Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson reunite for Waitrose Christmas advert sequel

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Nov, 06:49 · Archive

Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson return for Waitrose's 2026 Christmas advert, a six-minute sequel to last year's festive campaign.

Waitrose has released The Perfect Gift 2, a six-minute festive rom-com sequel to last year's Christmas advert. The new film reunites Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, whose characters first found a spark over the Waitrose cheese counter in the 2025 campaign.

In the sequel, set on Keira's character's wedding day, she is engaged to Hugo Bunty-Griffin, a groom played by Rivals actor Alex Hassell. Joe's character Phil, encouraged by friends, attempts to win her back using a beef Wellington made with Waitrose ingredients. Alex Hassell said of his character: 'I play Hugo, a man in love… but really only with himself and the idea of being a part of a celebrity power couple.'

Keira Knightley described the experience as 'so much fun', saying she 'always felt last year's love story deserved another chapter'. She added that she was not expecting to find herself 'caught between two men and a beef Wellington'. The advert concludes with another 'Christmassy lip-lock' between Joe and Keira, according to reports.

How it is being reported

• Waitrose's New Christmas Advert Is A Sequel To Keira Knightley And Joe Wilkinson's Love StoryYour favourite Christmas rom-com is finally getting a sequel. No, we’re not talking about The Holiday , Love Actually or any of those chucked-together Netflix originals . We are, of course, referring to last year’s Waitrose Christmas advert . In the 2025 festive clip, Celebrity Traitors star and comedian Joe Wilkinson appeared as “Phil”, alongside Keira Knightley , with the two playing an unlikely couple who fall in love in the lead-up to the holiday season. And with Waitrose’s newly-released follow-up, dubbed The Perfect Gift 2, the pair are reunited for what is undoubtedly, if nothing…HuffPost UK · 10 Nov, 06:30
• Keira Knightley is caught in Joe Wilkinson love triangle in Waitrose 2026 Christmas advertLove is in the air once again.Metro · 10 Nov, 06:30

In this story: Keira Knightley · Joe Wilkinson · Alex Hassell · Waitrose

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