Dolly Parton says she has Welsh ancestry

Country music star Dolly Parton’s family originally hails from Wales, according to reports.

Parton’s niece, Jada Star, told The Sun that her aunt had traced her ancestry to the Welsh valleys for a TV programme to be aired next year.

“Dolly is exactly as you would imagine her as an aunt,” Ms Star told the newspaper.

Parton, who was born in Tennessee, has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

It’s not the first time the 9-5 singer has been linked to Wales.

In 2008, during a concert at the Cardiff International Arena, the superstar reportedly told fans in the crowd that she had Welsh ancestry.

“Some of my mother’s people, the Owens, are from there (Wales),” Parton later told Wales Online.

“I’ve been there about three times and it always feels good because it feels like family.”