Christian Hull in tears over Bunnings worker’s 6am act
An Aussie comedian who “missed out” on a viral product at the hardware store was gobsmacked when a staffer went “above and beyond”.
Home
Don't miss out on the headlines from Home. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Christian Hull has been blown away by a Bunnings worker who went “above and beyond” to secure him a cult item during a nationwide frenzy.
The Aussie comedian was among the thousands of shoppers who visited the retailer on Wednesday desperate to get their hands on its range of limited-edition Bluey products that had returned to shelves.
The Brisbane based celebrity, who is a huge fan of popular children’s TV show, missed out on the four garden gnomes when released last year, and turned to his army of loyal fans to help him locate the “hot-ticket” items.
His quest was a success, but not before he went viral multiple times with the extreme lengths he took – including flying to Tassie to do a deal on a street corner.
After hearing Bunnings had now released three new outdoor figurines based on the show’s characters, he headed straight over to his local store, only to discover stock had been cleared out during a “6am rush”.
For the best lifestyle coverage in Australia – download the news.com.au app direct to your phone.
Little did he know though, that a Bunnings employee at the Newstead, Queensland, store named Alicia, had already stashed the two new bride and groom gnomes – dubbed “husbands” on Bluey – for him.
And her actions have earned huge praise from Hull’s fans.
“I still cannot believe my luck,” he wrote on social media.
“This morning at 6am Bunnings opened with new Bluey gnomes (husbands) and people bought them out.
“I woke up at 9am and thought, bugger I’ve missed out. I wandered into my local just to check to see if by sheer chance there was some left. There wasn’t.
“As I looked at the pile of gnomes I already had, deflated, Leesh, a Bunnings Newstead team member said ‘follow me’ …”
Alongside his post was a 3 minute video Hull filmed of his venture to the hardware store, which showed the comedian’s rollercoaster ride of emotions as he went from believing he’d “missed out” to a tear-filled but delighted Bluey fan.
MORE: Govt loans Bunnings $100m in bombshell deal
Hill’s fans flooded the comments section of his video on Facebook and TikTok, declaring Alicia a “legend” who deserved a pay rise.
“It’s rare these days people make the effort to give these amazing staff members proper formal compliments, please can you contact Bunnings head office and put in a compliment for Alicia,” one said.
“Alicia out here doing the Lords work,” remarked another.
As someone else declared: “ALISHA NEEDS A PAYRISE!! HOW AWESOME IS SHE?”
Hull has since confirmed he has sent a glowing feedback form to Bunnings for the staffer who made his day – and also called on the Australian retailer to “give a pay rise” to the star worker.
“Legitimately, hand on heart, was going to film my disappointment after I sleep in, through the gnome buying craze, and miss out yet again,” he said in the clip.
“Sometimes I really love people, and Leesh … oh my God I could cry with absolute joy and happiness.”
MORE: $8m blow out in Bunnings sell-off war
Bunnings has once again transformed stores in Australia and New Zealand into “Hammerbarn”, a fictional DIY store featured in the popular children's TV show, Bluey for the month of August following its success last year.
As well as rebranding shop fronts and hosting Bluey-themed kids DIY workshops and scavenger hunts, Bunnings is selling a limited-edition product range – including the garden gnomes based on the show’s characters which previously sparked a mad frenzy.
The return of the $19 figurines – dubbed “husbands” in one Bluey episode – has caused a similar reaction, with shoppers rushing to stores in the early hours in a bid to snag one.
“Went at 6am and it was a fight to get one,” reported one shopper on Facebook.
“There was a rush at 6am in Kirrawee, they are all gone now,” another added.
As one commented: “I missed out last year, am going to try my luck later.”
Bunnings said that in order to avoid customers bulk-buying the limited-edition product, it had introduced a purchase limit of 4 gnomes per customer.
But it appears to have done little to stop those hoping to cash-in on the item’s popularity, with many of the gnomes already appearing on eBay with asking prices as high as $1000.
This time around there are 7 different characters available, including the 3 new additions – Gerald and Bride and Groom Gnomes, which Bunnings said it was “expecting to be hot property”.
“It’s clear how much fans connect with the show given how quickly last year’s Bluey gnomes flew off the shelves,” Justine Mills, Bunnings General Manager Marketing, said.
“We know they will be eager to build on their collections, and we’re excited to see how customers respond to our new range and in-store activities.”
Other items available in the beloved collaboration include Hammerbarn branded socks, key rings, bucket hats and kiddo’s tote bags that are available across all stores, while stock lasts.
More Coverage
Originally published as Christian Hull in tears over Bunnings worker’s 6am act
‘6am rush’ at Bunnings for popular $19 item
A “hot property” item is back at the hardware store – but with limited-stock on shelves, some customers have taken drastic measures.
‘Watch out’: Warning over viral bin hack
A warning has been issued about a popular bin hack to make getting to the kerb a little easier on bin night.