In November 2021 I was cast in, shortlisted and selected fora Tesco Banking commercial, which you can see in the Youtube video embedded above. It’s a little strange doing things in the time of covid but I think we’re used to the changes – having a lateral flow test the morning of the costume fitting, and of the shoot; being asked to isolate as much as possible before the shoot. There’s a lot of money riding on location shoots so protocols are adhered to. I didn’t want to lose out on the job either so I stayed home the few days before.

It was a quick, half-day, booking due to the sunlight, they were already shooting the supermarket scene when the AdLee dropped me off.

It was cooooold! Tottie the stylist’s assistant, was able to fish out some handwarmers from her bag for me to crush and sit with while I was inside the “booth”. Once I’d got into the costume and into the ticketbooth that they had constructed for me to sit in, that was it… They had to physically lift the back of the booth to enclose me into it so there was no ‘nipping to the loo’ once I was in. But I was happy that I was able to continue my crocheting once I was inside. Jeroen Mol, the director from The Netherlands was happy to chat with me about the scene and the shots that he needed.

Filming started with the cameras pointing at the ‘hero’ of the advert, his actions, his reactions. Then They turned the cameras around and shot my actions and reactions. Jeroen showed me the video from the recall audition last week, and it helped with what I was meant to be thinking about the ‘hero’. (In advertspeak, the main character of an advert is referred to as The Hero. (eg. the Egghunter in the Creme Egg commercials).

The day ended once it was dark and the director was happy with what I’d given him. It’s a funny old business, this acting. Looking at the advert, you’d think they’d pick anyone to do my part. But no one aims a fisted broccoli through a hole better than I me. I should at it to my skillset on my CV.