John Lewis Christmas advert 2026: why a talking toy dog says cash won’t do

The John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 is out, and it’s the retailer’s 20th. Called Gloria and Pickles, it stars Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandmother about to tuck cash into her grandchildren’s cards, until a talking toy dog voiced by Paul Whitehouse drags her out shopping. Sam Fender sings the song, a cover of the Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Here’s what the advert is about, who’s in it, when it’s on TV, the real toy behind Pickles and every John Lewis advert song since 2016.

What is the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 about?

It’s about a grandmother who has given up on choosing presents. Gloria is about to put cash in her grandchildren’s cards when Pickles, a toy dog from her own childhood, comes to life and tells her she can do better.

1. Christmas EveGloria’s family arrive, and her restless grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie, are given old toys from the attic. One is Pickles, a pull-along dog Gloria was given as a child.
2. The cardsThe children lose interest when lunch is called. Unsure what they want, Gloria writes their cards and puts cash inside.
3. Pickles wakes upThe toy dog comes to life and tells her she can do better than cash.
4. The shopping tripPickles pulls her out on a last-minute mission. She turns down ideas in other shops, then a magical tuk tuk flies them over London to John Lewis.
5. Christmas morningThe children open empty envelopes. Instead, Gloria hands them a key to her home office, now the Gran Cave, full of fairy lights, disco balls and music.

The idea came from research finding that 52 per cent of grandparents give cash because they aren’t sure what children want, according to the Irish Times. Marketing director Rosie Hanley said the retailer wanted a more joyful advert this year because many families are struggling.

It also puts a cute character at the centre again, as John Lewis did with Monty the penguin in 2014 and Buster the boxer in 2016.

Who sings the John Lewis advert song?

Sam Fender sings the song in the John Lewis advert. It’s his cover of You Can’t Always Get What You Want, the Rolling Stones song from their 1969 album Let It Bleed.

Fender recorded the children’s choir with pupils from John Spence Community High School, his old school, and the brass with Easington Colliery Band. He called reworking a song by a legendary band a privilege. Mick Jagger said he was pleased Fender had covered it and thought he’d done a great job, John Lewis said.

It’s Fender’s first new music since Rein Me In.

Can you buy the John Lewis advert song?

Yes. Sam Fender’s You Can’t Always Get What You Want came out digitally on Tuesday 3 November, the day the advert launched.

A 7-inch vinyl and a CD are coming to johnlewis.com soon, with Fender’s 2020 cover of Winter Song on the B-side. It’s the first time that track has had a physical release.

All John Lewis profits from the records go to Action for Children, its charity partner, and are expected to reach at least £18,000. Profits from physical copies sold through Fender’s own store go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

If you’d rather see him live, our Sam Fender tickets guide has the 2027 dates and prices.

Who is in the John Lewis Christmas advert?

The actress in the John Lewis advert is Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays Gloria. Paul Whitehouse is the voice of Pickles the dog.

• Kristin Scott ThomasGloria
• Paul WhitehouseVoice of Pickles
• Lucy ForbesDirector
• Saatchi & SaatchiAgency

Scott Thomas is the Oscar-nominated, Bafta-winning star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and, more recently, Slow Horses. She said she couldn’t turn down a John Lewis Christmas advert, and sees Gloria as every parent and grandparent who wants to make lasting memories with the younger generation.

The grandchildren are called Freddie and Maggie, but John Lewis’s announcement doesn’t name the young actors who play them.

Director Lucy Forbes also directed This Is Going to Hurt and Eric.

What is the toy dog in the John Lewis advert?

Pickles is a Fisher-Price Classics Little Snoopy Pull-Along Toy. It’s on sale at John Lewis for £12.99.

It’s one of 15 hero products in the advert. Others include a small disco ball decoration, a neon star light, an Audio-Technica turntable, a Mulberry Eliza tote bag and a John Lewis x Rixo silk maxi dress.

When is the John Lewis Christmas advert on TV?

The John Lewis Christmas advert is on TV now across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. It premiered in a 60-second version, and the full three-minute advert is on johnlewis.com and YouTube.

Times are the start of each show, not the exact ad break.

You can watch the full advert on the John Lewis website.

Every John Lewis Christmas advert song since 2016

From Sam Fender this year back to Vaults in 2016, here’s every John Lewis Christmas advert song, who sang it and the advert it was made for.

Last year’s advert, Where Love Lives, followed a dad who reconnects with his younger self after his teenage son gives him a vinyl record. Here’s our story on the 2025 John Lewis advert.