It’s half term week and families across the UK will be looking for ways to keep everyone entertained. In non-pandemic times the Touretteshero team travel a lot and, in the process, we’ve developed some tic-inspired games to pass the time. Our favourite game is Phil Mitchell, so to celebrate the holiday I thought I’d share our game with you.

How To Play Phil Mitchell

Phil Mitchell is an extension of more traditional word-association games, but every statement must include ‘Phil Mitchell’.

A game is initiated by someone saying “Phil Mitchell”, immediately followed by whatever comes to mind. Examples include:

Phil Mitchell, ceramic superstar
Phil Mitchell, potato wrangler
Phil Mitchell stole my future
Phil Mitchell explains the alphabet

The next player must respond with any other spontaneous statement as long as it starts with Phil Mitchell and isn’t a repetition of anything that’s been said before. If you repeat something or hesitate, you’re out.

At any time, any player can say ‘Cool DJ Phil Mitchell’ and from then on, all players must start their statements with “Cool DJ” instead. It can be changed back by saying ‘‘Cool DJ Phil Mitchell’ at any time.

The winner is the last player remaining when everyone else is.

You can play ‘Phil Mitchell’ with any number of players. Statements don’t have to relate to each other or to a theme as long as they include Phil and are said immediately, without hesitation. Statements don’t have to make sense, but they have to include actual words – no made up words or you’re out!

As you may have guessed, this is a game inspired by my tics, and people with Tourettes tend to have an advantage in playing it. I’m definitely better at Phil Mitchell than I am at I Spy, Poker or Hide and Seek!