Mystery solved in part two of Waitrose’s whodunnit Christmas ad

In a drama equal to the most gripping prime time detective series, Waitrose has released the second instalment of its murder mystery-style festive advert – revealing who stole the No.1 Red Velvet Bauble Dessert.

Less than 10% of viewers correctly identified the culprit, according to the retailer’s poll.

Fig the cat was seen as the prime suspect by viewers. But the guilty party was revealed in the new instalment to be the overworked Christmas cook Steve, who hid the dessert under a gingerbread house before sneaking it out to his shed to enjoy in peace.

“The last few weeks have been filled with suspicion, guessing and alibis,” said Waitrose customer director Nathan Ansell. “Customers and Partners alike have been getting into the ‘whodunnit’ spirit, including wearing the ad t-shirts in store with their predictions of who the culprit is. We’ve also seen huge engagement on social media polls and I’ve even had customers getting in touch with their own detailed theories and pictures.”

The first phase of the campaign had amassed more than 150 million views across social, TV and digital channels before the debut of the reveal. The supermarket said that made it Waitrose’s biggest-ever Christmas campaign.

The two-part festive mystery was created by Saatchi & Saatchi, which sees the detective played by Matthew Macfadyen unravel the mystery of the missing pudding.