Portchester woman re-enacts Christmas film Elf around Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth and Fareham for Sky competition

Actor Courtney Chanel spent all of Friday visiting Gunwharf Quays and Fareham Shopping Centre to re-enact scenes of Will Ferrell’s hit Christmas movie, Elf.

The 22-year-old spent the day in the green and yellow outfit as part of a Sky Cinema competition, which is looking to give the UK’s biggest Elf fan a Christmas-themed home makeover and £3,000 to spend on festive gifts.

And the video has already proved to be a hit on social media, attracting 5,000 views on Courtney’s Instagram page – and 50,000 views on her TikTok account.

Courtney said: ‘Elf is my favourite film – I actually watch it all year round.

‘I bought the costume last year and was going to do it as a random TikTok video – but I chickened out.

‘Then I saw there was a Sky competition and I thought right, this is my chance to do it, because I have the costume and an excuse to do it.

‘Everyone was alright – I thought people would be wondering what I was doing. But there were kids laughing and smiling. I think some people thought I was a staff member, like a mascot or something.’

It’s not the first viral hit for the budding performer – with a previous TikTok video gaining more than one million views in less than a day.

Courtney said: ‘I had a nose job last year, and it was a video of my nose before and me straight after surgery.

‘I didn’t think anything of it - and my phone just blew up.’

SEE ALSO: Police say they won’t interrupt family Christmas dinners this year

And her most recent TikTok hit has given the former Chichester University student a chance to put her musical theatre studies into practice.

She said: ‘I was in Annie in Portsmouth years ago, and then Billy Elliot in London as one of the ballet girls – that was in 2012.

‘But it’s really crazy at moment, all the auditions are closed.

‘That’s part of the reason I wanted to do the video – it’s like acting again.’

The Sky Cinema competition is now closed, and the winner will be chosen by comedian Jason Manford on Friday, November 27.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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