Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with the brilliant Irish comedian Emma Doran.Emma is a huge dog lover with two of her own, Twiggy and Stan, back home in Ireland, and naturally the chat quickly turns to canine life. Ray, meanwhile, seemed quietly delighted to have Emma’s undivided attention.Emma talks to Emily about her fascinating life story, from growing up in Ireland to discovering she was pregnant with her daughter while still at school, and how becoming a young mum ultimately gave her the confidence to take the leap into stand-up comedy. A very good decision, as Emma has gone on to become one of Ireland’s most prolific and successful comics, with multiple sold-out tours, millions of online views, and a memorable appearance on the Amazon series Last One Laughing Ireland.Her live show Emmaculate is touring across Ireland and the UK this year. Tickets and dates are available at https://emmadorancomedy.com. Emily also highly recommends Emma’s debut memoir Mad Isn’t It?, a funny and deeply honest read.It’s a warm, hilarious and big-hearted walk with someone who radiates good energy and loyalty, particularly when it comes to defending Ray’s honour.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Stevie Martin, joined by her dog Piper, the conversation continues with more laughs, stories and brilliant comic observations.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one. And don’t miss Stevie live on tour with her critically acclaimed show Clap, which is touring the UK this year. Tickets and dates are available at https://steviemartin.com.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll (and a sit down) in Stratford with the brilliantly funny Stevie Martin, joined by her adorable half-schnauzer, half-poodle, Piper.Stevie arrived armed with treats and even a reindeer coat for Ray, instantly winning him over. When Ray unexpectedly launched into a dramatic reverse sneezing episode, Stevie calmly stepped into action, proving herself not only a comedy star but a bona fide dog guardian angel.Emily chats to Stevie about growing up in Cheshire, her time at Durham University where she met Ed Gamble and Nish Kumar, and her early career as a journalist. They also talk about her sister Gina Martin, whose campaigning led to upskirting being made illegal in the UK. Stevie reflects on her own path into comedy, which has seen her rack up over 45 million views online and appear on shows including Taskmaster and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.Her debut live show Clout was so popular it’s been extended for a second time, running from March 3rd to October. Tickets are selling fast and available at https://steviemartin.com.It’s a warm, hilarious and big-hearted walk with one of the most exciting names in British comedy right now. Ray adored both Stevie and Piper, and Emily may or may not have tried to secure a lifelong friendship.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Marjolein Robertson, the conversation continues with more stories and reflections from one of the most distinctive voices in stand-up.If you haven’t already, catch up on part one. And if you’d like to see Marjolein live, tickets and dates are available at https://marjoleinrobertson.com.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a Regent’s Park stroll with award-winning comedian Marjolein Robertson.Marjolein has become one of the most distinctive voices in British comedy, blending sharp humour with rich storytelling inspired by her Shetland upbringing and Dutch heritage. She chats to Emily about growing up on a small farm in Shetland, working as a town planner, moving to Amsterdam, and the unexpected path that eventually led her into stand-up.They also talk about her ADHD diagnosis and how it helped her better understand her life and creativity. Along the way, Emily and Ray discover a truly unforgettable laugh, one that almost rivals the local geese.Tickets and dates for her new show Lein (the final part of a trilogy derived from her own name) are available at https://marjoleinrobertson.com.It’s a warm, funny and quietly magical conversation with a unique comic voice that Emily and Ray absolutely adored.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Mark Simmons, the conversation continues with more laughs, moving reflections and stories from one of the sharpest joke writers in stand-up.If you haven’t already, do catch up on part one. And if you’d like to see Mark live, he’s currently on tour with his show Jest to Impress. Tickets and dates are available at https://marksimmons.co.uk.Follow Emily:InstagramX Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll in Stratford with comedian Mark Simmons, widely regarded as one of the sharpest one-liner comics around.Mark chats to Emily about growing up in Canterbury, his time working in a gym, and the spontaneous decision to try stand-up comedy that ended up changing his life. Since then, he’s picked up the prestigious Joke of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Festival, appeared on Mock the Week, and supported the likes of Rob Beckett, Seann Walsh and Rob Brydon on tour.It was a rainy walk, made all the more memorable by Mark insisting on carrying Emily’s handbag the entire time, a small gesture that said a lot. The conversation also turns to their mutual friend, comedian Gareth Richards, with a moving and heartfelt moment as they remember him together.Mark is currently touring his show Jest to Impress, and you can book tickets at https://marksimmons.co.uk. You can also listen to his podcast Jokes with Mark Simmons.It’s a funny, thoughtful and genuinely lovely walk with a brilliant comic and an even better human.