‘Barking Blondes’ eye future successes after active year

With the help of their beloved canine companions Molly and Matilda, Jo and Anna have starred on the radio, in print and, more recently, on The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Before achieving success as a radio presenter for BBC London, Jo was born and raised in Horsham, and the pair visited the town centre tearoom Pretty Things earlier this month.

In front of an audience that spent much of the evening laughing at the duo’s lively tales, Jo and Anna discussed their year, highlighted by the release of their book, Barking Blondes.

They also participated in an animated question and answer session and signed copies of the book.

After the talk, Jo said: “The book came out in June and every single weekend since we’ve been at a dog show - selling our books, putting them in our boots in our Minis and moving on.

“What we want now is a second book.”

Barking Blondes followed the glamorous lives led by Molly, Matilda and their doting owners.

The second book release promises to be more serious in tone than the first.

Anna said topics will include ‘diet, self-help, helping them live longer and how to cope when they die’.

She said: “We have got enough material.

“You get the sense of grief that happens when the dog leaves you, probably more so than some family members.

“We want them to stay around for as long as possible.”

Barking at the Moon, the duo’s popular radio show, has lured celebrities such as popstars Robbie Williams and Jessie J to talk about their love of all things dog.

And the pair have proven popular with viewers since making their television debut.

Jo said: “Alan Titchmarsh happened in the autumn and that was amazing, it has given us such a major boost.

“We always said ‘if only we could get a TV gig’.”

Jo and Anna will appear in the new series of the programme next month, and have been invited to judge at Crufts in March.

Jo, 58, grew up in Horsham, where some of her family still live, and attended Horsham High School for Girls.

She said: “I ran away from Horsham because I thought it was caught in a time warp, but now I’m back I really love it - people really do care about each other.

“I feel like I’m coming home.”