Off Air... with Jane and Fi - Page my therapist! (with Gaby Roslin)

Episode Date: August 18, 2026

Jane makes a BIG REVELATION in today's pod about her (lack of) journalism training. With Eve whisked away by her harrowing holiday addiction, producer Hannah joins her to discuss later life raving and lawn hoovering. Plus, Jane speaks to TV and Radio presenter Gaby Roslin about her new ITV series, The Joy of Pets. You can check out our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffAirWithJaneAndFi Our most asked about book is called 'The Later Years' by Peter Thornton. If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: [e-mail] Follow us on Instagram! @janeandfi Podcast Producers: Hannah Quinn and Eve Salusbury Executive Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Tuesday's edition of Off Air with Jane and Fee with Jane and Hannah. Ayah. Yeah, there she is. It's the voice of Huddersfield. What pipes you've got, honestly. Fantastic, yeah. So Eve was here yesterday. She can't spare us much time because of a holiday schedule.

I know her holiday addiction. Yeah, well, it's bordering on a holiday addiction. Or am I just being unfair? No, no, it's an addiction. It's an addiction. Anyway, she was moaning yesterday. She had seen the size of the case she had, by the way. Did you see it?

I did, and that's the thing she leaves herself no time, does she say? She's going straight from work on holiday. She doesn't spare a minute. I couldn't live like that, Anna. No, she's crazy. Yeah, she's absolutely crazy. Massive case. She did claim it was for her and her boyfriend.

I don't know. I think it was just her, if I'm honest. And there was a late-night flight as well. I couldn't do one of those. No. No. To Gatwick. She had to get a Gatwick. She had a flight at 10 o'clock.

She went straight from work. Yeah, I know. So could you, are you telling me you couldn't do that either? No, I mean, I could if I had to. I wouldn't choose to. You see, I just couldn't. But I'm no Eve. No.

She's impressive. She's very impressive. But so are you, she said quickly. And we do need to say that Hannah, we're, I'm really on message Mandy here, but I kind of am with this because you are a News UK former apprentice. Is that right? Mm-hmm.

Yeah. So you're on your only 24. Yes. Yeah. Which is, you know, really significant. and today you are just to outline your work schedule today because it's impressive this. Yeah, well obviously Eve isn't here.

So I'm doing a bit of Eve, but I'm also doing a bit of producing as well. Yeah. And then... You're also being a bit of fee as well. Also being a bit of fee, I don't even contemplate that. Being a bit of fee. And then at 1.45, I'm nipping off to Downing Street, aren't I? Going to go sort it all out for us.

Yeah. I always knew that the call would come, Hannah, and it has. Yeah, no, very surprising. Because I am a former apprentice, I am following Anna Mihailover, who's our brilliant political editor. She's going to number 10 Downing Street today to chat with Andy Burnham's team

about things that we can do on Times Radio, and I'm going along for the ride as well. Well, I think it's fantastic, and honestly, I really hope you enjoy it. Yeah, I'm so excited. And your nan, we have mentioned, her a few times, she has been informed. She does know that you're going.

It's quite hard to impress her. Has this impressed her? This has impressed her, but she gave me a few things that she'd like me to speak to Mr. Burnham about. Should you see him? Should I see him? Which I definitely won't.

But she wants me to say, the thing is, Hannah, I do agree with the apprenticeships. I do agree with the apprenticeships. I said, oh, so you agree with Andy Burnham then? She went, I agree with the apprenticeships. And you can tell him that when he was health secretary, That's when I stopped supporting labour. Oh, well, a conversation will certainly go off on one at that point, I suspect.

But look, she's a woman of very firm opinions. I know, so I'm not going to tell him that, not that I'm going to see him anyway, because I don't know what that would mean to him. Probably knock him off his stride a little bit. You know, some would say he's quite full of himself. It might not do any harm to it. Anyway, a little dose of reality courtesy of your nan.

