Shhh, don't look round but it's me, The Secret Stand-Up! As an expert in all things hilarious, I'm back with some excellent tips about how to make sure your jokes hit when you tell them! That’s what Britain’s Funniest Class is all about this year. We want to make every teacher smile and give them a good laugh, so we need your help! From nerves to delivery, I've got you covered! So follow these top ten tried and tested rules from my own experiences, and you're bound to make your teacher and your classmates laugh out loud!

1. Be Confident

Let's face it - if you don't look like you're enjoying yourself, why should anyone else? No one likes a gloomy joke! Well, maybe skeletons. If you're feeling a little self conscious, there are a few tips you can follow - stand tall and don't fidget or move around, speak clearly and loudly and try really hard not to fart. Although farting may make everything funnier!

2. Know Your Words

It's really important that you remember what you're....er....oh, saying! What you're saying. Nothing ruins a good joke like forgetting the punchline, the setup (that's the first bit) or starting to babble in a made up alien language (Unless your audience is made up aliens, in which case, go for it!). So make sure you're word perfect, because every word counts!

3. Timing is key

The most important thing about telling a good joke? It's...timing. You've got to give your joke room to breathe, so after you've set it up, give the audience enough time to absorb what you've said and maybe even start guessing the answer in their own heads. Then, hit them with your awesome punchline and watch them go wild! But don't leave it tooooo long; no one likes a joke with a two hour gap between the setup and the punchline.

4. Add some drama

Did you hear the joke about the super boring comedian who said everything in a monotone like a zombie? No? Neither did anyone else, because it's not funny! Although being deadpan CAN be very funny, you want to make sure your joke really engages the audience, so give it your best reading-out-loud in class voice and really animate the scene! Bonus points if you can do a funny voice or mime to really boost it!

5. Understand the Joke

Ok, this may sound super obvious, but to check before you start: do yu DEFINETELY know why your joke is funny? If not, there's a chance your audience won't either. You've got to really understand your punchline for it to land right, so make sure you're telling jokes you understand before you start!

6. Annunciate

This is just a fancy word that means 'say everything loudly and clearly'. It's vital that everyone hears your setup and punchline - one wrong word and the whole meaning of the joke could be lost! So make sure you can be heard and you're not mumbling or whispering. After all; 'What do you get if you cross.....mumblemublemuble' isn't really very funny!

7. Know Your Audience

The key thing about telling jokes is knowing who you're telling them to. Let's face it, your mum and your best friend probably won't find the same things funny. Your teacher might not enjoy that fart joke as much as you do, so make sure whoever you're telling it to knows what you're talking about! Bonus points if you can tell them a joke about something they enjoy, like a hobby or a TV show.

8. Don't Laugh

This might sound confusing, because jokes are meant to make you laugh, right? Well, sort of. The truth is, there's nothing less funny than someone who can't tell a joke because they're already laughing too hard at how funny it is. No one wants the chef to come out and eat your food for you, so remember your joke is a performance and you're there to make everyone laugh, not enjoy how hilarious you are being yourself (Although of course you are probably very hilarious)

9. Write Your Own Material

There are lots of classic jokes out there everyone loves, but the best jokes of all will be the ones you come up with yourself. They'll be totally unique and you can personalise them for your audience! Let your imagination run wild and see what you can come up with - we've got tips and other jokes ideas on Beano.com!

10. Enjoy It

Finally, enjoy yourself! There's no greater feeling than making people laugh (Except maybe biting into a hot cheese toastie) so revel in the atmosphere you've created. You've earned it after all.

For help and support with how you’re feeling, visit youngminds.org.uk/find-help.