Marks and Spencer Christmas adverts: M&S launches Xmas ad with Hannah Waddingham, Sophie Ellis-Bextor

M&S has launched a surprise Christmas TV advert featuring a star-studded cast of British household names including Hannah Waddingham, Sophie Ellis-Bextor,  Zawe Ashton and Tan France. The Marks & Spencer advert will run from today (November 1) and reminds viewers to put themselves first this Christmas.

Set to a Ray BLK cover of Meatloaf’s I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), the advert takes place across four different homes where the starry line-up decides which Christmas traditions they're going to embrace this year (and which ones they're going to skip).

Featuring a series of humorous scenes, each can be seen facing an amusing dilemma in a relatable reference to the pressures we often face in the run-up to Christmas, and the little things we all do to help make the festive season special for those around us. In a wicked response to the Christmas conventions driving them insane, the cast start acting out. Sophie turns a kitchen blow torch onto a pile of Christmas cards rather than her delicious gingerbread house.

Meanwhile Zawe, known for her role in Channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat, can't quite get her message across in a tough game of charades and instead, takes to the roof and sends an unassuming elf flying across the city. Dreaming of a more stylish party, Queer Eye's Tan France throws a guest's board game into a fish tank while Ted Lasso star, Hannah Waddingham, frustrated by having to stay at home doing Christmas chores, puts all her Christmas tat into a woodchipper

Speaking of the advert, M&S clothing & home marketing director Anna Braithwaite, said: “I’m sure everyone watching our ad will be able to relate to our fabulous cast of talent who so hilariously bring-to-life those little moments and dilemmas we all have at Christmas time! Before we created Love Thismas (Not Thatmas), we spoke to hundreds of our customers and they all told us that, at Christmas, they feel this pressure of having to worry about and plan so many things. We know it can often feel like the list is never-ending so this year we decided to celebrate and empower our customers to just do the things they love.”.