John Lewis Christmas ad stars Kristin Scott Thomas as glamorous granny on a gift hunt

Company tugs at heartstrings with Pickles the talking toy dog as it celebrates 20 years of blockbuster festive ads

John Lewis has turned to a celebrity best known for playing aristocrats to put a playful but rather upmarket spin on the countdown to Christmas with this year’s festive ad, which features a toy dog called Pickles and a glamorous granny.

Kristin Scott Thomas, known for playing upper-crust characters in films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and the Apple TV show Slow Horses, is cast as Gloria, a grandmother searching for gift inspiration, with the tagline “don’t give up on giving”.