Selecting 11 songs across her many decades of recorded music is a fool’s errand, but there are some classics that stand above others. Here are a few across her discography — from country songs that challenge traditional gender dynamics to the greatest ballad ever committed to record. Listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.

1968: “Just Because I’m a Woman”

Parton was long celebrated for the feminist themes throughout her music. That progressive sociopolitical stance is evident from the beginning of her career, which overlapped with the emergence of the women’s liberation movement. On the country classic “Just Because I’m a Woman,” Parton’s protagonist reminds her partner he need not judge her for having previous sexual partners — after all, he's had some, too. “My mistakes are no worse than yours,” she sings, “Just because I’m a woman.” She said the song was inspired by a conversation with her late husband, Carl Dean, who asked her if she’d been with any men before they met.

1971: “Coat of Many Colors”

The quintessential example of Parton the raconteur is “Coat of Many Colors.” It’s an autobiographical tale about her mother, who made a coat for Parton out of rags. She was mocked by other kids but understood its value. “Now I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be,” she sings, “In my coat of many colors my momma made for me.”

1973: “Jolene”

It is not only one of Parton’s best-known hits, but also one of the best-known country music songs of all time. “Jolene” was inspired by Dean; Parton told NPR in 2008 that she wrote the song about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in him.

“She got this terrible crush on my husband,” she said. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So, it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”

1974: “I Will Always Love You”

The second single from Parton’s 13th studio album, “I Will Always Love You” is most known for its rendition by Whitney Houston. But the Parton original was written for Porter Wagoner ahead of her departure from “The Porter Wagoner Show.” (She left in 1974, having collaborated with him since 1967.) There have been several versions, but none as resonant as Houston’s, recorded in 1992 for the soundtrack to “The Bodyguard.” The song topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks.

1977: “Here You Come Again”

Parton wrote an overwhelming number of her hits, which makes “Here You Come Again” an interesting outlier. It was penned by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, first recorded by B.J. Thomas and originally conceived with the idea that Brenda Lee would record it. The song made its way to Parton and became a tentpole pop crossover hit for the country artist. But make no mistake — Parton made sure the steel guitar was heard loud and proud.

1980: “9 to 5”

Enter Parton, the Hollywood star. It begins with the sound of a typewriter. (That clacking sound? Parton originally conceived of it by striking her long acrylic nails together.) The ebullient “9 to 5” was written for the 1980 film of the same name, which starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Parton in her acting debut. The song also appears on her album “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs.” Lyrically, it celebrates women in the workplace and serves as a battle cry for pay equity; it earned Parton her first Oscar nomination.

1983: “Islands in the Stream,” with Kenny Rogers

By the 1980s, Parton had fashioned herself as a mainstream celebrity. On “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers, her clarion soprano makes for perfect harmonies. That shouldn’t come as any surprise, but perhaps this will: The song was written by the Bee Gees. Barry Gibb maintained it was meant for Diana Ross, while Robin Gibb said it was meant for Marvin Gaye. Whatever the case, it got to Parton and Rogers, and the rest is history. It's also a reminder of how R&B and country music are inextricably linked.

1989: “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That”

Before this triumphant return to capital-C country music, there was a deeper detour into ’80s drum machine-heavy pop. (If there's a single Parton album to consider skipping, it is 1987’s “Rainbow.”) But what came after, 1989’s “White Limozeen,” should be celebrated for “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That,” with its steel guitar, banjo, mandolins, Pedabro and a fierce fiddle courtesy of Ricky Skaggs — all while Parton playfully objectifies a man with a cheeky wink.

1999: “The Grass Is Blue”

“I’ve had to think up a way to survive,” Parton opens the title track to her 1999 album “The Grass Is Blue.” She said she wrote the bluegrass ballad in 30 minutes, during a lunch break while filming “Blue Valley Songbird,” a made-for-television musical drama about a woman who tries to leave an abusive partner. It features her scratch vocals — a demo meant to serve as a blueprint for the final recording — providing an additional rawness to a song of impossible pain. “And the sky is green / and the grass is blue,” she sings. “And I don’t love you.”

2001: “Little Sparrow”

If there is anything resembling a dip in Parton’s overwhelming popularity, it arrived in the ’90s, when country listeners instead embraced the glossy pop-country of Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes. A pivot arrived at the end of that decade and into the one that followed, when Parton endeavored to make roots albums — pulling from bluegrass, country, gospel and Appalachian folk — that reinvigorated her music career. The heartbreaking a cappella harmonies of the title track on her 2001 album “Little Sparrow,” released one year after the death of her father and dedicated to him, are further evidence of her greatness. Parton’s is a voice that knows no bounds. But to remind people of that fact? Sometimes it takes going back home.

2014: “Blue Smoke”

No one writes place like Parton. On “Blue Smoke,” with its youthful choo-choo spirit, Parton brings the listener into her childhood home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, gorgeous, desolate and nostalgic. “Blue Smoke climbin’ up the mountain, Blue Smoke windin’ ’round the bend / Blue Smoke is the name of the heartbreak train that I am ridin’ in,” she sings. “I left a note, I wrote, ‘I’m leaving and I won’t be coming back’ / Blue Smoke rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling down the track.”

“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said in a statement Tuesday.

Known for her curvy physique, massive blond wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. Parton, who plucked bejeweled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances, was a generous philanthropist and successful businesswoman whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.

Her career was forever influenced by her upbringing as one of 12 children born into what she called a “dirt poor” Tennessee family. She started her education nonprofit, Imagination Library, to send free books to children in Tennessee because her father, who quit school to work on the farm, struggled to learn to read.

Parton's first musical performances were in church, where her grandfather was a preacher. By age 10, she was learning guitar and singing on local television shows. At 13, she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, where Johnny Cash introduced her as “a little girl here from up in East Tennessee.”

With a suitcase of songs, she followed her uncle, Bill Owens, also a songwriter, to Nashville after graduating high school in 1964. Fred Foster, who produced Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and more, saw her potential and got her songs cut by other artists, as well as recording and releasing Parton singing her own material. By the mid-1970s, Parton was a Nashville queen.

A key collaboration launched Parton to fame

Parton's partnership with Porter Wagoner, a pencil-thin pompadoured star with flashy rhinestone outfits, was key to her career. She honed her acting skills on his syndicated TV show and he advocated for her to get a record deal at RCA. Their first duet, “The Last Thing On My Mind,” was released in 1967, the same year she started her own publishing company.

While their duets were often big radio hits, Parton's solo singles didn’t chart as high at first. With Wagoner as a co-producer, she began to adjust her country warble to a more polished, pop-leaning style.

She got her first No. 1 solo single with “Joshua,” and reached the Top 5 with the ballad “Coat of Many Colors,” about how her mother sewed together scraps of clothes to make a coat Parton wore “so proudly” even as her peers mocked her for being poor. The song, with its Biblical references and ode to maternal love, was later made into a children’s book and a TV movie.

In 1973, she had the hit that made her career — “Jolene,” a country music standard with its steady, churning rhythm and Parton's repeated delivery of the title as she pleads for the woman not to steal her man.

The song topped the country charts, crossing over to pop and later being released internationally, opening up new audiences for Parton. “Jolene” is one of her most covered compositions, including by Miley Cyrus (Parton’s goddaughter), Olivia Newton-John and The White Stripes.

She left Wagoner’s show in 1974, amid reports of squabbling between the two, although they continued to record together and Wagoner stayed her producer for years after that. But the relationship turned litigious when Wagoner sued her in 1979 for millions in management fees and royalties.

A push into pop music brought her first Grammy

She followed “Jolene” with a huge hit in 1974, “I Will Always Love You,” an ode and farewell to Wagoner that helped her win the Country Music Association’s female vocalist of the year back-to-back in 1975 and 1976. She famously turned down Elvis Presley, who wanted to record it, because she would not share publishing rights.

Decades later, Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” became a smash for the soundtrack of her 1992 film “The Bodyguard,” and broke sales records. Houston won a Grammy for her performance in 1994, presented to her by Parton.

“Here You Come Again,” a pop crossover hit and one of the few she didn’t write, further established Parton as a multi-genre entertainer and brought her first Grammy Award in 1979.

