Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll through Regent's Park with comedian and content creator Sophie Garrad.Running on very little sleep after staying up to watch England's late-night World Cup match, Emily is relieved to discover that Sophie arrives with enough energy for the both of them. The pair chat about Sophie's fascinating upbringing, which, despite appearing glamorous from the outside, was shaped by her father's imprisonment, an experience she now explores with honesty and humour in her stand-up.They also discuss Sophie's decision to pursue comedy, the creation of her hugely popular online characters, including Private School Mum, and how her sketches have gone on to attract more than 100 million views across social media.Sophie's new Edinburgh show, A Period Drama, runs at the Pleasance Dome from August 7th to 30th. Tickets are available now at https://www.pleasance.co.uk.It's a funny, candid and hugely uplifting conversation with a comedian whose warmth and infectious energy shine through from the moment she arrives. And while Emily may have been sleep-deprived, Sophie more than made up for it, proving herself to be the human equivalent of a double espresso.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's walk with the brilliant Dan Tiernan, the conversation takes a more personal turn as Dan opens up about his sister's leukaemia diagnosis, the impact it had on his family, and how her resilience has shaped his outlook on life.They also chat about his latest stand-up show, Quartz and All, why it's his most personal hour yet, and how he's learned to turn life's more difficult moments into comedy without ever losing sight of the people behind the stories.If you haven't already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you'd like to see Dan live, Quartz and All is at the Edinburgh Festival throughout August before touring the UK. Tickets and dates are available at https://www.dantiernan.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 takes a stroll through Regent's Park with award-winning comedian Dan Tiernan. With temperatures still soaring during the heatwave, Ray sensibly sits this one out, leaving Emily to discover whether Dan can be quite as entertaining without a four-legged co-host. (Spoiler: he can.)Dan chats about growing up in and around Manchester, the surprising childhood hobby that saw him performing as a magician, and the comedy course his mum signed him up for that ultimately changed the course of his life. They also discuss his rise through the stand-up circuit, from winning the BBC New Comedy Award and British Comedian of the Year to appearing on shows including QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Last Leg.Dan's brand new show, Quartz and All, heads to the Edinburgh Festival this August, playing nightly at Monkey Barrel from August 3rd to 30th, before touring the UK. Tickets and dates are available at https://www.dantiernan.co.uk.It's a wonderfully funny, chaotic and heartfelt conversation with one of the most exciting comics working today. And despite arriving slightly late and having misplaced his phone, Dan quickly proves that being gloriously disorganised can be a surprisingly endearing quality.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’s walk with the wonderful Bella Hull, the conversation turns to the realities of building a career in comedy, from writing for Saturday Night Live UK to navigating the Edinburgh Fringe and finding her own voice as a stand-up. Bella also reflects on the moments that have shaped her life and career so far, with plenty more brilliantly funny observations along the way.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 Bella's new show Mad Cow Disease, playing daily at Monkey Barrel from August 3rd to 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 takes a sunny stroll with the brilliantly funny comedian Bella Hull. With temperatures soaring during the heatwave, Ray sensibly stayed at home in the cool, but that didn't stop him becoming a major topic of conversation.Bella chats to Emily about discovering a love of comedy at a remarkably young age, performing her first stand-up gig at just 17, and why one of her biggest motivations for applying to Cambridge University was the chance to join the legendary Footlights.Since then, Bella has become one of the UK's most exciting comedy voices, supporting the likes of Phil Wang and Russell Howard, joining the writing team on Saturday Night Live UK, and making memorable appearances on Have I Got News For You. Bella's brand new show, Mad Cow Disease, heads to the Edinburgh Festival this August, playing daily at Monkey Barrel from August 3rd to 30th. Tickets are available now at https://www.edfringe.com.Follow Emily: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean X: 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 Ellie Kildunne, the conversation turns to some of the biggest highs and toughest moments of her life and career.Ellie reflects on what it felt like to finally lift the Rugby World Cup, the surreal experience of being turned into a Barbie doll, and the challenges she faced during the Covid pandemic, when uncertainty around rugby and life beyond the sport took a significant toll.It's an honest and revealing conversation about resilience, identity and finding your way through difficult periods, even when the outside world sees only success.If you haven’t already, do catch up on part one. If you'd like to learn more about Ellie's story, her memoir Game Changer is out now and well worth a read. Ellie is an ambassador for Nulo - uk.nulo.comInstagram: Nulo UKFollow 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 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.comInstagram: Nulo UKFollow 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 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/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 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/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett