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Aimee Lou Wood wraps up on snowy festive set as she films exciting new Christmas advert

Aimee Lou Wood wraps up on snowy festive set as she films exciting new Christmas advert

Daily Mirror3 days ago
The White Lotus and Sex Education star Amy Lou Wood has been pictured getting into the festive mood as she is filming for Marks & Spencer's new Christmas advert
Aimee Lou Wood has been pictured on a picturesque set of a Christmassy street filled with festive decorations and the streets lined with snow as she takes on her latest filming project.

The White Lotus and Sex Education star, 31, is currently filming for the new Marks & Spencer Christmas advert. The upmarket food and lifestyle shop's Christmas adverts have become somewhat of a staple around the festive period – rivalling the likes of John Lewis, Aldi and other brands with its Christmas campaigns.

And it seems M&S are pulling out all the stops once again and have this time recruited actress Aimee to be at the helm of this year's festive offering.

Photos show Aimee shunning the scorching heatwave and imagining a chillier climate as she is dressed in a faux-fur, cheetah print inspired jacket with a collar and long sleeves. The gorgeous jacket is paired with some fashionable, black wide leg trousers and heeled boots with a pointed toe.
Aimee had her long brunette locks styled down and in soft waves with a middle parting to frame her face. The actress looks to be getting into the festive spirit on set as she's seen pulling a funny face and pumping her hands up to the sky – in clear excitement over her next filming project.
In other snaps, Aimee appears to be taking a break from wearing the thick furry jacket in the middle of the August heatwave as she folds it over her arms while standing with other actors on set.
Aimee was embracing the cameras snapping photos of her on the set as she was seen holding two peace signs up and confidently pouting as a photographer snapped away.

Other snaps see her with hair and stylist specialists to ensure her look for the highly-anticipated festive ad is seamless.
Meanwhile, a broader view of the magical set gives us an early idea on what to expect from this year's advert. A festive, traditional high street is laden with massive baubles, traditional lamp posts decorated with snow and festive wreaths while a number of snowy trees are also pictured on the set.

Finally, a shop is decorated with green busy garlands, bows and festive green wreaths while the floor is covered in a layer of snow.
The stunning actress rose to fame on Netflix 's hit series, Sex Education, where she played the loveable Aimee Gibbs. She went on to become a massive star with a legion of loyal fans.

Fans were over the moon when she was announced as a main cast member for series three of The White Lotus. She played Walton Goggins' young girlfriend, Chelsea, and became a huge hit with international audiences.
She also stars in Netflix's Toxic Town and co-created BBC's upcoming series, Film Club.

The Stockport-born star has been open about her life and previously opened up on learning to love herself while overcoming issues with low self esteem.
While Aimee was still at school, her parents split up, and her mother's new partner paid for her to attend a fancy private school. However, she was the target of bullies and it further dented her confidence.
Despite her difficulties, however, Aimee found solace in acting, studying for a drama A Level at Cheadle Hume School before studying at the Oxford School of Drama, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Barely two years after graduating in 2017, she got the role in Sex Education and the rest was history. She even scooped up the British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance.
In a 2020 interview with Glamour, Aimee shared how she had suffered from body dysmorphia all her life, revealing: "When I think back now, I was so harsh to myself. I actually wrote on my mirror when I was younger, "fat," in lipstick so that every day I'd go to it and go, "Okay, just remind yourself that that's what you are."
Despite struggling with confidence issues, she threw herself into Sex Education's explicit scenes and made her first topless appearance.
She said of her decision: "With the masturbation montage, even with all the unflattering angles I thought, 'Think of the young girls that are going to be watching this and going, 'Oh thank God, that's what I do,' or, 'we don't always look perfect'.
"I remember before the first sex scene, I thought, "Right, okay. I'll start eating salads every day," and I just didn't. That was such a turning point for me, making that decision to go, 'Actually, I'm not going to alter how my body looks before this scene because this is how my body looks'."
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Prime Video releases first look at season two of 'best video game adaptation on screen'
Prime Video releases first look at season two of 'best video game adaptation on screen'

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  • Daily Mirror

Prime Video releases first look at season two of 'best video game adaptation on screen'

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Marks & Spencer shoppers says £59 faux suede jacket is the ‘dreamiest coat for autumn
Marks & Spencer shoppers says £59 faux suede jacket is the ‘dreamiest coat for autumn

Daily Mirror

timea day ago

  • Daily Mirror

Marks & Spencer shoppers says £59 faux suede jacket is the ‘dreamiest coat for autumn

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Sexualisation, Donald Trump & race rows – why Sydney Sweeney's backlash only makes her MORE valuable to brands
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Scottish Sun

time2 days ago

  • Scottish Sun

Sexualisation, Donald Trump & race rows – why Sydney Sweeney's backlash only makes her MORE valuable to brands

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHE'S one of America's fastest growing stars, but could controversy derail Sydney Sweeney's supersonic career? Showbiz writer Gemma Calvert takes a closer look at 2025's hottest property. 19 Could controversy derail Sydney Sweeney's supersonic career? Credit: getty 19 Sydney's American Eagle jeans ad sparked race rows Credit: American Eagle 19 Stunner Sydney stars as Olivia Mossbacher in Apple TV+'s The White Lotus Credit: White lotus Hollywood has fast become Sydney Sweeney's adventure playground. The 27-year-old actress shot to fame after she bagged the role of Cassie Howard in HBO's Euphoria, as well as Olivia Mossbacher in Apple TV+'s The White Lotus – and earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for both roles in 2022, along with a whole international fandom. Since then, Sydney's star has soared. 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And rather than holding her back, the backlash may be propelling her forward. Let's be honest – controversy has made her more interesting Stacy Jones, founder of LA branding agency Hollywood Branded 'Let's be honest – controversy has made her more interesting,' says Stacy Jones, founder of LA branding agency Hollywood Branded. 'The family politics thing didn't derail her and this recent backlash over the American Eagle ad? If anything, it proved she's not just a celebrity, she's a cultural touchpoint. Sydney's not just valuable – she's volatile in the best way. She drives real conversation, and that's currency. She goes viral for what she wears, says and does. She stirs emotion and she trends. That's what marketers are actually buying – not just demographics, but cultural gravity.' Stacy adds: 'In a world where no one agrees on anything, being part of the conversation is sometimes better than being universally liked.' 'People believe I've signed my life away because I'm an actor' Much of the scrutiny around Sydney revolves around her physical appearance, which has fanned debates about the double standards that women face in Hollywood. While male actors are celebrated for their talent or transformative roles, Sydney – much like Scarlett Johansson before her – is often reduced to headlines about her curves. Take the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, when Sydney arrived in a plunging silk gown by Miu Miu, layered over a powder-blue bra. Rather than seen as a bold fashion statement, the look was labelled a 'wardrobe malfunction', showing how confident styling choices can be quickly reframed as inappropriate. 'There's not anything I can do,' Sydney told NME in 2023, acknowledging the pressure of constant objectification. Later, she told Variety: 'People feel connected and free to be able to speak about me in whatever way they want, because they believe that I've signed my life away. That I'm not on a human level any more, because I'm an actor.' 19 Sweeney flaunts her amazing figure for her loving social media fans Credit: Sydney Sweeney 19 The actress pictured with her pup Credit: Sydney Sweeney 19 The 27-year-old actress shot to fame after she bagged the role of Cassie Howard in HBO's Euphoria Credit: EUPhORIA Sydney's hosting stint on Saturday Night Live last March only intensified the conversation. Dressed in a Hooters waitress uniform for multiple sketches, she embraced the caricature of her public image, even joking the job was her 'back-up career.' Conservative critics quickly dubbed the moment a flashback to pre #MeToo attitudes. One commentator even described her breasts as the 'double-D harbingers of the death of woke'. Sydney's response? A tongue-in-cheek sweatshirt that read: 'Sorry For Having Great Tits And Correct Opinions'. Then in June, she partnered with Dr Squatch to launch $8 soap bars infused with her actual bathwater – a move some interpreted as a bold, satirical poke at the objectification she often faces. Steering her ship through the sea of entertainment with self-awareness and humour is a savvy move, says Nick Ede, one of the UK's leading brand and culture experts and founder of Joyfulness Studios. 'What's great about Sydney is she embodies her generation and doesn't try to alienate herself from it,' says Nick. 'She wants to be relatable and lean into the stereotypes that she portrays, or is seen to portray. She isn't scared to be honest about who she is and has a unique way of being self-aware. She can laugh at herself, too. This allows her to manage her narrative, especially on social media. Her bathwater soap shows she's in on the journey as much as her fans or her critics.' Sydney is a rare Hollywood breed who manages her own social media content and, according to Stefanie Davis Kempton – an assistant professor of communication at Florida Gulf Coast University specialising in women's representation in the media – retaining control is vital for stars like her. 'Young women, especially, can be easy targets to become puppets and lose control of their own personal brand for the sake of corporate greed,' says Stefanie. What's great about Sydney is she embodies her generation and doesn't try to alienate herself from it Nick Ede, brand and culture expert 'It happens all the time, as women's voices have been historically marginalised. In today's age of social media, your identity is your brand and that brand can be worth a lot of money, but it can also be sabotaged if left in the wrong hands. Having control of your own voice, body, image and likeness is so critically important.' Launching her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films, in 2020, was Sydney's creative solution to that problem, taking her from actor for hire to industry powerhouse. Dedicated to adapting stories by first-time female authors and up-and-coming screenwriters, she told Teen Vogue: 'I'm a big advocate for making sure everybody's voice is heard.' But carving out creative space hasn't been easy. In an interview with The Times earlier this year, Sydney admitted she's not always taken seriously as a producer, especially, she noted, by 'women who give me the hardest time.' Speaking on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast in March 2024, Sydney confessed that 'the roles that are challenging or creatively fulfilling are usually the ones that you have to fight for.' She went on to explain in The Times that casting directors often dismiss her due to her performance as Cassie, her overtly sexualised character in Euphoria, a role she reprised earlier this year for the long-awaited third season, due for release in 2026. 'I feel like I'm constantly having to be like: 'No, no – I'm an actor,'' she said. 'I'm supposed to play different characters.' That philosophy also extends to red-carpet appearances and talk-show interviews, spaces where Sydney says she feels most uncomfortable. To manage her nerves, she inhabits personas in the way she would on set, a place she describes as her 'playground' and where she feels 'at home'. Indeed, Sydney was just 10 when she discovered her love of performance at the family home in Spokane, Washington, on the Idaho border. There, she would build imaginary worlds and put on performances for her parents – her mum Lisa, a former criminal defence lawyer, and dad Steven, a pharmaceutical rep. 'Nothing I could do to help' She recently told Glamour that acting became a 'full-on obsession' alongside childhood passions like river swimming and hiking. Electronic devices, meanwhile, were banned by her parents so, as a teen, Sydney secretly streamed episodes of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager. When a low-budget zombie film began shooting in her town, Sydney persuaded her parents to let her audition by pitching them a PowerPoint five-year acting plan. It worked two-fold. She auditioned, then landed a small part in 2010 film ZMD: Zombies Of Mass Destruction. From there she began auditioning whenever possible – first in Seattle and Portland, and eventually in Los Angeles, travelling the gruelling 2,400-mile round trip every time by car. 'I owe everything to them,' she said of her parents on Happy Sad Confused, crediting them as her earliest champions. I thought that if I made enough money, I'd be able to buy my parents' house back and put my family back together Sydney Sweeney When Sydney became a victim of bullying at her private school – an education funded by financial aid – her parents home-schooled her for a while, before selling the family home and moving to LA to further her acting dreams. 