“A lot of people thought I had totally lost my mind,” she told The Associated Press in 1979 of changing her singing style. “But I had no fear of change. I expected success, but I was braced for failure. I didn’t care if people thought I was wrong. In my own heart, I knew I was doing the right thing.”

Parton's other crossover hits included the title song from “9 to 5,” the 1980 comedy starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin; and her duet with longtime friend Kenny Rogers, “Islands in the Stream,” written by brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. In 1987, she collaborated with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on the million-selling “Trio” album.

Rhinestones and wicked humor helped her cut a unique figure

For millions of fans, she was simply “Dolly,” a mixture of Southern charm, humor and glamour. But she was also considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her own career, writing her own songs, owning her content and looking after her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men.

Parton was open to making fun of herself; when she hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1989 she told the writers that her only restrictions were she wouldn’t curse and she wouldn’t make fun of Jesus. She regularly joked about her breasts or her dumb blonde appearance, but with a wink that she was the one controlling the laughs. In the memoir “My Life So Far,” Fonda remembered Parton's way with a wisecrack, “usually high raunch,” and a laugh that was “somewhere between a girl's giggle, an explosive shriek, and a cascade of little bells."

After her gown split down the front when she won CMA's entertainer of the year in 1978, Parton quipped: “My Daddy said that's what I got for putting 50 pounds of mud in a five-pound bag.”

Throughout her career, she embraced a glamorous style, often wearing custom curve-hugging rhinestone dresses and bodysuits even if they drew tsk-tsks from others in the industry. Her look was always a part of her larger musical business plan.

“I knew my songs were good even if I had been ugly as sin,” she told the AP in 2014. “So I thought, ‘Well, I would have probably chose to look this way even if I had been a waitress.’ I mean, this is my look. I mean, I like a lot of makeup. I like a lot of hair. I like flashy clothes. I like to show it off. But that’s just who I am.”

She married Carl Dean, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid-1960s; they were together until his death in 2025 at the age of 82. Though rarely seen in public, he was an influence on her career. She told NPR that she wrote “Jolene” about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean.

‘9 to 5’ took her to Hollywood, and then Broadway

In her first major film role, Parton played alongside Fonda and Tomlin as office workers who rebel against their tyrannical boss in “9 to 5.” Critic Roger Ebert called her a “natural-born movie star” and the title song earned her two Grammy Awards and a ranking of 78 on the American Film Institute's list of top 100 movie songs. Starring roles in “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas” and “Steel Magnolias” followed.

"I never thought of myself as a movie star," she told AP’s Bob Thomas in 1979. "I knew I'd be a star, but as a singer or as a writer of songs or books or poetry. I wanted to be a famous performer and wear flashy clothes, but singing in movies was not one of my ambitions. My family lived in the mountains and we didn't see movies.”

Her love affair with TV and film continued for decades, with appearances alongside Cyrus on “Hannah Montana” and adaptations of her music for Christmas specials, films and streaming series. She also became an author, her books ranging from the memoir “Dolly” to a bestselling novel co-authored by James Patterson, “Run, Rose, Run."

The stage adaptation “9 to 5: The Musical” debuted in 2009, and “DOLLY: A True Original Musical” is set to open Jan. 19, 2027, on what would have been her 81st birthday.

She presided over a United States of Dolly

Beyond her music, Parton’s most lasting legacy might be her generosity and broad appeal.

When a deadly wildfire swept through the Smokies in 2016, she held an all-star telethon and set up a foundation that sent monthly checks to residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

She opened up her Dollywood theme park in East Tennessee, a major economic driver in Appalachia that draws tourists from around the country, and established the Dollywood Foundation. She wrote books and memoirs, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Recording Academy. She was selected for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2025.

With 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, Parton is the third-most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Parton spanned social and political divides, through multiple generations of fans, urban and rural and in between. In tumultuous election years, it wasn't uncommon to see “Dolly for President” shirts. But she was strict in not voicing her own political beliefs, often turning aside questions about presidents, candidates, policies and other controversies.

“I don’t do politics," Parton told host Jad Abumrad on his hit podcast “Dolly Parton's America."

"I have too many fans on both sides of the fence. Of course, I have my opinion about everything, but I learned years ago to keep your mouth shut about things.”

