It may only be the start of November, but John Lewis has already dropped their much anticipated Christmas ad for 2023. This year, the retailer switches out its famed tear-jerker style for something much more light-hearted and wholesome. It focuses on a young boy named Alfie, who spots a 'Grow Your Own Perfect Christmas Tree' kit and asks his grandma if he can have it. He opens the box to find a seed inside which he plants and nurtures as it grows into a giant Venus flytrap called Snapper. The family are wary of the plant, especially when it spots their pet pomeranian. They move Snapper outside and replace it with a generic Christmas tree, but when they see how much it means to Alfie, they all proceed to open Christmas gifts in the garden. The advert is soundtracked by an upbeat song called 'Festa', which means “celebration”. It is sung by the opera tenor legend Andrea Bocelli and written and produced by Le Feste Antonacci. Speaking about his involvement, Bocelli explained he was “delighted to take part in this wonderful and unique tradition of Christmas storytelling”. Since releasing the ad, reactions have been coming in thick and fast online: One person felt like it lacked Christmas spirit... November 09, 08:46 One person compared the ad to the musical 'Little Shop of Horrors' November 09, 08:45 How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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