Stacey Solomon has firmly pushed back against accusations that she skipped the queue and bought most of the Pokemon card stock at a local store, with the shop itself backing her version of events. The TV presenter called the claims the 'biggest lie' and said they were causing unfair harm to the small business.
Allegations of queue-jumping and stock hoarding
On Wednesday, the hugely popular Pokemon Trading Card Game marked its 30th birthday by releasing celebration packs, leading to hundreds of people queuing at gaming shops nationwide as players raced to get their hands on the coveted stock. Among those in the queues were celebrity couple Stacey and her husband Joe Swash, who were trying to buy some packs between the school run as they rushed from place to place.
However, an X user named We Love Pokemon posted a supposed video of angry customers at Geek Retreat Chelmsford. They claimed that after being told they couldn't park outside the shop, they had to wait until 30 minutes before opening to queue, and the limit was one pack per person. 'All of that went out the window when two celebrities (Joe Swash & Stacey Solomon) showed up. They parked right outside, skipped the queue and bought most of the stock, leaving about 10 items for the 200+ people still waiting,' the user wrote.
Solomon sets the record straight
The Sort Your Life Out star immediately responded, calling the story the 'biggest lie' and harmful to the small business. She said: 'We joined the queue like everyone else as soon as it started forming. We were sold the exact same limit as everyone else, and they were all opened like everyone else's.'
'My son and I have been collecting Pokémon cards for years. We've queued at many places, many times like everyone else,' she added. She also shared the other places they had queued that morning without success, including a Waterstones and a Smyths.
The mum-of-five concluded: 'So the absolute lies in this post that are having a negative impact on Geek Retreat Chelmsford are so unwarranted and unfair. They handled the situation so well given what they were dealing with.'
Store backs Solomon's account
Geek Retreat Chelmsford also supported Stacey's version of events in a Facebook statement, saying it was 'simply not true' that they were given 'special treatment'. The statement added: 'We did not know that any famous people were attending until we saw them outside. They were not allowed in early, they were not given extra stock, and they were subject to exactly the same one of each product per-person limits as everyone else.'
'They happened to be second in the queue when we opened, and no member of our team allowed them to skip the queue,' the store said. Regarding the claims that they bought well over the limit, the store told Metro: 'There were four people in their party. Their purchases were placed together in a box to make them easier to carry. Each person was subject to the same limit as every other customer. They were dropped off outside the shop.'
Pokemon frenzy continues
The frenzy for Pokemon cards shows no signs of slowing down. Some viral videos have even shown fans offering valuable French bulldog puppies in exchange for cards, highlighting the lengths people will go to for the game. The incident at Geek Retreat Chelmsford has now been clarified, with both the celebrity couple and the store denying any preferential treatment.
