Waitrose Christmas Advert 2026: Keira Knightley Is Getting Married (And It’s Not to Phil!)

Hold the confetti. Keira and Phil are back for a festive sequel, and this time there’s a wedding, a love rival and one very important beef Wellington.

Waitrose Christmas advert 2026 is here, and grab the popcorn (or, let’s be honest, the cheeseboard), because it’s a sequel! Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson are back in The Perfect Gift 2, a six-minute festive romcom that picks up where last year’s love story left off.

And oh, it’s a juicy one. Keira Knightley is getting married at three o’clock. The trouble? She isn’t marrying Phil. Now, the only thing standing between Keira and the wrong man is a beef Wellington. Yes, really.

WATCH: Waitrose Christmas advert 2026 – The Perfect Gift 2 below:

Wait, what happened last year?

If you need a quick catch-up, last year’s The Perfect Gift was a proper Christmas meet-cute. Phil, played by Joe Wilkinson, was a widower facing Christmas alone, until he bumped into Keira Knightley (playing herself, no less) at the Waitrose cheese counter. They both reached for the same Sussex Charmer cheddar, and the rest was romcom history. Phil eventually won her heart by recreating her grandmother’s festive pie recipe.

Phil first popped up in Waitrose’s 2024 whodunnit, so he’s officially become the supermarket’s festive leading man. Who knew?

Shop Waitrose Christmas advert 2026 food & drink here 🔗

What happens in the Waitrose Christmas advert 2026?

Meet Hugo Bunty-Griffin

This year, Keira seemingly has it all: the dress, the venue and a dashing groom. Enter Hugo Bunty-Griffin, played by Alex Hassell. He’s suave, he’s impeccably tailored, and his charm is so cheesy it should come with crackers.

There’s just one catch. Hugo is more in love with his own reflection than his bride-to-be. He treats his own wedding like a photoshoot, with himself as the star and Keira as a mere supporting role. We’ve all met a Hugo. We’ve all swiped left on a Hugo.

Phil hits rock bottom

Meanwhile, across town, poor Phil is in full-blown heartbreak mode. His beard has reached tragic proportions, his dressing gown is now his entire wardrobe, and his only friends are a pack of Waitrose No.1 Handmade Polar Bear Bao Buns. Honestly, we’ve had Decembers like that.

But just when all hope seems lost, his best mates turn up with Waitrose bags in hand and a plan even bolder than last year’s. Another homemade food creation. So Phil rolls up his dressing gown sleeves and sets about baking the beef Wellington of his life.

A race against the clock

Then comes a breakneck race against the clock. Well, a breakneck run-walk, from a man built for cheeseboards, not cross-country. Clutching his precious Wellington, Phil battles a flat tyre, a dog with a very keen sense of smell and a stately home with more stairs and corridors than should be legal.

The big moment

Finally, Phil bursts through the doors, just in time for his beloved beef Wellington to go sliding down the aisle and land at Keira’s feet. Then comes his final gambit: a jar of homemade sauce labelled ‘Marry Me Instead?’. Hugo is furious at being upstaged, Keira is lost for words, and poor Phil is ushered back out into the cold.

A very happy ending

But don’t reach for the tissues just yet. In the end, love (and good food) conquers all. Keira swaps the wedding aisle for the man she met in the Waitrose aisle. Then she gets down on one knee with a cheeseboard ring, using Phil’s ‘Marry Me Instead?’ jar as the diamond. Because, as Waitrose says, a true food match really is the perfect gift. And handmade beats handsome every time.

We’re not crying. It’s just the onions in the Wellington.

Joe Wilkinson adds: “Chuffed to be back for the sequel. If a beef Wellington doesn’t win back the heart of a Hollywood A-lister, nowt will. Although there is the thorny issue of Keira Knightley’s new beau, the dashing Alex Hassell. How will she choose between us?”

Shop Waitrose Christmas advert 2026 food & drink here 🔗

Our verdict on Waitrose Christmas advert 2026

This is a sequel that’s even better than the original, and we don’t say that lightly. It’s funny, it’s silly, and it’s got more heart than a Christmas pud. Joe Wilkinson’s dressing-gown era is pure comedy gold, and Alex Hassell is a brilliantly smug love rival. And the moment Keira proposes with a cheeseboard ring? Pure romcom perfection.

If there’s a lesson in all this, it’s that you should never underestimate a man with a homemade beef Wellington. We’ll be stocking up, just in case.

👉 Catching up on the Christmas advert battle? See John Lewis’s Gloria and Pickles picks, Disney’s The Invisible Horse and Sky’s costume party