Well, look, have a really interesting time, and I think you will be free to tell us something about it. it tomorrow, won't you? Hopefully. I've only been a few times myself, she said, turning the conversation round to myself, which Fee, quite rightly, often accuses me of. But it's an amazing, it's just a genuine thrill to cross that threshold, I think. No, I am excited. And I'm very grateful to Times Radio as well, not to be another message mandate, but for letting me do, because I don't think, I mean, I didn't think of it. It was sort of by David R. Editor, I think. And, All right, stop bigging up these people.

And Anna, but, you know, I don't think lots of people would think to let me go along and see it. I think one of the reasons Hannah is that you're very good. So maybe that's one of the reasons why they've allowed you to do this. Because you are astonishingly young and, you know, you've done really well. And I think particularly as we're sort of in an exam result season, aren't we, with the A levels last week and the GCSEs this week. And people, there's a lot of focus on university and everything else. But apprenticeships, if you can get one, sometimes they're exactly the right thing.

for you. I know. No, I was extremely lucky to get the apprenticeship. I wouldn't have been able to move to London under any other circumstance and it would have been really difficult to do an NCTJ because even that... So that's the national qualification for journalists. Which, by the way, I don't have.

Do you not? No. I mean, I know. It's too late now. Why did I waste my dad? I think it was different then. Go on. No, I think it was. But you need money to do that anyway, don't you? Exactly. You need money. You need to move to cities to do what you know. couldn't have moved down. Sorry.

I meant to say couldn't. That is a Huddersfield thing, but I just swore. I'm sorry. It's, you know, like, didn't, didn't, shouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't. Sorry, everyone. I couldn't have moved down under any other circumstance. So I'm very grateful for that. And, yeah, I mean, it's brilliant.

But it's so luck of the drawer, or it was when I got one. So to hear that there might be more on the way, it suits people much better. Some people. Some people just absolutely excel. And it is just hard to get a job. So many of my friends don't have jobs. Or do have jobs, but not in what they'd like them to be in.

AI is stealing all of the graduate jobs. People are over-qual, you know, that story of high-flying, successful women being unable to get jobs. It was in the times a few weeks ago. We talked about it, didn't we? And we're talking about women in their late 40s and 50s who are really struggling to get anywhere. It's just rubbish.

I'd love to hear from parents who are trying to guide their young people through that job application process because, again, loads of people leaving university now or have left in the last couple of months. And, yeah, they're going to be doing that. Going up to their bedroom if they're lucky enough to have one and then starting to write job applications. You have to do hundreds. It's a horrible time.

Yeah. And no one prepares you for it as well. Well, we've tried to cheered everybody up, isn't it? But no, I don't think you're right And I don't actually think And I could be wrong And I don't want to slag off institutions But I'm not sure that universities

Probably prepare people for it No And that is a proper slog It's a job in itself Getting a job It is And it takes lots of brain power Yeah

Lots of resilience When actually you're just probably exhausted From writing your dissertation It's the last thing you want to think about You want to have fun with your friends Yeah Well fun with your friends It's got to stop at some point

That's what That's what I've told my youngsters. Anyway, I'm really interested in what happens today, so let us know what you can tomorrow. Yeah, you can tell us something about it, can't you? I don't. You'll get it out of me anyway, won't you? Because I'm a great journalist,

in spite of the fact that I'm not a qualified one. I wish I hadn't said that now. Did you see the eclipse? I tried to. I kept getting told off. I just looked at it. Right, no, you shouldn't. No, I know.

But you were here in the UK. Yeah. So I was on Kevologna. Nothing. Oh, really? No, nothing at all. Nothing. I mean, nothing. Did you have the glasses?

There was nothing to see. I was in a tavernor. Oh, well, if you're inside, you'd probably miss it. No, no, but it was an outside space. It just simply nothing happened in Greece. It just wasn't the thing. I did notice it went a tiny bit darker, but then the sun was setting as well, wasn't it?

