Bradley Walsh’s request for an MBE from Prince William made some Royal Variety Performance watchers cringe.
The Chase star hosted the renowned event at the Royal Albert Hall, which broadcast last night on ITV, and couldn’t help but make a sly remark about being passed over for the distinction over the years.
The Prince and Princess of Wales laughed at the joke, but other viewers thought it was “embarrassing.”
Bradley told Prince William: ‘Your Royal Highness, I worked for your gran, your great gran, your dad, your grandad, your great grandad, and now you.
‘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!
‘No. Not a sausage. Not even a member of the RAC any more.’
The 63-year-old actor ended himself on his knees pleading beside someone disguised as a royal footman while listing his comedic achievements.
He added that he’s ‘entertained troops in the Falklands’ and was ‘happy to make it out alive’, before joking ‘they’ve probably run out’ of the honours because ‘they give them all to people who row boats’ and ‘people on telly who bake cakes’.
‘I love Bradley Walsh but he’s dying on his arse here,’ tweeted fan @M4ttso, while viewer @LoveRugbyMore said: ‘Bradley Walsh completely embarrassing at the beginning not funny at all begging to be given a cbe obe etc’
Fan @jonathan18234943 complained: ‘I do hope @BradleyWalsh whole act isn’t going to be about asking for a knighthood, yes I know he’s partially joking but still I wish we could go back to the no talking to the royals in your act.’
‘Could Bradley Walsh be any more embarrassing, begging like that #Cringe,’ blasted fan @NorthWest1981, as @srobbo69 added: ‘Bradley Walsh’s just not funny! Cringe worthy start to show. Think he’s just gone to back of the list #RoyalVariety’
And another X (formerly Twitter) user wrote: ‘Agreed, normally love Bradley Walsh, but begging for gong is embarrassing.’
In another scene, Bradley welcomed the ‘royal highnesses’ while pretending to stumble over his words, as William and Kate chuckled.
He joked: ‘It doesn’t sound right, your royal highnessesses? There’s too many ‘ssessess’, innit? Your royal highness… your royal highnessesses?
‘It should be like cactus, cactussess, cacti. Your royal highness, highnessess and highni. That’s it. I’ve got it. Your royal highni.’