Voice of Jet2 meme Zoë Lister: 'All the immigration rhetoric has got to a crisis point'

Big years can take all forms. Nobel prizes. Best-selling albums. But to truly understand how stardom takes hold in the here and now, ponder the answer to this question: What if your voice becomes the biggest meme of the summer?

That was the reality for Zoë Lister. As soon as you heard the lyrics “darling hold my hand”, you knew what was coming. “NOTHING beats a Jet2 holiday,” Lister’s voice rang out. “And right now, you can save FIFTY pounds per person! That’s £200 off for a family of four.”

Like any meme, explanation of the bare facts sounds bizarre. Set to the shimmering piano pop-house of “Hold My Hand”, a 2015 song from Jess Glynne, the advert for package holiday firm Jet2 with a voiceover recorded two years ago escaped containment. The trend dominated social media as users placed the audio over all manner of travel disasters – grim hotels, people throwing chairs, you name it. 

It has transformed Lister’s life. A former Hollyoaks star, she started this year with her writing gig on the soap coming to an end, and unsure of her direction. As her viral star rose, Lister popped up all over the place. She was flown out to New York to appear on a chat show. In a dystopian turn of events, both Lister and Glynne condemned the White House’s use of the meme in a video showing ICE agents deporting handcuffed people.

Unsurprisingly given the amount of publicity Lister’s voice has generated, Jet2 signed the contract for another year – and Lister gives a knowing look when Big Issue asks if it was on better terms.

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What do you know about yourself now that you didn’t know about yourself this time last year?

I really enjoy being silly and not giving a shit what people think. A year ago, I wouldn’t have behaved in the same way, with the same confidence, but I just approached this whole thing like, well, I’ve got nothing to lose. I remember when I met my husband. He’s not cheesy at all, and he’s got quite high brow tastes. I’d be hiding my S Club 7 and Vengaboys CDs, but basically that is who I am.

Is your job at risk from AI?

Oh my God, in such a massive way. I was really hoping the Jet2 thing would make companies reconsider using an AI voice. That is something the world is getting wrong. We can’t put the cat back in the bag, but somebody needs to very quickly put some regulations in place.

What is your cultural highlight of 2025?

The Lily Allen album has been non-stop in my ears and in my brain since its release and I am still completely astonished at its honest, raw bravery and banging tunes too. Obsessed!

Would you rather be a Traitor or a Faithful?

I reckon I would rather be a Traitor. I’m prone to a little bit of stress and overwhelm, so it would probably be carnage on a personal level.

Are you more or less hopeful than you were at the start of 2025?

I’m more hopeful on a personal level. I’m about the same hopeful on a global level. You’ve always got to have hope, otherwise you give up and don’t try and make anything better for other people.

What’s your Big Issue for 2026?

All the immigration rhetoric at the moment has got to crisis point, and we’re going to end up with a really horrendous government that has one policy, and that’s what they’ll focus on. Everything else is going to be complete carnage. We’re just going to become a much unkinder nation. I really want there to be some rallying behind the other side, the kinder way, the progressive way.

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