Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

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.

This week Emily and Ray have a festive treat for you as they take a stroll through the beautifully Christmassy streets of Richmond with Call the Midwife star Helen George, joined by her adorable rescue dog Charlie.Emily chats to Helen about her childhood growing up in Hampshire, the early days of her career including working as a backing singer for Elton John, and her experiences playing Nurse Trixie in Call the Midwife since the very first episode back in 2012.They also talk about Helen’s current turn as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Richmond Theatre, which runs until January 4th and also stars Basil Brush. Tickets are available at https://www.atgtickets.com.Helen is warm, funny and wonderfully down to earth, and Emily quickly realises she is exactly the sort of person you would want on speed dial in a crisis. Luckily, the only emergency on this walk involved a shortage of poo bags, which Helen handled with true Fairy Godmother efficiency.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.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: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 Bridget Christie, the comedian, actor and writer continues their warm, funny and wide-ranging conversation about life, comedy and the moments that shaped her career.If you haven’t already, do catch up on part one. And if you’d like to see Bridget live, she’s heading out on tour next year with her brand new show Jacket Potato Pizza, running from January 2026. Tickets and dates are available at https://bridgetchristie.co.uk.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.

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with the wonderful Bridget Christie, comedian, actor and writer.Bridget has won a huge following through her acclaimed stand-up shows and memorable TV appearances on Taskmaster and Have I Got News for You. More recently, she wrote and starred in the brilliantly funny Channel 4 comedy-drama The Change.Bridget also shares her fascinating origin story, from growing up with eight siblings and leaving school at 15, to finding her way into stand-up comedy after struggling to land acting work. It turned out to be a very good decision, leading to critical acclaim across live comedy, radio and television, as well as winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award.If you haven’t seen Bridget live yet, the good news is she’s heading out on a brand new tour, Jacket Potato Pizza, starting in January 2026 and running through to May. Tickets and dates are available at https://bridgetchristie.co.uk.It’s a warm, funny and genuinely joyful conversation with someone Emily and Ray instantly adored, and a woman who clearly has a very special bond with dogs too.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 Charlotte Church, joined by her dogs Selma and Holly, the conversation continues with more reflections on life, music, fame and finding a slower, more grounded way of living.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one, and if you’d like to explore Charlotte’s beautiful wellbeing retreat The Dreaming in Wales, or book a stay, you can find all the details at https://thedreaming.co.uk.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.

This week Emily and Ray travel to Wales for a beautiful beach walk with the wonderful Charlotte Church, joined by her two dogs Holly the Cavapoo and Selma the Spoodle.They met on Barry Island Beach, which might look familiar thanks to Gavin and Stacey, and Emily chats to Charlotte about her extraordinary life. From her childhood in Wales, to singing Pie Jesu on This Morning at just 11, becoming Voice of an Angel, and going on to sell more than ten million records, Charlotte reflects on the incredible highs of those early years and the surreal moments that came with worldwide fame.Charlotte also talks about her recent appearance on Celebrity Traitors, where she was reunited with Jonathan Ross, who played a key role in her early career after showcasing her talent on his Big Big Talent Show.Charlotte also talks about turning her attention to a very different kind of project in recent years, transforming Laura Ashley’s former home in Wales into The Dreaming, a magical wellbeing retreat offering nature immersion, meditation, sound healing, yoga and even night-time forest bathing. You can explore retreat packages and find out more at https://thedreaming.co.uk.It’s a warm and joyful conversation with someone who became globally famous as a child, yet has somehow remained grounded, funny and wonderfully down to earth. Emily and Ray absolutely loved spending time with her.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 Stephen Mangan, the conversation continues with more stories from his life, career and comic imagination.If you haven’t already, catch up on part one, and don’t forget to treat any young people in your life to Stephen’s brilliant new children’s book Barrie Saves Christmas, a heartwarming and hilarious festive tale about a St Bernard who becomes an unlikely Christmas hero.Pick up your copy of Barrie Saves Christmas hereFollow 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.