When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation sent out a ballot in 2022 with her name on it, though she said she felt she hadn't earned it, the voters answered with a “Hello, Dolly." Parton showed up to the induction ceremony, performed and then put out a rock album.

The statement described Parton as a “global icon and humanitarian” and identified her as a singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actor, playwright and author.

It said she “died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee,” but did not provide a cause of death.

Parton’s nephew Brian Seaver announced the death in a video posted through her official social-media accounts, according to reports from the BBC and ITV News.

Seaver, who was identified by ITV as Parton’s head of security, said in the video that she had been “sister, sis, Aunt Granny, to one generation and Gigi to the next.”

He also said, “Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” according to the BBC’s account of the announcement.

The family statement said Parton was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Carl Thomas Dean, as well as her parents, Avie Lee Caroline Owens and Robert Lee Parton Sr.

Recent Health Reports

Parton had acknowledged health concerns in the days before her death, according to entertainment and news reports published earlier in August.

She missed a scheduled appearance at Dollywood after her doctor advised her not to travel because of ongoing health issues, The Washington Times reported.

Parton had also told People that she was dealing with “some health issues” that she had neglected while caring for Dean during his illness.

Those reports did not identify a specific diagnosis or establish a cause of death.

Parton’s representatives had continued to describe projects connected to her music, hospitality and theme-park businesses during the month.

A Seven-Decade Career

Parton’s public-relations team said her career lasted seven decades and that her music inspired multiple generations of artists and fans.

The Associated Press described her as an iconic songwriter, singer and actor whose work extended across music, film and television.

Her best-known songs included “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” according to reporting on her death.

Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You,” which became widely known through her own recordings and later interpretations by other artists.

Her songwriting was a central part of her public identity, alongside her distinctive voice, stage presence and business ventures.

Parton also established a major presence in film and television, including work associated with “9 to 5” and other projects.

Her career connected country music with mainstream pop culture while retaining a strong association with East Tennessee, where she was raised.

Philanthropy and Public Legacy

Parton’s influence extended beyond entertainment through philanthropic initiatives, including programs supporting children’s access to books and literacy.

The family statement said her philanthropic work would have a lasting impact.

She was also closely associated with Dollywood, the theme park in Tennessee that became one of the region’s major tourism attractions.

Parton’s business and charitable work contributed to a public image that extended beyond the recording industry.

Her team’s statement characterized her legacy as one of “love, compassion, and resilience.”

The statement also emphasized her wit, warmth and kindness, while saying that her songs would continue to resonate with people of all ages.

Response and Next Steps

News organizations in the United States and internationally reported the death after the family announcement on Tuesday.

Initial reports did not include funeral arrangements, memorial plans or additional medical details.

Parton is survived by family members whose individual names and relationships were not fully detailed in the initial public statement.

Her death closes a career that crossed generations and genres while combining commercial success with songwriting, acting, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

Further information about the cause of death and arrangements remains unavailable in the sources reviewed.

Joe first caught widespread public attention in 2017 when a clever April Fools’ Day spelling test prank went viral, showcasing his quick wit and earning him multiple appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Since then, he has continued to expand his reach, bringing his stand-up to audiences across the globe. His material often draws from his personal life—touching on his marriage, the joys and challenges of being a new father, his endearingly funny parents, and the memorable experiences he had as an elementary school teacher.

His work has been featured on major stages and platforms, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, the New York Comedy Festival, and Netflix Is a Joke Fest. Beyond stand-up, Joe also co-hosts the live comedy/game show My Straight Friends, which runs monthly at the iconic Comedy Store in Los Angeles and Emerald City Comedy Club in Seattle.

Off stage, he connects with fans as the co-host of the podcast Social Studies, alongside fellow comedian, teacher, and Netflix reality personality Gaspare Randazzo. Now based in Seattle, Washington, Joe continues to evolve both as a performer and storyteller—while joking that his ultimate ambition might be less about running for mayor of the city and more about becoming PTA president.

Naturally, we had questions… and Joe had answers (and a few jokes along the way).

Fraser uploaded the images to his Instagram account over the weekend of 22 August 2026, according to reports published after the post appeared.

