Victoria Derbyshire might be known for her no-nonsense political interviews and sharp current affairs reporting, but it turns out she’s been fiercely opinionated since her school days — and she’s not afraid to get physical over a baked good.
The 56-year-old BBC broadcaster shared a brilliantly British anecdote during her appearance on Would I Lie To You, revealing that she once got into a full-on school corridor clash over how to pronounce the word “scone.” “I once came to blows with someone over the correct way to pronounce the word scone,” she told the panel. “Jane at school asked us all how we pronounce the word scone, so I was 14.”
Things took a sudden turn when one of her classmates made a jab at her answer. “Jane had said, ‘How do you pronounce scone [sk-on]?’ and I said, ‘Scone’ [sk-oan]. And then Helen said, ‘Oh, if you pronounce it like that, you’re a snob’.” Not one to back down, Victoria confessed: “I pushed Helen Webster against the lockers.” The panel erupted when it turned out she wasn’t making it up — the story was true, reported the Express.
But her strong opinions clearly haven’t mellowed with age. More recently, Derbyshire found herself in a fiery on-air spat with Donald Trump’s former deputy assistant, Sebastian Gorka, during an episode of Newsnight. The exchange came as tensions flared over the UK’s position in the US president’s controversial global trade shake-up.
When Victoria pressed him about what the UK needed to do to avoid Trump’s newly announced tariffs, Gorka shot back with a scathing comment: “If you don’t discriminate against US goods, then the other partner – in which case the UK – will not have their goods discriminated against. It’s very, very simple. A kindergartner should be able to get that.”
As if that wasn’t enough, he then threw in a Bible verse, saying: “Do unto others as you would wish to have done unto yourself,” using it to justify the tariffs, which have already sparked fears of a global trade war.
Despite Gorka claiming the UK should be grateful for getting one of the lowest rates, the tone was anything but friendly. “I find it strange that you’ve been afforded such an exceptional status and you’re complaining? I’m not sure I understand that,” he fumed, as the interview spiralled into a full-blown diplomatic face-off.
Clearly, whether it’s a school hallway or a primetime studio, Victoria Derbyshire doesn’t shy away from a heated debate — scone or no scone.
