Kate Middleton laughs at Bradley Walsh’s ‘cringeworthy’ jokes at Royal Variety Performance

Kate Middleton couldn’t contain her amusement as The Chase’s Bradley Walsh introduced the Royal Variety Performance with a joke about being left off the King’s honours list.

Walsh opened the show, which was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this month and has just screened on ITV in the UK, with a monologue including an awkward reference to him being snubbed for an OBE and an MBE.

Speaking to Prince William, who attended alongside Kate and the Swedish royals, he said, “I have worked for your greatnan, your nan, your granddad, your dad, and now I’m working for you, Sir and Madam.

“And I must say - ask me if I’ve got an MBE. Nah, ain’t got one. Ask me if I’ve got an OBE - nah, ain’t got one of them. Ask me if I’ve got a CBE - no!”

He continued to say that “they’ve probably run out” of the King’s honours because “they give them all to people who row boats” and “people on telly who bake cakes”.

Walsh said he “entertained troops in the Falklands” and was “happy to make it out alive”, while others got awards for their “Victoria sponge” cakes.

The quiz show host went on to tell the audience about his 2-year-old grandson - he’d promised to ask William for a knighthood so the toddler could use his granddad’s title during “show-and-tell” at nursery.

The jokes came after Walsh greeted the royals, with the camera focused on William and Kate laughing.

He pretended to struggle with the word “highnesses”. “It doesn’t sound right, your royal highnessesses? There’s too many ‘ssessess’, innit? Your royal highness ... your royal highnessesses?” he joked.

“It should be like cactus, cactussess, cacti. Your royal highness, highnessess and highni. That’s it. I’ve got it. Your royal highni,” he continued as the royals looked amused at the awkward joke.

But viewers deemed his hosting antics “cringeworthy” and “boring”, sharing their thoughts on social media.

One wrote, “Bradley Walsh completely embarrassing at the beginning not funny at all begging to be given a CBE, OBE etc [sic].”

Another declared, “Bradley Walsh’s just not funny! Cringe-worthy start to show. Think he’s just gone to back of the list #RoyalVariety.”

Others couldn’t believe he’d “begged” for an award and said “stand-up comedy isn’t for you”.

However, the royals laughed so hard they cried during Tom Allen’s stand-up performance, with William wiping away tears.

William and Kate attended the event with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel, who were visiting the UK.

This article was first published in the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.