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It’s the festive war that has become fiercer each year, with retail giants determined to make the best Christmas adverts no matter what the cost.
The Stockport-born actress – who first found fame in Netflix’s Sex Education before playing ditzy Chelsea in the third series of the Sky Atlantic drama this year – has signed a contract to lead the advert which will be broadcast from November.
M&S bosses are said to be thrilled with securing Wood, 31, a coup which insiders say ‘can’t possibly be matched’ by any of their rivals including John Lewis and Lidl.
Filming will begin later this month in what is anticipated to be one of their most memorable campaigns to date.
One source told the Mail: ‘Aimee is a British success story, she started at the bottom and she has grafted to become a very famous young woman following White Lotus.
The Daily Mail can reveal Marks & Spencer is looking to win the quintessentially British festive advertising battle by signing White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood as the star of its campaign
The Stockport-born actress first found fame in Netflix ’s Sex Education before playing ditzy Chelsea in the third series of The White Lotus (pictured) this year
‘She was one of the most talked about women in the world at the end of 2024 so became a target for Marks & Spencer.
‘She’s just so utterly charming and so very relatable, she’s a superstar but she’s down to earth with it. Marks have definitely set the bar for this year’s Christmas ad battle, the others will be seething when they see that they have her.
‘It hasn’t come cheap but the view at Marks & Spencer is that it is well worth it. They wouldn’t be able to buy that kind of publicity.’
Wood became embroiled in a fascinating saga over whether she had fallen out with her White Lotus co-star Walton Goggins, which gripped the show’s millions of viewers across the world.
Rumours of a feud between her and Goggins – who portrayed her older love interest Rick – began after fans noticed that he had unfollowed her on Instagram.
But following weeks of speculation, Goggins finally said of the claims: ‘There is no feud. I adore, I love this woman madly, and she is so important to me.
‘This is Goldie Hawn. This is Meg Ryan. She can do anything, and she will.’
This year’s advert is certainly set to be glitzier than 2024, when comic Dawn French reprised her role as the M&S Christmas fairy, but also appeared on screen as herself.
Wood became embroiled in a fascinating saga over whether she had fallen out with her White Lotus co-star Walton Goggins, which gripped the show’s millions of viewers across the world
This year’s advert is certainly set to be glitzier than 2024, when comic Dawn French reprised her role as the M&S Christmas fairy, but also appeared on screen as herself
The six-part ad series showed French and her fairy alter ego working together to prepare for a Christmas party.
In 2023, M&S signed Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and British actress Zawe Ashton while in the past the likes of Holly
Willoughby and model David Gandy have also appeared.
Wood’s signing, thought to be as high as seven figures, comes after M&S reported sparkling full-year results for the year to March.
Its profits before tax and ‘adjusting items’ stood at a whopping £875.5 million compared to £716.4 million in 2023/24, which the retailer said was its highest figure in more than 15 years.
The six-part ad series showed French and her fairy alter ego (pictured) working together to prepare for a Christmas party
