This holiday season, you may have seen that a member of the British royal family – Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Duke of York (a.k.a. It’s no surprise therefore that he’s now the star of this year’s most popular Christmas cracker joke! Chelmsford resident Ben Smith wrote the winning quip, artfully alluding to the Prince’s recent tumble from royal favor. His inspired and unexpected punch line resonated deeply with the British public and rocked the campaign.
The joke in question asks, “Why is Prince Andrew not writing any Christmas books? He hasn’t got any titles!” This sharpest-tongued jibe perfectly encapsulates Andrew’s denuded titles and privileges in the wake of continuing scandals involving his royal demeanor. The seemingly harmless joke here illustrates the insensitivity the public can have towards serious topics. It mixes humor with incisive critiques of the news of the day.
In addition to the first joke, another humorous comparison emerged: “What do Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and a snowman have in common? They’re both out in the cold.” This single quip is a great example of art revealing something special about Andrew’s present-day campaign, using playful imagery to express a profound social critique.
The national competition — commissioned by the comedy channel U&Gold — drew submissions from artists around the country. Bruce Dessau, who was chair of the judging panel, praised the quality of this year’s submission.
“An absolutely stellar list of jokes this year – possibly one of our best ever in the 13 years U&GOLD has been running this competition.” – Bruce Dessau
He noted that 2025 has been filled with notable news events, resulting in a broad array of topical jokes that playfully poke fun at some of the year’s headlines.
Gerald Casey, a spokesperson for U&Gold who helped coordinate the competition, was equally exuberant about the array of submitted entries.
“Another fantastic year of hilarious entries, showing that the British public are as funny as ever when it comes to the news.” – Gerald Casey
The British public voted Prince Andrew’s winning joke as the funniest. This decision came after a challenging selection process by the judging panel. Along with accolades and bragging rights, Smith’s winning funny addition earned him £1,500 to go toward a vacation, adding a holiday season flavor to his comedic success.
The most successful jokes featured everyone from Mark Hamill to Richard Branson. Among them were Lily Allen, David Harbour, Sabrina Carpenter, Angela Rayner, and Nigel Farage. One stand-out gag even mentioned Claudia Winkleman, giving a brief indication of the vast cultural and political landscape tackled in this year’s contest.