Blink signs book on Parenting Hell by Beckett and Widdicombe

Bonnier Books UK’s commercial nonfiction imprint Blink Publishing has acquired Parenting Hell by comedians Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe, hosts of the number one podcast of the same name.  

Publisher Matt Phillips bought world rights to the “book focused on the madness, absurdity and utter chaos of being a parent“ from Flo Howard and Danny Julian at Off The Kerb.  

The podcast "Parenting Hell" began life in 2020 during the pandemic as "Lockdown Parenting Hell" and has since been downloaded 55 million times. 

Phillips said: “With the ’Parenting Hell’ podcast, Josh and Rob have helped millions of people (and not just parents) face the madness, absurdities and utter chaos of their daily lives. It is a guilt-and-shame-free zone filled with kindness, laughter and the occasional 3 a.m. wake-up call. I can’t wait for everyone to read the book, which reflects all the heart and humour of the podcast, but also goes beyond to a generation of parents wondering if everyone else is making as much of a hash of it as they are.”

Parenting Hell, due for release in October 2022, sees the pair share the challenges and madness of their parenting journeys with “lashings of empathy and extra helpings of laughs” and is filled with “all the things they never tell you at antenatal classes”.

Calling it a charming mixture of humour, rumination and conversation, Blink says it will resonate with prospective parents, new parents, old parents and never-to-be parents alike.

Beckett said: “For all those people out there with hot tired ears, it’s time to give your eyes a run out. There’s loads of new stories about our kids and failures at life. Plus, you will hear from my parents and Lou. Mainly to take the pressure off me with the word count. It’s a family affair.”

Widdicombe added: “’Now we have been given a book deal it is probably the time for me to admit to myself that complaining for an hour a week to Rob about my life has become the most successful thing I have done in 14 years in comedy. I can only imagine how much people will love it now they can read our moaning in book form rather than having to hear it coming from our annoying accents.”