Insiders connected to the campaign reveal that filming, which occurred in Hertfordshire this past August, exceeded a cost of £300,000. Additionally, the White Lotus actress received a substantial six-figure payment.

Despite Marks and Spencer’s executives claiming a shift in strategy due to a new commercial executive joining on September 1, the advertisement had already been edited and was ready for broadcast.

Speculation now points to a possible ‘disagreement’ between the retailer and Ms. Wood, whose distinctive gapped teeth have helped her achieve global fame.

One insider commented, “It’s quite unusual. There was a lot of excitement within Marks and Spencer about securing Aimee. She truly represents a British success story.”

One source said: ‘It’s so strange, there was so much delight amongst so many people at Marks and Spencer that they signed Aimee. She’s the epitome of a British success story.

‘Everything had been finished, including the editing and a lot of money was shelled out yet it all came down to one person changing their mind. 

The mystery of Aimee Lou Wood being axed from the big budget Marks and Spencer advert has deepened after it emerged it cost ‘an eye-watering amount’ of money to make (seen Thursday)

Sources familiar with the campaign say that the filming, which took place in Hertfordshire in August cost in excess of £300,000, while the White Lotus star was also paid a six-figure fee (seen on M&S photoshoot last month)

‘The talk now is that there was some kind of disagreement between the parties. It’s such a shame, the advert was beautiful.’

Ms Wood, 31, filmed the campaign in a snowy street in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, in the boiling summer temperatures after chiefs at the high street chain were ‘thrilled’ to have signed her. 

They were confident her being their star would outdo their rivals at John Lewis, Sainsbury’s and Aldi.

In a statement issued to the Daily Mail on Thursday, the retailer that they wanted to move away from the traditional one television advert and make their campaign more ‘product focused.’

A spokeswoman said: ‘We really enjoyed working with Aimee Lou Wood during the early stages of this year’s Christmas campaign – she brought great energy and creativity to the process.  

‘As the campaign evolved we started to embed a new product-focussed strategy under new leadership.

‘So, rather than a single hero advert, the campaign was reshaped around a series of festive films and influencer content drops aligned to key seasonal shopping moments – from gifting and hosting to partywear – delivered through a social-first, multi-channel approach across social media, digital, out-of-home and print.’

Ms Wood has not responded to opportunities to comment.

This year’s advert was certainly due to be glitzy than 2024 when Dawn French reprised her role as the M&S Christmas fairy, but also appears on screen as herself. This year Ms French is the face of the food adverts.

In 2023, Marks and Spencer signed Hannah Waddingham, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Zawe Ashton while in the past the likes of Holly Willoughby and model David Gandy have appeared.