Pudsey goes to Hollywood

…but can Britain’s favourite pooch hit the global big time? The Lady follows Pudsey to America – and discovers it’s no dog’s life

The evening sun is sinking slowly into the Pacific Ocean. In a stretch limousine purring along Sunset Boulevard, Pudsey the dog is sinking into the car’s thick leather upholstery. He is being driven back to his hotel suite by his liveried chauffeur after a hard dog’s work at the Burbank TV studios. His breath smells slightly of hamburgers.

The six-year-old superstar and his partner-inprime- time Ashleigh Butler have just made their US television debut on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Just like they did in the UK when they won Britain’s Got Talent in May, the pair charmed millions of American viewers with their dancing.

They performed their Mission Impossible routine. This is Pudsey’s favourite, according to Ashleigh. ‘Bam, bam, bam, he gets into it quickly and he likes that,’ she says.

On the chat-show sofa, fellow guest and Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman asked 17-year-old Ashleigh whether Pudsey understands that he is famous. But perhaps the real question should have been, does Pudsey understand that he’s a dog?

‘No. And that’s the problem. He thinks he is a human,’ says Ashleigh. ‘He doesn’t exactly know he is famous, but he knows something has happened. In lots of ways his life is the same, he just has better food.’

When Pudsey came to Hollywood last month, he became a hit overnight. Within days, he had talks with Disney about making a film, he was booked on top chat shows, he got asked for his paw-tograph.

The limo edges through the tra–ffic. Lassie, Beethoven, Eddie from Frasier – they have all padded these streets in search of fame. Not that Pudsey is the slightest bit interested. For, next to the limo’s walnut drinks cabinet, he has discovered a mirrored panel and is utterly rapt – panting a little – as he stares at himself with fascination. ‘Oh, he is terrible. He loves looking at himself in the mirror,’ says Ashleigh.

Pudsey ˜flew to America in Simon Cowell’s private jet. If it wasn’t a thrill for the mutt, it certainly was for the mogul. For part of the ˜flight, Pudsey snoozed in his ‘box’, a kind of poochy playpen. But whenever he popped out for a nosey around, Cowell wanted to play with him. He has to sleep a lot as his life is so full of action. When he’s not training, doing his stretches or being given a massage to ease his joints, he likes to work out on his personal Joggy Doggy treadmill.

Uh oh. Do you see where all this is going? Treadmills. Loves to stare at himself in mirror. Spot the connection? No wonder Simon Cowell loves Pudsey so much. I have to ask if the two boys will be meeting up on this trip to Los Angeles.

‘We are too busy to see Simon,’ laughs Ashleigh. Earlier in the day at the Jay Leno show, Pudsey had very much been the ˜flu€ffy centre of attention. Women, in particular, tend to gaze at him with those soppy, half-mad expressions. Men, however, are not immune to his charms. Outside the set, in the still heat of the afternoon, an aide had secured facilities for his four-legged guest.

‘He can have a comfort break over there. That’ll be real nice and private for him,’ he said, waving Pudsey towards some manicured bushes.

At the studios, Ashleigh had asked for a simple ham sandwich – Pudsey’s favourite snack – to be provided backstage. Instead they were presented with a giant platter of luxury hammy treats, laid out on a shelf for his delectation.

Pudsey’s entourage consists of Ashleigh, her mother Penny, a British publicist, an American publicist and a representative from his management agency.

‘He knows how to work it,’ says Ashleigh, who adds that teaching him to stand on his back legs was the hardest thing to do. It took years to perfect.

But she hadn’t reckoned with the surprising ramifications this trick would have in real life. In his dressing room, when no one was looking, Pudsey quietly and deftly got up on his back legs and padded along the floor, with his front paws inching along the shelf towards the holy grail of ham, so generously provided by his hosts. It was like something out of a Top Cat cartoon.

‘Pudsey, you naughty boy!’ cried Ashleigh, causing Pudsey to rapidly drop back on to all fours and slink away.

Once upon a time, not that long ago, Pudsey was just an ordinary dog from Northamptonshire, who hated water, and people wearing hats. Well, as ordinary as a bichon frise-Border collie-Chinese crested puff ball that can walk on two legs, ever can be. Which is, really, not very.

Then, he and Ashleigh won Britain’s Got Talent and everything changed. ‘It was only eight weeks ago but seems like eight months ago,’ says Ashleigh.

The day after the final, she was sitting her exams. Now she has to make some serious decisions about the future. Pudsey is already worth more than £1m, with a book deal for his ‘autobidography’, published in October.

After the limo drops us off at their hotel in West Hollywood, she can’t even work out if the bed is made or not, but confesses she is appalled after a Skype call home to her father, brother and sister back in Northamptonshire: ‘I could see that there were two dirty cups behind them in the lounge,’ she cries.

She is a very grounded teenager, a wonderful advertisement for the character-building properties of dog training. ‘

I have grown up looking after Pudsey. He depends on me and that has made me disciplined and more responsible.’

She believes that they won BGT because ‘people could see at the end of the day I’m a girl who loves my dog and my dog loves me’.

We go up to the pool on the roof of the hotel, where the sun is setting over Los Angeles. But not on Pudsey, of course, whose exciting showbiz career and new life is just beginning. Does he have a special bitch in his life to share it all with?

‘Boys, girls, he’s not fussy,’ says Ashleigh. ‘He’s in love with Sam, a cocker spaniel back home. He sticks to him like glue whenever he sees him. But if he passes any female dog in heat, he will go nuts, too.’ Well.

He’s certainly come to the right town.