Stacey Solomon denies queue-jumping claims at Chelmsford Pokémon event

Stacey Solomon has denied claims that she and husband Joe Swash jumped a queue or received preferential treatment while attending a Pokémon anniversary event in Chelmsford.

The television presenter responded on X after allegations circulated about the couple’s attendance at a Pokémon 30th-anniversary product release at Geek Retreat Chelmsford on Wednesday.

The claims, which have not been independently verified, suggested that the couple had been permitted to bypass other customers and purchase more stock than those waiting behind them.

Solomon rejected the allegations, while Geek Retreat Chelmsford issued a separate statement saying no special treatment had been given.

Solomon responds on X

Writing on X, Solomon described the allegations as “absolute lies” and said she and her family had joined the queue when it began forming.

She said they were subject to the same purchase limits as other customers and explained that she and her son had collected Pokémon cards for years.

Solomon also objected to the effect the accusations were having on the Chelmsford business, saying the store had handled a difficult and heavily oversubscribed release well.

In a further response to another social-media user, she said customers were permitted to buy one item from each available set and that she had followed the same restriction.

Geek Retreat denies giving special treatment

Geek Retreat Chelmsford subsequently addressed the criticism in a statement published on Facebook.

The store said suggestions that well-known customers had been treated differently were “simply not true”.

According to the business, staff did not know any celebrities would be attending until they saw them outside. It said Solomon and Swash were not admitted early, were not supplied with additional stock and faced the same one-of-each-product-per-person limit as everybody else.

The store added that the couple were second in the queue when it opened and that no member of staff had allowed them to jump ahead of other customers.

Demand exceeded available stock

Geek Retreat said the release had been organised in an attempt to support customers, maintain fairness and limit the resale practice commonly known as scalping.

However, it acknowledged that demand greatly exceeded the amount of stock available and that some customers had been disappointed.

The business said regular players and customers had been offered an opportunity to preorder products, using the same purchase limits, and that feedback from the event would inform the way future releases were managed.

At least one person who said they had been in the queue also publicly supported Solomon’s account, stating that she had joined at the same time and had not received more stock than permitted.

Chelmsford gaming café

Geek Retreat Chelmsford is a gaming café and shop based at 48 Cunard Square, close to Chelmsford railway and bus stations.

The venue hosts trading-card events and gaming sessions, including activities centred on Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Disney Lorcana and other tabletop games.

The disagreement surrounding Wednesday’s launch has since attracted national media coverage, but both Solomon and the Chelmsford business have firmly denied that she received preferential treatment.