A tense situation arose after claims that reality TV star Stacey Solomon and her husband, Joe Swash, bypassed the queue and purchased a large portion of the Pokémon card stock during the 30th anniversary release of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. According to a social media user named We Love Pokemon, they said Stacey and Joe were told they couldn’t park outside the store and had to wait until 30 minutes before opening to join the queue. They were also told they could only buy one pack per person. However, the user alleged that Stacey and Joe arrived early, parked outside, skipped the queue, and bought most of the stock, leaving only about 10 items for the more than 200 people still waiting. Stacey Solomon strongly denied the accusations, calling the story the "biggest lie" and stating that she and her husband joined the queue as soon as it formed, just like everyone else. She emphasized that they were given the same purchase limits and that their cards were opened in front of the staff, just like others. She also noted that she and her son had been collecting Pokémon cards for years and had queued at multiple stores on several occasions. The store, Geek Retreat Chelmsford, supported Stacey’s account in a Facebook statement, saying it was "simply not true" that any celebrities were given special treatment. The store explained that they didn’t know Stacey and Joe were famous until they saw them outside, and that they were not allowed inside early or given extra stock. They were subject to the same one-pack-per-person limit as everyone else. The store also mentioned that Stacey and Joe were second in line when the store opened and that no staff member allowed them to skip the queue. They added that their purchases were placed in a box for convenience and dropped off outside the shop. The excitement around Pokémon cards continues to grow, with some viral videos showing fans offering valuable items, like French bulldog puppies, in exchange for rare cards. The high demand for the cards has made them a hot topic in pop culture and online communities.