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Lucia Keskin, the star and creator of the award-winning comedy series Things You Should Have Done, the conversation continues with more warmth, honesty and laughs.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one. And do yourself a favour and watch series two of Things You Should Have Done, now streaming on BBC iPlayer. It really is a thing of total joy.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with the brilliantly talented comedy actor and writer Lucia Keskin, best known to many as Chi, the star and creator of the BAFTA-winning BBC series Things You Should Have Done.Emily first discovered Chi through the show and was instantly blown away by its originality and warmth. Series two is out now on BBC iPlayer, and Lucia talks about creating the series, growing up in Margate with her mum and hands-on grandparents, and why she considers herself a bit of an old soul. They also chat about Chi’s journey into comedy, including how a video of her opening her GCSE results helped kickstart her career online.Lucia also speaks movingly about losing her beloved Pomeranian last year, and how spending time with Ray brought unexpected joy. There’s a gentle discussion of pet loss in this episode, so just a heads up for listeners.It’s a funny, heartfelt and wonderfully open conversation with one of the most exciting voices in British comedy right now. Ray fell completely in love with Chi, and may already be planning a move.Follow Emily:Instagram XWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Flo and Joan, sisters Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, the conversation continues with more laughs and sibling stories.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one. And don’t miss Flo and Joan live on tour with Flo and Joan with Feeling, kicking off in September. Tickets and dates are available at https://floandjoan.com.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with musical comedy duo Flo and Joan, aka sisters Nicola and Rosie Dempsey.They chat about growing up in Portsmouth in a vicarage, what it’s really like performing together as sisters (including a little sibling disagreement), and the viral video they made back in 2016 that helped launch their comedy career, leading to appearances on Live at the Apollo and the Royal Variety Performance.Flo and Joan also talk about their critically acclaimed live shows, and the good news is they’re heading back out on tour later this year with Flo and Joan with Feeling, kicking off in September. Tickets and dates are available at https://floandjoan.com.It’s a warm, funny and family-feeling walk with two brilliantly talented performers who instantly won over Ray, leaving Emily feeling slightly surplus to requirements (at least until it was time to pick up the poo).Follow Emily:InstagramX Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Shaparak Khorsandi, the conversation continues with more warmth, humour and reflections on life, comedy, hiring Alan Carr(!) and finding your people.If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And make sure to catch Shaparak live on her current tour Scatterbrain, which has been extended due to popular demand. Tickets and information are available at https://shappi.co.uk/It’s a warm, funny and deeply engaging walk with someone Emily and Ray absolutely adored, and a woman with truly excellent dogs.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a rainy West London stroll with the brilliant Shaparak Khorsandi, joined by her two beautiful dogs, Taylor the retriever and Jamie the Maltese. A gloomy day was instantly lifted by what can only be described as an iconic trio bounding into the park.Emily chats to Shaparak about her extraordinary life story, from leaving Iran with her family after the revolution, to growing up in London and the huge effort she made to fit in, including changing her name to Shappi. They talk about her journey into comedy, her adult diagnosis of ADHD and how that helped her make sense of her childhood, and a brief but memorable stint working in a charity call centre where she once hired a very confident young man called Alan Carr.Shaparak has also written the brilliant book Scatterbrain, an honest, funny and insightful exploration of her ADHD diagnosis. Due to popular demand, her Scatterbrain tour has been extended with dates now running until March. Tickets and information are available at https://shappi.co.uk/It’s a warm, funny and deeply engaging walk with someone Emily and Ray absolutely adored, and a woman with truly excellent dogs.Follow Emily:InstagramX Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Vittorio Angelone, the conversation continues with more laughs, stories and reflections from one of the most exciting voices in stand-up right now.