Welcome back to the second part of our conversation with musical powerhouse Marisha Wallace. Marisha tells us all about her interpretations of the iconic roles of Ado Annie in Oklahoma and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. She tells us about finding out she was nominated for an Olivier Award in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Marisha also speaks candidly about being a victim of a cruel financial scam, and how she has moved forward from that low point. We spoke to Marisha on the day it was announ...
Dec 12, 2024•43 min
Today we’re joined by the two-time Olivier Award nominated singer and actress Marisha Wallace! Marisha has the most incredible, powerful voice - so we spoke to her at home in order to preserve her precious instrument from the bad weather! Growing up on a hog farm in North Carolina, Marisha is no stranger to dogs... she tells us all about her favourite ever dog - a boxer called Chaos (who had a matching personality!) After starting singing at the age of five in the church - Marisha tells us about...
Dec 10, 2024•48 min
We’re in Battersea Park with Lloyd Griffith! Lloyd tells us about his recent experience of having a hair transplant, his love for hi-vis and the importance of being ready to appear on TV as a comic. He also tells us the story of auditioning for a part in Return To Paradise - the second spin-off series of long-running crime series Death In Paradise - and what it was like to move to Australia to film the series. All six episodes of Return to Paradise are now available on BBC iPlayer, with the seri...
Dec 05, 2024•36 min
Join Emily and Ray with comedian, actor, presenter and singer Lloyd Griffith - in his spiritual home, London’s Battersea Park! Lloyd tells us all about growing up in Grimsby with his mum and sister and then how is life changed when he got a scholarship to St James’ Choir School. Lloyd reveals what it's like to walk into a room knowing you can sing, being known for being ‘Diane’s son’ in Grimsby, and his search for this comedic voice. All six episodes of Return to Paradise are now available on BB...
Dec 03, 2024•48 min
We’re back with the brilliant Luke Evans in St James’s Park! And guess what... he’s still carrying Raymond! Luke tells us how he went from being a jobbing actor to a Hollywood movie star - and he tells us an extraordinary story about one of the ways he made money when he needed it… We chat about how it felt to have his sexuality under scrutiny again after he broke through to stardom and what happened after left his religion. And, of course, we chat about Beauty and The Beast. Luke also treated u...
Nov 28, 2024•30 min
This week, we’re in London’s St James’s Park with Luke Evans! Raymond and Luke pretty much fell in love with each other from the moment they met - Ray spent the entire walk cradled in Luke’s arms… lucky Raymond, eh?! Growing up, Luke had a collection of cats and an aviary of birds with his parents, who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. He opens up about how that affected his childhood, and how it feels to have written about it in his autobiography. He tells us how he came to terms with his sexuality in ...
Nov 26, 2024•26 min
We’re back at home with Cherry Healey and her beautiful cat House Party! Cherry tells us all about how her brilliant career as a documentary maker started thanks to a conversation by a fridge at a house party, how she felt after throwing up on TV and how she navigated complicated feelings about losing her dad. We also find out all about series nine of Inside The Factory - with her new co-presenter Paddy McGuinness. You can watch their Christmas special over the festive period - and catch the new...
Nov 21, 2024•40 min
This week on Walking The Dog - we’re joined by TV presenter and queen of documentaries, Cherry Healey! Raymond is recovering from feeling a bit under the weather this week, so we spoke to Cherry from home… which meant we got to meet her spectacular Maine Coon, who is fabulously named House Party. Cherry grew up with dogs, but in her adult life she’s been a cat owner. She tells us the heartbreaking story of losing her beloved cat Party Time (yes, another fabulous name) and her childhood dog Moufl...
Nov 19, 2024•42 min
We’re in Dulwich Park with the fabulous Layton Williams! Layton tells us all about levelling up his career by appearing on Strictly Come Dancing - and how he dealt with criticism about entering the show with a background in dance. He also tells us about his friendship with fellow former-Billy Elliot Tom Holland, how he dealt with rejection as a child star and how he met his partner in a mosh pit at Glastonbury. Layton’s next project is playing the Iceberg (bitch!) in Titanique - New York’s award...
Nov 14, 2024•33 min
It’s time to Live, Laugh, Layton! This week - Emily and Ray are in Dulwich Park with actor, singer, dancer and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Layton Williams! Layton is quite possibly one of the most charismatic people that we’ve ever met. He’s immensely warm, authentic and knows his own worth - so even though he doesn’t have a dog, we’re pretty much in love! Starting life out on an estate in Bury, Layton went on to play the lead role in the West End production of Billy Elliot. Layton tells us a...
Nov 12, 2024•29 min
We’re in Battersea Park with the brilliantly interesting and incredibly warm Amanda Wakeley - the legendary fashion designer! Amanda tells us about some of the extraordinary people that she’s dressed in her career - including the late Princess Diana. She also tells us how she averted a near-international incident by helping Theresa May choose the outfit she wore while taking office. We also hear the real story behind the infamous ‘trouser-gate’... We then discuss Amanda closing her label after t...
Nov 07, 2024•39 min
This week, Emily and Raymond are taking a walk in Battersea Park with the legendary fashion designer Amanda Wakeley and her Labrador Luna (who was sporting a very stylish red bandana!) Amanda tells us about her happy and chaotic childhood with a succession of Labs and Jack Russells and her family in Cheshire. We find out what life was like for Amanda at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and how making clothes in the school holidays led her to creating her own label and pioneering her clean, glam and we...
