David Mitchell slur

Elrel, I had to read that three times before I realised you are talking about the young scouts group, the Cubs. I'd initially thought the comment was about wolf cubs.
David Mitchell has form as an unpleasant snob. Have you written to complain?

Oh, come on....it’s a silly joke and not important.

I didn’t hear the programme, but I do generally find him witty, intelligent and educated. He’s married to Victoria Coren, which must be quite testing.

Ah my bad, I mixed him up with a conservative MP. Sorry folks.

I didn't hear it, and tone and voice are everything, but as written it appears innocuous.

I think he is a strange man. I remember seeing him on 'Who do you think you are' and remember he looked at a tomb stone that listed about six family members, siblings who had all died close together and he made no comment on it at all, it seemed to make no impression on him.

A gravestone like that usually brings most participants up short, even when it is not their own family.

Oh - I think Victoria is great - I am always impressed with her on Only Connect as she is very kind and encouraging to the competitors.

I think Mitchell just made a joke - I would let it drift by. My DD and SIL are cub and beaver leaders and they would have laughed. Mind you, as for my brother's scout leader many moons ago......the less said the better. Suffice to say my brother left the scouts.

Iam 64 I thought the same, wolf cubs and then I realised and felt quite stupid and me being a Brownie, the female counterpart once, I should have twigged straight away

You’re thinking of Andrew Mitchell Iam64

I like David Mitchell and yes, it’s just a joke.
If it wasn’t for some truth in the matter (some cubs and scout masters being shall we say ‘over fond’ of young boys)
Then there wouldn’t be any joke.
There have certainly been enough of them in the past unfortunately.

Iam64, “my bad”? Aargh!

I agree that those who volunteer to lead Beavers, Cubs and Scouts deserve our admiration for the time and effort they put in over the years.

I find David Mitchell very witty, and yes, I agree with Luckygirl that Victoria Coren seems very nice on Only Connect. (Can't say the same for Giles. He seems very smug.)

I imagine Mitchell's throwaway line, in context, probably wasn't offensive, as most decent people appreciate that one convicted offender in groups like Scouts, etc, isn't the norm.

I know this is about David who I like but I can't stand Victoria. I love Only Connect but I turn the sound of when she is chatting. She is not funny IMO.

I enjoyed Victoria's column in the Observer, she's very funny and likeable.

Victoria’s Dad, Alan Coren, used to have a newspaper column. It was the funniest ever, he was a very talented writer. Her brother, whose name I forget, has awful table manners. He was on Back in Time for Dinner. Eats with his mouth open. Ugh.

I also didn’t t get it and read it three times to see what was wrong Doesn’t sound too terrible as jokes go I quite like David Mitchel too but I m very ignorant and no idea who Victoria or Only Connect as never heard of either so you can educate me ?

Victoria is a journalist, she plays Bridge and seems very clever to me. Her column made me laugh

I was a Cub leader for six years. I don't feel slurred. People need to stop taking offence on behalf of others.

I agree Baggs it’s getting so no one dare say anything for fear of offending someone and it dilutes the really awful stuff

We'll all have to shut up before long as there's now so much over the top PC that you'd be scared to open your mouth anyway.
Mary Poppins is the latest in a long line of " racist slurs " when the group were pictured with soot covering their faces !!
Those who have nothing else better to do than nit-pick at every scrap of detail on an hourly basis just to whip up a frenzy courtesy of the airheads really need something to do.

maybe take more water with it Ellan

I do not think he was being derogatory to the vast majority of committed people who run scouting groups.
I suspect Mitchell was making an allusion to the high profile cases of cub scout leaders who have been found guilty of child abuse over the years. I believe there was a case very recently reported of a cub-scout leader , though it was in US. Maybe that was on his mind.

I just don't think child abuse a suitable subject for jokes.

I won't mention this to my teenage GD who is an enthusiastic and popular Cub leader.

Bluebelle. David Mitchell married to Victoria Coren, sister of Miles Coren, daughter of Allan Coren. I enjoy reading articles by Coren siblings and their late father.

Giles Coren who is married to Alexander Armstrong's wife's sister.