Aleksandr the Meerkat is set to outsell former PM Tony Blair and ex-glamour model Katie Price

[DVTimes]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-...t_Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk says pre-sale orders of A Simples Life - My Life And Times are 165% ahead, putting the amazing meerkat on track for a best-selling book.

Although demand has been high for Katie Price's story You Only Live Once and Mr Blair's A Journey, it has paled into insignificance compared with demand for the magnificent meerkat.

Even though he started off as a fictitious furry character thought up by the VCCP advertising agency as a fun diversion for its comparethemarket.com client, Aleksandr has now taken on a life of his own.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News Online, the Moscow-based meerkat said: "My story of struggles, successes and Sergei is the greatest, most thrillsy book ever written by a meerkat in the bath.

"With this book, I am hope to inspire the next generation of young businesskats. And with royalties I am hope to re-marble roof on Orlov family mansion. Please enjoyment."

To coincide with the publication and for two days only, Mr Orlov is opening a comparethemeerkat.com shop in London's Regent Street.

Fans will be able to see artifacts and portraits from the meerkat's home in the village of Meerkovo, near Moscow.

Alexsandr himself will not be there because he is to "give talk at Moscow's Velvety Dress and Dinner Time Etiquette convention".

But, he says: "Please have fun and enjoy future bestseller (and don't touch artifacts)".

The meerkat's autobiographical page on the website gives a brief insight into his success, after the hardships he and his family initially faced.


"I live and make my work in Moscow, where many generations of my family have thrive. My greatest grandfather, Vitaly, fought in the Meerkat Mongoose war of 1728.

"My grandparents survived the Furry Terror of 1921. It is for honour of my family and meerkats all over the world that I make comparethemeerkat.com."

Amazon.co.uk's Neil Campbell is delighted with the meerkat's sucess.

"Having won his chart battle with Katie Price, Aleksandr the Meerkat is quickly establishing himself as a strong contender for the bestselling autobiography of the year.

"The demand for his book is so great that he has generated more pre-order sales than those achieved by Tony Blair's A Journey and more than double the pre-orders of Cheryl Cole, Russell Brand and Dannii Minogue for their recent releases."