Is This the Best Christmas Advert of 2026? M&S Has Set the Bar High
James Norton and Lucy Punch star in the M&S Christmas advert 2026, featuring Katherine Jenkins singing Heaven Is a Place on Earth. Watch it here.
Marks & Spencer has unveiled its Christmas advert for 2026, with Happy Valley star James Norton taking on the role of Father Christmas in a festive story with a rather unexpected makeover.
And it’s fantastic! The clever storyline, brilliant cast and use of Belinda Carlisle’s classic Heaven Is a Place on Earth make this a Christmas advert worth watching more than once.
The three-minute advert, titled The Home of Christmas, also stars Amandaland actress Lucy Punch as Mrs Claus, while Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins makes a special appearance and provides the soundtrack.
Santa Gets a Christmas Makeover
The advert begins at the North Pole, where Mrs Claus suggests her husband might look younger without his famous white beard. After a little persuasion, Santa reaches for the razor, revealing a surprisingly youthful James Norton underneath.
Suddenly able to go unnoticed, he decides to experience Christmas the way everyone else does, swapping his traditional red suit for stylish winter clothing.
His adventure takes him to a children’s concert, where Katherine Jenkins performs, before he finds himself enjoying festive food, family celebrations and Christmas shopping.
Eventually, Santa discovers a brightly decorated M&S store and returns home carrying shopping bags, only to learn that Mrs Claus has been visiting the retailer herself for years.
Katherine Jenkins Gives a Belinda Carlisle Classic a Festive Twist
One of the absolute highlights is the music. Belinda Carlisle’s 1987 hit Heaven Is a Place on Earth is already a fantastic song, and Katherine Jenkins delivers a specially recorded version that works beautifully with Santa’s adventure.
It’s a brilliant choice for a Christmas advert, bringing together nostalgia, humour and a genuine feel-good atmosphere. The song helps turn a clever festive story into something particularly memorable.
This year’s campaign also marks the first time since 2017 that M&S has combined its food, fashion, home and beauty departments in one Christmas advert.
Where to Watch the M&S Christmas Advert 2026
The advert premiered online on Friday 6 November, before making its television debut during This Morning on ITV1.
Image credit: Marks & Spencer
