Walking The Dog with Emily Dean

This week Emily and Ray take a South London stroll with Strictly Come Dancing favourite Nikita Kuzmin, joined by his adorable Chihuahua, Mabel.

Nikita chats to Emily about his journey from growing up in Ukraine to moving to Italy as a child to pursue dance with his sister, and the moment his life changed when he got the call to join Strictly. They also talk about his partnerships on the show, including his much-loved routines with Layton Williams and Amber Davies, and how he’s navigated the sudden attention that comes with it.

On the walk, it quickly becomes clear just how popular Nikita is, with fans stopping to say hello throughout. Ray, meanwhile, receives exactly one comment, from a child who thought he looked like a cloth.

Nikita also shares his excitement about his brand new live dance show Supernova, which is touring the UK throughout June and July. Tickets and dates are available at https://nikitasupernova.uk.

It’s a warm, open and genuinely charming conversation with someone who clearly loves what he does but keeps his feet firmly on the ground (apart from when dancing), even if he’d prefer not to be called famous.

Follow Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean
X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Fin Taylor, the chat turns to Fin’s brilliantly chaotic Fin vs The Internet series, including the unforgettable appearance of Bonnie Blue, and how moments like that have helped shape his career.

They also get into the realities of modern comedy, from building and owning your own IP to how platforms like YouTube and Patreon have completely changed the game for comics trying to do things on their own terms.

If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you want to see Fin live, his upcoming show The Fin Taylor Pre-emptive Comeback Special is touring later this year. Tickets and dates are available at https://www.livenation.co.uk.

Follow Emily:
Instagram
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Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray head to Beckenham Place Park for a stroll with comedian and writer Fin Taylor, joined by his ridiculously cute Cavapoo, Winnie.

Fin chats to Emily about his journey into comedy, from growing up with teacher parents and attending an all-girls boarding school (with Emma Watson!), to performing his first stand-up gig at just 15. Since then, he’s built a hugely successful career, appearing on shows like Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Last Leg, as well as creating his popular YouTube series Fin vs. The Internet, where he conducts brilliantly awkward interviews with content creators.

They also talk about his podcast Fin vs. History with Horatio Gould, and his upcoming live show The Fin Taylor Pre-emptive Comeback Special, which is touring later this year. Tickets are available now at https://www.livenation.co.uk.

Follow Emily:
Instagram
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Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful John Robins, the conversation carries on with more honesty, humour and great storytelling.

If you haven’t already, do catch up on part one. And be sure to pre-order John’s brilliant memoir Thirst: 12 Drinks That Changed My Life, which is out on May 7th.

Follow Emily:
Instagram
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Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emily and Ray head to the Buckinghamshire countryside for a walk with comedian, podcaster and writer John Robins.

John is best known for his award-winning stand-up and his long-running partnership with fellow comedian Elis James, as well as his brilliantly competitive turn on Taskmaster. On the walk, he chats to Emily about his childhood growing up near Bristol, his time at Oxford where he briefly considered becoming a poet, and his early days in comedy, including sharing a flat with Jon Richardson and Russell Howard.

They also talk about John’s powerful and deeply personal new memoir Thirst: 12 Drinks That Changed My Life, which explores his relationship with alcohol and his journey into recovery and sobriety. It’s a beautifully written, funny and moving read, and is out on May 7th, available to pre-order now. It’s a thoughtful, honest and very funny conversation, with John bravely navigating both the countryside and the realities of dog ownership, while Ray does his best to win him over.

Follow Emily:
Instagram
X

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols
Music: Rich Jarman
Artwork: Alice Ludlam
Photography: Karla Gowlett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.