Tesco announces new self-checkout voice after inviting public to apply
Tesco have announced that their self-checkout machines will have a brand new voice in a vaguely terrifying video.
With eyes and mouth superimposed over an image of a self service checkout, the video from Tesco's official TikTok ran through some of the entries in their competition to be the new voice of the tills.
EastEnders actor Helena Breck used to be the voice of the self-checkouts before being replaced in 2015, and now Tesco have found someone new to tell people there's an unexpected item in the bagging area, even when there clearly isn't.
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In addition to being the new voice of the self service checkouts, the winner also gets 10,000 clubcard points, which is about £100 worth of shopping.
The winner of the competition ended up being TikToker Izzy, who goes by the name @dogtor_who on the site.
Tesco took to TikTok to thank everyone who threw their hat into the ring and announce the winner.
They said: "Choosing a winner hasn't been easy, but the new voice of Tesco checkouts is..."
Pausing for a dramatic drum roll, they revealed Izzy had got the gig, welcoming her into the new job as she delivered the line 'attention, new voice in bagging area'.
There was fierce competition from members of the public who dearly hoped they'd be lending their voice to the checkouts.
Some auditions were better than others, with one entrant trying to win the competition by farting as a response.
For some unfathomable reason they didn't manage to win, we can't think why.
Izzy said she entered the competition to shut up her friends who kept bugging her to enter, as she'd already posted a series of videos on the site of her impersonating self service checkouts.
It's not a permanent change, with Izzy reckoning her voice is only going to be on for about a week, but she's happy it's there 'for the funsies'.
If you want to hear Izzy's voice on the self-checkouts it sounds like you'll have to get yourself to a Tesco in the near future.
Tesco's self service machines aren't popular with everybody though, as over 100,000 signed up to a petition launched against the growing number of checkouts without anyone staffing them.
The petition was launched by Tesco shopper Pat McCarthy, who said three quarters of checkouts at her local supermarket were now self service and said she liked the human interaction with someone at the till.
Joe Harker