Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

This week Emily and Ray head to Yorkshire for a stroll with England rugby star, World Cup winner and Sports Personality of the Year runner up Ellie Kildunne, joined by her beautiful cocker spaniel cross, Otis.

After spending a little time exploring the Yorkshire Dales, Emily meets Ellie at her parents' home before heading off for a walk and a chat about her remarkable journey from rugby-mad youngster to one of the biggest names in world sport.

Ellie talks about growing up in Yorkshire, often being the only girl on the rugby pitch, and the challenges of balancing her studies with an increasingly demanding England career. She also opens up about her ADHD diagnosis and how she's learned to harness her focus, energy and determination both on and off the field.

The conversation covers some of the defining moments of her career, including representing England on the biggest stage, being nominated for Sports Personality of the Year, and the surreal experience of becoming a Barbie doll.

If you'd like to learn more about Ellie's story, her memoir Game Changer is out now and well worth a read.

It's a funny, honest and inspiring walk with one of British sport's brightest stars. And while Ellie may be driven by elite-level ambition, Ray remains fully committed to a training regime consisting primarily of naps, treats and avoiding cardio.

Ellie is an ambassador for Nulo - uk.nulo.com
Instagram: Nulo UK

Follow Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean
X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful George Fouracres, the conversation becomes a little more personal as George talks openly about his bipolar diagnosis and the impact it's had on his life and career.

He also shares the brilliant story of finding out he'd landed a role on Saturday Night Live UK, a moment that should have been one of the biggest of his career. Instead, his attention was largely focused elsewhere, on a cordless vacuum cleaner he'd recently bought and was extremely excited about collecting!

It's a funny, honest and surprisingly moving second half that offers a glimpse into the person behind one of comedy's breakout stars.
If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week.

Follow Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean
X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll through Finsbury Park with actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live UK star George Fouracres.

George is having quite the moment. His scene-stealing performances on SNLUK have made him one of the breakout comedy stars of the year, with sketches like What Kind of Irish Is Your Grandad? and his take on Kier Starmer becoming instant viral hits. In fact, one of them was even reposted by Donald Trump, which may be one of the more unexpected endorsements in comedy history.

On the walk, George chats to Emily about growing up in the Black Country surrounded by a big, close-knit family, how he once considered becoming a priest, and the school production that first made him realise performing might be his future. They also talk about his time at Cambridge, where he became close friends with comedians Pierre Novellie and Phil Wang, and began developing the comedy skills that would eventually take him from Shakespeare to sketch comedy.

As well as his television work, George is an acclaimed stage actor who has tackled roles ranging from Hamlet to Falstaff. Emily has even seen him perform at Shakespeare’s Globe and can confirm he’s infuriatingly talented.

It’s a funny, warm and joyful conversation with one of the nicest people in comedy. And while George and Emily got on brilliantly, it quickly became apparent that the real love story here was between George and Ray.

Follow Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean
X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Catherine Bohart, the conversation dives deeper into anxiety, overthinking and the idea of "borrowing trouble" from the future. Catherine talks candidly about OCD, the way she navigates uncertainty, and why some of our biggest worries often never come to pass.

There’s also plenty more laughter along the way, including Catherine’s observations on relationships, comedy and the strange business of turning your life into stand-up material.

If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you’d like to see Catherine live, her new show Borrowing Trouble is coming to Soho Theatre before touring the UK and Ireland. Tickets are available at https://www.catherinebohart.com.

Follow Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean
X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take an East London stroll through Victoria Park with comedian Catherine Bohart.

You’ll probably know Catherine from shows including QI, Live at the Apollo, Roast Battle and Last One Laughing Ireland, but on this walk she chats to Emily about the experiences that shaped her long before she stepped onto a stage. From growing up in Dublin to having a father who was training to be a priest when he met her mother, Catherine shares the stories behind her fascinating upbringing and the path that eventually led her into comedy.

Emily and Catherine also discuss Catherine's experience of living with OCD, the challenges of turning your personal life into stand-up material, and the emotional aftermath that can sometimes come with sharing so much of yourself on stage.

They also talk about Catherine's brand new show, Borrowing Trouble, named after a phrase her father uses to describe worrying about things that may never happen. The show comes to London's Soho Theatre from September 21st to October 3rd before touring the UK and Ireland. Tickets are available at https://www.catherinebohart.com.

It’s a funny, thoughtful and deeply honest conversation with one of comedy’s sharpest voices. And after spending most of the walk being carried around like royalty, Ray has officially decided Catherine is his new favourite human.

Follow Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean
X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.