Category Entertainment News

Waitrose may be one of the last retailers to unveil its Christmas adverts but it has produced a cracker, with Actress Keira Knightley and comedian Joe Wilkinson making an unlikely match

Actress Keira Knightley and comedian Joe Wilkinson star as the unlikely pairing in a romantic Christmas advert for Waitrose.

The festive offering, directed by Bafta-award winning director Molly Manners, follows Knightley and Wilkinson as their relationship blossoms over a shared love of food.

It begins with Wilkinson’s character, forlorn ‘Phil’, sitting in a pub with mates who are urging him to move on in love. He says of his lost love that “the only person I could move on with was Keira Knightley”, to which his friend replies “good luck with that mate.”

As luck would have it, a downcast Phil pops into a branch of Waitrose and standing at the cheese counter when he asks – at the same moment – for the identical ‘Sussex Charmer’ variety as Knightley. Phil plucks up his courage and asks her out, to which Knightley agrees. From there love slowly blooms. But it all appears to go wrong when Phil finds a present to what he assumes is a love rival. Using his culinary skills, Phil vows to win her heart by recreating Keira’s Nan’s turkey pie recipe.

Knightley, whose big screen hits include Bend It Like Beckham through to Pirates of the Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp, said: “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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Wilkinson, fresh from starring in hit BBC show The Celebrity Traitors, said: “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.”

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Wilkinson reprises his role as Phil from the grocer’s 2024 ‘whodunnit’ festive advert. The soundtrack features the song She’s A Star by British band James.

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Waitrose chief customer officer Nathan Ansell said: “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.”

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Supermarket Tesco has decided to show what for many is the real – though funny – side of many families’ Christmas in its festive adverts

Family feuds and falling out form part of Tesco’s Christmas ad campaign with a difference this year.

The supermarket giant has opted to ditch the often picture perfect image retailers serve up at this time of year, and show what the big day is really like for many people.

A series of 11 short ads include board game rows, slanging matches between siblings over who is their parents’ favourite child, and awkward chats with the neighbours you don’t really know.

Others have a youngster heading back home up to Merseyside only to be teased about their southern twang, and the silence when a relative says something awkward round the packed Christmas lunch table, just as the turkey arrives.

Tesco’s “That’s What Makes It Christmas” campaign is packaged in a series of standalone films, varying from 10 to 30 seconds long, and created by agency BBH London. The music to each mini film is “Holly Jolly Christmas” and the voice-over is comedian John Bishop.

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The adverts – unlike most festive commercials from retailers – don’t focus on blatantly enticing shoppers into parting with their cash. However, Tesco will follow up with other adverts highlighting its product ranges.

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They are also deliberately short to work well on social media channels and websites.

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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian threw a huge star-studded party for her mother Kris Jenner’s birthday, and posted pics of the all star guests to her Instagram, later deleting those including the Sussexes

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Pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party have disappeared from Kim Kardashian’s Instagram. The second Kardashian daughter uploaded a series of snaps from the bash to her social media, including some with some A-list celebrities.

In now photos that now appear to have been deleted, Meghan was seen posing with Kim, while Harry could be seen chatting to someone off camera. The prince wore a classic suit, while Meghan was dressed head to toe in a black dress with a turtle neck. Photographers at the party also captured pics of Meghan posing with Serena Williams.

Kim’s photo with Meghan was initially posted as part of her carousel of pictures uploaded to Instagram, where the reality TV star could be seen with a number of famous faces, including Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, old pal Paris Hilton and the cast of her new series All’s Fair.

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But that photo appears to now been deleted, confusing many fans. Taking to the website Reddit, some wondered what was going on. One wrote: “Why delete their pic, we saw them at the party?”

Another speculated that the Sussexes may have asked for their photos to be taken down. They said: “A bit cringe to accept the invite but not want your pics associated with attending (esp when there are pap shots of you going in or out).”

Another literature-minded commenter likened the party to those thrown by Jay Gatsby in the 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. “All these folks, including harry and Meghan are Tom and Daisy Buchanans,” they penned. “If you’ve read gatsby you know what I’m referring to.”

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Several billionaires were seen at the party, including Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez, who hosted the 007 themed party at their $165 million Beverly Hills mansion. Kim Kardashian herself is said to have net worth of around $1.7 billion, while her mother is thought to be worth $170 million.

Meghan is not a billionaire, but her net worth, which is already in the millions at a reported $61.2 million, is gradually increasing. This thanks to a plethora of new ventures, including a return to acting.

The former actress, who first made a name for herself as Rachel Zane on Suits, is set to star in a new Hollywood film called Close Personal Friends. The cast also features Lily Collins, Brie Larson, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding. Meghan previously retired from acting when she married into the royal family.

Kris also posted pics from her party. The 70-year-old wore a scarlet gown as she posed with big names, such as Beyonce, and danced with Justin Bieber. She also posted pics of herself with Meghan, who smiled widely with her hand on Kris’ shoulder.

The contestants of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! are arriving in Australia to get ready to enter the jungle, including Martin Kemp, who is following in son Roman’s footsteps

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Singer Martin Kemp has arrived in Australia to take part on I’m A Celebrity, and issued an emotional statement, saying he would miss his family.

“What am I going to miss….my family, but it’s going to be an adventure,” he said as he touched down at Brisbane Airport ahead of the ITV show starting this Sunday. He added: “I don’t want to take things too seriously and just enjoy it.”

He follows in son Roman’s footsteps who has previously done the show. Roman headed to the jungle in 2019 and finished in third place, behind EastEnders’ Jacqueline Jossa and Coronation Street’s Andy Whyment.

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Earlier Alex Scott arrived at the airport, after sharing a touching farewell with her girlfriend at Heathrow. She said of girlfriend Jess Glynne: “I already miss her, this will be the longest we’ve been apart since we’ve been together. We are certainly not used to it, it’s going to be hard.

