Last week for Christmas joke contest

There's just one week to go in the annual competition to find the best new Christmas cracker joke run by TV channel Gold.

The funniest gag will receive £1,500 in holiday vouchers and be included in a series of bespoke crackers, along with the other top five jokes.

Last year's winner was: 'What does Miley Cyrus have at Christmas? Twerky.'

Judges say they want festive jokes that put a comedy twist on the news agenda or a pop culture phenomenon. Steve North, general manager of Gold, said: 'Puns about celebrities or the news agenda are a great way to update a typical cracker joke. Last year's joke entries set the bar high, we're looking forward to seeing what people can come up with this year.'

Gags must be original, suitable for a family audience, and – as entries are via Twitter – come in at under 140 characters, including the hashtag #GoldCrackers.

Shortlisted jokes will be put to a public vote, and the nine runners up will receive a box of Gold crackers alongside the winner, as well as a Christmas hamper..

Judge Bruce Dessau said: 'I'm hoping for short and snappy gags that will have us laughing all through Christmas Day.'

A total of 300 million crackers are pulled over Christmas – but a poll found that more than seven in ten people felt that the jokes were out of date.

The competition closes at 6pm on October 28. To enter, gag-writers must follow @GoldTVChannel and tweet their joke with the hashtag. Multiple entries are allowed. For further information and the full terms and conditions, visit the Gold website.

Published: 20 Oct 2014