Lucy Punch is set to replace Dawn French as the face of Marks & Spencer’s Christmas campaign, according to reports.
The 48-year-old actress, best known for playing Amanda in the BBC comedy series Motherland and its spin-off Amandaland, is expected to front the retailer’s first festive campaign combining fashion and food.
French, 68, has appeared in Marks & Spencer Food television adverts since 2021. Previous Christmas campaigns have also featured Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Hannah Waddingham, Jennifer Saunders, Tan France and Zawe Ashton.
This year’s advert is understood to bring the retailer’s fashion and food ranges together in a single production. Filming has reportedly already taken place, with the campaign being kept under wraps until November.
Reports suggest Punch was chosen partly because Amanda wears a number of Marks & Spencer clothes in Amandaland. The campaign is also expected to contain several surprises.
Marks & Spencer and Punch’s representative have been contacted for comment.
Amandaland has become one of the most popular shows on television, with more than 3.1 million viewers watching its Christmas special last year. The programme ranked among the 10 most-viewed broadcasts on Christmas Day.
Punch has previously said that audiences recognise elements of Amanda in people they know, describing the character as a mixture of endearing, difficult and self-important traits rather than a caricature.
She has also acknowledged similarities between herself and the character, while saying she hoped she was more self-aware and less pretentious and snobbish.
