Movie stars love Harrogate surprise

Hurrah for a Harrogate brand - Movie star Emily Blunt in Walt Disney Pictures' Mary Poppins Returns.

Russell Crowe isn't the only Hollywood star in love with one of Harrogate's leading brands, so it seems are the stars of Disney's current family musical Mary Poppins Returns.

As part of the publicity for this hit sequel to the classic 1960s family musical, Emily Blunt and co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda were being interviewed on YouTube by Pretty52.

But the two very young fans conducting the interview for this female-focused entertainment media company surprised the stars by pulling out some surprise gifts, including a box of Yorkshire Tea.

Like other celebrities such as Russell Crowe, the Kaiser Chiefs and the Olympic triathlon medal-winning Brownlee brothers, the stars of Mary Poppins Returns were thrilled by their present.

Emily, who plays the nanny of the title role, and Lin-Manuel, who plays Jack the cockney lamplighter, even plumped for Yorkshire Tea's famous tagline "let’s have a proper brew" on receiving the unexpected gift.

Directed by Rob Marshall, Mary Poppins Returns also stars Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep with cameos from Julie Walters and Angela Lansbury.Much-loved veteran actor Dick Van Dyke, who starred in the original 1964 blockbuster with Julie Andrews, makes a brief appearance in the Walt Disney Pictures movie which is in cinemas now.

In 2017 Yorkshire Tea, which is produced in Harrogate by family firm The Bettys & Taylors Group, became the nation’s second favourite cuppa, overtaking Tetley for the first time.

In 2009, the Prince of Wales granted Yorkshire Tea a Royal Warrant.

It is also the official brew of the England cricket team.

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