Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction joke in the book is that Adrian does not know whether Mr Carlton-Hayes' partner Leslie is a man or a woman; this is never made clear. Although they are from different backgrounds, he and Adrian share an appreciation of literature, contempt for Michael Flowers, and a similar reservation about expressing their feelings. It is revealed in that Leslie is a man and implied they both left their wives for their relationship. Pauline is Adrian's mother, and plays less of a role in the story than in previous books. Like Adrian, Pauline is inclined to spend using money she hasn't got.
Adrian Mole October 2009 the "Leicester Mercury" featured an interview with Townsend where she discussed the new Mole book and her plans for future works. In 2011, Townsend published a short Adrian Mole piece that tied into the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. A very brief piece in which Adrian gave advice to writers followed in 2012. These are the last Adrian Mole works published in Townsend's lifetime, and the last original Mole stories to date. In a 2013 interview, Townsend discussed her plans to wrap up the series in two further volumes, but also the fact that her continually