It was 7pm here. Right. So it's like, of course it's getting darker. Yeah, right, okay, thanks. It is actually getting darker, isn't it? I noticed that last night. Also, the other thing that woke me up in the, night, Hannah, rain.

Yeah. And what people haven't discussed enough is what brilliant, brilliant, drying weather we've had over the last seven or eight weeks in the UK. And look, I'm a middle-aged old git. In fact, I'm older than a middle-aged old git. And one of the thrills of the summer for me, and I know there have been so many downsides, we just need to honour the fact that I've been able to stick sheets in the machine at about seven in the morning and they'd be dry before I went to work. That is brilliant. I mean, that just, it's just something I'll never forget.

What, so in two hours? Yeah, you'd stick them on the line. Yeah, they'd be only need to be on the line for about 45 minutes. They were dry. That is good. Honestly, Hannah. But I guess the rain is welcome as well now, isn't it? Oh, yeah, no, it's hugely important.

Even my fake grass looked a bit better. Did actually. Do you hoover it? Well, I tentatively explored the world of a cup-priced leaf blower, Hannah, and it didn't go well. Didn't go well. No, so I'm back to raking it. My mum hoover is. her fake grass.

Is she? Yeah. What with a normal... With a normal hoover, yeah. Right. I'll say what if you've done today. She says I've hoovered the grass. Okay.

Well, Britain, of course, is living in a northocracy with Andy Burnham in charge, and it's thanks to the collective brainpower of people like Hannah's family that we are where we are. If you do hoover, your easy grass, don't tell us, just keep it quiet. Now, this is apropos of absolutely nothing, but it's from Michelle. Oh, I should say we do have a guest today. Thank God for that. It's Gabby Roslyn, and she's talking about her new ITV show, The Joy of Pets. And you don't get much joy from your pets, do you? So it's going to be interesting. I get a certain amount of slightly reluctant companionship from my cat, and I'm absolutely prepared to say so.

The Joy of Pets is all about celebrating pets and actually, seriously, our responsibility towards them. So I've just watched a very short bit of the second programme in the series, The DRIZE. of pets is about a corgi being neutered and it was in corgi was in virginia water which for some reason made that's a very posh part of surrey for some reason made the whole experience seem i don't know even odder really that sounds american to me virginia water i know what you mean it's it's it's it's high time that netflix set a series in virginia water and it won't be long before they do i'm quite sure anyway um this is from michel um as you've had quite a bit of celebrity talk i thought I'd tell you about my encounter with Antonio Banderas.

Right. I was working in Foyles Bookshop in the travel department on Charing Cross Road doing a kind of gap year. In came Antonio and Melanie Griffith. Do you remember that couple, celebrity couple? No. Right. And it was at the height of their fame.

I'll go ahead of Google. Yeah, okay, you have a look. They were with their young son. They spent ages looking at the atlases and eventually bought our big ticket item, the Times World Atlas. It was 85 quid. As they were paying, they stood at the register canoodling and kissing. I was just so embarrassed and didn't know where to look, but also couldn't stop looking. I've got to say they were lovely to me and so obviously in love. It was made even nicer because the day before, in the shop, someone had shouted at me while spitting on the floor,

you Irish over here taking our jobs go back to where you belong that was my first ever encounter of anti-irish sentiment Michelle well I'm sorry that happened to you how horrible but lovely that you had that celebrity canoodling encounter with that couple

I mean they're not a couple anymore sadly are they no that is sad isn't it when they're so in love well we've all been there Hannah and then all of a sudden you're not but they were a couple and I think they were very much, yeah, they were. They were proper, nailed on celebrities. This is about glamorous athletes.

