Playing the romcom lead opposite Keira Knightley

It might come as a surprise given his slobbish persona on Cats Do Countdown, but Joe Wilkinson has a Christmas romance with Keira Knightley in this year’s Waitrose Christmas advert.

The comic – and Celebrity Traitors star - plays singleton Phil in the commercial, inspired by Richard Curtis’s Love Actually. 

It is the second time he has appeared in a festive ad for the upmarket supermarket, having first played Phil in last year’s whodunit featuring Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen, Fleabag’s Sian Clifford and sketch comedian Dustin Demri-Burns. 

This story, which starts with him in a pub called The Pie Makers Arms being consoled by friends who tell him: ‘It’s time to move on, it’s what Shelley would have wanted.

He replies: 'Well, Shell said the only person I could move on with is Keira Knightley.'

To which Phil's friend scoffs: 'Keira Knightley? Well, good luck with that mate.'

Cue a meet-cute with the Hollywood star over the deli counter in a Waitrose store where both simultaneously ask for the same Sussex Charmer cheese. They arrange a date, triggering a classic rom-com montage, set to She’s A Star by James.

It features a couple of nods to Knightley’s scenes in Love Actually including Wilkinson saying her line 'They're all of me!'  – but this time about a tray of biscuits Knightley has made resembling him. And in the end Phil turns up on her doorstep with a homemade turkey pie bearing the words ‘I love you’ – reminiscent of the scene in Love Actually when Mark (Andrew Lincoln)  declares his undying love for Knightley’s Juliet with cue cards.

The advert is directed by Bafta-award winning Molly Manners, whose credits include the Netflix dramatisation of David Nicholls's bestselling romcom One Day. She called it an ‘emotional rollercoaster of a love story’ adding: ‘We had such a great time making the perfect miniature romcom with food as a love language deep at its heart. The combination of Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson is magical in such an unexpected way. I hope they knock your socks clean off, as they did mine.’

 Wilkinson said: ‘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’

And Knightley added: ‘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.’

Waitrose said the advert has the blessing of  Curtis who has labelled it ‘sweet as pie’.

Company executive Nathan Ansell said: ‘Our four-minute Christmas film - an industry first - pays homage to the seasonal romantic comedy tradition’.

Published: 12 Nov 2025