Oxford Union's debating society votes to cut Bounty from Celebrations

Britain's oldest debating society have voted to banish the Bounty from the Celebrations tub saying the coconut chocolate bar should leave the collection for good.

Radio DJ and presenter Chris Stark joined members of Oxford Union's debating society arguing in favour of keeping the divisive chocolate in the tub, however voters sided with the opposition to call for its removal. 

Opposing the motion that the bar deserves to keep its place among the Snickers, Mars, Twix, Galaxy and all the other Celebrations favourites was Heather Li, a member of the Oxford Union who argued that the last thing a divided nation needed was another source of rancour at Christmas dinner.

'You have your insane political uncle at the table already, do you really need to argue about chocolate too? Bounty bars are singlehandedly undermining the joy and togetherness of the holidays,' she told the Union.

'It's time to give up on pretending that Bounty has a place in the nation's hearts. Such a controversial product doesn't belong in the Celebrations tub, a hallmark of British identity.

'Every bar in the Celebrations box can and should be a celebration [and] Bounty doesn't quite have what it takes to make the cut. Good chocolate should be bountiful, but it's time to throw out the leftovers.'

DJ Stark, making the case for Bounty's inclusion, had argued it was 'more than just a chocolate bar,' saying it's an 'experience, a complex mouthfeel'.

'Once enjoyed you are left, or should I say rewarded, with tiny little presents of coconut in your mouth all day. It's the gift that keeps on giving,' the former Radio 1 presenter told the audience of Oxford University students and esteemed guests.

'When Mars decided to remove Bounty from the Celebrations tub there was outrage. Yes, it may be an acquired taste but then so are students and well, here we are'

Mail Plus readers give their verdict on the great Bounty debate!  

A poll of Mail Plus readers has intriguingly revealed that Bounty might not be the most hated Celebration after all.

That distinction was won by Milky Way, which 22 per cent voted their least favourite chocolate - while Bounty came second on 20 per cent. 

Here's how readers ranked the chocolates in the tub in a vote on their least favourite variety. 

Milky Way 22%

Bounty 20%

Snickers 18%

Galaxy Caramel 11%

Twix 11%

Mars 6%

Galaxy 6%

Maltesers 6%

To cast your vote, visit MailPlus

'Let's look at the word. Bounty. Meaning reward, treasure, prize. When I open my Celebrations tub and eye a Bounty that's exactly as I see it. My little blue and white treasure. My reward. A gift to myself.'

And Oxford student Aidan Woo, who joined Chris Stark in supporting the motion, said Bounty bars have the most personality of any of the chocolates in the Celebrations tub. He described it as bold and unapologetic. 

He added: 'The people that like Bounty's are the artists, the innovators, the Shakespearian fools who seem the wackiest but are always the wisest, the ones who are courageous enough to be different.

'Getting rid of the Bounty bar in the Celebrations tub would amount to stripping it of its diversity, of cauterising its soul. We need chocolate bars like Bounty to remind us that we all can be, and must be, braver.'

But fellow Oxford University student Gaby Lin's critique of the chocolate was much harsher.

'When I dip my hand into a Celebrations tub, I want to be rewarded with something that is smooth like the Galaxy, or crunchy like the Malteser. What I don't want is to be left with a mouthfeel like I've been chewing kitty litter,' she said. 

The Bounty debate has raged for years following a poll by the confectionery company that found Bounty was the last picked chocolate in the Celebration’s tub (52%).

This news resulted in Mars launching a seasonal Bounty Return Scheme where people could exchange unloved Bounty bars for Maltesers in 2021.

And this was followed by the chocolate giant in 2022 trailing the removal of the controversial coconut chocolate from select Celebrations tubs in the run up to Christmas, causing mass uproar on social media as Bounty lovers jumped to its defence.