Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon has expressed regret over turning down an opportunity to interview country music legend Dolly Parton. Brydon, whose debut children's book is set to be published in September, visited Parton's Dollywood theme park as part of his BBC series Rob Brydon's Honky Tonk Road Trip. It was during this visit that the chance to speak with Parton arose, but he ultimately declined.
Brydon's new book, titled The Cat in The Cupboard, is aimed at children aged five to seven and will be released on September 10. The inspiration for the story came from tales Brydon invented for his own children about their pet ginger cat. He described the process of creating stories and songs for his own enjoyment and expressed his excitement about sharing this new work with others.
The narrative of The Cat in The Cupboard, which is written entirely in rhyme, follows the adventurous escapades of a cat named Crumble in his garden. Brydon explained the specific idea stemmed from a change in their cat flap's location. "I just remember saying, 'Oh, the cat in the cupboard, the cat in the cupboard, that sounds nice'," he recalled, referencing the cat's new entry point into the house via a cupboard.