Nov 05, 2024•45 min
We’re halfway through our walk with the brilliant Candice Brown as well as her three dogs Albus, Severus and Sibyl! Candice tells us more about her pre-Bake Off life working as a secondary school teacher in a special educational needs department and how she is driven by a strong sense of injustice. We also get a peek into the intensive process of getting on the Bake Off - and the positives and negatives that followed on from starring on that show. Follow Candice on Instagram @CandiceBrown We hig...
Oct 31, 2024•38 min
We’re on a delightful country walk this week with the legendary Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown! Candice has three dogs - Albus, Severus and Sibyl, and there are a plethora of other dogs in the Brown family! It’s clear Candice has a real passion for her dogs - and she tells us the story behind how she came to rescue each of them. After growing up in pubs run by her parents - Candice has gone on to run her own pub! It's called The Green Man in Eversholt and it’s absolute dog (and huma...
Oct 29, 2024•39 min
We're midway through our stroll in Regent's Park with the international bestselling author Cecelia Ahern! Cecelia tells us about what it was like to have her debut novel PS I Love You adapted into a film when she was in her early twenties. We chat about Cecelia's new novel, Into The Storm, which explores themes of unprocessed guilt, complicated female characters and the influence of pre-Christian rituals. It's a rather brilliant, suspenseful book and and you can get your copy here! Cecelia also ...
Oct 24, 2024•42 min
Join Emily and Raymond in London's Regent's Park for a walk with the international bestselling author Cecelia Ahern! Cecelia has a dog called Buddy, he's a standard poodle with a regal attitude, who is back at home in Dublin while Cecelia is in London working - but we think we need to plan a trip to Ireland because it sounds like he and Raymond would get on VERY well. Cecelia grew up in Malahide with her sister, mum and dad - before her parents divorced. It was an unusual childhood, because Cece...
Oct 22, 2024•29 min
This week Emily and Ray are sheltering from the rain on the sofa in Battersea with the journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and author Bryony Gordon! Bryony tells us about how she got into journalism, why she chose to write about her twenties and how she feels about being raw and open in her writing. She also tells us about a very special friendship… You can listen to Bryony’s brilliant podcast The Life of Bryony on all podcast platforms! Bryony’s brilliant books - including Mad Woman, Mad Girl, T...
Oct 17, 2024•39 min
It’s a rainy day in Battersea - so join Emily and Ray as we get cosy on Bryony Gordon’s sofa! Byrony is journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and bestselling author. She doesn’t have a dog - but we’ll forgive her because she let Raymond sit on her very fabulous tassled blanket. Our chat covers everything from Bryony’s legendary childhood dog Polo, to her stuggle with OCD and how she has learned to understand her intrustive thoughts. You can listen to Bryony’s brilliant podcast The Life of Bryony on...
Oct 15, 2024•36 min
Emily and Raymond are on Hampstead Heath with Bella Mackie and her labrador, Barney (who we can all agree is a bit of a national treasure) Bella tells us about her love story with Greg James and how a childhood obsession with Victorian true crime started her on the journey to writing her million-selling first novel How To Kill Your Family. We also chat about being direct - and whether that can be considered as a compliment and unfortunately, one of Barney’s toys meets a watery grave… Listen to E...
Oct 10, 2024•49 min
This week we’re on Hampstead Heath with the brilliant author Bella Mackie - and her labrador, Barney! Barney (aka Banana Head) is no stranger to Walking The Dog - he has previously appeared on this podcast with Bella’s husband Greg James! He’s a pretty special dog - and we were thrilled to take him out again. Bella’s always had dogs throughout her life and Barney came into her life after she and Greg went to Battersea with the intention of getting a small dog… he may not have been what she wante...
Oct 08, 2024•53 min
Join Emily, Mabel, Isla, Luna, Inca and Nala for the second part of our walk with James Middleton in Berkshire! James tells us about how his dog Ella helped him in the hardest time of his life and how she also led him to meet his wife Alizée. We also chat about that time which we all dread - losing a pet. James tells us how he coped with losing his beloved Ella and the gifts that she gave him throughout her life. … and we got to meet James’ tractor! To be honest, we never wanted to leave the far...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min
We’re in Berkshire this week with the brilliant James Middleton and five of his dogs: Mabel, Isla, Luna, Inca and Nala. James *actually* has six dogs - but Zulu is currently staying with James’ parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, because Mabel is in season. But we had a lovely time with the fabulous five! We met on Bucklebury Farm - which is run by James’ family - and it was animal heaven. We met sheep, ginea pigs and even a friendly beehive at one point! James tells us about his lifelong pin...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr
Yorkshire’s Pontefract Racecourse is the backdrop today for Emily and Ray’s walk with the brilliant Ed Balls. Ed tells us about how his wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, encouraged him to go on Strictly Come Dancing - and the piece of advice that changed his atttiude towards the show. We also find out how he came to host a podast with his former political opponent George Osborne - we discover if they are friends, and whether or not George would be invited over to the Balls-Cooper household for...
Sep 26, 2024•48 min
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...
Sep 24, 2024•48 min
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 Gabb...
Sep 19, 2024•42 min
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 ...
Sep 17, 2024•48 min
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...
Sep 12, 2024•29 min
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 ...
Sep 10, 2024•37 min
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 now Order Phil’s book Sidesplitter: How To...
Sep 05, 2024•36 min
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 bein...
Sep 03, 2024•47 min