19 Syd wearing that bra-exposing outfit at Cannes Film Festival Credit: GETTY 19 The star in The Handmaid's Tale, 2018 Credit: The Handmaid's tale 19 In a Hooters sketch for SNL Credit: GETTY But the move, when Sydney was 13, came at a price. Living costs proved too high and the family, including her younger brother Trent, found themselves crammed into a single motel room. By 2016, her parents had filed for both bankruptcy and divorce. Sydney, working $100-a-day acting jobs, cleaning bathrooms and babysitting, continued to dream of a breakthrough that might solve all their problems. 'I thought that if I made enough money, I'd be able to buy my parents' house back and put my family back together,' she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022. 'But when I turned 18, I only had $800 to my name. My parents weren't back together. And there was nothing I could do to help.' Her longed-for break finally came in 2018, with roles in Marti Noxon's Sharp Objects and Netflix's Everything Sucks!, followed by a standout appearance in The Handmaid's Tale, and then Euphoria. Now reportedly worth over £30million, Sydney has built a brand empire, thanks to endorsement deals from Miu Miu to Kérastase. And her financial clout is set to grow even more with the launch of her lingerie line, backed by a $1.5billion investment from her pal, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell. That Bezos connection, insiders say, is also making Sydney a frontrunner for the next Bond girl role, now the movie is under Amazon MGM's creative control. 'Sydney's DMs are packed with messages from famous men' As well as clearing her mum's mortgage, Sydney has built an impressive property portfolio with her fortune. She has two homes in LA, her primary residence is a £10million Florida beachfront mansion, plus she repurchased her great-grandmother's former house in 2023, years after the family was forced to sell it. Now, Sydney is dreaming of a different kind of legacy. 'I want to have a family. I've always wanted to be a young mom,' she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, while still in a seven-year relationship with her businessman fiancé, Jonathan Davino. When the pair called off their engagement earlier this year, speculation mounted of romance between Sydney and her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell, which they later admitted they allowed to swirl to help promote the film. But despite sightings with Orlando Bloom and Tom Brady at Jeff Bezos' Venice wedding in June, insiders say Sydney's single by choice. 'I'm learning a lot about myself, spending more time with my friends. And I'm loving it,' she told The Times in May. That's not to say she isn't without plenty of admirers – The Sun revealed that Premier League players from Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have all slid into her DMs to ask her out. But despite the offers, she has politely declined. An insider said: 'Her Instagram DMs are packed with messages from famous men trying to get in contact with her. 19 With her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell Credit: GETTY 19 Sydney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino Credit: GETTY 19 Sydney and brother Trent with their mum Lisa at her controversial 60th birthday party Credit: trent Sweeney They offer her trips to Europe to see them and take her on a date, but she's not the kind of person who does that. 'Some of them are very insistent and have even tried to find her address to send her flowers, but she always refuses.' Behind the scenes, Sydney is an 'avid bookreader', trained MMA fighter and vintage car restorer – a hobby she calls her 'therapy' and documents for 1.9 million followers on her TikTok @Syds_garage. Whether she's creating or courting controversy, on-screen or off, Sydney Sweeney isn't just tagging along for the ride, she's firmly in the driver's seat of her extraordinary life. Sydney's sizzling style 19 In 2019, rocking a red Rosario dress at a Harper's Bazaar party Credit: GETTY 19 Wearing Alexander McQueen at a Variety event in 2023 Credit: GETTY 19 Pretty in Prada at The White Lotus premiere in 2021 Credit: GETTY 19 In a bouquet-style top by Balmain, last year Credit: GETTY 19 In LaQuan Smith at 2022's GQ Men Of The Year Awards Credit: GETTY 19 Wearing Miu Miu and a black wig at the 2024 Met Gala Credit: GETTY

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