Claudia is a very clever lady, I often listen to her on the radio interviewing people and her gentle self depreciation and humour put the interviewees at ease and you get to know really interesting things about people that i don't think anyone else would have ever been able to find out.
I don't think she has ever made a joke that was not affectionate and I know if AJ cared she wouldn't be making any jokes.

I laughed like a drain at the elf joke, I couldn't even tell you why, I just was just so Claude.

Yes, I suppose you're right about her meaning no harm.

I'd just imagine AJ probably gets enough flack for looking so young already, without it being a running gag on national tv!

Perhaps it's just me making presumptions though - he could well be less than fazed by any jokes at his expense.

My hunch is that for a 21 year old "Youth National Champion" from Stoke with an ambition to make their name on national TV, being the subject of a running joke would be highly desirable. What better way of getting into the public concious and establishing yourself as a celebrity? Many 21 year olds would pledge their first born to be the 'butt' of such jokes. And being young is hardly an insult.

Well, I don't know about many young men who wish to be compared to a child - but then perhaps I'm out of touch?

My son looks very young for his age, as did I when I as young, I was still being asked half or full on the tube at 30.
It was always a running gag amongst my freinds as it is amongst his, and it was always done affectionately. The only time it bothered me was trying to get into pubs and clubs and the cinema.
It's one of those things like being ginger or very short, or even blonde and pretty, you know you are, you can't change it so you either embrace your uniqueness and join in with the ribbing or get in a huff about it and have chips on your shoulder about it.
AJ has chosen to do a prime time show, he probably knows he was cast because he looks very young as well as his dancing. He's going with the flow.

Yes, I suppose it is just me feeling offended on his behalf. I'm sure he's been made to feel very welcome in the Strictly family.

Anyway, really should be sleeping. DS is an excellent distraction when you're having trouble nodding off, but sometimes hard to pull yourself away again.

We'll see if she continues it this week?

What can a man do? Laugh? Suck it up? Its his first year - he wants to make a good impression

I was just going to post something similar. He is at the start of his career, anything that gets him more public recognition can only be good for him.

God I thought it was terrible, but I find most of their humour falls flat with me

They just don't have the comic timing or the banter like Ant & Dec but I mostly just ignore their bits and focus on the dancing

What made me laugh even more was Tessbot losing it on live TV, finally we saw some emotion from her.

It worked for me. 👌

Strictly isn't the place for edgy humour. It's panto.

Trouble is, the more you* start analysing what is funny and what isn't, the less funny it becomes. A lot of posts on here make me laugh out loud (99% of the time because they're meant to be funny ... I think) but if I had to tell you* why then it would ruin it.

* vous not tu

He does look about 14 but am sure is pinching himself he has got a gig as big as Strictly so will suck it up.

Though I am sure that gag is going to wear thin at some point especially with Bruno wanting to take him home!

I don't think you are out of touch Nina. I suspect the average young bloke at, say, University or in their first job wouldn't much like to be compared to a child.

But if one looks at it through the eyes of a hypothetical wannabe aspiring celeb, then there are hundreds if not thousands of 21 year olds who would give their right arm to be compared to a child on prime time TV.

I hope the arms of Morpheus collected you up eventually.

They did indeed. I think I wear myself out from whinging on this site.

I wasn't concentrating on her Elf joke when it aired but having watched again I found it very funny . What made it more funny was the two of them cracking up at how ridiculous the scenario was and Ed wasn't even on next .

The joke was cheesy, but Claudia plays it as cheesy and ridiculous which kinda makes it work, she is doing it knowingly

Not sure if your question was rhetorical or not, but just in case it wasn't, she was chucking marbles onto the floor because she'd just said something to the effect of, "I've worked out a way to make the Quickstepathon more exciting...[chucks out marbles]"

I personally found the idea of her subversively trying to sabotage the show funny, and all the dancers slipping on marbles cartoon-funny, and her deadpan delivery was just the icing on the cake.

But again- if the question was rhetorical: apologies. Humour is highly subjective and to tell anyone that something is -or isn't- empirically funny is pointless. If you laugh, it's funny. If you don't it's not. And both responses can come from the same comic. Mrs Brown's Boys leaves me grim-faced, but I can't tell my friend it's not funny when she's sitting next to me practically helpless with laughter.

I hear you. Same with hubby and Vic and Bob. He will roll around the floor roaring with laughter whilst I sit there like the Mona Lisa. What would concern me is having a partner who didn't laugh at Very British Problems which has us both in stitches (not the TV show, that was pants, the FB and Twitter group).

No, it wasn't rhetorical and thank you for replying.

If anything, I find the notion of losing ones marbles, marginally slightly more amusing than the scenario you have just recalled. Now you have recounted it (and not before ) I remember that 'joke'. I found it horrible at the time and still do.

As you say, humour is highly subjective and I find Rhinoarse's daughter a pain in the proverbial.

Humour is absolutely subjective....but I would still have to ditch anyone that found Mrs Brown's Boys funny.

I was never a fan of Claudia - adults acting like children leave me cold; but having been in the audience on Friday I can safely say that in the flesh she is hilarious. She's irreverant and so much fun.

Tess might be the least serious of the two, but she too is a lot of fun and knows how to laugh at herself.

I wasn't a Brucie fan but confess I didn't hold out much hope for the Tess/Claudia partnership; needn't have worried - they make a great team.

Think about what you're saying there. Brucie too did his naff jokes knowingly. It won't transform a routine just to wink every time people shift in their seat in embarrassment

I think I love you!

I just suddenly realised when she came on tonight and did the sax joke what her beautifully daft set pieces like this remind me of - the Muppet Show! I loved it and I love her