Gold Christmas cracker joke competition 2021 opens

TV channel Gold's annual Christmas cracker joke competition is open for entries.

The channel is once again calling for topical festive gags - this time covering all the ups and downs of 2021.

The competition has been running for nine years, with last year's winning joke the lockdown-themed jest about political advisor Dominic Cumming's drive to Barnard Castle during Covid restrictions: Which read: "What is Dominic Cummings' favourite Christmas song? Driving Home for Christmas."

The channel says: "With topics such as the sporting moments of 2021, including England getting to the final of the Euros, British tennis player Emma Raducanu winning the US Open and Tom Daley's knitting at the Olympics, to the progress of the ship that blocked the Suez Canal for six days and Jackie Weaver's handling of a Handforth Parish Council meeting, the aim is to get the country chuckling and keep spirits high this Christmas."

The deadline to enter is 11.59pm on Monday 18th October 2021.

The winner will receive £1,500 experience vouchers, a festive-themed food and drink hamper and their joke will be included in a personalised set of crackers ready to pull on the big day. The nine runners-up will also receive a festive Christmas hamper and a box of bespoke Gold Christmas crackers, which includes the top six winning jokes.

The best jokes will be shortlisted by a panel led by comedy critic Bruce Dessau. He says: "2021 has been a rollercoaster, with moments that shocked, surprised and made us all grin! I'm looking forward to what classic British humour will emerge from this year's Gold Christmas Crackers competition following a year of unbelievable sport and getting used to our 'new normal' as we all venture into the outside world again."

Gerald Casey, Gold channel director, says: "Every year I look forward to the Gold Christmas Cracker jokes, the British public's wit is always so impressive. It will be interesting to see what our viewers come up with to make sense of 2021."

How To Enter

The competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 and over. Gold is looking for the most original festive jokes that put a comedy twist on the news agenda or pop culture across the past year. Jokes must be original content and suitable for a family audience (e.g. no swear words or offensive content).

To enter follow @GoldChannel and tweet a Christmas-themed joke via your personal Twitter account including #GoldCrackers.

- The joke entry must be included within one tweet (i.e. not be more than 280 characters), including #GoldCrackers.

- All entrants must follow @GoldChannel (so you can be notified if you win) - but the @GoldChannel twitter handle does not need to be included in the joke entry.

Multiple entries are allowed. Full terms and conditions