John Lewis responds to Christmas advert backlash as viewers fume 'men don’t exist'

While it was once the Boxing Day sales that were the most anticipated shopping day of the year, the last decade has seen a new challenger. Black Friday sales have long been a staple in the US, but the tradition of the final Friday of November price slash only made it to these shores just over 10-years ago.

Just two per cent of Black Friday deals were at their cheapest price on the day of the sales event last year, according to a study by a consumer watchdog.

Amazon has beaten hundreds of retailers by dropping its 2023 Black Friday deal a week before the global November 24 date as popular products from Ninja, Samsung, Tefal, and Vax can be found for a fraction of the price. Including this Asus laptop users say is 'perfect for everyday needs', and it's now £230 cheaper.

OK! has put together a comprehensive guide to the shopping event with answers to common questions like when is Black Friday 2023? When it comes to makeup bag must-haves, there’s nothing better than a good lip balm, especially with the colder weather, low humidity and high winds leaving our lips feeling chapped and a little worse for wear. From keeping your lips smooth and hydrated to adding an extra sheen to your usual lippy, a good lip balm really is the ultimate multi-use product, and it seems even celebs know the power of the seemingly innocuous beauty staple.

Remember your first pair of Ugg boots? If you thought that this was a fashion trend destined to remain firmly in the 00s then think again. With celebs like Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Lopez and Gigi Hadid all seen sporting them over the last year, Uggs are well and truly back for winter 2023. Ugg boots don't come cheap, however nowadays the high street is full of lookalike alternatives.

It is most definitely now the weather to be wrapping up warm in cosy coats and jackets, and if you're looking to buy a new one then Black Friday is a great time to snap one up for a reduced price. And John Lewis is your one-stop shop for all things outerwear this month as the high street department store has launched a massive early Black Friday sale, with huge savings to be had across fashion brands like Barbour, Superdry and The North Face.

The first look at John Lewis's Christmas advert is a highlight of the festive season every year, and this year's is no exception. The 2023 John Lewis Christmas ad sees a young boy grow a mischievous Venus flytrap in place of a traditional Christmas tree with tenor Andrea Bocelli providing the rousing soundtrack. And if this has got you hankering for some new cosy clothes and festive knits, here's how you can buy one of the exact jumpers seen on screen – and for 20% off its usual price.

Although Black Friday is still two weeks away, several big name stores have already kickstarted their sales a little early, to help shoppers at home beat the rush ahead of Christmas. Among these is department store John Lewis, who have slashed the price on a number of products across the store, with huge discounts on everything from air fryers to vacuum cleaners, and even stand mixers to laptops.

Christmas is just around the corner and with three weeks to go until advent begins, retailers have reduced the cost of beauty calendars ahead of Black Friday.

Designer beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury is known for its high-ticket price makeup and skincare. Albeit desirable, the brand, which sells foundation, concealer, primer, mascara and skincare, is out of reach for many Brits in terms of budget.

It’s official, the countdown to Christmas is finally upon us, as department store John Lewis once again kept up their tradition of releasing a heartwarming advert to spread some much needed holiday cheer this festive season. This year, the joyful advert features a break from tradition, when a young boy called Alfie accidentally grows a Venus fly trap, called Snapper, rather than a Christmas tree to hang his holiday ornaments on.

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Retailer John Lewis is well-known for its emotional and iconic Christmas adverts and it is something many people look forward to seeing every year to mark the official start of the Christmas period. They have brought us some of the most memorable Christmas adverts over the years, including Buster the Boxer, Man on the Moon, The Beginner and The Bear and the Hare.

John Lewis' eagerly anticipated Christmas advert has officially been unveiled - and some shoppers have had a bit of a mixed response.

John Lewis' Christmas advert this year is not just a visual treat, but also an auditory delight, thanks to the music provided by world-renowned opera artist Andrea Bocelli.The 65 year old tenor performs a song called Festa, which means celebration, written and produced specifically for the advert. Andrea, who hails from Pisa, Italy, expressed his joy at being part of the John Lewis advert, saying he was "delighted to take part in this wonderful and unique tradition of Christmas storytelling." But there's more to Andrea than his phenomenal career; despite being visually impaired since birth and becoming completely blind after a brain haemorrhage. The vocal star managed to complete a law degree at the University of Pisa while performing music gigs on the side.

The new John Lewis Christmas advert has been released, meaning that it's basically 25 December now.This year's centres around a young boy who wants to grow his own Christmas tree- but not everything is as it seems. The tree turns out to be a mischievous Venus flytrap which causes chaos for the family. Viewers will see how the boy lovingly nurtures the plant from a seed bought at a local market, in the belief he is cultivating a perfect Christmas tree.The fast-growing plant becomes an equally big personality who wants to join in all the fun of Christmas, before the inevitable tear-jerking moment when he is cast out into the cold to make way for a traditional tree.

Available today (November 9) via Decca, the new track ‘Festa’ is the latest to be featured in the annual advert by John Lewis – which has become a staple of the festive period in recent years.“I am delighted to take part in this wonderful and unique tradition of Christmas storytelling,” said Bocelli of his contribution. “It is very special for me given the great support this will bring to both the John Lewis and Andrea Bocelli foundations.

The voice behind this year's heartwarming John Lewis Christmas advert is none other than world-famous opera singer Andrea Bocelli.The 65 year old legend lends his vocals to the charming tale of Snappy the Venus flytrap, singing a joyful tune called Festa, which means celebration.This beautiful song, penned and produced by Le Feste Antonacci, will also be released as a charity single. Andrea shared his excitement about being part of this festive tradition and said: "I am delighted to take part in this wonderful and unique tradition of Christmas storytelling. It is very special for me given the great support this will bring to both the John Lewis and Andrea Bocelli foundations.

The John Lewis Christmas advert for 2023 has a heartwarming meaning behind its song with Italian lyrics. This year John Lewis has introduced us to a Venus flytrap named Snapper and is all about celebrating how Christmas traditions have changed and differ from home to home.To accompany the advert is the festive tune sung by opera legend Andrea Bocelli, which features the Italian phrase "La Vita e una festa", which means "Life is a celebration".

It's the most wonderful time of the year - and what better way to celebrate it than with the release of the annual Christmas adverts?