Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with one of the nation’s best-loved TV and radio presenters, Gaby Roslin.Gaby chats about growing up with her beloved staffie Bazooka, dreaming of becoming a television presenter from a very young age, and the early children’s TV jobs that eventually led to her big break co-hosting The Big Breakfast with Chris Evans.She also looks back on a remarkable career that has seen her work with everyone from Terry Wogan to the cast of Friends, and talks about why her natural curiosity and love of meeting people have remained at the heart of everything she does.Gaby is now combining two of her greatest passions in the new ITV series The Joy of Pets. Alongside pet expert Dr Bolu Eso, she travels around the country meeting extraordinary animals and the people who love them. The series begins on Sunday 23rd August on ITV. You can also hear Gaby every Saturday morning on Magic Radio.It’s a wonderfully joyful conversation full of warmth, laughter and unexpected encounters with passers-by. Gaby and Ray fall hopelessly in love almost immediately, although Ray is less than impressed when she fails to take him home at the end of the walk.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Jake Bhardwaj, Jake takes us behind the scenes of the day Prince Harry came on Joe Marler Will See You Now, from finding out one of the most famous men in the world was going to be a guest to what he was actually like when the microphones were switched on (and off).Jake also talks about his own fascinating career shift, having spent years behind the scenes producing comedy for some of the biggest names in the business before gradually finding himself in front of the camera. He reflects on what gave him the confidence to start making his own content, and how he’s adjusted to suddenly becoming the talent rather than the person looking after it.If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you’re at the Edinburgh Festival, you can catch Jake’s live show Not Another Quiz Night at the Gilded Balloon until August 30th. Tickets are available at https://www.edfringe.com.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with comedy creator, writer, actor, producer and quizmaster Jake Bhardwaj.You might know Jake from the hugely popular podcast Joe Marler Will See You Now, which he co-hosts with Joe Marler and has recently welcomed guests including Prince Harry. He’s also been hosting the behind-the-scenes content for Saturday Night Live UK and recently popped up in the new Diane Morgan series Ann Droid.Jake chats to Emily about the brilliantly varied route he’s taken through the comedy industry, from one of his first jobs writing questions for The Chase, to years spent working behind the scenes as a comedy producer with the likes of Romesh Ranganathan and Joe Lycett. He also reveals what finally convinced him to step in front of the camera himself, posting comedy videos online and eventually becoming a full-time performer.They also talk about Jake’s other life as a quizmaster. His live show Not Another Quiz Night has become a sell-out hit and is at the Gilded Balloon throughout the Edinburgh Festival until August 30th. Tickets are available now at https://www.edfringe.com.It’s a funny, warm and fascinating chat with someone who’s spent years grafting behind the scenes in comedy and is now very deservedly having his own moment in the spotlight. And most importantly, Jake adored Ray, so he passes the Walking The Dog test with flying colours.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

In part two of Emily and Ray's walk with the wonderful Alfie Dundas, the conversation delves deeper into Alfie's time at Eton, the expectations that came with his upbringing, and why he eventually decided to walk away from a successful career in the tech industry to pursue stand-up comedy instead.He also talks about his debut Edinburgh show, First Class Panic, and the experiences that inspired it, as well as what it's really like making the leap into comedy full-time.If you haven't already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you're heading to this year's Edinburgh Festival, don't miss First Class Panic at the Pleasance Courtyard from August 5th to 30th. Tickets are available now at https://www.edfringe.com.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with one of comedy's fastest-rising stars, Alfie Dundas.With more than 100 million views across social media, Alfie has quickly built a huge following for his brilliantly observed comedy. But away from the internet, Emily discovers the story behind the jokes, from growing up in London as the grandson of a Marquess, to his years at Eton, studying economics at university, and the decision to swap a conventional career for life as a stand-up comedian.Alfie also talks about his Edinburgh Fringe show, First Class Panic, which heads to the Pleasance Courtyard from August 5th to 30th. If you're heading to Edinburgh this summer, it's well worth catching. Tickets are available now at https://www.edfringe.com.It's a funny, thoughtful and surprisingly self-deprecating conversation with a comedian who's as charming off stage as he is on it. And despite Ray's obvious excitement at meeting someone with an even posher pedigree than his own, Alfie somehow manages to steal the show.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

In part two of Emily and Ray's chat with the wonderful Sarah Hadland, Sarah looks back on the extraordinary success of Miranda, the friendships that came from the show, and what it was like being part of one of Britain's most beloved sitcoms.She also talks about taking on Strictly Come Dancing, the confidence the experience gave her, and why she's still happiest when she's performing, whether that's on stage, on screen or in front of a live audience. Along the way, she shares more stories from a career that's taken her from musical theatre to comedy classics and everything in between.If you haven't already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you'd like to see Sarah on stage, she's currently starring alongside Stephen Mangan in The Truth at London's Apollo Theatre until 12th September. Tickets are available at https://www.apollotheatre.co.uk.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

This week Emily and Ray are joined by acting and comedy icon Sarah Hadland. With the summer heat proving a little too much for Ray, this week's chat takes place indoors at Acast HQ, where Ray makes rather more of an impression than anyone had planned...Sarah reflects on her early years, from performing an Elvis impression as a child in her sister's dungarees to leaving home at just 16 to attend drama school. She also talks about her years in musical theatre, the realities of life as a jobbing actor, and how everything changed when she was cast as Stevie in the much-loved sitcom Miranda.Sarah is currently starring alongside, former Walking the Dog guest, Stephen Mangan in the critically acclaimed dark comedy The Truth at London's Apollo Theatre. The production runs until 12th September, with tickets available at https://www.apollotheatre.co.uk.It's a joyful, funny and wonderfully honest conversation with one of Britain's most beloved performers. Sarah's warmth is impossible to miss, and despite Ray's best efforts to get them banned from Acast's offices forever, she somehow still seems delighted to spend time with him.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

In part two of Emily and Ray's walk with Sian Welby, Sian reflects on her journey into radio, the path that led her to the Capital Breakfast Show, and what it's really like waking up before dawn to host one of the UK's biggest breakfast programmes.The conversation also becomes deeply personal as Sian speaks with honesty and warmth about her father's dementia diagnosis, the challenges it has brought to her family, and the importance of talking openly about an illness that affects so many people. It's a moving and thoughtful discussion that will resonate with anyone who has experienced dementia in their own family.If you haven't already, do go back and listen to part one. It's a wonderful conversation about Sian's career, from weather presenting to breakfast radio, as well as the people, jobs and experiences that shaped her along the way.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll through Regent's Park with TV and radio presenter and co-host of the Capital Breakfast Show Sian Welby.Fresh from finishing another morning show, Sian somehow arrives full of energy, and over the course of the walk she chats to Emily about growing up in Nottingham, the work ethic her parents instilled in her, and the years she spent juggling a job at New Look alongside the early stages of her broadcasting career.Sian also shares the story of how Peter Andre unexpectedly played a part in changing her life, her first break as a TV weather presenter, and the mischievous Star Wars references she used to sneak into her forecasts before eventually landing her dream job on the Capital Breakfast Show.The conversation also takes a more personal turn as Sian opens up about her dad's dementia diagnosis and how she and her family have learned to navigate it together. It's an honest and moving discussion that will resonate with anyone whose family has been affected by dementia.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett