The John Lewis Christmas ad captures the deep need for grandmothers

Like many of us, I always enjoy the John Lewis Christmas advert and 2026 is no different. This year, I love the fact that the star of the show is a grandmother. Feeling disconnected from her visiting grandchildren and ready to resort to cash in envelopes for Christmas, Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) is scolded by her childhood toy dog Pickles, who comes to life and whisks her on a whirlwind London TukTuk ride. Inspired, Gloria transforms her home office into a glittering, disco-lit “gran cave”, bridging the generation gap by sharing her sense of wonder with her grandchildren. We can’t all have grandmothers as chic as Gloria, but many of us were lucky enough to have grans who loved us just as much — and we probably took them as much for granted. I suspect many grans feel like an old-fashioned back boiler, half-invisible in the background, but warming the family without anyone noticing. Sociologists often refer to this as “kinkeeping”: the often unacknowledged emotional and practical groundwork that holds intergenerational families together, but is all too easily taken for granted. Those grandparents lucky enough to see their grandchildren on a regular basis, and who get to be involved socially and emotionally in their lives, feel less lonely and tend to live healthier lives. Sadly though, many feel devalued by the younger generation. The John Lewis Christmas advert 2026. Gran’s alliance with Pickles helps her to rediscover the real Gloria. The person who can lean her head back into the headrest of a fantasy shocking-pink super-chariot, and feel the wind in her hair as it whizzes her through the Christmas fairy-lit streets. The Gloria that is silly enough to spend her Christmas savings on glittery spangles. The Gloria that hasn’t forgotten how to dance. This is the gran that the children love. The science behind the ad This year’s John Lewis ad is a reminder that families are not just made up of mum, dad and 2.4 children. Humans are different from many of our ape cousins. We are “cooperative breeders”. This means we tend to have children in quick succession and, because human babies are unusually dependent compared to other baby apes, parents need help from other adults. Across evolution, it seems that human parents drew in the help of “alloparents” – most often grandmothers but also grandfathers, aunties, uncles and cousins – to help with childcare. This was wonderful for the human species as children learned from a wide range of fascinating adults. In many parts of the world, children live every day of the year surrounded by family members who can lift the load off parents and take their share of bringing up the kids. But the John Lewis advert is a reminder that many British families are nuclear. In these families, children grow up separated from grandparents, so that grans and granddads are left trying to reach out and create a Christmas relationship that in other parts of the world they might have all year round. Research has shown that grandmothers can help reduce the risk of mothers getting depressed after a new baby is born; that having a gran living in the home can reduce the chances of a child needing to go to casualty after an accident; that grandmothers who help with childcare are good for children’s mental health and development. Every year, festive ads tap into something we clearly miss: the chaotic, comforting warmth of a bigger family circle. Modern routines and long distances often leave grandparents sidelined until the holidays roll around. Yet as the science shows, being closely involved in each other’s lives protects grandparents against isolation and helps kids flourish. Finding ways to keep that spark alive beyond December means more than finding the perfect presents. It’s about making room for the shared laughter, silliness and connection that both generations actually thrive on.