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one. And do try to see Vittorio live on his current tour You Can’t Say Nothing Anymore, which is touring this year. Tickets and dates are available at https://vittorioangelone.com.Follow Emily:InstagramX Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray head out for a snowy North London stroll with the brilliantly funny Vittorio Angelone. Vittorio was more than happy to brave the weather. Ray, less so, and insisted on being carried throughout.Emily has been a fan of Vittorio for a long time, ever since watching his stand-up special Who Do You Think You Are? I Am on YouTube, and the two quickly fell into an easy, very funny chat chat. During the walk, Vittorio talks about his Italian-Irish heritage, growing up in Belfast, training as a classical percussionist, and the moment he made the leap into stand-up comedy. A very good decision, as it turns out.His comedy has since racked up millions of views online, led to two sell-out world tours, and seen him supporting the likes of Jason Manford and Russell Howard. You can catch Vittorio live this year on his tour You Can’t Say Nothing Anymore. Tickets and dates are available at https://vittorioangelone.com.It’s a warm, funny and genuinely joyful walk with someone who feels like an old friend within minutes, and Emily and Ray absolutely loved every second.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Josh Jones, the conversation continues with more stories, laughs and joyful dog chat.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one, and don’t miss Josh on tour with his brilliantly titled show I Haven’t Won the Lottery, So Here’s Another Tour Show, running until April. Tickets and dates are at https://joshjonescomedy.com.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray take a London stroll with the brilliantly funny Josh Jones.Josh has become one of the most exciting names in stand-up, with appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie to You?, and The Jonathan Ross Show. He chats to Emily about his life, comedy, and the very happy news that he and his partner have just officially adopted their rescue dog, Ellie, back home in Manchester. Safe to say, Josh is completely besotted and rightly so.They also talk about Josh’s current live tour I Haven’t Won the Lottery, So Here’s Another Tour Show, which is visiting venues across the UK until April. Tickets are available at https://joshjonescomedy.com.It’s a joyful, laugh-out-loud episode with someone who has genuine funny bones and an infectious warmth that wins people over instantly. Ray adored him, and so did Emily, the perfect way to start the new year.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second Best of 2025 special, Emily and Ray dive back into some of their favourite moments from the year.This episode features brilliant highlights from conversations with Suzi Ruffell, Naga Munchetty, Adam Buxton, Jedward, and the endlessly lovely Sam Ryder.It’s another joyful chance to revisit some of the funniest, warmest and most uplifting chats of the year, and a reminder of just how many wonderful guests (and dogs) have joined Emily and Ray on their walks.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray share a special treat as they look back at some of their favourite walks from the past year.It’s a joyful highlights episode featuring brilliant moments from conversations with Ferne McCann, Shona McGarty, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Katherine Ryan and her husband Bobby Kootstra, and the wonderful Nick Mohammed.Emily reflects on an incredible year of walks, laughter, dogs and unexpected stories, and takes a moment to thank the listeners who join them every week and make the podcast such a joy to create. There will be more highlights later this week, and plenty of exciting new guests coming in 2026.Settle in and enjoy some of the very best bits from the year, starting with the amazing Nick Mohammed.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s festive walk with the wonderful Helen George, joined by her rescue dog Charlie, the conversation continues with more warmth, laughter and Christmas cheer.If you haven’t already, do catch up on part one. And don't miss the Call the Midwife Christmas specials on BBC One, with part one airing on Christmas Day and part two on Boxing Day. Helen is also currently appearing as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Richmond Theatre until January 4th, with tickets available at https://www.atgtickets.com.It’s a joyful, festive walk with a much-loved face from British television, and the perfect episode to see the year out.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.