“I am going to miss her show in Birmingham too. I am gutted she is not going to be here but I know she is going to be my biggest cheer leader. I am getting emotional now. I am trying to not even think about it. Hopefully I will see her on that bridge.”

Comic Eddie Kadi also arrived saying he would miss his eight-year-old daughter. Other celebs flying Down Under include Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley, YouTuber Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angryginge, EastEnders actress Shona McGarty comedian Ruby Wax, and Jack Osbourne. They are to be joined by rapper Aitch, and presenter Vogue Williams.

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Ant and Dec are returning to host the hit series, which is in its 25th year. A source close to the show said: “Producers are expected to pull out the stops to ensure the 25th series is the most memorable yet.”

Kelly Brook has opened up about a surprising celebrity encounter as she gears up for her biggest challenge yet – heading into the I’m A Celebrity jungle

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I’m A Celebrity contestant Kelly Brook has lifted the lid on her awkward run-in with a huge American superstar – revealing she was completely ignored during a live interview.

The 45-year-old model and presenter, who joins this year’s jungle line-up alongside Ruby Wax, Lisa Riley and social media star Angry Ginge, recalled the uncomfortable moment while speaking about her experiences on air. Kelly, who has co-hosted Heart Radio’s drivetime show with Jason “JK” King since 2019, admitted one celebrity encounter still stands out for all the wrong reasons. “I do have one. Mine was Lizzo,” she revealed.

“I thought she would be a bit more for the women but she didn’t take her glasses off and she didn’t look at me once. She just spoke to JK. For me someone like Lizzo is a strong woman and I just thought she would be a bit warmer towards me. But it was like I didn’t even exist.

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“It was weird. It was weird. Most people we love. It’s very rare we get one that’s like that. That was unusual,” she continued to The Sun. The former Strictly Come Dancing star said she had expected more warmth from the Grammy-winning singer – but was left stunned by the cold reception.

Kelly’s comments come just as she prepares to swap the radio studio for the Australian jungle, where she’ll face the ultimate challenge on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Before flying out, Kelly was spotted at Heathrow Airport with husband Jeremy Parisi as she prepared to say goodbye to home comforts – and her beloved dog, Teddy.

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She admitted:”I am going to miss my dog Teddy and my husband Jeremy.” According to insiders, Kelly went above and beyond to make sure her pampered pooch was well cared for during her time away.

A source told The Sun: “Kelly is besotted with Teddy and he is used to fine dining, so Kelly spent all hours making sure the freezer was piled high with his special dinners.”

They added: “There’s everything from poached salmon with cavolo nero cabbage through to venison steak with Chantenay carrots. She didn’t have much time to get everything sorted among all her work commitments but catering for Teddy was the priority.”

Reports also claim Kelly even labelled Teddy’s meals to stop her husband from accidentally eating them.

Kelly, who married Italian model in 2022, is said to have finally been convinced to enter the jungle after years of saying she’d never do it.

Back in 2018, she told The Sun: “I hate confined spaces. I don’t want to eat eyeballs or sheep testicles. Even if I had a huge tax bill I had to pay it urgently, I still wouldn’t do it.” Now, seven years later, Kelly has had a change of heart – and fans are eager to see how the glamorous TV personality copes with bugs, bushtucker trials and jungle life.

The eldest Beckham child and his wife Nicola Peltz have been feuding with his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, for months, leading the pair to snub his father’s knighthood

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Brooklyn Peltz-Beckham and his wife, Nicola, are reportedly willing to end their feud with his parents, David and Victoria, if they agree to do one thing.

The couple seem to have been feuding with his parents for months, as they have repeatedly refused to acknowledge several milestones, including David’s 50th birthday and his knighthood ceremony. Despite several attempts to reach out, David and Victoria were thought to have been completely cut out their son’s life.

The feud is thought to have started after a rumoured spat between Nicola and Victoria. There are conflicting tales of what happened, but many suspected the pair fell out after Nicola chose to wear Valentino for her wedding instead of dress designed by her mother-in-law’s label. Others have suggested it was Victoria who backed out of designing the dress.

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Talking to the Mail, an insider said there had “been a war” since the wedding, adding: “It’s always been a tug of war about Brooklyn, and Victoria has not wanted to let go.” Though the family remained united after the wedding, tensions were thought to have continued to ramp up, ultimately leading to a breaking down of relations.

An insider has now said that if David and Victoria were to make a public apology, that might mend the rift. The source said: “There is an obvious first step which would be a public acknowledgement [by David and Victoria] of what they did, and an apology. It cannot be a performative thing. There is no realistic chance of a reconciliation without that happening first.”

They added that they felt the feud was caused by David and Victoria, who were said to have “thought they could heap abuse on Nicola” with no backlash from her or her husband.

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Publicly, neither David nor Victoria have addressed the feud, but that hasn’t stopped fans from jumping to their defence. When Brooklyn broke his silence after snubbing his father’s knighthood ceremony by posting a video of himself making a smash burger, the chef was met with many comments asking him to support his dad more.

One person wrote: “No one cares mate, are you going to say well done to your dad?” Another commented,”“Why don’t you come to support your dad?”

However, Brooklyn’s fans also hopped in the comments to defend him. One wrote, “Let this man live. You know nothing about his family.” Another echoed the sentiment, writing, “Folks, he’s making a smash burger and trying to find joy through sharing his cooking. He’s not asking your advice and you’re not a family guidance counsellor.”

A third person wrote, “Keep being you. No one knows what happens in families and the trolls are projecting all their fantasies of your family onto you, making everything your responsibility. That must be really tough. Breathe deep. This too shall pass.”