EXCLUSIVE: Married Mom Keira Knightley Struggled to Shoot 'Disgusting' Kiss With Dirty-Talking Bearded Comic to Rake in Huge Paycheck for Christmas Ad
Keira Knightley didn't exactly enjoy her latest onscreen project.
Nov. 19 2025, Published 7:35 p.m. ET
Keira Knightley has become the unexpected center of a festive stir, with sources telling RadarOnline.com the married mother of two struggled through a "disgusting" on-screen kiss with foul-mouthed comedian Joe Wilkinson while filming a high-paying Christmas advert for British supermarket chain Waitrose.
The shoot, a glossy mini-romcom titled The Perfect Gift and directed by Molly Manners, pairs Knightley, 40, playing herself, with Wilkinson, 50, as Phil, a widower who wins her heart in under three minutes at a cheese counter.
Knightley filmed a Christmas advert for Waitrose and sparked unexpected chatter.
The ad leans heavily on Love Actually and Notting Hill. Knightley, who has been married to musician James Righton since 2013 and shares two daughters with him, juggled the demands of family life with the demands of the ad, which was filmed earlier this year.
Wilkinson first met Knightley on set and admitted the situation was surreal.
He said: "You see those kids who go into football changing rooms to meet the Swindon captain or something – I felt like a mascot going to meet the team captain."
The comedian also described Knightley as "lovely, smashing and immediately normal."
A 'Disgusting' Kiss
Joe Wilkinson admitted meeting Knightley felt surreal.
A production insider claimed Knightley found the supermarket kissing scene bizarre.
But a production source claimed Knightley found the kissing scene unexpectedly difficult.
They added: "She's done dozens of screen kisses, but this one threw her. She joked about it being kind of disgusting – more because of the awkwardness than anything Joe did."
Another insider claimed: "She struggled with the moment. She said it felt bizarre trying to be romantic in a supermarket aisle with a camera two inches from her face."
How Joe Wilkinson Broke the Tension
Knightley joked the moment felt disgusting because of the awkwardness, according to sources.
Wilkinson, who had only performed two on-screen kisses before this advert, was similarly nervous.
He said: "I was like, Keira Knightley has kissed probably, I don't know, 50 people on screen, I'm guessing." He recalled breaking the tension by blurting out his discomfort.
Wilkinson shared: "Then I just went, 'I think this is weird, kissing is weird,' and she went, 'It is, isn't it? It's really weird.' It broke the tension."
Another source claimed Knightley's discomfort wasn't helped by Wilkinson's deliberately unvarnished appearance.
"He turns up with this wild beard and hair, cracking dirty jokes between takes – all very Joe – and she's meant to melt for him instantly," the insider said.
"She did get the giggles more than once, but he's hardly leading man material."
A Sex Symbol?
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Wilkinson has enjoyed a career surge while filming with Knightley.
Despite her hesitation, colleagues said Knightley remained professional and spoke warmly about running home to her daughters after filming wrapped.
A friend close to the actress said: "She loves working, but she's a hands-on mom. Any long day is balanced with family time, and that's her real priority."
Wilkinson, meanwhile, is enjoying a career surge. The Celebrity Traitors contestant, who lives in Brighton with his wife, Petra Exton, and adult stepson, has built a devoted fan base through series such as Miranda, After Life, and Sex Education.
His newfound status as an unlikely heartthrob seems to amuse him more than anything.
He said: "I wouldn't say 'sex symbol' – that makes me recoil."
