Alex Jones reveals unexpected Dolly Parton encounter that 'very few people' have had

Dolly Parton is as close to a universally beloved figure as there is, a national treasure across the globe. So it’s perhaps not surprising that she was named as one of Alex Jones’s favourite ever The One Show guests.

What is surprising, though, is the incredibly rare experience Alex had with the Jolene singer. Alex met her, as she put it, “before she'd become Dolly” - without her signature makeup or wigs.

Alex recalled meeting this rarely seen side of the icon, and said, “She was barefaced, still absolutely striking, so beautiful… I've never, ever come across a person so comfortable in their own skin.”

As the pair spoke, Alex revealed “she started Dolly-fying in front of me as we were chatting. And we chatted about all sorts of things, what she was going to do in the UK, how long I'd been doing the show, was I nervous, how she deals with nerves, all of this.

“And in front of me, she transformed into Dolly. I thought, how special that we all know her as this vivacious, very made-up, beautiful woman, but actually, she was equally striking and equally impressive because she is just a nice person.

“You know, in her heart, she's just gorgeous.”

Speaking with Vernon Kay, Alex agreed that she’s perhaps one of the few people to have actually met a more pared back Dolly - and Alex was quick to praise the self confidence and ease with which Dolly embraced the moment.

She said, “It is a private moment, and I can honestly hand on my heart, say, that if I didn't know somebody well, I wouldn't be that comfortable with going through that process while we’re chatting.

"But she knows who she is, and she is just very, very at ease with herself. And I thought, how amazing to be that self-confident, but in a lovely way.”

The reason Alex's encounter feels rare is Dolly herself has previously explained that she is so dedicated to her signature look she often sleeps in her makeup. In her book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, the Grammy winning legend shared why.

She wrote, "I started sleeping with my makeup on, partly because of the earthquakes. I thought, 'I'm not heading out on the streets without makeup in case there are cameras out there! I'm going to be ready to go!'"

On Conan O’Brien’s podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, Jane Fonda - a friend of Dolly’s and her co-star in the iconic 9 to 5 - also touched on Dolly’s commitment to her public image. Jane recalled a tour she joined Dolly on across regions of the US, and wherever she went, Jane "never saw her not looking 100% Dolly Parton - the wig, the whole thing."

But rather than vanity, Jane understood it was Dolly’s commitment to her fans that kept her going - Dolly made sure that her fans always got the Dolly Parton they fell in love with.

She recalled, "I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s how to do it. You’ve gotta love those people who like you.’ And oh boy, does she have fans, and she just loves them and appreciates them. She taught me a lot. She didn’t say anything. She showed by example."