Andrew Cotter – författare

When sporting events were put on hold in March 2020, commentator Andrew Cotter shifted to working from home. The one-on-one competitors? His two Labrador retrievers, Olive and Mabel. In the hilarious videos that ensued, the dogs engage in various contests, from bone-snatching and breakfast-eating to crushing it on the dog walk, while Cotter narrates to hilarious effect. The scene of Mabel, simply standing still in a fetid pond was one of the most popular. Why? Because this is how dogs live, and Cotter captured it with humor and joy. It’s why the series has been viewed more than 50 million times, entertaining dog owners, sports fans and celebrities around the world. Olive and Mabel are more than online celebrities, however, as revealed in this charming narrative. Filled with stories about how Cotter fell in love with his dogs, his passion for hiking with them through the glens and over the peaks of his native Scotland, and the ongoing relationship between Olive and Mabel (particularly the “competitive fire” lit during these days of quarantine), the memoir is by turns side-splittingly funny and thoughtfully tender. It’s sure to resonate with all dog lovers.

"Beautifully written ... as funny as you would hope."The TimesOLIVE & MABEL: two of the internet's favourite dogs!ANDREW COTTER: one of our best-loved commentators.Olive and Mabel are the Labradors that broke the internet. With more than 50 million views on social media, Andrew Cotter's brilliant commentaries on videos of his Labradors have resonated with dog owners and sports fans around the world, giving us all something to smile about in this most testing of years, as Olive and Mabel entertained us with their Dinner Contest, Game of Bones, Zoom Meeting, Online Dating and more over the last six months.Now, in OLIVE, MABEL & ME, Andrew tells the heart-warming story of life with his two famous Labradors. This is the full story of their unexpected rise to internet stardom, their lives together, how the dogs are dealing with their new-found fame (celebrity fans, more offers of biscuits etc), and how trips to the beaches and the mountains help them all find peace and happiness away from a hectic world.Above all, OLIVE, MABEL & ME is a book about the love we have for our dogs and the companionship and joy they bring. And about how we can all benefit from being just a little bit more Labrador...Brilliantly observed, touching and laugh-out-loud funny, OLIVE, MABEL & ME is a treat for dog lovers everywhere.

'Warm, funny, touching, uplifting' CLARE BALDINGOLIVE & MABEL: two of the internet's favourite dogs!ANDREW COTTER: one of our best-loved commentators.In a year like no other, the antics of two beautiful Labradors, Olive and Mabel - along with hilarious commentaries by Andrew Cotter - lightened the darkest days of lockdown. With nearly 90 million views on social media, Olive and Mabel's videos have resonated with dog lovers around the world.Now, OLIVE, MABEL & ME tells the heart-warming story of Andrew's two famous Labradors. Olive - sensible, measured but always keen to roll in something she shouldn't. Mabel - endearing, slightly scatty but game for any adventure. Their star quality has taken the internet by storm and continues to give us all a much-needed treat in tough times.Beautifully written, touching and laugh-out-loud funny, this is not only the story of Olive and Mabel but also the story of the love we have for our dogs and the boundless joy they bring us each and every day.

Are you sitting nicely? Good. Let’s discover exactly what happened after two superstar Labradors chewed up the lockdown internet and found it really quite tasty.He's not kept a diary for decades but here, in Dog Days, Andrew Cotter draws inspiration from the great Samuel Pepys; like him, he bears witness to the extraordinary everyday as the world tilts on its axis in our own unsettling era.And so, with Olive and Mabel at his side - actually, dawdling in the long grass or sleeping upside down - Andrew takes a clear-eyed, often hilarious walk through a year that encompasses all of life from the crushingly mundane to the decidedly odd.Followed by whispers of 'Is that really Olive and Mabel?' - not to mention the occasional Hollywood approach - the three of them pad around literary festivals, breakfast TV, live radio and even an appearance on Good Morning America. Slightly bemused by their fame, Andrew not only pitches up in the iconic Mastermind chair, but makes a return to sports broadcasting to find that it has become rather strange as well.But, always, his pair of utterly endearing, endlessly optimistic and eternally hungry canine companions show just how precious our time is. Especially our time spent in the devoted company of dogs. For fans new and old, this witty, insightful account of a year like no other is an unmissable treat.