Andrew Cotter is a TV sports broadcaster who commentates on events such as Wimbledon, The Olympics or golf and rugby but, deprived of gainful employment due to a pandemic, made videos with his two Labradors which have since gathered almost 90 million views worldwide. He is the author of two books about his dogs, Olive, Mabel and Me, and Dog Days: A Year with Olive and Mabel.
Today, Andrew Cotter is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about Dog Days and (of course) his two adorable dogs. Read on!
Andrew Cotter, with Olive and Mabel.
Please tell us about your book, Dog Days: A Year with Olive and Mabel!
AC: It’s a diary of the past year and all the oddness contained within it. It describes the ongoing strangeness of the Olive and Mabel phenomenon, but it also chronicles the rather bizarre nature of the everyday, for all of us, as we tried to make our way through life, doing whatever we could to get by.
In that, it seems to highlight the contrast between the virtual world – which we have all come to inhabit rather more – and the real world, which has been denied us of late.
It’s been a year since Olive and Mabel “chewed up the internet”. How much has life changed for you all since then?
AC: Well, it’s 18 months now since the first video and we have just finished our first theatre tour – selling out venues around the country. I have done some curious things in my life through my career in sports broadcasting, but Olive and Mabel have taken it in an entirely different direction. For the dogs themselves, life hasn’t really changed – they still get fed, they still get walks, they still sleep. What else matters?
The blurb of Dog Days reveals that you’ve turned down lots of merchandise and advertising deals. Why was it important for you to do that?
AC: The whole Olive and Mabel ‘thing’ has been an escape from the human world. I like to think that it has an innocence and charm – videos which you can lose yourself in as a diversion from everything else in our lives. If Olive and Mabel were suddenly to appear alongside a product, all that charm and innocence has gone.
You’re also a sports broadcaster for the BBC. How did you get into that line of work and what do you love about it?
AC: I rather fell into it by not really knowing what else to do. I had a love of language and a degree (French & Philosophy) that qualified me for very little, so I applied for a job with a local radio station in Scotland and it all developed from that point.
In commentary you largely do the same sports events each year, but every time they are different – you never know how the story is going to play out. It is also an enormous privilege to be describing a great match on Centre Court at Wimbledon, or The Masters, or the Olympic Opening Ceremony. To be part of the soundtrack and the viewing companion for the millions watching at home is quite a responsibility.
‘I have done some curious things in my life through my career in sports broadcasting, but Olive and Mabel have taken it in an entirely different direction.’
What’s your favourite thing about life with Olive and Mabel?
AC: It’s probably just the same simple thing that all dog owners feel about their own companions – that they are always there to cheer you up when you are feeling down, that they are there to welcome you home as if your return from the supermarket is the greatest event in history. They are the ideal, if somewhat greedy accomplices in life.
What is one thing you would say to anyone thinking of taking the plunge and getting a dog?
AC: Be very, very aware of the time and effort required to be a responsible dog owner. Having said that they are perfect companions, there is a caveat. Dogs are not the just the fun, silly, cute animals you see on TV or social media but creatures that demand a lot of attention. But if you are prepared to put in the work you’ll get so much more back from them.
What do you hope readers will discover in Dog Days?
AC: They might discover a bit more about Olive and Mabel, which they would enjoy, and perhaps something more about their owner – which might not be such a good thing. But a diary simply takes you through life and a reader might therefore realise that all the strange things which they were doing to get through these decidedly odd days were the same things that we were all doing. They might see that we have all been having our ups and downs and that even though we feel more separated than ever, we remain somehow connected. They might also be able to laugh at a lot of the frankly ridiculous things we humans do, compared to the simple existence of dogs. They will also discover that the dog next door worships Olive.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
AC: Rugby internationals coming up in November – Australia and New Zealand even making it to Europe. I look forward to making that journey in reverse again. But more immediately I’ve got to go and walk the dogs. That’s usually the next thing on my agenda …
Thanks Andrew!
—Dog Days: A Year with Olive and Mabel (Text Publishing) is out now.
Dog Days
A Year with Olive and Mabel
Now with more than 87 million views on YouTube, lockdown superstar Labradors Olive and Mabel are back with a second book about their meteoric year of fame.
In Dog Days- A Year with Olive & Mabel, join Andrew Cotter as he takes you behind the scenes and into the pages of his diary to reveal just how extraordinary the year has been, and what really happened after his lockdown superstar Labradors chewed up the internet and found it was quite tasty...
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