UK department store John Lewis has unveiled its annual Christmas TV advert, and it features a cover of a classic Rolling Stones song by British singer-songwriter Sam Fender.
For the benefit of those in the rest of the world, we should say that John Lewis’s festive promos have become kind of a big deal over the past 15 years or so. Previous tearjerking ads have featured new versions of songs by the likes of the Beatles, Oasis, Elton John, The Smiths, The Verve and, in 2025, Alison Limerick.
John Lewis has pulled out the big guns again for 2026, recruiting Dame Kristin Scott Thomas to star as a grandmother, Gloria, who doesn’t know what to buy her grandchildren for Christmas and so initially resorts to putting cash in a card. She’s inspired to go to a little more effort by her vintage Fisher Price Little Snoopy pull-along dog toy, Pickles, so heads out on a fantastical shopping quest around the streets of London.
Needless to say, there’s an emotional payoff, and the sentimental tone is matched by Fender with his version of 1969 Rolling Stones hit You Can’t Always Get What You Want.
“It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band,” says Fender. “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.”
Fender’s arrangement stays pretty faithful to the original, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that Stones frontman Mick Jagger is on board with it.
“I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs,” he says. “I think he’s done a great job with it.”
A happy ending all round, then, though we think we speak for all kids when we say that cash in an envelope for Christmas is always a good option if you’re a relative who’s struggling to come up with gift ideas. It might seem unimaginative, but it’s fair to say that when a grandparent does go off piste, you don’t always get what you want.
