John Lewis Christmas advert 2026: Kristin Scott Thomas stars and Sam Fender sings the song

Updated 3 Nov 2026, 07:51 · First published 3 Nov 2026

The John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 is out. Released just after midnight on Tuesday 3 November, this year’s three-minute film stars Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandmother called Gloria, with Sam Fender singing a new version of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2026: pictures

What happens in the John Lewis advert?

It is Christmas Eve and Gloria is getting ready for her family to visit. Her grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie, show little interest in her old toys, and she starts to doubt that she knows what they would like, so she decides to simply give them cash.

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That is when Pickles, her childhood pull-along toy dog, comes to life and tells her she can do better. The pair set off on a last-minute shopping trip across London by tuk-tuk, ending up outside John Lewis. On Christmas morning, instead of money, the children find a key that opens a home office transformed into a “Gran Cave”, complete with disco balls, sparkly lights and music.

What is the song in the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?

The soundtrack is Sam Fender’s cover of You Can’t Always Get What You Want, originally released by The Rolling Stones in 1969. Fender recorded it with a children’s choir from his old school, John Spence Community High School in North Shields, and the Easington Colliery Band on brass. It is his first new music since Rein Me In.

Mick Jagger has given the cover his blessing, saying Fender “has done a great job with it”. The single is out now, with 7-inch vinyl and CD copies coming to the John Lewis website. The B-side is Fender’s 2020 cover of Winter Song, available on a physical format for the first time.

Who stars in it?

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas plays Gloria, and comedian Paul Whitehouse voices Pickles. The actress said Gloria’s journey “captured my heart straight away”. The advert was created by Saatchi & Saatchi and directed by Lucy Forbes. This is the 20th John Lewis Christmas campaign.

Which charity does the single support?

Profits from every copy sold by John Lewis go to Action for Children, the retailer’s charity partner. Profits from physical copies sold through Sam Fender’s own shop go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Could it be Christmas number one?

John Lewis songs regularly climb the Official Singles Chart in the run-up to Christmas, and with Sam Fender’s huge following it is already being tipped as a contender for the festive top spot. We will keep you updated on how it does in the charts.

Sources: John Lewis, LADbible, Tyla. Video: John Lewis & Partners / YouTube. Images: John Lewis & Partners.