John Lewis Christmas advert 2026: why Pickles the toy dog tells Kristin Scott Thomas to ditch the cash

Highlights

• The John Lewis Christmas advert 2026, Gloria and Pickles, launched on Tuesday 3 November, starring Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, with Paul Whitehouse as the voice of Pickles the dog
• Sam Fender's cover of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is the soundtrack, and Mick Jagger has praised it
• The tagline is "Don't give up on giving", a gentle push against slipping cash into a Christmas card
• Money from John Lewis record sales goes to Action for Children, and sales through Fender's own store go to Teenage Cancer Trust

John Lewis has started Christmas. Its 2026 advert, Gloria and Pickles, features Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandmother who puts cash in her grandchildren's cards, until a toy dog tells her to try harder.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 at a glance

What is the story of the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?

It is Christmas Eve, and Gloria is getting her house ready for the family. When her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren Freddie and Maggie arrive, the children are restless, so she brings an old toy dog down from the attic. They are more interested in lunch than in Pickles, and Gloria is left feeling she does not know what her grandchildren want.

Alone, she writes their cards and tucks cash inside each one. The toy dog then springs to life, voiced by Paul Whitehouse, and scolds her: "You can do better than cash." Pickles drags her out of the house on a last-minute gift hunt. When they are close to giving up, a tuk-tuk whisks the pair through the streets of London, and the ride gives Gloria an idea. She stops it outside John Lewis.

On Christmas morning, the children open their cards and find the envelopes empty. Instead, Gloria holds up a key and unlocks her home office door, revealing the "Gran Cave", a room of fairy lights, disco balls and music inspired by the tuk-tuk ride. Freddie and Maggie throw their arms around her.

Who stars in the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning actor who most recently starred in Slow Horses, plays Gloria. "I simply couldn't resist the opportunity to lead a John Lewis Christmas advert," she said. Paul Whitehouse voices Pickles, the dog. John Lewis's own announcement of the campaign lists Pickles as a vintage Fisher-Price Little Snoopy pull-along toy, so the star of the film is also a product on the retailer's website.

What song is in the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?

Sam Fender's cover of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". It is Fender's first new music since "Rein Me In", and was released on 3 November. "It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song," he said.

The recording has a local touch. The children's choir are pupils from John Spence Community High School, Fender's old school in North Shields, and the brass section is the Easington Colliery Band. Mick Jagger approved: "I think he's done a great job with it."

Physical copies on 7-inch vinyl and CD are due soon, backed with Fender's 2020 cover of "Winter Song", available physically for the first time. All John Lewis profits from copies sold on its website go to Action for Children, John Lewis's charity partner, with at least £18,000 expected. Profits from copies sold through Fender's own store go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Where can you watch the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?

You can watch the advert on YouTube. Beyond its launch on ITV and Channel 4, the advert will run across ITV, Sky and Channel 4, on catch-up and streaming services including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, and across social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and Snapchat.

What does John Lewis say the message is?

That the fear of getting a present wrong should not stop anyone giving. "Our message this year is simple: 'Don't give up on giving'," said Rosie Hanley, John Lewis's Marketing & Loyalty Director. She admitted she had "resorted to putting cash in an envelope" herself. Franki Goodwin of Saatchi & Saatchi called the collaboration one between "a Dame, a record-breaking artist, and an enduring wooden toy".

What were the previous John Lewis Christmas adverts?

Will the cash message land differently for British Asian families?

Possibly. In many South Asian families, an envelope of cash is a long-established gift at weddings and at festivals such as Diwali, so a toy telling a grandmother to do better than cash may sound pointed. The advert's own argument is about effort rather than money, though: Gloria's gift is a gesture that shows she knows her grandchildren.