Dame Kristin Scott Thomas takes centre-stage in the new John Lewis Christmas advert - alongside a pull-along wooden dog voiced by Paul Whitehouse.

The actress, who recently appeared in series six of Slow Horses, plays grandmother Gloria in the department store chain’s festive commercial, welcoming her family into her London home on Christmas Eve.

Dame Kristin, 66, is left disheartened when her two young grandchildren Freddie and Maggie mess up her immaculate study in a quest to relieve their boredom.

The ad, set to Sam Fender’s cover of The Rolling Stones classic You Can't Always Get What You Want, is all about rediscovering the joy in gifting, with the tagline "Don't give up on giving".

Dame Kristin said of the film: “I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to lead a John Lewis Christmas advert - it's such a cherished part of the festive season.

“Plus, Gloria’s journey captured my heart straight away. She represents so many parents and grandparents who want nothing more than to create lasting memories with the younger generation.”

She added: “Working alongside Pickles to create the ‘Gran Cave’ was an absolute joy, and I hope the ad brings a big smile to families across the UK this Christmas.”

Fender said: “It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band.

“In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choir with the kids from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we arranged a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band.”

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger said: “I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it.”

Proceeds from the sale of the single, backed with Fender’s 2020 cover of Winter Song, will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity selected by the artist, and Action for Children, John Lewis’s charity partner for its Building Happier Futures programme.

Dame Kristin follows in the footsteps of Sir Elton John, who starred in his own festive John Lewis ad in 2018.

Sir Elton was the brand’s first physical celebrity star, appearing in a three-minute film that depicted a retrospective of the performer's life and career.

It culminated with a four-year-old Sir Elton unwrapping his first ever piano, a gift from his grandmother at Christmas.

The film, set to Sir Elton’s performance of his 1971 hit Your Song, was titled The Boy and the Piano and served to show how the perfect gift can shape the trajectory of a person’s life.

Many singers have performed emotional, pared-back cover songs for the soundtracks of the brand’s campaigns since the Christmas ads launched in 2007.

These include Ellie Goulding (2010), Lily Allen (2013), Tom Odell (2014), Aurora (2015), and Lola Young (2021).

Dame Kristin’s festive turn comes amid her current stint in the West End.

She is performing opposite Stephen Mangan, 58, in Ian Rickson’s London remake of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

She admitted she has to "really control" her urge to confront disruptive theatregoers, revealing she "can't stand" poor audience etiquette.

When asked if she would personally interrupt a performance to speak out, Dame Kristin told the Press Association: "Probably not because that would interrupt what I’m doing. It’s really hard sometimes. I can’t stand it. I have to really control myself."

Despite this, the actress praised London audiences overall for being “particularly brilliant”.

She said: “They listen. I think it’s part of the culture. Theatre going has been such a thing of ours for such a long time that it’s a natural thing to go to the theatre, it’s not a sort of great big milestone to climb up and get over.”

The Cherry Orchard on aristocrat Ranevskaya (Dame Kristin), who returns to Russia after spending five years in Paris, only to find her family estate and cherry orchard under threat. Meanwhile, Lopakhin (Mangan), the son of a serf, attempts to persuade her to sell the land to settle her debts.