The joke which secured a golden ticket for Fife pupil into national final

Jimmy Suttie, who attends Lumphinnans Primary School, has been crowned the winner of Fife’s regional heat in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition – a national joke-telling contest celebrating the power of communication.

With a joke that had judges in stitches, the P5/6 pupil now heads to the grand final at the Scottish Parliament on June 5 when 32 of Scotland’s funniest primary school pupils – one from each local authority – will compete for the title of champion.

Jimmy’s joke which earned a place in the final, was: “Five ants rented an apartment with five other ants. Now there are ten-ants!”

The event will be hosted by Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, with Zara Janjua, BBC journalist and stand-up comedian, taking the mic as compère.

Jimmy has already secured £100 of Collins Big Cat books for his school, and is in the running for the top prizes which include £500 of books for the winning school; £200 of books for second and third place; and a £100 toy gift card for the top three finalists

Glenn Carter, head of RCSLT Scotland, said: “We’re incredibly proud of all the regional winners who’ve earned a place in the national final. VoiceBox is about much more than making people laugh. It’s about highlighting the vital role that communication plays in every part of a child’s life. Speech, language and communication, skills are the foundation for learning, social connection, mental wellbeing and future employment. Yet too many children still struggle without the support they need, often going unnoticed.”