Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

We’ve taken a trip to West Yorkshire this week to meet broadcaster and former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls for a stroll around the beautiful Pontefract Racecourse. Ed doesn't have a dog at the moment - but he's very much a dog person. He tells us how he was replaced by a dog when he went to university, and a dog has helped his family cope with his mother’s dementia. We also find out about Ed’s experience at Harvard (once he had worked out where it was located on a map) and whether he cried when he lost his seat in the 2015 General Election. Political Currency is availble on all podcast platforms!Follow Ed on instagram @edballsYou can buy your copy of Ed’s brilliant book Appetite: a memoir in recipes of family and food here! Thank you to Handpicked Hotels for hosting us at their dog friendly hotel Wood Hall during our trip to Yorkshire. Raymond was throughly spoiled and he loved his mini break! Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

We’re in Buckinghamshire with Gabby Logan and her dogs Milo, Maggie and Maverick! In this part of the chat, Gabby tells us about her career as a rhythmic gymnast, reluctantly competing in the Rose of Tralee - and she reminds us of some of her pre-Kenny romances. Gabby also tells us about her brilliant podcast The Midpoint - and how the podcast has helped her to navigate this point in her life, and some of the lessons she has learned from her guests.Listen to Emily and Ray's first walk with Gabby from April 2017Follow Gabby on Instagram @gabbyloganGabby’s podcasts The Midpoint and The Sports Agents are available wherever you get your podcasts!You can get your copy Gabby's autobiography of The First Half here!You can get your copy of The Midpoint Plan hereFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

Joining us on our dog walk this week is legendary broadcaster Gabby Logan!We met Gabby at home in Buckinghamshire and we then took a lovely walk around the woods with her three dogs Milo, Maggie and Maverick. Maverick is a new addition to the Logan household since Gabby was last on the podcast - he’s an absolutely delightful standard poodle, who is VERY enthusiastic about catching tennis balls. Gabby tells us about growing up in a family whose love language was sport and how being the daughter of a professional footballer in the 1980s wasn’t as glamorous as it might be today. We also chat about how Gabby has dealt with tragedies in her life and how she stays calm when life is chaotic. She also tells us a rather brilliant story about an incident with George Clooney and a moth-eaten coat… Listen to Emily and Ray's first walk with Gabby from April 2017Follow Gabby on Instagram @gabbyloganGabby’s podcasts The Midpoint and The Sports Agents are available wherever you get your podcasts!You can get your copy Gabby's autobiography of The First Half here!You can get your copy of The Midpoint Plan hereFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

Join Raymond, Emily, Janette and Lyra for the second part of our walk around London’s Burgess Park! Janette tells us about some of the challenges of Strictly Come Dancing and how devastated she felt about being voted out on her first series. She also reveals what happened when she got the call to present It Takes Two…We also chat about Janette’s brilliant new book Tiny Dancer, Big World. Janette tells us about how Covid gave her a passion for wellbeing - and how writing the book with her sister helped her to share some of the lessons she has learned in life with the world. Tiny Dancer, Big World: How to find fulfilment from the inside out - is out now. You can buy your copy here!Follow Janette on Instagram @JManaraFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

Today we’re in South London’s Burgess Park with television presenter, choreographer and professional dancer Janette Manrara - and we have a very special bonus guest - her daughter Lyra! Janette is best known for appearing as a professional dance on Strictly Come Dancing - and since 2021 she has co-hosted Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two! Janette is married to her Strictly co-star Aljaž Škorjanec and their daughter Lyra was born in July 2023 - we think she was pretty taken by Raymond (and the geese!) Janette has a history with dogs back at home in Miami - but life as a performing family means that she doesn’t have a dog at the moment… but there may be one in the future! After her family immigrated from Cuba to Miami, Janette tells us about being a happy child in a happy household and how that gave her a positive outlook on life. She tells the story of how she went from working in a bank to becoming a professional dancer - and what happened when she met Aljaž for the first time… was it love at first sight?! Tiny Dancer, Big World: How to Find Fulfilment from the Inside Out is out on Thursday 12th September - you can buy your copy hereFollow Janette on Instagram @JManaraFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

Emily and Ray take a walk with Phil Wang in Peckham Rye Park for the second part of this week’s Walking The Dog! Phil tells us about being the president of the Cambridge Footlights, how he feels about celebrating his successes and making the decision to spend more money on his haircut. He also tells us what it was like to record his new Netflix special by candlelight... Phil’s absolutely hilarious new special Wang In There, Baby! is available on Netflix nowOrder Phil’s book Sidesplitter: How To Be From Two Worlds At Once hereBudPod with Phil Wang and Pierre Novellie is available wherever you get your podcasts!Follow Phil on Instagram @wangpixFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

This week Emily and Ray met the brilliant comedian Phil Wang for a stroll round Peckham Rye Park! Phil is a former dog-hater, but he and Raymond got on very well. Phil even offered to carry Ray and gave him a whole new perspective on the world. After being born in the same hospital as Robbie Williams - Phil spent what he describes as a ‘nice but boring’ childhood growing up in Malaysia, before moving back to the UK for school and university. Phil tells us about how he embraces otherness and being an escapist - and he reveals why he is very cautious about long grass. Phil’s absolutely hilarious new special Wang In There, Baby! is available on Netflix nowOrder Phil’s book Sidesplitter: How To Be From Two Worlds At Once hereBudPod with Phil Wang and Pierre Novellie is available wherever you get your podcasts!Follow Phil on Instagram @wangpixFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

Join Emily and Ray for the second part of our chat with the brilliant chef, author and social media sensation Poppy O’Toole - and her dogs Crypto and Red. We discuss Poppy’s worst ever mistake in the kitchen, how she has accidentally gained a reputation for innuendo, and Emily takes the opportunity to get some potato advice from the Potato Queen herself. The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook is out on 12th September - featuring 90 mouth-watering recipes that focus on ease and convenience without breaking the bank or sacrificing flavour, this is the book you need to get great food on the table at the end of a busy day. You can pre-order your copy here!Follow Poppy on Instagram @Poppy_CooksFollow Poppy on TikTok @poppycooksFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett 

Emily and Ray have taken a trip up to Worcestershire this week for a walk with professional chef, TikTok star and Sunday Times bestselling author Poppy O’Toole - who is better known as Poppy Cooks. Poppy has two dogs: a pug called Crypto and a German Shepherd called Red. Together with Ray - they make a very unlikely gang of dog pals! Poppy tells us about how losing her job as a chef in the pandemic led her to becoming a social media sensation with over 5 million total followers. She shares some of the difficult experiences she has had as a young female chef, and she tells us about a surprisingly delicious frozen supermarket paella. The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook is out on 12th September - featuring 90 mouth-watering recipes that focus on ease and convenience without breaking the bank or sacrificing flavour, it is the book you need to get great food on the table at the end of a busy day. You can pre-order your copy here!Follow Poppy on Instagram @Poppy_CooksFollow Poppy on TikTok @poppycooksFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett