Strictly Come Dancing favourite Bruno Tonioli surprised staff at Tesco when he popped into the Kensington branch.
The Italian, who is on the panel of judges in the BBC TV dance competition show , surprised staff members Gemma Gibson, 33, and Claudia Hylton-Livermore, 35, and customers when he served on the check-out, stacked shelves and helped shoppers push their trolleys.
Bruno’s first ever supermarket shift was organised by Tesco as a way thanking Gemma and Claudia for going above and beyond their jobs at work and in the community.
The pair, who have worked for Tesco for 28 years between them, were nominated by fellow colleagues for their excellent customer service, willingness to go the extra mile for both customers and colleagues, and their dedication to community work and charity support – which included helping refurbish the local day centre for elderly residents, with fellow Tesco Community Champions.
Claudia said: “The last person I expected to help me at work was Bruno Tonioli, I had to do a double take when he first arrived. It was such an amazing surprise, and having the extra pair of hands to help out was so much fun.”
Gemma added: “The customers just loved Bruno and he’s welcome back anytime – he’s an excellent shelf stacker!”
Bruno said: “It was a pleasure to meet Gemma and Claudia and hear about all of the fabulous work they have been doing in support of their local community and charities. It’s clear that Gemma, Claudia and their colleagues work very hard, especially at Christmas, so I was delighted to be part of the team for the day.
"I hope the ladies and their colleagues enjoyed the visit as much as I did.”
The visit was part of the supermarket’s Christmas campaign, which aims to help its colleagues and customers enjoy the festivities with a series of helpful initiatives.
