Keira Knightley returns for Waitrose Christmas ad sequel — a wedding, a love triangle and a runaway bride

British supermarket chain Waitrose released its 2026 Christmas advert, “The Perfect Gift 2”, early on Tuesday (November 10), a sequel to last year's hit in which Keira Knightley returns as herself. In this instalment she is set to marry Hugo, played by “Rivals” actor Alex Hassell, while comedian Joe Wilkinson returns as rival Phil, turning the story into a wedding love triangle.

Runaway bride runs barefoot through the supermarket

In the trailer, Knightley runs barefoot down a supermarket aisle in her wedding dress, to comic effect; Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond are among the cameos. The advert drew a warm response from viewers after it appeared on YouTube, with many saying they looked forward to the full version. Last year's first instalment was a hit as a “mini romcom”, and this year's sequel takes the romantic comedy further.

Waitrose's Christmas advert is one of the focal points of the British festive season each year, and this year's sequel continues last year's characters and storyline, described by British media as a “mini romcom” among supermarket Christmas ads.