Kevin the Carrot is back! Beloved Aldi character joins daughter Chantenay as they search for the family's missing cauliflower dog in 2026 Christmas ad

He's a much-loved part of Christmas for many, so fans will be pleased to hear that Kevin the Carrot is back in Aldi's 2026 festive advert.

The beloved character, first introduced in 2016, returns alongside his wife Katie and their three children, Chantenay, Jasper and Baby, as well as their floret friend, Cauli Dog.

But their festive celebrations are put on hold when the family realises their cherished pet has gone missing.

In the four 30-second ads, Kevin and Chantenay put up Lost posters and then discover a trail of tiny paw prints, leading them into the snow-dusted wilderness to continue their search. 

Along the way, a well-meaning scarecrow's questionable directions send them briefly off-course and brings them face-to-face with what appears to be a grizzly bear, only for it to be revealed as a cuddly squirrel. 

Kevin also takes a tumble during the adventure, before the paw prints eventually lead them back home, where the Carrot clan searches every corner of the house before hearing soft snoring coming from inside a Christmas cracker.

Kevin and his daughter Chantenay are on a mission to find their floret friend, Cauli Dog

In a heartwarming finale, Chantenay's Christmas wish comes true. Cauli-Dog is found, with the eldest Carrot child declaring: 'Cauli, I love you'. The advert closes with Aldi's festive line: 'All You Want For Christmas'.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: 'Christmas is all about moments that bring loved ones together. 

'This year, Kevin and Chantenay are on a festive "pawsuit" to bring Cauli-Dog home, reminding us that the real magic of Christmas is being together with the people, and pets, we love. We hope their adventure warms hearts across the nation.'

Aldi's Christmas advert launches on Thursday, airing on UK television for the first time at 8pm.

The release of the Kevin the Carrot advert comes after John Lewis released its official commercial, titled Gloria And Pickles. 

This year's ad may not have been the weepiest the 162-year-old department store has ever produced – that accolade must surely belong to 2015's Man On The Moon –but it still proved to be a tearjerker among the older shoppers at whom it is squarely aimed.

The three-minute ad stars Oscar-nominated actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, 66, as a glamorous granny who appears to have everything, except the perfect gifts for her two grandchildren.

The ad begins with Gloria (Dame Kristin) welcoming her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, Maggie and Freddie, into her enviably decorated home – a paean to affluent middle-class living, complete with velvet sofa, plump cushions and burgundy walls. 

The Carrot family's festive celebrations are put on hold when they realise their cherished pet is missing

While putting up Lost posters for Cauli-Dog, Chantenay and her dad find a trail of tiny paw prints in the snow - could this lead them to their missing pet?

A well-meaning scarecrow's questionable directions send them briefly off-course and brings them face-to-face with a grizzly bear – is this the end for the daring duo?

The children being restless from their journey, Gloria retrieves her old toy collection from the attic to keep them entertained.

Enter, stage left and on wheels, Pickles the dog, a vintage pull-along toy that older viewers may recognise from their own childhood.

With her grandchildren looking as though she's presented them with a bag of sprouts, Gloria is convinced she's lost touch with the younger generation

Deciding that she will never to able to find presents they would like, she resorts to money in an envelop.

But she is diverted from completing this pragmatic gesture by Pickles (voiced by comedian Paul Whitehouse), who pipes up: 'You can do better than cash'.

The duo then embark on a last-minute shopping spree that ends up in John Lewis.

Christmas is saved! Rather than giving them a tenner on the big day, Gloria hands her grandchildren a key to her 'Gran Cave', a magical wonderland filled with twinkling lights, disco balls, an old record player and other surprises that don't involve a screen of any sort.

The campaign, the store's 20th, has been created for the fourth year running by Saatchi & Saatchi. With the tagline 'Don't give up on gifting', it explores the idea that Christmas can often be blighted by the fear of not being able to find the right present.

With the soundtrack as eagerly anticipated as the ad itself, Sam Fender fans will be pleased to learn that the Newcastle-born singer, 32, was selected to cover the Rolling Stones' classic, You Can't Always Get What You Want, his first new music since 2025's Rein Me In, which became the UK's longest-running No 1.