Monday, 26 December 2011

Christmas at home with the Scots star of hit John Lewis advert

by Brian McIver
THE star of John Lewis’s £6million Christmas advert that captured the heart of the nation gave his mum and dad their present yesterday – a huge hug and a kiss.
Scots actor Lewis McGowan, seven, shunned the standard slippers and perfume to give his parents the present money can’t buy.
Lewis said: “I love my mum and dad so much and all they wanted was a big hug. And a kiss.”
His mum Julie, 37 and dad Stuart, 38, said they were thrilled at his thoughtful present.
Lewis shot to fame in the 90-second advert, which shows him impatiently waiting for Christmas Day to arrive.
But when the big day does dawn, he is seen running past his own pile of presents to give his scruffily-wrapped festive gift to his mum and dad.
The clip, which is set to a new version of the Smiths’ track Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want, ends with the tagline “For gifts you can’t wait to give”.
Within three days, it became an internet sensation, with more than 600,000 hits.
Yesterday, the Record caught up with him as he and his family, including big brother Conor, 11, celebrated Christmas Day at home.
Lewis, who was excitable like most boys his age, said: “Christmas has been awesome and we have had a great time together.
“My favourite part was the turkey dinner. That’s all I asked Santa for and it was the best one ever.”
The McGowans revealed that Christmas in their house was much the same as the advert.
Lewis wrote a letter to Santa and asked for two things – a turkey dinner and the best Christmas ever.
He got his wish as he tucked into turkey and all the trimmings with his parents, brother and ­grandparents too.
His dad said: “A lot of people liked the advert because it’s a really nice Christmas message about giving. And that’s certainly true for Lewis.
“He doesn’t ask for much and he always loves to give gifts to others.
“All I wanted was a big hug from him and that was the best present of them all.”
Lewis may not have wanted much for Christmas, but Santa also brought him a skateboard and a magnet toy.
Lewis duly delivered his parents’ festive hug and a penguin toy set for Conor.
Then they went out visiting relatives, ­delivering and picking up gifts, before Stuart’s parents arrived for Christmas lunch.
After a traditional game of charades, Lewis’s highlight of the day is always sitting down to watch the Christmas special of Doctor Who.
Mum Julie said: “We want Christmas to be all about the ­experience and the memory, so we have a lot of fun in the build up to the big day, so the boys don’t think it is just about presents and getting things.
“And they are great. Last year all Lewis asked for was a teacup to give me, and this year it was for his favourite turkey dinner and for us all to have the best Christmas ever. That’s definitely true.”
The build up to Christmas day starts in the first weekend of December for the McGowans, when the tree is put up.
They all make shopping trips to see the lights in Glasgow city centre and last weekend they made a gingerbread house.
On the big day they were all up at 7am and the boys got mum and dad out of bed to exchange their gifts.
The build up was of course helped when the advert came on the television.
Stuart said: “We’re not tired of it at all, it’s always amazing to see Lewis on the TV and we are really proud of him – he is incredible.
“He has always wanted to act. This was the first big thing he really went for and look how it turned out.
“There has been some interest about other work, but no firm offers, and we just want to take things easy and see what happens.
“We are delighted with the advert and he loved every minute of making it.
“I think he likes the acting more than the fame part of it.”
Julie said: “The best Christmas present any of us could have asked for was Lewis getting the part because he has always wanted to act.
“He has been enjoying every minute of it but hasn’t let it go to his head.
“He and Conor are very special boys and we are having a wonderful family Christmas together.“
Lewis comes from a talented family. Dad Stuart is training to be an actor, while Conor had a small part in Garrow’s Law and did modelling for D2 jeans.
Lewis said: “I really enjoyed making the advert.
“It was great fun and really awesome. My favourite part was dressing up like the wizard because I love Harry Potter.
“It was also fun going to the John Lewis shops in Glasgow and London to meet people.
“And I got recognised in Asda once too. I’ve had a lot of ­attention in school.
“A few pals were pretending to be bodyguards to stop people from crowding round.”
Julie said: “We’re so proud of him, he has dealt so well with everything.
“We had no idea how big it was going to be and I could not believe the reaction to it and the way everyone is talking about it.
“For us, it’s been very ­important that he still gets to be a wee boy at Christmas and have the same fun that everyone else has at his age.
“But he hasn’t let it turn his head at all.”
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