The 2021 John Lewis Christmas advert has landed and it's lovely

Few things make us feel more festive than the annual John Lewis Christmas advert, and no matter how many times we watch The Holiday or eat a Yule Log, Christmas hasn't started till the shop's advert drops.

We've been through it all - the snowman who travelled miles to get his snowwife a scarf, the little boy whose pet penguin was desperate to find love, the bear who just couldn't stay awake long enough to see Christmas without his friend the hare, and of course the man on the moon. The 2018 advert saw a young Elton John get given a piano - something that changed his entire life and 2019 was of course Edgar the excitable dragon who kept blowing fire because he was so excited about the festivities. And of course last year, John Lewis and Partners mixed it up, focusing on love and community spirit.

Yes, it appears that the winning formula for the John Lewis Christmas advert is simple - a heart-melting storyline, a cool cover song as a soundtrack and an adorable character as the focus.

This year was no exception, as John Lewis and Partners released their 2021 offering, entitled 'Unexpected Guest'.

The advert follows the story of a young boy called Nathan who befriends a lost space traveller and teaches her about the magic of Christmas, accompanied by a cover of ‘Together in Electric Dreams’ by British singer and songwriter Lola Young.

'I feel super honoured to be a part of this, growing up I always watched the John Lewis Christmas adverts, they’re iconic and so it kinda feels surreal getting asked to be in one,' explained Lola Young. 'It also means a lot as an up and coming artist to be a part of something this special. Together In Electric Dreams is a very beautiful song. I love that era of music and I think Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder are incredible. The lyric and soul within the song is something inspirational, fitting to the story within the ad. I feel so excited to be covering it and working with John Lewis.'

Claire Pointon, Director of Customer also weighed in, adding: 'There is nothing more magical than discovering the joy of Christmas for the first time and enjoying your favourite festive moments with loved ones. After the last 18 months, we wanted our advert to really celebrate this as we look forward to a brighter future. We know our customers are excited for this festive season more than ever, as they reconnect with family and friends. Through the story of Skye and Nathan we celebrate friendship and are reminded of the joy of experiencing Christmas for the first time.'

Well, this is lovely. BRB - off to replay over and over.