John Lewis Christmas advert kicks off festive season with toy dog voiced by comedy legend & iconic Rolling Stones cover

THE festive countdown has officially begun, and this year John Lewis is swapping its trademark tearjerker for a magical, generation-spanning adventure. The retail giant fired the starting gun on Christmas this morning with the release of its highly anticipated 2026 advert – and it’s a star-studded affair. British cinematic icon Dame Kristin Scott Thomas leads the three-minute promo alongside a vintage wooden pull-along dog named Pickles, voiced by TV comedy legend Paul Whitehouse. And the all-important soundtrack? Geordie hitmaker Sam Fender has laid down a stunning new cover of The Rolling Stones’ classic You Can’t Always Get What You Want. It’s a massive festive coup for the retailer, earning the ultimate rock-and-roll seal of approval from Sir Mick Jagger himself. Read more in money The music legend said: “I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it.” This year’s campaign, the retailer’s 20th edition, is titled Gloria and Pickles and carries the strapline: “Don’t give up on giving.” Created by advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, the story aims to tackle a very modern dilemma – the dreaded fear of buying a rubbish present. It opens on Christmas Eve as a glamorous Gloria, played by BAFTA-winning Dame Kristin, prepares her home for the arrival of her daughter, son-in-law, and two restless grandkids, Freddie and Maggie. Most read in Money Taking a well-earned break from playing the corrupted, ruthless head of MI5 in hit Apple TV+ spy thriller Slow Horses, Dame Kristin completely swaps gritty espionage for festive magic. Desperate to keep the bored youngsters entertained, she pulls her old childhood toys down from the attic – including ‘Pickles’, a vintage Fisher Price Little Snoopy. When the kids quickly lose interest, a deflated Gloria resorts to the ultimate festive cop-out: stuffing cold, hard cash into their Christmas cards. But suddenly, the wooden toy dog springs to life. Swapping the peaceful riverbanks of Gone Fishing for the John Lewis editing suite, Fast Show star Whitehouse brings his trademark cheeky charm as he brutally calls her out, barking: “You can do better than cash.” The talking mutt then drags Gloria out of the house on a frantic last-minute shopping mission, which culminates in them hailing a brightly-coloured TukTuk that magically flies through the streets of London and drops them right outside John Lewis. Come Christmas morning, the grandkids rip open their envelopes expecting some cash – but instead find a single shiny key. They unlock Gloria’s home office to discover she has transformed it into a dazzling “Gran Cave” – complete with sparkling disco balls, neon lights, and pumping music inspired by her wild TukTuk ride. The kids are thrilled, throwing their arms around their gran as the thoughtful surprise bridges the generational gap. Dame Kristin said of the role: “I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to lead a John Lewis Christmas advert – it’s such a cherished part of the festive season. “Gloria represents so many parents and grandparents who want nothing more than to create lasting memories with the younger generation.” All retailer profits from record sales support care-experienced young people through Action for Children. Sam Fender’s ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ is also on 7-inch vinyl and CD from his store, with all profits supporting Teenage Cancer Trust. Trading his usual packed-out stadium gigs for a wholesome festive choir, Sam recorded kids from his old school in North Shields for the track, calling it a “privilege” to rework the iconic rock anthem. Eagle-eyed shoppers will also be able to snap up the items featured in the slickly produced ad. Products include a £12.99 Fisher-Price Little Snoopy pull-along toy, a £695 Mulberry Eliza leather tote carried by Dame Kristin, a £299.99 Audio-Technica turntable and the very same sparkly £20 disco balls featured in the Gran Cave. The advert will launch online and on the John Lewis app at 7.30am today. Telly fans can catch its first prime-time airing tonight during Coronation Street on ITV from 8:30pm, and Channel 4‘s The Great British Bake Off at 8pm. 20 YEARS OF OF CRACKERS - 2007 Shadows: The original. Shadow of - festive gifts. - 2008 From Me To You: People, presents, a dog and a baby. - 2009 Sweet Child O’ Mine: Kids’ joy at opening grown-up gifts. - 2010 Tribute To Givers: The year the ads became huge. Ellie Goulding sang Elton John’s Your Song amid effort to hide gifts. - 2011 The Long Wait: A boy was desperate to give his parents a gift, not open his own. - 2012 The Journey: A snowman’s perilous trip to buy hat and gloves for a snowlady. - 2013 Hare And Bear: Hare was upset his best pal bear always hibernated through Christmas, so gave him an alarm clock. - 2014 Monty: Young boy Sam realised his penguin Monty was lonely, so surprised him with girl pal Mabel for Christmas. - 2015 Man On The Moon: Lily and an old man who appeared to live on the moon. Tearjerker about loneliness. - 2016 Buster The Dog: The pooch who loved a trampoline. - 2017 Moz The Monster: Cuddly monster palled up with little boy. - 2018 The Boy And The Piano: Elton John took viewers through key moments of his life. Iconic, my favourite. - 2019 Excitable Edgar: Adorable dragon who breathed fire when he got excited. - 2020 Give A Little Love: Inspired by random acts of lockdown kindness. - 2021 Unexpected Guest: Teenager met alien who crash landed on Earth. - 2022 The Beginner: Foster dad made young girl welcome in his home at Christmas. - 2023 An Unusual Friendship: Boy found friend in venus flytrap. - 2024 The Gifting Hour: Woman’s dash to find gift for her sister. First ad filmed inside a John Lewis store. - 2025 The Record: A dad was transported back to his nineties clubbing days after his son gifted him a classic dance vinyl.