Americans (females especially) really dig a British accent...lol.

As for me, I've never had any trouble understanding even the thickest British/Irish/Scottish accent. I spent my whole life watching PBS which was almost all British programming :P. We didn't have cable - what can I say ;). I could understand those thicker accents after watching Red Dwarf...lol. I watched a lot of Fawlty Towers, Allo Allo and Are You Being Served too ;).

Laurie