RISING soul star Olivia Dean has revealed how a quiet camping trip in Pembrokeshire turned into the call of a lifetime after she received a FaceTime from music legend Sir Elton John.

The 26-year-old singer told BBC’s The Graham Norton Show that she was cooking “sausages and beans” on a small gas stove when her phone rang and Sir Elton’s name appeared on the screen.

Dean said her team had warned her the star might get in touch, but she panicked when the moment arrived and initially declined the video call.

“It rang and it was a FaceTime and I said ‘no – I’m not ready’,” she told the audience, as the studio erupted with laughter.

Realising what she had done, Dean said she immediately regretted it and feared she had missed her chance — but Sir Elton called back moments later.

The Your Song hitmaker then offered words of encouragement, telling her he was proud of her and that it looked like she had worked hard and was “ready now”.

Dean said she managed a quick thank you before collapsing on the ground “like a starfish”.

The light-hearted story has once again shone a spotlight on Pembrokeshire’s reputation as a place to switch off and recharge, with its beaches, coastal paths and campsites offering a peaceful escape from busy city life.

Dean, who is London-born and has Jamaican-Guyanese heritage, has previously spoken fondly about the county’s coastline and the appeal of getting away from the spotlight.

Her surprise call from Sir Elton also reflects his well-known habit of supporting fellow artists, with host Graham Norton joking that the music icon “loves the phone” during the segment.

A short clip of the moment has since been shared online, with viewers praising both Dean’s down-to-earth reaction and the county she chose for her downtime.

PEMBROKESHIRE could soon see life-size artwork reproductions of many National Gallery masterpieces, including works by Turner, Constable and Cezanne at locations throughout the county, in a scheme submitted to the national park.

In a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park application to the park’s own planners, permission is sought for the installation of 12 life-size National Gallery artwork prints on various locations in the national park, between June and November of this year.

Of the 12 locations for the ‘Art on your doorstep’ project, 11 will be on existing structures, the last on a self-standing structure at Oriel y Parc, St Davids.

Carew will see four artworks: Constable’s The Hay Wain, at the tidal Mill Bridge; Koninck’s ‘An extensive landscape by a road, with a river,’ in the car park opposite Carew River which overlooks the castle; Hans Holbein the Younger’s ‘The Ambassadors,’ in the national park workshop; and Turner’s The Fighting Temaraire, by the village’s war memorial.

Castell Henllys will feature two works: Cezanne’s Bathers, and Titian’s Baccus and Ariadne.

St Davids’ Oriel y Parc will feature Van Gogh’s Wheatfield of Cypresses, and Canaletto’s The Stonemason’s Yard.

Porthclais will host Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, with Claude-Joseph Vernet’s A shipwreck in Stormy seas at Strumble Head.

Rosebush’s Tafarn Sinc will display Turner’s Rain, Steam, Speed, and a site at the skate park overlooking Tenby’s South Beach will host Monet’s Bathers at La Grenoville.

The application will be considered by the national park planning committee.

ACCLAIMED theatre-maker Sam Freeman is bringing We’re Not Getting A Dog to the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven this February — a new, comic, roughly 72-minute solo show packed with domestic observation and a quietly rueful bite.

Told through passive-aggressive letters, early-morning jet-washing and the small rituals we cling to in an effort to make a house feel like a home, the production casts a wry eye on what it means to live close to other people — neighbours we see every day, yet barely know.

“It’s really hard to describe the show,” Freeman said. “I guess it’s best to imagine a really gorgeous Radio 4 late-night comedy, but performed live — it’s heart-warming and like being wrapped in a warm hug. It’s a show to warm the soul.”

The performance weaves multiple storylines together: a couple sprinting through rain to catch a bus, a man staring at a blank laptop screen in despair, and a woman opening an envelope to reveal a photograph. Each moment builds towards a bigger picture, drawing the audience into a narrative where not everything is as straightforward as it first appears.

“It’s a real joy to perform because you let this story unfold,” Freeman added. “You see these moments where people laugh, occasionally cry, but also join the dots and discover that not everything is as simple as it first may seem.”

Read from a little black book, the show has been described as a hidden gem — a quietly powerful and comic examination of home, connection and distance.

And for anyone wondering about the dog on the poster, Freeman has an answer.

“Everyone wants to know about the dog on the poster… It’s my border terrier Poppy — absolute psychopath,” he said. “Whether she makes it into the show… well… you’ll have to see it to find out.”

We’re Not Getting A Dog will be performed at the Torch Theatre on Saturday, 14 February at 7.30pm. Tickets are £8. For more information, visit the Torch Theatre website or contact the Box Office on (01646) 695267.