The Celebrity Traitors icon teams up with film legend for romantic Waitrose Christmas 2025 advert
Waitrose has recruited a star of The Celebrity Traitors for its Christmas advert.
Waitrose has released its Christmas advert – and it's a fun play on the festive rom-coms we return to every year.
Keira Knightley is the female lead alongside an unlikely romantic interest: Joe Wilkinson, who is reprising his role as Phil from the 2024 whodunnit Christmas advert.
In the adorable advert, titled The Perfect Gift, the couple have a meet-cute at a Waitrose cheese counter where they discover they share a love of the Sussex Charmer Mature Cheddar – something Phil turns out to be himself...
We get to watch their adorable romance develop, not without hiccups admittedly, before Phil recreates Keira's Nan's pie recipe in the ultimate act of love.
The small movie highlights centres around the idea of "saying it with food" because, if you can't say it at Christmas, when can you?
Speaking of her role in the advert, Knightley says: "I love food, and so when I received this script where I get to fall head over heels in love over a shared love of cheese, I couldn't turn it down! I adored working on this silly, fun and delicious film with Joe and I hope those watching it fall in love too."
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Joe Wilkinson adds: "It was great to be back with Waitrose for their 2025 Christmas campaign. This year, Phil got to enjoy both the love and the food he truly deserved. As you can imagine, it was tough having to eat the delicious Waitrose food and falling in love with Keira, but I just got on with it, like the trooper I am!"
The advert is soundtracked by James, and features their hit song She's a Star.
Nathan Ansell, Waitrose Chief Customer Officer, says: “When it comes to Christmas, delicious food and drink play a central role in bringing people together and helping us show affection. This year, we welcomed British heroine, Keira Knightley, and Waitrose’ favourite, Joe Wilkinson, to help us show Food Lovers how to ‘say it with food’.
“Our four minute Christmas film – an industry first – pays homage to the seasonal romantic comedy tradition, celebrates the exciting and elevated Waitrose festive food offering, and adds a little more of that warm, fuzzy feeling to the holiday season. It’s the perfect gift from Waitrose, to you.”
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Authors
Helen Daly is the Deputy Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
