John Lewis' Christmas advert actress appeared in HUGE TV show with Jenna Coleman
John Lewis fans might recognise 2024's Christmas advert star Margaret Clunie after recognising her from a major ITV period drama
The simple story of a special sibling bond is at the heart of this year's John Lewis Christmas advert, The Gifting Hour.
Viewers follow Sally as she desperately tries to find the perfect gift for her sister Lauren. As she's searching through a dress rack, she tumbles through it - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe-style, into her memories of their life together.
She is seen stumbling through various rooms in her childhood home and various special places to her, hunting through memories - fiery rows and all - with her sister to find the perfect present. Sally returns back to reality and to the store and she has found the gift, wrapped as she reunites with her sister outside in a heartwarming moment.
With such a simple message - and no dragons or Venus flytraps in sight - all of the focus is on the sisters' chemistry and their performances. John Lewis' Customer Director Charlotte Lock agrees: "It's such a simple story that the performers need to carry it. We saw thousands on the casting table and we went again and again. We really, really looked hard to make sure we got the right heads and the chemistry between them as well."
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Actress Margaret Clunie, 37, took on the role as Sally, with Alice Handoll playing 'adult Lauren' and a young actress called Bonnie playing 'young Lauren'.
Fans might recognise Margaret as she's appeared in TV show Victoria alongside Jenna Coleman as Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland and the Queen's Mistress of the Robes. She starred in the programme for 23 episodes from 2016 until 2018, during which her character fell in love with Albert's brother Ernst.
She made her TV debut back in 2012 during an episode of BBC One's Doctors, going on to star as Natasha in Sky Arts dark comedy A Young Doctor's Notebook a year later with Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm. Margaret has also appeared in an episode of Deathy in Paradise and romantic comedy Last Christmas.
Saatchi & Saatchi's Managing Director Charlotte Hawkins, who helped create the ad for John Lewis, opened up about the cast: "Our protagonist, she's done a couple of films [so] she's probably the most established. For the rest of the actors, it's probably their biggest role. Bonnie there, our lovely six year old, it's probably the first time that she's done anything of this scale."
The advert is complete with music from Ivor Novello Award-Winning Richard Ashcroft, which is great timing for next year's Oasis reunion tour - with The Verve's Sonnet, it provides a perfect nostalgic 90s vibe. Unlike other years, the original track plays in the ad - however, there will be a very unique cover starring on Christmas Day.
The retailer is offering aspiring musicians the chance to send in their own covers of the song as part of a nationwide talent search from November 15 on TikTok. The winner - chosen by Richard Ashcroft and a panel of judges - will record their own version of Sonnet, which will be featured in the ad on December 25. Their cover single will also be released by BMG, with proceeds donated to the Building Happier Futures charity, and will be awarded a £3,000 John Lewis shopping spree and tickets to a Richard Ashcroft headline show in 2025.
"It's definitely speaking to our customers and lots of people - 90s is getting a bit of nostalgia," Charlotte Lock, John Lewis' Customer Director, tells us. "Richard Ashcroft is supporting the Oasis tour, he's about to release another album. My kids - who are in their 20s - love 90s music. They've got Green Day, Oasis and the Verve on their walls so it's definitely getting that moment but we wanted to have the music match the memory. But in doing the cover version we can modernise it as well, that's the intent. And music is a huge thing. Every year there's a lot of speculation and often the song will go to number 1. We're hoping that it does with our cover because it all goes to charity."
All proceeds from the winning single will support the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme, which helps care-experienced people build brighter futures.
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