Highlights
- The Perfect Gift 2, Waitrose's Christmas advert for 2026, premiered at 6.30am on Tuesday 10 November on YouTube and Waitrose.com
- Keira Knightley (playing herself) and Joe Wilkinson (as Phil) return, with Alex Hassell as Keira's groom-to-be, Hugo Bunty-Griffin
- At six minutes, it runs two minutes longer than last year's film, and Waitrose says it is the longest advert made by a UK supermarket
- It was directed by Molly Manners, known for One Day, with a score recorded by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Last Christmas, Joe Wilkinson won Keira Knightley's heart with a turkey pie. This year, she is getting married to somebody else at three o'clock.
Waitrose Christmas advert 2026 at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Title | The Perfect Gift 2 |
| Premiere | 6.30am on Tuesday 10 November 2026, on YouTube and Waitrose.com |
| Length | Six minutes, two minutes longer than the 2025 film |
| Cast | Keira Knightley as herself, Joe Wilkinson as Phil, Alex Hassell as Hugo Bunty-Griffin |
| Director | Molly Manners (One Day), through Biscuit Filmworks |
| Agency | Wonderhood Studios |
| Music | An original score recorded by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Extras | 60-second and 30-second trailers, romcom-style film posters, bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage |
What happens in the Waitrose Christmas advert 2026?
The film picks up a year after Phil, the lovelorn everyman everyone calls "Phil Phil", met Keira over a block of Sussex Charmer cheddar at the Waitrose cheese counter. Now she is about to marry Hugo, a man who seems more interested in admiring himself than his bride, and who treats the wedding like a personal photoshoot.
Phil, meanwhile, is moping at home until his friends persuade him to do something about it. He bakes the beef Wellington of his life, and sets off for the ceremony. The journey does not go smoothly. He has a flat tyre, a dog with an alarmingly good sense of smell and a very large stately home standing in the way.
How does the Waitrose Christmas advert end? (Spoilers)
When Phil bursts into the wedding, his Wellington slides down the aisle. He has brought a jar of his own sauce, labelled "Marry Me Instead?". Keira, in the end, swaps the wedding aisle for the man she met in the Waitrose aisle, and proposes to him with a ring made from a cheeseboard, with Phil's jar as the diamond. The film closes with what one trade report calls a subtle nod to another classic romcom, Notting Hill.
Who stars in the Waitrose Christmas advert 2026?
Knightley, best known for Love Actually and, more recently, Netflix's Black Doves, plays a version of herself again. Wilkinson, who also appeared in After Life, is back as Phil. They are joined by Rivals actor Alex Hassell as Hugo. Reports also list This Morning presenters Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond among the cameos.
Knightley said she had not expected to find herself "caught between two men and a beef Wellington". Wilkinson said he was "chuffed to be back for the sequel".
Why did Waitrose make a sequel?
Because viewers asked for one. Waitrose's chief customer officer, Nathan Ansell, said last year's advert sparked a huge reaction, and that customers were clear that "they wanted to know what happened next".
The 2025 advert, The Perfect Gift, ran for about four minutes. It followed Phil and Keira's cheese-counter meet-cute, and ended with him recreating the recipe for her nan's pie, which inspired a Waitrose No.1 turkey pie. It was well received. Waitrose called its sequel a bigger, bolder follow-up, with a love rival, a race against the clock and a beef Wellington as an unlikely hero.
Who made The Perfect Gift 2?
The film was created by Wonderhood Studios, written by creatives Jennifer Ashton and Oli Short, and directed by BAFTA-winning Molly Manners, known for One Day. Manners said she had a "world-class orchestra, beautiful locations, snow and crane shots" to work with. Every great romcom needs a moment where all seems lost, she added, and this one's was "wrapped in pastry".
Wonderhood's creative director, Jack Croft, and Stacey Bird summed up the case for a sequel as more story, more laughs and more stunts, plus, "thankfully, more pastry".
What else is in the Waitrose Christmas campaign?
The full film sits on Waitrose's own channels. It is supported by 60-second and 30-second trailers, romcom-inspired film posters, bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage. The campaign also includes cooking content with @whatwillycook and a partnership with Meet Cutes London. The food stays at the centre of the story: besides the beef Wellington, the advert shows Waitrose's No.1 Handmade Polar Bear Bao Buns.
How does it compare with the other Christmas adverts of 2026?
It is one of several festive films this season. John Lewis's advert, Gloria and Pickles, launched a week earlier, on 3 November, and M&S followed on 6 November with an advert starring James Norton as an undercover Santa. Asda and Aldi have also released theirs. Waitrose's entry is a six-minute rom-com sequel.
Early reaction to the film on YouTube has been warm. One viewer wrote that they had wished for a part two after last year's advert, and that Waitrose had "outdone yourselves again".