The post consists of a photobooth-style strip showing Fraser and Ramsden posing together, smiling, laughing and sharing a kiss.

Fraser used a white-heart emoji as the caption for the post.

The public post has been described by entertainment outlets as a “hard launch” of the couple’s relationship, a term commonly used to describe a deliberate and public confirmation of a previously private romance.

Neither Fraser nor Ramsden has been reported as giving a separate interview about the relationship.

Support from fans and fellow television figures

The post received messages of support from Fraser’s followers and from people connected with The Traitors.

The Mirror reported that one follower described the couple as “so cute” and another said they were “so happy” for Fraser.

The Daily Mail reported that drag performer Danny Beard commented, “Welcome to the club gayyyy boiiiii,” while fellow *Traitors* cast member Stephen Libby wrote, “The hard launch we LOVE to see.”

The Sun reported that Fraser’s fellow contestant Leanne Quigley responded to the images with the comment, “My whole heart.”

The responses indicate that the announcement was met publicly with encouragement from both fans and entertainment figures.

Who is Bailey Ramsden?

Ramsden has been described in coverage as a model, content creator and social-media influencer.

Attitude reported that Ramsden shares lifestyle and fashion content online.

The Daily Mail described Ramsden as London-based and reported that his social-media account had approximately 11,000 followers at the time of publication.

PinkNews reported that followers had already seen Ramsden appear on Fraser’s social-media platforms for several weeks before the public announcement.

The outlet also reported that Ramsden posted a TikTok earlier in August about starting a new job, with a caption referring to having “a new man.”

Attitude reported that Fraser and Ramsden had appeared on one another’s social-media pages and used language associated with a romantic relationship before Fraser’s Instagram post.

Those earlier posts were not, by themselves, a formal public confirmation of the relationship, while Fraser’s new images clearly identify Ramsden as his boyfriend in media coverage.

Fraser’s television profile

Fraser became known to television audiences through the third UK series of *The Traitors*, which aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in January 2025.

The BBC described Fraser as a politics student from Peterborough.

During the series, Fraser was initially a Faithful before receiving an ultimatum from the Traitor Charlotte Berman and changing allegiance.

Fraser was ultimately banished during the penultimate episode of the series.

The third series concluded with Faithfuls Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley winning the competition and sharing a reported prize of £94,600.

The programme’s popularity gave Fraser a substantial public profile before his relationship announcement.

Relationship history and privacy

Fraser’s new relationship follows his reported split from Nisha Davenport, described by coverage as his university sweetheart.

The Sun reported in July 2025 that Fraser and Davenport had separated earlier that year after a trip to Budapest.

The outlet described the earlier separation as amicable and said there was no drama between the former couple.

Reports about Fraser and Ramsden have referred to the announcement as Fraser’s first publicly reported relationship with a man.

However, Fraser has not been reported as making a detailed public statement about his sexual orientation, and the available coverage does not establish a label he uses for himself.

For that reason, the most precise description is that Fraser has publicly introduced Ramsden as his boyfriend and shared images of the pair kissing, rather than assigning Fraser an identity label he has not publicly chosen.

The post represents a significant change in how Fraser has chosen to present his personal life publicly, while the couple’s broader relationship remains private beyond their social-media appearances.

The Oscar-winning actor made the comments in a forthcoming episode of Tea With Judi Dench a Sky Arts programme in which she speaks with Sir Ian McKellen about their lives, careers and friendship.

“It’s a private matter, but nobody should ever feel that they can’t intrinsically be themselves,” Dench said in an excerpt reported ahead of the programme’s broadcast.

She added that nobody should be made to feel they had to declare anything about themselves, including their “sexuality, religion” or age.

“It’s not about what we do but as long as people can live authentically as themselves, I feel that that is quite important,” Dench said.

The remarks form part of a conversation between two longstanding friends, one of whom is openly gay and has spent decades speaking publicly about LGBTQ+ rights and the importance of personal freedom.

McKellen reflects on coming out and Section 28

McKellen is expected to discuss coming out as gay and his role in opposing Section 28, the policy introduced under the government of Margaret Thatcher that prohibited local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality.

The actor is also expected to speak about what he has described as one of his greatest regrets: not telling his parents the truth about his sexuality.

