I Don't Get What's Funny

[dave50]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2743795/That-s-not-meant-Mortifying-moment-Good-Morning-Britain-studio-dissolved-giggles-Downton-actor-took-Susanna-Reid-s-innocent-question-wrong-way.html
Can someone please explain what was so funny?

[jno]

it wasn't "humour" at all, it was just an unfortunate choice of words, and that sort of thing does make people giggle, which is what happened here. Nobody was actually trying to be rude or crude.

[Old_Geezer]

Quite true. It was just that subconsciously that's how their mind works. Nothing to do with them really.

[lcg]

her line of questioning was rather strange - and not proper english, really - i would have expected the question to be 'you beat quite a few people for the part'. time bbc presenters learnt to speak properly again!

[Quizmonster]

Obiter, googling 'beating the bishop' produces about 7½ million hits as compared with 'bashing the bishop' and its fewer than half a million. Not a lot of competition there, it seems!

[VHG]

>>>>time bbc presenters

EX BBC presenters, this was on ITV.

[rccatnap]

down and donkey.
Well Butterbun, I heard the phrase over fifty years ago, but that was in reference to a question about a certain lady when someone asked if she was a lesbian. The catty reply was, "I don't know about that dear, but the only thing she hasn't been down on is the Titanic"

[Mamyalynne]

It's made my omelette less appealing.

[aelmpvw]

googling 'beating the bishop' produces about 7½ million hits ...

the www constantly amazes me ...

[ChillDoubt]

I found it funny. What makes it even funnier is the other studio personnel laughing in the background, it's exactly the same sense of humour and schoolboy-esque giggling in the background that one often hears on Test Match Special.