I don't know if you heard the podcast yesterday. It's a little bit of a trick here for Hannah. Yes. I had it on while I was cooking. I had it on is not exactly the same as did you hear it. Well, I hear enough of you both sat at the desk, don't add. To be fair, that's true. Hannah has to live through the conversations that even I have,

whether they're recorded or not. It's quite a lot of bickering that goes on. It's all in good spirits, though, on the whole. No, okay, so I'll forgive you. But we were talking about the European Championships athletics and just actually how brilliant so many of the British athletes had been, notably the women, Amy Hunt and Dina Asher Smith. But we did have an interesting email yesterday from a listener who just said,

look, I mean, it was amazing, they're great, but why do they have to look so incredibly glamorous? Yeah, they do look particularly glamorous. I mean, they were just incredible. So this is from, I will keep this one anonymous. I'm listening to your comments about how glamorous the female British athletes were in the European Championships. And I've got to admit, I did raise a bit of an eyebrow when Georgia Hunter Bell immediately rearranged her hair for the cameras when she'd won gold in the 1500. But surely any judgment fades into insignificance when contemplating not only how incredibly well our team did,

but also how amazing the camaraderie was between not only. teammates, but also between competitors of different nationalities. I saw that too, and I thought that was lovely. The women's long jumpers almost had me in tears celebrating each other at the end of their event. And the GB men's relay runners celebrating Dina and Amy were also absolutely brilliant, so uplifting. What fantastic role models they are, I really hope the added glam increases coverage and broadens the appeal of a sport that can sometimes struggle for funding and commercial. coverage. So I hear what you're saying. There is another side to this. This is from Marina. I had to write after listening to the conversation about female athletes and their meticulous

presentation at the athletics. Anybody with intimate knowledge of girls with eating disorders will see this for the nightmare it is. One of the strategies parents are encouraged to use when trying to help a young girl recover from anorexia or bulimia is to emphasize the one of what our bodies can do, not what they look like. Female athletes have inadvertently carried a beacon for parents because they demonstrate the power of a healthy female body. Female athletes are role models who show girls how females can excel completely independent of their appearance.

Their value in transmitting this message is immeasurable. Taking these powerful, hardworking, talented and healthy subset of women, and reducing them to just another subset of women to be judged on how they look, does invaluable damage to girls harmed by the unrealistic expectations already put upon them. Thank you. Marina describes herself as irritated and says, sorry for the rant, but female sport is one of the few areas where women have been able to opt out of the optics. To volunteer to opt right back in feels like extreme naivety at best, or as a betrayal at worst.

I don't know whether betrayal is quite right, but I hear the point. It's passionately made, and I suspect comes from some lived experience of eating disorders. This is a really tough one, isn't it? It is difficult, and it's just I would have never thought of it that way until hearing that, and I do definitely understand. Yeah, I mean, there is...

It's a lot of pressure, isn't it, to put on athletes, you know, if she just wanted to have her nails done and make sure her hair was nice for that massive moment in her life. That's also her own prerogative, isn't it? Totally. And I reserve the right to be a crop-haired raging feminist but also dye my hair and have a pedicure. So, and I really like doing those things

because frankly, they make me feel better. So where does that all leave us? I do think it's interesting that there's no doubt about this. It's still a thing. The lionesses, there are some members of the team, brilliant players, don't get the attention of some of the more, I'm going to say it, glamorous members of the team. They're all winners, they've all done great things.

But we all know the names that are most widely recognised. And there are other players who are brilliant at the sport, but don't quite have the requisite look. I mean, it's just a plain fact. There are also some athletes who, because of the body shape they have, because of the sport they excel at, they don't get the attention either. Because, you know, marketing works. Well, we all know how it works.

God, it's actually, it's a fascinating world, this, but at times quite a troubling one. Yeah, I think it's the same with celebrities aging as well, isn't it? It's like you get criticized or they get criticized when they get worked on to stay looking younger. and the ones who don't get work done lose work and aren't seen because they don't want when who looks their age

it's just it's shocking it is it's absolutely shocking there's lots of pressure out there for people to contend with yeah no there is too much actually almost everywhere you look gross ablutions what was the terrible experience that Eve had had

oh she'd seen she was on a tube train was it when somebody was filing their nails oh that is gross no another passenger complained about the nail filing Anyway, it was an interesting story. Sarah here from Perth, Ontario, Canada. So that's Perth in Ontario. Must be, mustn't it?

