Jilly Cooper: I was jumped on by boss’s husband

THE NOVELIST Jilly Cooper has disclosed that she was once the victim of a sex attack at work.

Speaking to an audience at the Cheltenham Festival, the author revealed that her manager’s husband “jumped” on her in broad daylight while she was loading up a car.

In an interview with the broadcaster Clare Balding, the author was asked for her most “outrageous” work anecdote.

She replied: “I was jumped on by my female boss’s husband while loading up a car. It was around 5pm in the afternoon.

“I just left the job. He was much younger than her which I think is slightly tricky.” She added: “I have no idea if they are still together.”

Later, the author, 79, revealed that the next of her so-called “bonkbusters” may be her last. “I think I only have one more novel in me. I am going to be 80 in February,” she said.

But the book will steer clear of horse racing and show jumping, she said, and will instead revolve around football. It has been provisionally titled

The plot will see the caddish Rupert Campbell-Black take over a club and the book will follow the fortunes of the team’s players and families.

“You make more money out of football,” she said. “I love football. As a child our cat supported Scunthorpe and our golden retriever supported Motherwell.”

Cooper, who still writes all her novels on an old typewriter she has nicknamed Monica, also revealed the worst thing about being a famous novelist was the number of would-be authors who ask for help.

She told fans that an average of three people a day contact her seeking her backing to help them get published.

“I tell you what the worst thing is – and I don’t think it’s just me – but every single day I get about three people writing to me saying, ‘Dear Jilly, I’m writing a book, would you help me get it published? Will you help me edit it? Will you find me an agent?’

“I don’t mind [getting these requests] but I just think I’m a bit busy and I’ve got quite a busy agent.”

She also criticised the practice of people self-publishing books online. “Yes, vanity publishing,” said Cooper. “That’s what my husband Leo called it and he was a very good publisher.”