234Radio

TV channels U and Gold have been running a competition for over a decade for new cracker jokes, and it features the man formerly known as Prince Andrew

A joke about the former Prince Andrew losing his titles, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been crowned the winner of an annual competition to find the best new Christmas cracker joke.

The survey also features the Celebrity Traitors, Oasis and Sabrina Carpenter in a list of this year’s top 10 Christmas cracker gags. TV channels U and Gold have been running a competition for 13 years, asking viewers to send in their best jokes, with ones about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and singer Lily Allen also included.

The top joke was: “Why is (former) Prince Andrew not writing any Christmas books? He hasn’t got any titles.” The jokes were shortlisted by a panel of experts before going to a public vote of 2,000 British adults, with the author of the winning joke, Ben Smith, from Chelmsford, Essex, receiving a top prize of £1,500 towards a holiday, a festive hamper and a box of bespoke U and Gold Christmas crackers.

Comedy critic and editor of comedy website, Beyond the Joke, Bruce Dessau, who led the U&GOLD judging panel, says, “An absolutely stellar list of jokes this year – possibly one of our best ever in the thirteen years U&GOLD has been running this competition! 2025 has featured a number of newsworthy moments, and there’s a real mix of topical jokes here that poke fun at some of the year’s headlines! Big congratulations to all the winners, and well done to everyone who entered this year.”

Gerald Casey, director of programmes, comedy and entertainment at UKTV, said: “Congratulations to our 2025 winners. Another fantastic year of hilarious entries, showing that the British public are as funny as ever when it comes to the news.

“We hope to spread even more Christmas cheer with our festive U and Gold Christmas programming, including much-loved classic episodes from the likes of The Vicar Of Dibley, The Fast Show and Only Fools And Horses.” The crackers given to the winners are the top six jokes in the competition.

U and Gold’s top 10 Christmas cracker jokes are:

1. “Why is (former) Prince Andrew not writing any Christmas books? He hasn’t got any titles.”

2. “Why don’t Noel and Liam (Gallagher) want to open their presents early on Christmas morning? They need a little time to wake up.”

3. “Which pop star carves her own wooden nativity scene? Sabrina Carpenter.”

4. “What do Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and a snowman have in common? They’re both out in the cold.”

5. “What is a French burglar’s favourite Christmas film? Louvre, actually.”

6. “Could Lily Allen and David Harbour get back together for Christmas? Stranger Things have happened.”

7. “Why won’t Angela Rayner get any Christmas presents this year? Santa can’t decide which address to deliver to.”

8. “What is Claudia Winkleman’s favourite part of Christmas dinner? The taters.”

Article continues below

9. “Does Celia Imrie beat her family at Christmas party games? Yes, she trumps them all.”

10. “Where has Santa been more than Nigel Farage? His house in Clacton.”

December 15, 2025

Dame Judi Dench admits worries and says youth have ‘marked lack of interest’

By 234Radio in Entertainment News, News

National treasure Dame Judi Dench has admitted she is concerned that social media is taking over, and believes that theatres could pay the price

Dame Judi Dench has admitted she fears for the future of theatre. In an interview to promote a new TV show with fellow theatre star Kenneth Branagh, Judi was asked if theatre had evolved since she first took to the stage in 1957.

She said: “All I can hope is that theatre has evolved. With the onset of social media and I believe a marked lack of interest in the Arts, I fear that the younger generations won’t have the benefit or interest in the theatre like we all had.”

Judi, 91,insisted the stage had been a huge help to her acting during an incredible career. She is known for starring in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.

She said: “In every single play or production I have ever done, I’ve learnt something new. That comes not just from the play or the director, but also from your fellow actors. Each production offers countless opportunities to keep learning and growing.

“I knew in Antony & Cleopatra that there was a line of Cleopatra that was intended to get a laugh – on the 100th performance I got the laugh.”

In Peter Hall’s 1987 National Theatre production of Antony and Cleopatra, Judi Dench took Shakespeare’s character and re-created it from her own personality and imagination. She was alongside Antony Hopkins as Antony. Critics have described it as one of Dench’s greatest performances.

Michael Billington wrote in the Guardian: “Dench gave us a Cleopatra whose sexuality stemmed from her volatility, intelligence and wit: a woman of infinite variety who was enthralling company and an irresistible magnetic force, drawing Anthony Hopkins’s jaded warrior of an Antony back to Egypt.”

But it didn’t always go this week. Recalling her first ever stage performance playing Ophelia in 1957, Dench told Branagh: “I was in a kind of haze. We opened at the Liverpool Playhouse. It didn’t go well.