There must be lots of Perth. Yeah, well, there's one in Scotland, the world in Australia. It sounds like there's one in Canada as well. Is Perth the most overused place name? Tell us at Jane and Fee at Times. I'm sure there'll be one in America as well, name in America, New Perth.

Oh yeah, there probably is, isn't it? What is the most common name for a place? something to do with a bridge. Isn't that an all right? Oh, is there actually one? I was just thinking. I don't know, I'm just thinking, I don't know. Have a Google.

Try this one, says Sarah. A couple flossing their teeth after a dry chicken in-flight meal in cattle class on an Air Canada flight. I was the third passenger in their row with an aisle seat, thank God, able at least to turn my head away from the flicking detritus.

Oh, my God. I mean, who wants to be anywhere near that? Yes, go. Well, I don't know if AI is, you know, how Google just automatically ups for AI now. It's St. San Jose. Rubbish. But they can't, it's, it's, it can't be, it says there are 1,700 San Jose's. What does San Jose mean?

St. Oh, St. Joseph, maybe. I don't know. I would have gone for St. Joseph. Okay. Oh, yeah, St. Joseph. Oh, yeah, St. Joseph. Is it?

Well, it says that it leads with over 17,000. 2016 locations globally. I'm sorry, I just don't believe that. I've never been to a plot bar. I've never even been to San Jose. Never mind all the other San Jose's. Have you been to San Jose? No. Not that I'm aware of,

but there are that many who we might have stumbled in. Do you know the way? To Amarillo. Isn't there a song called Do You Know the Way to San Jose? Yeah, probably. I just wanted to mess with you. I think she was right and I was wrong with. This is from LJ. First time emailer, long time listener.

You're very welcome. I finally got round to emailing, and where better to do it, than on a Vanty West Coast train on a six-hour journey from Glasgow to London. Oh, Fantee West Coast, welcome to my world. So my thoughts went straight to you, lovely lot, says LJ. Almost two years ago now, I started the dreaded perimenopause and my sobriety journey, and life was, to say the least, a struggle. My lovely mum was trying so hard to help me in every way,

one of which was recommending that I listen to your pod. you quickly became my go-to podcast on my every menopause walk, keeping me company no matter what mood I was in. You would rapidly cheer me up with your unapologetic banter and humour, not to mention the interviews and discussions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being by my side through the worst times. I'm now sober nearly three years on. I've turned my life around 360, finally making my lovely mum proud and more importantly myself. LJ, absolute respect to you. Well done.

I don't mean to sound patronising in any way. That is properly tough and you've got there. And I know that anyone who gives up drinking is never fully there because every day presents a new challenge, but how fantastic that you've done three years. That is amazing. And if we've helped in any way, I know I speak for fear as well here,

we're just incredibly grateful that you've told us that we helped. And we just, we're happy to keep on keeping your country. company. Judith, you actually, I was in that hotel, Judith. I mentioned yesterday that it had been a complete burk at the hotel I was in, in Greece, who was conducting a business conversation and pacing around the pool while scratching his balls. I know. And with a baseball cap on back to front at a hotel that honestly Hannah advertised itself as being a retreat for quiet times.

I mean, just so I did something passive aggressive and he stopped. What did you do? No, tell me. You didn't really pay attention. I wasn't paying attention, no. I had Devil Wears Prada 2 on in the background. I was finally catching up to that. I had both on.

I know. I'm Gen Z. I'm sorry. So you had two things on at once? Yeah, I'm crazy. Oh, I just find out, oh, God. I know. I knew that would upset you.

