Romford M&S staff have released a Christmas TikTok track - and they're hoping it reaches number one in the charts.
Today (December 8) the store launched This Is Not Just A Christmas Song, an original track written by team support manager Jack Brooker.
%image(15310576, type="article-full", alt="Romford M&S workers Clinton Amponsah (l), Joseph Duodu and Jack Brooker (r) star in a new Christmas TikTok video")
The Only Way Is Essex star Saffron Lempriere joined the team to celebrate the launch over a glass of bubbly.
The dancing shop workers became viral sensations in October with their Thriller video, followed by their Backstreet Boys rendition last month.
Songwriter Jack, who lives in Collier Row, told the Recorder: "I'm mainly excited, and a little bit nervous.
"We had no idea the videos were going to take off like they did. It all just went mad."
He has been writing his own music since he was 13, and was encouraged to create a Christmas song by fans.
%image(15310578, type="article-full", alt="The Romford M&S staff team have become famous on social media platform TikTok")
Team manager Sarah Hutcherson, who previously worked at the M&S in Brentwood, has filmed the shop's videos since setting up the store's TikTok account a year ago.
She said: "When Jack sent the Christmas song to me, I was speechless. It was amazing."
"Everyone at the store gets on really well, we're a close-knit group.
"The boys were all working the late shift so all just came together."
Describing the team as like "a family", Jack's friends teased him at first.
"I was getting roasted in the group chat, but as it's gone on they've started to enjoy it. My family absolutely love them as well," he remarked.
No more so than mum Julie Brooker, who came along to the launch event to show her support.
She said: "I'm so excited and proud - I would never have imagined it.
"I couldn't sleep for about three nights because the song was just going around my head. It's brilliant."
%image(15310582, type="article-full", alt="Jack's mum Julie Brooker said she is "very proud" of her son")
Joseph Duodu, a seasonal worker and aerospace engineering graduate, said he had "hidden in the corner" when first asked to get involved.
"Then Sarah roped me in and I thought, 'why not, it's just a laugh'," he said.
Joseph admits he didn't anticipate the videos being watched by hundreds of thousands of people.
The latest video has been released in partnership with TikTok, with profits going to charities Shelter and Together for Short Lives.
This Is Not Just A Christmas Song is available to stream on TikTok and Spotify.
%image(15310592, type="article-full", alt="The Only Way is Essex star Saffron Lempriere joined the M&S Romford team for the launch of their Christmas TikTok video")
%image(15310593, type="article-full", alt="Jack Brooker wrote and sang the M&S Romford Christmas TikTok song")
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