Comedian Rob Beckett's wife Lou has landed a book deal. Publishers DK Red will publish Lessons from a Default Parent: Surviving the Front Line of Family Life (Without Losing Your Sh*t).

Former teacher Beckett regularly features on the hit podcast Parenting Hell, fronted by her husband and Josh Widdicombe. The Becketts have two children and the podcast regularly  delivers an account of their busy, chaotic family life. They formerly lived in south London but more recently moved to the countryside just out of London. 

The book will be published in hardback, e-book and audio formats on February 12, 2026.

The following announcement was made about the book: "Lessons from a Default Parent delves into the unseen realities of modern family life, providing a candid, humorous and deeply relatable look at what it means to be the ‘default parent’," the publisher said. "From assumptions surrounding who is going to stay at home with the kids to the never-ending list of ‘school’ admin, being ‘the default parent’ rears its head in a plethora of ways.

"Written with warmth and humour, this book speaks directly to an underserved demographic: the parent who manages the endless logistics of family life, from clubs organiser and party planning to emotional labour and managing household admin.

"It’s not just about surviving the chaos, it’s a guide to thriving in it, and Beckett weaves together her sharp wit with heartfelt advice on how to rebalance the load, tackling the emotional and logistical burdens that are rarely discussed head-on."

Lou Beckett also writes the blog A Very Long Whinge (pictured here).\

more details here.

Pre-order the book here.

Portrait of Lou Beckett by ©Ray Burmiston