Ludwig star David Mitchell's private life away from cameras: from famous wife to two daughters

David Mitchell is starring in the BBC's new detective comedy Ludwig, which follows puzzle setter John 'Ludwig' Taylor, whose solitary life is turned upside down after his identical twin brother goes missing.

While the comedian is a household name thanks to his role as team captain on the BBC's panel show, Would I Lie To You, as well as his acting roles in various sitcoms, including Peep Show, Back, and Upstart Crow, how much do you know about his life away from the cameras? Keep reading to find out all we know about his family life with his famous wife, Victoria Coren Mitchell.

David's marriage to famous wife Victoria Coren Mitchell

David, 50, has been happily married to writer and TV presenter, Victoria Coren Mitchell, for over a decade. Victoria, 52, who is the daughter of writer and satirist Alan Coren and sister of food critic Giles Coren, is perhaps best known for hosting the BBC quiz show, Only Connect. She's also a writer and professional poker player.

The couple first met at a film premiere in 2007 and were introduced by fellow comedian David Baddiel. Recalling the moment she and David first crossed paths, Victoria said she thought she would marry him after just two hours. "[Baddiel] specifically said to me, 'There's David Mitchell over there, I think you should probably marry him, I'll get the ball rolling by introducing you.' I thought that was ridiculous but, a couple of hours later, I thought I probably would marry him," she told RadioTimes.com in 2016.

The TV stars didn't get together until three years later and during that time, David was "hopelessly in love". Opening up about the pain of not being in a relationship with Victoria during those three years, David wrote in his 2012 autobiography, Back Story: "I was hopelessly in love. I told no one about it. I didn't tell my closest friends or my parents of the enormous sadness that overshadowed my life.

"I started walking for my back," he continued. "I kept going because of her. It made thinking about her more bearable. I'd always liked getting drunk in the pub or at parties – now I had a real use for it."

"You could use it to speed up time – almost like cutting to the next morning's hangover. So I did that. A lot," he recalled. "A few times, when drunk, I'd get off with someone. The booze allowed me to tell myself that it might make me feel better. Maybe I'll  manage to fall in love with this person instead."

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In 2012, the couple tied the knot at St Peter's Church in Belsize Park, North London, in a ceremony attended by Claudia Winkleman, Jimmy Carr and David's comedy partner, Robert Webb.

David and Victoria's family life with two daughters

David and Victoria live in North London with their two daughters: Barbara, who was born in 2015, and June, who arrived in 2023.

Opening up about fatherhood during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2018, David spoke of the "constant worry" that comes with being a parent.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing like having a tiny child whose safety you are responsible for to make you worry," said the Would I Lie To You star. "You really don't want the world to spin into the sun and explode. You thought you didn't want it before but you really don't want it [after having a child.] That is the real downside of parenthood, and I suppose any form of love, is it makes you fear more… I would say love is not a stress reduction exercise is it?

"What you want is a long period of bland contentment… I'm a family man. I've made bad choices and I am constantly worried," he added.