LET ME POSE FOR PLAYBOY

Dolly Parton is keen to grace the cover of the raunchy magazine in celebration of her 75th birthday

- COLIN HENDRICKS

YOU’D think with every­ thing she’s achieved she’d be content: more awards than she cares to count, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a wax model in her likeness at Madame Tussauds and a staggering $500 million (R8,25 billion) fortune to her name.

And so, as her 75th birthday beckons, it would be reasonable to assume that Dolly Parton is ready to call it a day. But heck, is she?

Country music’s Southern belle isn’t going anywhere – in fact, her choice of a birthday gift to herself would be to star again on the cover of one of the raunchiest mag­azines to hit the stands. Iconic boobs, bouffant hair and all.

Dolly first appeared on the cover of Play­ boy in October 1978 as a buxom 32­year­old, her assets barely contained by a black strapless swimsuit, black bunny ears perched on her poofy blonde waves.

It’s this image she wants to recreate when she turns 75 next year, and she’s determined to make it happen – and become the oldest cover model in Playboy’s history.

Actress Jane Seymour holds the record – the mom of four and grandmother of three was 67 when she featured in the mag in 2018. Dolly will be nearly 10 years older if she gets her way – and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t, she argues.

“My boobs are the same,” she quips. In fact, she adds, she hasn’t changed all that much in the almost 42 years since she first squeezed into that itty­bitty costume.

“I look kind of cartoonish and cartoons don’t really age that much.”