Waitrose's New Christmas Advert Is A Sequel To Keira Knightley And Joe Wilkinson's Love Story

Your 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 else, the most dramatic Christmas advert of 2026.

In the almost-six-minute sequel, Keira plays herself once again, with the story picking up on her wedding day.

However, it’s not Phil that she’s engaged to, but a new man, “Hugo”, played by Rivals fave Alex Hassell, with Joe’s character’s friends encouraging him to crash the big day in a bid to win back the love of his life.

And naturally, it’s a beef wellington – made with only Waitrose’s ingredients – that they think can seal the deal.

We’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say the new clip ends with another Christmassy lip-lock for Joe and Keira after the latest twist in their supermarket-centric love story.

“I always felt last year’s love story deserved another chapter, and what a sequel this has been,” Black Doves star Keira enthused. “I absolutely loved the chance to revisit our relationship this Christmas, although I wasn’t expecting to find myself caught between two men and a beef Wellington!

“Making this short film has been so much fun. I hope it brings a little festive magic to everyone who watches it.”

Joe agreed that he was “chuffed to be back for the sequel”, quipping: “If a beef Wellington doesn’t win back the heart of a Hollywood A-lister, nowt will.”

Director Molly Manners said that what set this year’s ad apart was that they “played every moment completely straight, giving Phil’s increasingly desperate mission the full cinematic treatment”.

“Beneath all the chaos, there’s a genuine story about how food can say what words sometimes can’t,” she added.

So far, star power seems to be a recurring theme when it comes to 2026’s Christmas ads.

In the last few weeks, Slow Horses’ Kristin Scott Thomas has taken the lead in John Lewis’ festive offering, featuring music from a record-breaking British musician, while M&S has treated us to a surprisingly swoon-worthy Santa played by one of the UK’s hottest actors.