Overview
- Ben Smith of Chelmsford won with the line, “Why is Prince Andrew not writing any Christmas books? He hasn’t got any titles,” earning £1,500 toward a holiday, a festive hamper and bespoke crackers.
- The shortlist was compiled by a judging panel led by comedy critic Bruce Dessau before an anonymous poll of 2,000 British adults decided the ranking.
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor featured twice in the top 10, including a fourth‑placed gag comparing him with a snowman as “out in the cold.”
- Other finalists lampooned 2025’s headline makers, including Oasis, Sabrina Carpenter, Angela Rayner, Claudia Winkleman, Lily Allen and David Harbour, Celia Imrie and Nigel Farage.
- U&Gold, a UKTV comedy channel, released the full top‑10 in the competition’s 13th year and confirmed the top six jokes will be printed in the winners’ crackers.