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Debenhams Christmas advert 2026: Emily Atack, Mathew Horne and Gabrielle in Christmas. For Everyone
The first Christmas advert of 2026 is a four-minute village party film from Debenhams, starring Emily Atack, Mathew Horne, Kym Marsh and Gabrielle singing Dreams.
The first big Christmas advert of 2026 is here, and it is four minutes long. Debenhams’ Christmas. For Everyone stars Emily Atack and Mathew Horne as childhood friends who meet again at a village Christmas party, with Kym Marsh as the landlady and Gabrielle singing her 1993 hit Dreams. It was made in-house by Debenhams, with Tom Day directing through Pulse Films, as Marketing Week reported.
Who is in the Debenhams Christmas advert?
Atack plays Tina, who returns home for the party and finds Chris, played by Horne, still there. Over the evening a snowstorm, an impromptu performance and a power cut get in the way before the two finally kiss. Marsh plays Katie the landlady, Gabrielle appears as herself, the fashion presenter Mark Heyes has a role, and the influencers Saffron Barker, Sammi Maria and Jay Beech dance to Dreams.
The products woven in come from the brands Debenhams now owns or sells online, including Coast, Dorothy Perkins and Burton, alongside YSL, Givenchy, Shark and Ninja. The film runs online, on social and on outdoor sites. Debenhams Group chief executive Dan Finley said the brand wanted to celebrate “a familiar Christmas full of warmth, humour and a few surprises”.
Why it matters
Debenhams has no shops any more, so a long-form film made for YouTube and social is a sensible way to spend a Christmas budget that once went on television. Going first is a tactic in itself. By launching in mid-October it gets weeks of attention before John Lewis, M&S and the supermarkets arrive in November, and the cast of familiar British faces is built for exactly the kind of sharing that keeps a four-minute film alive.
It also sets the tone for the season: nostalgic, celebrity-led and very British. For the benchmark everyone is measured against, see every John Lewis Christmas advert ranked, and for last year’s crop, the Christmas adverts of 2025 ranked.
See every UK Christmas advert of 2026 so far, with the films, updated as each one launches.
Max Rottier
He plans, buys and reviews advertising for a living, and helps score campaigns on the site against the same five Crown Score criteria alongside other authors and contributors.
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