{"id":23841,"date":"2026-08-01T03:03:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23841"},"modified":"2026-08-01T03:03:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:03:58","slug":"alison-limerick-was-last-to-know-about-john-lewis-christmas-advert-with-her-song","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23841","title":{"rendered":"Alison Limerick was &#8216;last to know&#8217; about John Lewis Christmas advert with her song"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306999531-0bd2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29269439\" alt=\"Alison Limerick\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Alison Limerick, the singer behind Where Love Lives, is performing at Brighton Pride this weekend (Picture: Tim Booth Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Alison Limerick is widely hailed as a <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/90s-nostalgia\/\">90s music legend<\/a>, with her song Where Love Lives regarded as one of the best club anthems of all time.<\/p>\n<p>However, fans might be surprised to know that when the song was used in <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/11\/04\/john-lewis-2025-christmas-advert-finally-back-tear-jerking-best-24603956\/\">last year\u2019s heartfelt John Lewis Christmas advert<\/a>, which showed a father reconnecting with his son, the singer originally had no idea it was going to be featured.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was the last one to know!\u2019 the 66-year-old tells <strong>Metro<\/strong>. \u2018The advert might even have already been made by the time I found out because I don\u2019t own the song.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, an idea was sparked for the musician to do a launch party for the advert, and so she became an \u2018integral part of the run-up\u2019 to its release. Now, months later, Alison\u2019s releasing her first solo album in 30 years and performing at <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/pride\/\">Pride<\/a> On The Park at <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/03\/26\/jessie-j-joins-diana-ross-star-studded-brighton-pride-line-up-27681966\/\">Brighton Pride<\/a> this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>It might be 36 years since Where Love Lives was released, but Alison emphasises she hasn\u2019t gone anywhere, stressing how much she dislikes when people ask \u2018where she\u2019s been\u2019 for the past three decades.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I have been here! People say that and I want to punch them in the face,\u2019 she says, laughing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player  \" data-track-module=\"article_video-player-with-related-carousel\">\n<div class=\"vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-responsive\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<video id=\"3543537\" class=\"video-js\" poster=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/11\/04\/06\/103568597-0-image-a-10_1762239221408.jpg\" data-opts=\"{\" autoplay=\"\" john=\"\" lewis=\"\" christmas=\"\" ad=\"\" for=\"\" has=\"\" done=\"\" it=\"\" again=\"\" with=\"\" a=\"\" modern=\"\" reimagining=\"\" of=\"\" banger=\"\" really=\"\" have=\"\" the=\"\" recipe=\"\" down=\"\" these.=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" playsinline=\"\"><source src=\"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/11\/04\/3067561336595825506\/480x270_MP4_3067561336595825506.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\/><p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports HTML5<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019ve been here all the time. I\u2019ve been doing what I have always done. I\u2019ve been doing music. I\u2019ve been releasing songs. I\u2019ve been working with people. I\u2019ve been having a fairly busy life.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>And so, we reach the present day, with Alison celebrating the release of her new solo album, So You Think You.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tJoin Metro&#8217;s LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant <a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaZmbEG8kyyPpsk8pS37\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaZmbEG8kyyPpsk8pS37\">LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel<\/a> is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n<p>Simply\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaZmbEG8kyyPpsk8pS37\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaZmbEG8kyyPpsk8pS37\">click on this link<\/a><\/strong>, select \u2018Join Chat\u2019 and you\u2019re in! Don&#8217;t forget to turn on notifications!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019ve had a lot of singles out, which is the reason for the anthology. We\u2019re going to do some new songs but we\u2019re also going to collate some of the old ones,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018People don\u2019t do albums anymore. Except, I think <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/taylor-swift\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Taylor Swift<\/a> and Ariana Grande, who have the marketing power behind them to let everybody know what they\u2019re doing. I am an Ariana Grande fangirl, by the way. Love her!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>When John Lewis released its 2025 <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/christmas\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Christmas<\/a> advert, some were brought to tears, saying that the retailer had created yet another beautifully moving short film.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"855\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306999494-11c5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29269442\" alt=\"Alison Limerick\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>\u2018I did New Year\u2019s Eve at Heaven. There ain\u2019t no crowd like a gay crowd kicking off on a New Year\u2019s Eve. It was fantastic.\u2019 (Picture: Tim Booth Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Alison also found it moving, saying that she was a \u2018little weepy\u2019 the first time she watched it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was in a styling room in the John Lewis store in Oxford Street and they were talking about the advert and I said, \u201cOh, I haven\u2019t seen it,\u201d\u2019 she recalls.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018So, they ushered everybody out and an exec came in with a laptop, locked all the doors and played it to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was so moved, I really loved it. I got to meet the father from the advert as well, just randomly at a performance I was giving. He\u2019s tall and he\u2019s gorgeous and he\u2019s lovely and I think he\u2019s Italian, so he\u2019s got an accent.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the beautiful story of family connection at the centre of the advert, it also marked the resurgence of Where Love Lives \u2013\u00a0something that Alison says happens \u2018every few years\u2019 with her iconic track.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEI_272882458-a9c5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-24642330\" alt=\"Father and son in the John Lewis advert, talking in their lounge. Young male in blue jumper with headphones and male in dark jumper.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The 2025 John Lewis Christmas advert showed a father and son reconnecting over music (Picture: John Lewis\/PA Wire)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018It was actually the gay clubs that ran with it first and then suddenly it was bubbling over into mainstream and people played it on the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/radio\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">radio<\/a>, so they re-released it\u2026 several times in different remixes,\u2019 she recollects.<\/p>\n<p>We remark that if the song was a big hit in gay clubs, then surely her performance at Brighton Pride is going to be off the charts.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I hope so! I did all those gay clubs back in the day,\u2019 she responds.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I did New Year\u2019s Eve at Heaven. Oh my God! Come on, that\u2019s the big one. It was an astonishing evening. There ain\u2019t no crowd like a gay crowd kicking off on a New Year\u2019s Eve. It was fantastic.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>At the time of speaking to Alison, she\u2019s debating whether to also perform her new track Sista Mother Child, explaining how personal the song is to her.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Where Love Lives (Official Video - featured on the John Lewis Christmas Advert 2025)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qfam5sHyUnI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u2018It is something I have toyed with. It was written at a time when my mother had died and just everything was in a mess. The words kind of fell out of me,\u2019 she shares.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018When we started singing it, I got about three quarters of the way through it and I just was in tears. I couldn\u2019t continue.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I did it on <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/radio-1\/\">Radio 1<\/a>\u2019s Live Lounge with a box of tissues near my foot, so I could grab one if I needed one, and I was like, my mother would be so disappointed if I p***ed this opportunity away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We got through it, and then <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/vernon-kay\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Vernon Kay<\/a> came and gave me a hug, which was lovely.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>This weekend, Alison is performing at Brighton Pride alongside Diana Ross \u2013\u00a0a singer who she looks up to greatly.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"969\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306039025_758651.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29213667\" alt=\"Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XIII - Show\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Diana Ross is also performing at this year\u2019s Brighton Pride (Picture: John Shearer\/WireImage)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018You know, there some people who should always be just the imaginary icon in your mind. If I ever met them, I would fall at their feet in worship,\u2019 she admits.<\/p>\n<p>However, Alison did manage to keep her composure when she met and worked with George Michael, who she said was \u2018gorgeous\u2019 in person.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was just backing vocals. I got together with his band \u2013 lovely people \u2013 so I had two days to get used to the idea,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018He\u2019s so gorgeous. He came into the room and we sang it together, then we did the show and that was it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Alison Limerick plays Pride On The Park at Brighton Pride this weekend alongside Diana Ross, Raye, Jessie J, Self Esteem, Five, Paris Hilton, with RuPaul and Mel C DJing. One-day tickets from \u00a375, weekend tickets \u00a3154, <a href=\"http:\/\/brighton-pride.org\">brighton-pride.org<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/28\/brits-spending-adult-money-childish-buys-ultimate-use-free-will-29135846\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">Brits are spending their \u2018adult money\u2019 on childish buys in the ultimate use of free will<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/27\/lgbt-people-dont-need-advice-british-right-wingers-berlin-attack-29236175\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">LGBT+ people don\u2019t need advice from British right-wingers after the Berlin attack<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/26\/10-best-arcade-archives-games-modern-consoles-readers-feature-29217808\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">The 10 best Arcade Archives games on modern consoles \u2013 Reader\u2019s Feature<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card accent--tv\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card__inner\">\n<h4>TV Newsletter<\/h4>\n<p>Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alison Limerick, the singer behind Where Love Lives, is performing at Brighton Pride this weekend (Picture: Tim Booth Photography) Alison Limerick is widely hailed as a 90s music legend, with her song Where Love Lives regarded as one of the best club anthems of all time. However, fans might be surprised to know that when&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306999531-0bd2_1785514699.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200&h=630&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23841"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23841\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}