In the programme, McKellen also warns that rights that are established can still be removed.

“We should always be alert to the possibility that established rights can be removed,” McKellen said, according to the previewed interview.

He continued by saying that telling younger people how freedoms were won could, “one day, regrettably, come in handy.”

The discussion therefore connects McKellen’s personal experience of concealing his sexuality with the wider history of legal and political battles affecting LGBTQ+ people in the United Kingdom.

A friendship spanning the stage

Dench and McKellen have been friends for more than five decades and have appeared together in several stage productions.

Their shared theatrical work includes *The Promise* in 1967, *Too True To Be Good* in 1975 and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1976 production of *Macbeth*.

A preview clip shows McKellen telling Dench that he had been “in the depths of stage fright” before receiving her support.

“What magic empathy you had,” McKellen tells her in the clip.

The programme’s wider conversation covers Shakespeare, performance anxiety and the insecurities associated with acting in major film franchises.

It also addresses their experiences of global fame through Dench’s work in the James Bond films and McKellen’s roles in *The Lord of the Rings* and the *X-Men* films.

The special was filmed at Dench’s home in Surrey.

Dench described the project as a privilege and said she was pleased to share the experience with McKellen.

She also said the programme would capture moments of friendship and continue the conversations begun in the series’ first instalment.

Broadcast details

*Tea With Judi Dench* is a one-hour special produced by Mindhouse for Sky Arts.

The programme is scheduled to air on Monday, August 31, on Sky Arts, Freeview and the streaming service NOW.

The preceding episode featured Sir Kenneth Branagh speaking with Dench at her Surrey home.

Sky said the new episode would continue the programme’s focus on conversation, storytelling and friendship.

The production’s executive producer is Nancy Strang, while Laurence Turnbull is credited as director and Suzy Burnet as production executive.

The programme’s discussion of sexuality is presented through McKellen’s own account of coming out and Dench’s support for the principle that people should neither be prevented from being themselves nor compelled to disclose private aspects of their identity.

Groff said that when Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) co-artistic director Daniel Evans emailed to ask whether he would consider playing Rosalind, he replied with the subject line “Holy f****** s***.”

The invitation followed Evans’s experience of seeing Groff perform as Bobby Darin in the Broadway musical Just in Time.

Groff’s casting places a Tony Award-winning Broadway performer in the central role of Rosalind for his first appearance with the company.

The RSC’s All-Male Production

The RSC has announced that every role in the production will be performed by men, including the play’s female characters.

Rosalind is one of Shakespeare’s most prominent roles. In the play, the character disguises herself as a young man named Ganymede after being banished from the court, creating a layered theatrical identity that continues through much of the comedy.

The RSC has described the production as a celebration of love in its different forms.

The casting announcement is significant because the staging marks the first all-male production under the RSC's current artistic leadership of Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.

Daniel Evans is directing the production. Because Evans is also the RSC’s co-artistic director, this staging forms part of the company’s main artistic programme rather than a separately presented visiting project.

Cast and Creative Team

The production features Fisayo Akinade as Celia, Elliot Barnes-Worrell as Orlando, and Gary Wilmot in the dual roles of Duke Frederick and Duke Senior, alongside Richard McCabe as Jaques and Greg Haiste as Touchstone.

The full acting company also includes Giles Cooper, Jamal Franklin, Steffan Harri, Steffan Hughes, Rhys Parry Jones, Edward Judge, Gareth Kennerley, Luke McCall, Tim Preston, Caleb Roberts, and Gareth Snook.

The creative team includes set design by Anisha Fields, costumes by Colin Richmond, lighting by Ryan Day, and sound by Paul Groothuis, with composition by Theo Jamieson and movement direction by Michela Meazza. Voice direction is led by Patsy Rodenburg and Paula Stephens, with fight direction by Kev McCurdy and dramaturg Dr. Will Tosh.

Why the Casting Has Drawn Attention

The production combines a major British classical-theatre institution with a leading Broadway performer who is widely known for musical-theatre work and screen roles.

Groff has received particular recognition for his performances in Spring Awakening, Hamilton, and Merrily We Roll Along, as well as for voicing Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen films.

