The Snowman is one of the most beloved Christmas classics of all time. The beautifully-animated tale of one boy's encounter with a living snowman, and his magical trip to the North Pole, has captivated young and old alike for more than 40 years.

When The Snowman was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1982, it featured an introduction by author and illustrator Raymond Briggs, who created the book the film is based on. But when it was shown in America, this was replaced with an introduction by pop megastar David Bowie, in which he is suggested to be playing an adult version of James, the boy from the film.

The short live-action introduction features Bowie exploring the attic of his childhood home, and finding a blue and white scarf similar to the one James wears in the film. In 2020, four years after the pop star's death, his son, director Duncan Jones, revealed he had found that same scarf while looking through some boxes.

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After the Moon director, who was known as a child as Zowie Bowie, posted a picture of himself wearing the scarf on X, then named Twitter, the producer of his father's segment revealed the touching story behind it.

Brian Harding wrote: "The Scarf was knitted by the lady in the accounts department of TVC, the production company who made the animation.

"She came onto the set and presented it to David. When filming was over, David asked very politely if he could keep the scarf to give to his son, Zowie. This was the only fee he charged for the filming and I believe he offered his services for personal reasons.

"He was charming throughout and totally professional. I am glad that the scarf found its way to the destination he intended: from the dude to another dude."

Although Jones' X account no longer exists, The Independent reported he replied to Harding: “Thank you so much for the extra bit of background there Brian. A lovely true tale to go along with an equally lovely Christmas story.”

However, author and illustrator Raymond Briggs was apparently not a fan of Bowie's introduction. Speaking to the BBC in 2017, he said: “I did an introduction to the Snowman film, and the Americans wanted somebody more important than me, quite rightly. And they somehow got David Bowie to do it.

“He got it all wrong, terribly. Hopeless. It didn’t matter, they did it about six times. But it was fun meeting him, wearing his wonderful, glittering pink shoes. I’d never seen pink shoes before on a man.

“And he said, 'I greatly admire your work'. And I said, ‘God, I wish I could say the same’… Well, I muttered it.”

Bowie would later go on to contribute the title track to the 1986 film version of Brigg's book When the Wind Blows. According to The Guardian, he had wanted to record the entire soundtrack, but was banned from doing so by record label EMI.

The Guardian also reported there had actually been two scarves. The second had been given to actor and singer Bernard Cribbins, who narrated a release of the film's music, but he reportedly left it in a taxi.

The Snowman, along with 2012 sequel The Snowman and the Snowdog, will be broadcast on Channel 4 multiple times over the Christmas period, or are available to watch now on channel4.com.