Fleabag sparks 24% rise in M&S gin and tonic sales
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag and Andrew Scott's Priest bonded over canned G&Ts from Marks & Spencer
Not only is Phoebe Waller-Bridge's darkly funny comedy-drama Fleabag entertaining us on a weekly basis — it's inspiring our drinking habits, too.
Marks & Spencer tell RadioTimes.com that the chain has seen a 24 per cent rise in sales of its own-brand canned gin and tonics in the week following episode two of Fleabag (Monday 11th April), in which Andrew Scott's (sinfully attractive) Priest reveals he has a couple of cans stashed in the sacristy, before sharing them with our anti-heroine.
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"Do you want a proper drink?," the Priest asks Fleabag. "I've got cans of G&T. From M&S." When she checks her watch, he interrupts her: "I will if you will."
The pair then proceed to bond over their drinks, chatting about religion, funerals, and the Priest's corny restaurant reviews for the local parish magazine.
In the following episode, Fleabag uses the Priest's offer to "come round any time with G&Ts" as an excuse to drop by the rectory, a plastic shopper filled with canned gin and tonics in hand.
"Sales of cans of gin and tonic are going to go through the roof," Fleabag fan Stacey Murray predicted on Twitter at the time. And it turns out she was right.
A Marks and Spencer spokesperson told RadioTimes.com: “This isn't any G&T in a can, it's an M&S G&T in a can... An absolute favourite with M&S customers, as well as the occasional vicar, as seen recently on the hit show Fleabag. In fact, sales are up 24% since its TV appearance, as even more customers get their hands on the iconic drink, perfect for on-the-go!”
Series two sees Waller-Bridge's sex-obsessed Fleabag grappling with mindful living, her lustful feelings for the Priest, and her father and hateful godmother's upcoming nuptials.
No wonder she needs a drink.
Fleabag airs Mondays at 10:35pm on BBC1 and concludes on Monday 8th April