His role as Rosalind represents a move from his recent portrayal of Darin, a 1950s American singer and entertainer, into one of Shakespeare’s most demanding romantic-comedy parts.

The RSC’s production also revives a long-established theatrical convention in which men performed women’s roles on the Elizabethan stage.

That historical context does not define Groff’s personal identity, and the available reports describe the casting as a theatrical decision concerning the production’s company and artistic concept.

Performance Dates

The production is scheduled to run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from September 26 through November 7, 2026. The press night is scheduled for October 6.

The RSC’s announcement of the completed cast on August 17 supplied the most recent confirmed production information before Groff’s comments about his initial reaction were reported on August 24.

For Groff, the opportunity will mark his RSC debut and his first Shakespeare role with the company. His four-word email subject, as reported with profanity partially masked in published accounts, has become the clearest public expression of his enthusiasm for joining the production.

Introducing Harcourt during her opening monologue on Thursday, August 20, O’Donnell called him her “new man-crush” and joked, “Dear Lord, help me.”

O’Donnell said Harcourt had appeared in Hamilton and The Lion King, while also joking that he had occupied her dreams “every night for the past six weeks.”

She then clarified that her admiration was not a declaration of changed sexual orientation, saying, “I’m still a lesbian,” before adding the comic phrase, “Though tonight, I’m just a little less-bian.”

The segment followed earlier comments from O’Donnell about Harcourt during an interview with comedian Amy Poehler, in which she described him as exceptionally talented and said her admiration did not translate into wanting sexual intimacy with him.

Harcourt’s Role in CATS: The Jellicle Ball

Harcourt’s performance as Rum Tum Tugger was central to O’Donnell’s enthusiasm. The production reimagined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1982 musical through the lens of New York City’s underground ballroom scene.

In this staging, Rum Tum Tugger was presented as a swaggering, frequently shirtless character, an interpretation that O’Donnell repeatedly referenced while discussing Harcourt’s performance.The production debuted Off-Broadway at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) in Lower Manhattan. Following an incredibly successful, heavily extended run, the production officially closed on August 11, 2026.

The critically acclaimed show received nine Drama Desk Award nominations and won three, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical. The production was directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch.

O’Donnell’s Five Visits

O’Donnell told Harcourt that she saw CATS: The Jellicle Ball five times during its run.

She said the performances were sold out and included standing ovations during the show.

O’Donnell also recalled seeing Harcourt perform up close after serving as a guest judge, saying she was not prepared for the effect of his performance and joking that she thought she might have a heart attack.

During the late-night appearance, she described her reaction as unexpectedly making her think that “maybe things are different than I already thought.”

Her remarks were framed as humor and admiration rather than a claim about her sexual identity.

Harcourt on Confidence and Representation

During the interview, O’Donnell told Harcourt that she could not take her eyes off him onstage and praised him as both a singer and a dancer.

Harcourt said he initially felt pressure to perform what he believed “the sexiest cat” should look like.

He said an associate encouraged him to stop trying so hard, after which he began experimenting with doing less rather than exaggerating the character’s sex appeal.

According to Harcourt, the audience response grew stronger as he relaxed into the role, leading him to realize that he could simply be himself.

He described the production as the kind of representational work he wanted to pursue and said the show could make a major impact.

Harcourt also said he had grown up painfully awkward and shy and had been bullied.

He connected his work as Rum Tum Tugger with developing greater confidence and discovering a sense of personal swagger.

The Interview’s Broader Context

The exchange aired during O’Donnell’s fourth and final night filling in for Jimmy Kimmel.

ABC’s schedule identified Harcourt as a guest on the August 20 episode alongside Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and Shawn Hatosy.

Harcourt’s appearance was also promoted as an interview about CATS: The Jellicle Ball, the production’s closing and his appearance in Playgirl.

The actor also released his first single, “Deviant,” on August 20, according to the interview coverage.

For O’Donnell, the appearance combined a farewell to a recently closed Broadway production with a comic tribute to a performer whose work had made a strong impression on her.

For Harcourt, the conversation offered an opportunity to discuss the artistic choices behind Rum Tum Tugger and the personal confidence he said the role helped him develop.