Well, I didn't know how you'd focus on anything. Oh, well, I started the Devil Wears Prada, and I thought, I'm going to have to finish it, because I've got to finish it, but I did think it was rubber. Just seriously, Hannah, let's fast forward. 60 years, 70 years probably, to the care homes that will cater for your generation. What is the racket it going to be like in there? It's going to be brilliant.

It's not going to be brilliant. It's just going to be a cacophonous nightmare with your old second sources everywhere and things blurting and blaring. It'll be absolutely awful. What will the tribute, the musical tribute act be for your generation when you're in a, should we say, a care setting of one sort or another? I think that well

I mean there are two directions to go I think personally that it won't change because I don't think that I think our generation loves all music Oh because of Spotify and everything else Yeah so I don't think it'll change But then secondly I think it will be like raves

Won't it? Sweet that you think that Good luck with your raves when you're in your 90s Judith says If it happens to have been the hotel that you were staying in in Kefalonia Yes it was Then that noisy caller you encountered

Is lucky he didn't deck him When we were lucky enough to stay there All the business types Including my overworked husband Had switched everything off By the time they got through the welcome drink Passive aggressive gestures Get 100% approval for me

Says Judith And you're right The passive aggressive gesture I made was I just put my finger to my lips Hannah Oh, that's good. I channeled my reception teacher self and it got the job done. Yeah.

It really did. Right. We will bring in Gabby Roslyn in a moment or two who's going to talk about the joy of pets and so much else. She's a bit of a TV legend, Gabby, isn't she? Yeah. A nice woman as well.

I've heard from someone who's worked with her that she's nice. Yeah. And she's very positive. All of her things are positivity, the joy. Yeah. Yeah. Couldn't really say the same about myself.

but we've all got our strengths. Yeah. I think I... You're a realist. Thank you. Not that she's not. No, and I'm sure she is, but I hear you. And Hannah, I've decided to take that as a compliment.

Yeah. I'm channeling a bit of positivity for once. This is quite interesting. Anonymous Annie has this query, and I'm interested in how people might react to this. I wonder if you've got any tips on how to deal with people, our anonymous correspondent, is choosing to call foisters. Okay, I've moved to a new town and I've encountered a particular woman

who seems only to speak to me in order to foist onto me a list of things to do for her various projects. You ready? Can I make cakes for a coffee morning? Can I welcome people to a concert? Can I stuff leaflets through all the doors in my neighbourhood? I wasn't sure if there was a kind of phrase to employ

in such situations than, sod off, you cheeky cow. Any suggestions? gratefully received. I mean, I don't think there are many other options, but I want some more context here because in what world does someone think that that's acceptable anyway?

Why is she just voicing on you like that? I think it might be part of an attempt to welcome Anonymous Annie, that's the name she's chosen, by the way, to the community. So I can't criticise her for that. Because sometimes when you move to a new place, I mean, it's been ages since I did,

but you do need friends, you need to make connections, and maybe this lady is trying to do exactly, that. But the foisting element, I don't welcome. I find it actually, there's something about being asked if I could make a cake. Not everyone can. It's not in the skill set of the everyday individual anymore. And I'm not saying it, I mean, I think it's a great thing if you can. But if you can't, you're slightly put on the back foot there, aren't you? Stuffing leaflets, most people could probably have a go at that. I just think if you're wanting to make someone feel welcome, then why are you getting

them to do things? Do stuff. Well, maybe this lady, the foister, already does loads of stuff and needs to delegate. She's that good. She wants to delegate. She's the community queen. And that's a role in itself. And it can be quite exhausting. I think I might become one of those when I finally retire.

Yeah, you seem to be taking the foister, the foister side. No, I'm just, no, I'm not actually, because I would be, I'd feel quite harassed and underscored. strain actually if I was asked to do stuff, particularly stuff I wouldn't feel happy doing. No. I mean, Mary Berry once said to me the great Maryberry, you've got to know your oven. And she was right. I mean, she's still right. You do have to know your own oven.