“They didn’t like somebody completely unknown playing the part. It was a bit dodgy.” Thankfully, she was encouraged and kept on in the theatre company and given smaller roles to build up her confidence again. She would go on to become one of the great British actors.

Dench has won an Oscar, two Golden Globes and six Baftas. As well as her stage performances, she is well known for portraying M in eight James Bond films.

Article continues below

Tea with Judi Dench sees her joined by Branagh for a one-off show on Sky Arts. They reflect on their remarkable careers and personal journeys in an intimate and insightful discussion. Dench said they share a similar sense of humour and she added: “What I admire most is his attitude to work, his commitment to what he does, and of course his sense of humour – those are the first things that stand out. Also, his respect for the theatre and the work he does.”

* Tea with Judi Dench airs 22 December on Sky Arts, Freeview, and streaming service NOW

December 15, 2025

Bunting to face Kumar after historic Indian win

By 234Radio in News, Sports News

PA Media

Charlotte Coates

BBC Sport journalist

14 December 2025

World number four Stephen Bunting survived a huge scare to set up a second round tie with Nitin Kumar after the Indian’s historic victory at the PDC World Championship.

Fan favourite Bunting required a final set tie-break to to overcome Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki 3-2.

“I’m lucky to get away with that. I need to regroup and get back on the practice board,” Englishman Bunting told Sky Sports.

“That’s the nervous one out of the way, I’ll be better in the next round.”

Bunting averaged 119 in the first set and soon went two ahead but the Pole fought levelled before ‘The Bullet’ rallied to win the decider 4-2 and finish the match with a 96 average and nine 180s.

Earlier, Kumar made history as the first Indian player to win a match on the famous Alexandra Palace stage with a sensational victory over Dutchman Richard Veenstra.

Kumar opens ‘floogates to a billion people’

Kumar’s scoring was inferior to Veenstra’s, but his finishing proved crucial, boasting a 75% checkout success and hitting all his last seven doubles.

“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy,” said Kumar, who is nicknamed ‘The Royal Bengal’.

“If you dream it, anything is possible. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I saw Dennis Priestley win the World Championship (in 1994).”

Asked about what his victory could do for darts in India, he said: “I’ve opened the floodgates to a billion of them.

“I’m sorry, 10 years down the line if you have eight people in the World Championship walking on to Bollywood music, don’t blame me.”

Veenstra hit five 100-plus finishes, with his highest coming at 144. Kumar was not as flamboyant with his scoring, but proved to be incredibly consistent as the crowd roared him on.

Three-time BDO world champion Glen Durrant said on Sky Sports: “It was one of the greatest games I have ever commentated on.

“It’s not just the quality of the match, it’s the impact for Nitin Kumar and what it does for Indian darts.”

Two seeds exited the competition on Sunday – world number 23 Dimitri van den Bergh and 27th-ranked Ritchie Edhouse.

Belgium’s Van den Bergh was out of sorts from the first dart and was comfortably beaten 3-0 by Scottish debutant Darren Beveridge.

In the afternoon session, Edhouse was knocked out by Jonny Tata, who was also making his first appearance.

Former European champion Edhouse was stunned 3-0 by the New Zealander, to taste defeat at this stage for the fourth time in a row.

But the same fate did not follow fellow seed Joe Cullen after he eased past Bradley Brooks with a 3-0 win.

The world number 32 was in fine form to produce his second-highest average on the world stage with 99.33.

Another debutant, Englishman Dom Taylor, progressed to the second round with a 3-0 win over Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak.

Meanwhile, the evening session saw the Netherlands’ Lukas Wenig beat Wesley Plaiser 3-1 while England’s James Hurrell beat Stowe Buntz by the same scoreline.

Sunday’s results

Afternoon session

Ritchie Edhouse (27) 0-3 Jonny Tata

Dom Taylor 3-0 Oskar Lukasiak

Richard Veenstra 2-3 Nitin Kumar

Evening session

Lukas Wenig 3-1 Wesley Plaisier

Dimitri van den Bergh (23) 0-3 Darren Beveridge

Stephen Bunting (4) 3-2 Sebastian Bialecki

Monday’s schedule

Afternoon session (from 12:30 GMT)

Brendan Dolan v Tavis Dudeney

Cameron Menzies (26) v Charlie Manby

Mensur Suljovic v David Cameron

Peter Wright (30) v Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Evening session (from 19:00 GMT)

Martin Lukeman v Max Hopp

Dirk van Duijvenbode (29) v Andy Baetens

Jonny Clayton (5) v Adam Lipscombe