Dame Kristin Scott Thomas plays a granny told 'you can do better than cash' by a talking toy dog in John Lewis's Christmas advert

John Lewis's 20th Christmas ad, 'Gloria and Pickles', was released this morning, starring Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandmother who swaps cash gifts for a sparkling "Gran Cave" experience. The three-minute film was created by Saatchi & Saatchi and set to a Sam Fender cover of the Rolling Stones' 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. Scott Thomas, 66, said she "simply couldn't resist" the role, calling Gloria's journey one that "captured my heart straight away".

Paul Whitehouse, 68, voices Pickles, a vintage Little Snoopy pull-along toy who springs to life and drags Gloria on a tuk-tuk dash to John Lewis.

Fender won the 2025 Mercury Prize and his duet with Olivia Dean, 'Rein Me In', spent 23 weeks at the top of the charts — the longest-running UK number one in British history.

John Lewis marketing director Rosie Hanley said the retailer increased its spend on this year's ad, wanting to 'push the boat out' for the campaign's 20th anniversary.