I haven't baked for absolutely ages, but I do always remember that I overestimated how hot it was. Yeah. Mine has hot and cold areas, so you've got to just use the right place to poppy things in. one side's cold, one side's hot and that's the way it is. Right. Sounds like a slightly... Broken of them you've got there. Hannah, you might want to do something about it.

Homemade teddy bear name comes in from Janet in Adelaide. We'll get to Gabby Roslin, I promise in a moment. This email is about a toy friend that is gone but will be forever in our hearts. We do need some sad music here because there's no budget there isn't any, but just think sad music. Many years ago, my toddler daughter was given a hand

and knitted teddy bear. It was bought at a rural church fate and it's best described as an unsuccessful attempt at home crafting. None of the poor things' limbs were the same length. Its eyes weren't on the same level and neither of them were in the right place. The wool it was made from was a grey, rather like an unravelled army blanket, but it was brightened up by a tiny knitted purple singlet. That's nice. We called it Franken teddy. My daughter loved it and kept it as a nighttime companion for many years. I made amateur repairs over the years, but eventually poor Franken Teddy's fluffy white insides herniated through a massive tear in his midriff.

My poor patch-up skills could no longer save him. By that time, my daughter had reached an age where she could let him go, but Frank and Teddy will never be forgotten. Frank and Teddy rest in peace. Yeah, two seconds for Frank and Teddy. there we are um i think actually janet you could have tried a bit harder to keep him alive i mean i don't want to be judgmental but i just have been um could you really not just done a couple of massive stitches stuffed the stuffing back in and just had another go i don't know so i have a dog that sits on my bed

at home called marshall and he lost his insides a long time ago my mom wanted to get him restuffed but that felt inappropriate he still just got his hole he just sits there yeah and if i touch him little balls fall out so I try not to I mean you're right more comes out every time you touch you yeah so I don't know what the best thing to do is actually maybe I should have let him go on time again it's a very it's a very moving thing you've just said there but I do I do suspect that there are creatures like the one you've just described

in bedrooms all over the world I mean my own childhood teddy is still in my bedroom and the terrible truth and I hope he's not listening is that I've never really liked it well I find old Teddy's, no offence, Jane. Quite scary looking. I know why. Yeah. Does he have big eyes? I haven't looked at him for ages. He's got orange trousers. And I think he's wearing a bow tie. I'll take a picture and I'll put it on the

Insta tomorrow. The thing I associate that Teddy Bear with is that it did come with me when I went to hospital as a five-year-old. I had suspected concussion. And the teddy came with me to the hospital and stayed with me. I was in for five days. the only time I've been in hospital apart from maternity. So he's good luck then. Well, not really because I remember being sick on it. Oh. I know.

And but obviously it's been what I do need to make clear he was. That's why the trousers are orange. He has been, no, he has been thoroughly washed. But I think that's why I've never really, I look, I don't know why he's still in my bedroom. I need to do something about that. What's he doing there? I'm 108.

What's that bear still doing in my, I mean, it's so peculiar. Anyway. Oh, God. Right. Page, my therapist. Get my therapist to come in, Hannah. We can talk to Gabby Roslin, host of new ITV show, The Joy of Pets. Gabby, hello. Welcome. How are you? Very well, thank you. How are you? Not too bad at all. The programme starts on August the 23rd, 1130, ITV. So, there's a nice time of day just to relax in the company of wonderful furry creatures. So you're happy with the time slot.

Yes, delight. Absolutely delighted. But what's so lovely these days is that it changes because, of course, you can catch up on ITVF. Of course you can. Very, very good publicity there. You're on message. We're very grateful and about ITVR as well.