The segment’s central joke remained consistent throughout: O’Donnell’s “man-crush” was presented as platonic, while her admiration for Harcourt’s stage presence was unmistakable.

The remarks became a subject of renewed attention after Kirk’s eviction and an interview in which Entertainment Weekly asked him to explain a conversation he had with fellow houseguest Rick Devens.

During that conversation, Kirk saw houseguest Drew wearing pajamas belonging to Mallory and said, “Miss me with the drag stuff, miss me with the women’s clothes. I’m still an MMA guy, and I have an image to uphold.”

The comment was criticized by viewers who interpreted it as homophobic or as suggesting that wearing clothing associated with women or drag was unacceptable.

Asked what he meant, Kirk rejected the characterization that he intended to express hostility toward drag or toward Jason De Puy, who performs in drag as Salina EsTitties.

“Oh, no, no, man,” Kirk said when asked about the criticism.

Kirk Says He Loves Jason Personally

Kirk said his relationship with Jason had been affected by the game but maintained that the dispute was not personal.

“With the whole comment, I love Jason,” Kirk said.

“On a personal level, I love Jason,” he added, while explaining that their interests in the competition had not aligned and that there had been tension between them in the game.

Kirk also referred to Jason’s eviction, saying he felt bad seeing him upset and had attempted to console him, although Jason did not accept the gesture at the time.

Kirk said he understood that emotions were high during the eviction and again described his feelings toward Jason as personal rather than strategic.

Gold Derby reported that Kirk said he had a “really good relationship” with Jason during the first two and a half weeks of the competition.

Kirk’s comments came after former Big Brother contestant Frankie Grande described the original remark as homophobic, according to Gold Derby.

Kirk told Gold Derby, “I was not trying to offend any community. I love Jason.”

A Statement About Personal Choice

In his Entertainment Weekly interview, Kirk framed his explanation around personal autonomy.

“And Jason and all those guys, they can dress however they wanna dress,” Kirk said. “And that’s cool with me.”

Kirk then said he wanted the same freedom to choose how he dressed without being pressured to adopt clothing or a presentation in which he did not feel comfortable.

“But I also wanna be able to dress the way that I wanna be able to dress and feel comfortable dressing without people putting pressure on me to dress a certain way either,” he said.

Kirk concluded that part of the interview by saying he loved Jason personally, that Jason could do whatever he wanted and that he was asking for the same respect in return.

The distinction Kirk drew was between his own unwillingness to participate in drag and what he described as his view that other people should be free to dress as they choose.

His explanation does not erase the wording of the original exchange, which specifically linked rejecting “drag stuff” and women’s clothes with maintaining an image as an MMA fighter.

That wording was the basis for the criticism reported by entertainment outlets and discussed by viewers online.

Jason’s Drag Persona and the House Controversy

Jason De Puy is identified in the coverage as a professional drag performer whose drag persona is Salina EsTitties.

The comments therefore drew particular attention because Jason was part of the season’s cast and because the conversation concerned gender expression while he was in the house.

Out reported that the conflict became more personal after Kirk was heard making additional comments about Jason, including, “I’m going to blow his whole spot up. I’m going to end that man’s whole career.”

Out also reported that Salina EsTitties responded to the controversy after Kirk’s comments circulated.

The available Entertainment Weekly interview did not include a response from Jason or Salina to Kirk’s explanation.

Kirk was asked whether he would attend a performance by Jason as Salina.

“I’m not sure,” Kirk replied, while saying he hoped to see Jason on the show’s finale night.

Kirk said he would like to hug Jason and make clear that he loved him “on a human level” and hoped they could become friends.

What Kirk’s Explanation Does—and Does Not—Establish

Kirk’s interview establishes his stated intention: he says he did not mean to offend an LGBTQ+ community, does not object to Jason or other people dressing as they wish and wants his own clothing choices respected.

It does not establish whether Jason accepted that explanation or whether the two have reconciled outside the house.

The account also does not change what Kirk said in the original exchange, which remains the central reason viewers and commentators characterized the remarks as anti-drag or homophobic.

For now, Kirk’s public position is that the comment was not intended as an attack on Jason, drag performers or LGBTQ+ people, while his critics continue to focus on the language he used and its implications.