Appointment to View: behind the scenes of the M&S Christmas ad

Two behind-the-scenes videos feature interviews with the contestants about their experiences on the show and their hopes for Christmas.

Marcus Canty, one of the three acts to go through to the final, said: "I even said on my first audition I'd love to be able to walk into Marks and Spencer and not have to walk past. To be given this opportunity today, I feel so, so privileged."

When asked what their favourite M&S products were, the all-round winner was Percy Pigs sweets, with some of the finalists eating them in the shots.

Steve Sharp, executive marketing director at M&S, said: "As soon as we approach September, the question I’m always asked is ‘who is going to be starring in the M&S Christmas ad?’ It’s brilliant to have a big surprise to unveil, which is why we wanted to do something completely different this year.

"Working with 'The X Factor' finalists has been fantastic. Their version of ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ is really beautiful".

The ad took five days to shoot and was shot at Elstree Studios and Black Island Studios.