John Lewis defends under-fire Christmas advert and insists campaign conveys the ‘true spirit of Christmas’ after critics accused it of ‘pandering to spoiled kids’

John Lewis has defended its Christmas advert after critics said it portrayed badly behaved grandchildren whose affection their grandmother had to win with an elaborate gift. The retailer says the story is meant to encourage people to choose thoughtful, personal presents, reflecting what it calls the true spirit of Christmas.

The three-minute film, *Gloria and Pickles*, stars Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as Gloria, who turns her home office into a “Gran Cave” after her grandchildren show little interest in her childhood toy dog. Piers Morgan, Sharron Davies, Kirstie Allsopp and others criticised the advert, while some viewers supported its message that time and thought matter more than money. It is John Lewis’s 20th festive campaign and features Sam Fender covering the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.