a genius and is also known for being a bombshell left me speechless. A round of applause for the confident and loud women!”
“Danielle, I’m serious: I thought you were fantastic. There’s a reason the show started with you. It’s because your character really shined on screen. It shouldn’t matter what women look like, but you looked fantastic! And you’re super smart! You’re my favorite.”
‘Oh no! Last night when I watched it, I thought how absolutely gorgeous you are. Funny, bubbly, totally like a true GOT Only Connect fan. Honestly, you were brilliant. I was so happy that your team won. Damn you haters.
“As a former quiz show contestant, I would advise anyone on TV to never look up their identity on social media. The things people are saying are truly awful and deeply unfounded. They are just jealous that it’s not them.”
“You did great, it takes a lot of courage to enter a contest, I was too scared of online hate to go ahead with any more entries.”
This comes after Victoria and husband David Mitchell made a rare appearance together last month when they attended a star-studded party at The Farm Shop in Mayfair, 10 months after welcoming their baby daughter.
The 49-year-old actor and Victoria made the surprise announcement last year that they had welcomed their second daughter, June Violet, on October 26.
And they were enjoying a parenting-free night this week as they headed to the party which was also attended by the likes of Katherine Ryan and Claudia Winkleman.
For the party, Victoria sported a summery look in a blue floral print dress which she paired with stiletto heels and a dazzling gold handbag.
She looked in high spirits as she headed home with David by her side, who looked dapper in a navy suit.
The couple were then seen getting into a black cab to head home after their night out together.
David Mitchell and Victoria Coren, 51, made a rare appearance last month when they attended a party at The Farm Shop in Mayfair, 10 months after welcoming their baby daughter.
And they were enjoying a parenting-free night this week as they headed to the party which was also attended by the likes of Katherine Ryan and Claudia Winkleman.
The couple were then seen getting into a black cab to head home after the rare night out together.
Victoria kept her pregnancy a secret, but before giving birth, she hinted at her upcoming maternity leave when she cryptically tweeted about taking a “little sabbatical” away from her job as a TV presenter.
She told how she had pre-recorded some TV shows, including her presenting job on Only Connect, while sharing her final TV column in The Telegraph before her break.
Victoria wrote: ‘My TV column today is my last for a while. I’m taking a bit of a break, although I have recorded a few TV shows for people to shout out to in my absence. For my last column before the break, I’ve written about Blankety Blank and my new friend Lozza.’
The pair met at a showbiz party in 2007, and although David admitted he was instantly smitten with the fellow writer and broadcaster, it was three years before they actually got together.