Who is the singer of this year's John Lewis Christmas advert

The 2024 Christmas advert from John Lewis is finally here, transporting viewers on an emotional and magical journey to find the perfect Christmas gift. The Ivor Novello Award-Winning Richard Ashcroft provides the music backdrop with the powerful and poignant song Sonnet from his Acoustic Hymns Vol.1 Album.

The two-minute TV advert velebrates the search for the perfect gift through the wisdom of its customers and the breadth of offering in its stores - ending with the strapline: “The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look”.

In the ad, the heroine, Sally, has left it a little late to find the right gift for her sister this year and races into a John Lewis store at closing time. Falling through a rack of dresses, she enters a fantastical world. We first see her stumbling out of the wardrobe in the attic of her childhood home and from here we are taken on a whimsical journey through her memories as she searches for the ultimate present, against the clock.

John Lewis is renowned for its Christmas adverts featuring cover songs. But this year, the retailer is offering aspiring musicians (and indeed anyone who wants to have a go) a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the next John Lewis cover star. Partnering with BMG and Richard Ashcroft himself, they will launch a nationwide talent search on November 15 on TikTok via a branded effect on the John Lewis page, using the hashtag #MySonnet.

The lucky winner will record their own version of Sonnet, to be featured in a special Christmas Day airing of the advert on TV, with the track officially released by BMG. Chosen by Richard Ashcroft and a panel of independent judges, the winner receives a professional recording session with a top producer, their cover single released by BMG (with proceeds donated to the Building Happier Futures charity), a £3,000 John Lewis shopping spree, and tickets to a Richard Ashcroft headline show in 2025.

Richard Ashcroft said: “To everyone involved in the project I raise a sherry and say salute! Sonnet plays again, time for some mince pies. Merry Christmas peace and love to all mankind.”

Richard Ashcroft is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band The Verve. Born on September 11, 1971, in Wigan, Ashcroft gained fame in the 1990s with The Verve, particularly through their hit song "Bitter Sweet Symphony." The track, from their acclaimed 1997 album Urban Hymns, became one of the defining songs of the Britpop era.

After The Verve initially disbanded in 1999, Ashcroft launched a solo career, releasing several albums, including Alone with Everybody (2000), Human Conditions (2002), and These People (2016). His music style blends rock, pop, and a touch of psychedelia, known for its introspective and often melancholic lyrics.

Ashcroft and The Verve were also famously embroiled in a copyright dispute over "Bitter Sweet Symphony" due to its use of a sample from an orchestral version of a Rolling Stones song. The dispute resulted in The Verve losing royalties to the song for many years. However, in 2019, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards returned the rights to Ashcroft, resolving one of music’s longest-running controversies.