This week Emily and Ray take a stroll through Wanstead Park with Lisa McGrillis, the actress behind one of Rivals' most deliciously snobbish characters, Valerie, the wife of Danny Dyer's Freddie Jones.
Lisa's journey into acting has been anything but conventional. She tells Emily about some of the more unusual jobs she took on before finding success, including a memorable stint standing outside a cinema dressed as Pingu. Her big break came in the BBC sitcom Mum, starring alongside Lesley Manville, before she went on to become a familiar face on British television.
Naturally, there's plenty of gossip about Rivals, the gloriously outrageous drama that's brought shoulder pads, scandal and eighties excess back to our screens. The second part of series two arrives on Disney+ on 11 November, and Lisa gives Emily a taste of what's in store.
She's also playing Adrian Mole's mum in the BBC's forthcoming adaptation of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, another role Emily is particularly excited about.
And Lisa proves to be an instant hit with Raymond. Between admiring the swans in Wanstead Park and discussing her career, she becomes completely besotted with him, even insisting that Emily buy him a puppuccino. It's a generous gesture, although Emily is now concerned that Ray will expect the same treatment from every future guest.
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
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