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Best Christmas adverts 2026: Line of Duty and Last One Laughing stars team up for tear-jerking Tesco ad

Best Christmas adverts 2026: Line of Duty and Last One Laughing stars team up for tear-jerking Tesco ad

Tis the season to hit the shops.

Roisin Conaty as Polly the Tesco delivery driver in 'The Wrong Address'

Helen Daly

Published: Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 12:01 am

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Now that Halloween is out of the way, Christmas is just around the corner – which means we'll all be spending more time in front of the TV enjoying some amazing shows and films.

We'll also get some more festive adverts to enjoy, as retailers roll out their creative campaigns, and Tesco, Argos and Very are the first to declare it Christmas.

Tesco has employed Line of Duty's Anna Maxwell Martin and Last One Laughing's Roisin Conaty in a sweet story of friendship, while Argos has Richard Ayoade taking part in a fun throwback to the '90s.

Meanwhile, Very's ad has a pink flamingo that's simply out of this world.

One that always gets talked about is the John Lewis Christmas advert, which is so far under tight wraps.

All of this is to say that it's really beginning to look a lot like Christmas now.

Keep this page bookmarked as we'll be updating it with the best Christmas adverts for 2026 as they arrive on screens.

Tesco: The Wrong Address

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Tesco has pulled out all the stops for a star-studded Christmas advert starring Anna Maxwell Martin and Roisin Conaty. The Last One Laughing star plays Polly, a Tesco delivery driver who crosses paths with an old school friend, Lizzie, played by Martin.

Lizzie accidentally orders her Christmas food to her old address and is left in complete despair. Polly takes it upon herself to save her old friend's Christmas and offers to help get the food to the right address. The pair end up on a fun road trip where they reminisce about their lives and friendship.

Conaty said about the advert: "I love that this story centres on female friendship. It starts in a way many people can relate to, all stress and mayhem, but shows how one small act of kindness can bring people back together after years apart. It's lovely to show Polly and Lizzie reuniting and celebrating kindness and grace. Also, the silliness we can only feel with old friends alongside the magic of Christmas."

Martin added: "We’ve all been there. In the stress to get everything perfect at Christmas, suddenly you realise you’ve somehow only ordered one singular sprout, totally forgotten wrapping paper, or sent a delivery to the wrong address. I’m really pleased to be part of a production that acknowledges that whilst we can all strive for our ‘perfect’ Christmas, it is in fact human connection that truly helps to make Christmas magic."

Argos

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Argos has enlisted the help of Richard Ayoade this year to show off its top gifts for the year. In the funny video, the comedian is pondering over a gift for his mother, when two ghosts of Argos's Christmas adverts past arrive to help him out.

Making reference to the '90s routine of circling desired presents in the Argos catalogue, Ayoade settles on a Shark CryoGlow Clinic LED Face Mask for his mum. He's so overjoyed after landing a perfect gift that he hangs out the window to share festive greetings with a delivery driver, who's bemused, claiming it's the first time he's seen the dead-pan comedian smile.

Very: That's the Very Thing

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Very's iconic pink box is brought to life in its Christmas advert, offering a gateway to imaginative worlds which showcases the breadth of gifts available to buy from the retailer. At the heart of the advert is an adorable young flamingo who's looking for his own present. Travelling through the Very cube, he finds the dream worlds for his family members and the perfect gifts to make Christmas so special for them.

Beckie Crane-Stanion, marketing director at The Very Group, said: "Christmas and Black Friday are key calendar moments for our customers, and Very’s flock of flamingos have gone through a transformation to bring even more warmth and personality to our online department store. This year, by embracing new technology, we’ve enhanced the creative concept to introduce a new family which we’re confident our customers will love!"

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**Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.**

Authors

RadioTimes.com deputy editor Helen Daly. She has brown hair, is smiling and stands in front of a wall full of ITV programme logos

Helen DalyDeputy Digital Editor

Helen Daly is the deputy digital editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.

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