You say that working on the program has reignited your deep love for all animals. So I think I need to know, was there a time when you'd fallen out of love with animals? No. No, I think, no, never, never. I've had animals all my life and I work with animal charities but I think what it did was it reignited it. I had never fallen out

but it was suddenly reminded me how precious they are and also how important they are it's not just to us but we are to them and Dr Balu who is my co-host of this show, a brilliant vet Bolly always says pet parents which I really love that term

because what a pet can bring to us? and what we can bring to them. It's such a, it's very, very special. And we had some extraordinary pets that I never thought that I would be sitting talking to you saying, wow, I would love a pet llama. And, sorry, alpaca. Lama's alpacas, guinea pigs, tortoises.

We've got, we had tarantulas, snake. Well, there's a rat in the first episode. Rat, yeah, lovely. Oh, my goodness gracious. as me. Dogs, lots and lots of dogs. But actually, even the vet, Dr. Bolu, was going on about praying mantis. He quite wants one as a pet now, because he'd never thought about that before. So, yeah, it's been, it's been

eye-opening, but also the amazing, the connection between the pet parent and the pet. Yeah. Dr. Bolo, tell us a little bit about him. Actually, he's lovely with animals. There's a little bit, one of the episodes where a tiny tabby cat goes for a sort of check-up and nestles very happily in his arms. I mean, he definitely has a way with animals. Oh, well, it's extraordinary. When I first met Balu a couple of years ago, I thought, I have to work with him.

There's something very magical and there really is. And I know we use that term a lot, but he really is incredible. And when we were filming, we were filming up and down the UK. Yeah. People would come and go, oh, hello. And then the animals, even if they were slightly anxious or whatever, they just sort of lay on the back, hi I've never he has that touch

he's absolutely doing the job that he was born to do right well it's lovely he clearly does deeply care for the animals as do you I appreciate are you a currently are you a current pet owner or pet parent no because my husband

is allergic he's allergic to cats and dogs so we've had we've had guinea pigs we're about to get a house tortoise right we met a house tortoise on the show and that was it I absolutely found a love the house tortoise. I would love chickens as well. We've got a tiny garden. It's about the size of two double beds. But the chickens, I'd never, I have to be honest, I'd never held the chicken

before. No. And I picked up one of the chickens because we were talking to the, oh, the person who brought in the chickens. And it was the most calming, extraordinary thing. I know that sounds a strange thing, but, you know, I learnt so much. But it was a very, very special moment. And I came home, Actually, like I said, I came home all the time and said, please, can we get chickens now? Can we have an alpaca? You can't just have one, though, I've learnt. You have to have a few. Well, we must get alpaca positive a bit later in the conversation because I'm intrigued.

But your husband's, he's just allergic to furry things then? No, it's the spit. He's allergic to cats and dogs really badly. Oh, God, Gabby, I never thought we'd be hearing about this. He's allergic to spit. Yeah, he's very, very allergic to all dogs and all cats. so but and he kills him because he loves dogs absolutely loves dogs so I've got friends who have dogs and I very often I'll go and walk their dog or I'll go and

pet sit for them yeah it's they know that guy because I grew up with loads of animals my mum red dogs she loved them we had a stuffageable terrier we had two rabbits guinea pigs we had two tortoises one got lost so we called the one was left by both of their names. You used to run around the garden with the dog and that's no word of a lie. Right. I thought we were perhaps turning against the idea

of tortoises as pets, but is that notion back? No, these are rescue. We're looking at rescue. Rescue tortoise, yes. Right. Where are they rescued from? They're rescued from people who don't know what they're doing and also don't look after them.

I think that's something that's really important as well. We had a lot of animals on who were fostered or rescued. We had a lot who were medical detention dogs. We had pet therapy animals. So that's where the alpacas come in. But you do have to know what you're doing. You know, that old thing about a dog is for life, not just for Christmas. It's totally true.

Yeah. So we give some insight into that. Well, no, I appreciate that the programme makes very clear that having a pet is a responsibility and it's not for something. Absolutely. And also we do know, don't we, that in COVID, far too many people got puppies in particular and it didn't always work out for them. No, they're just, you have to know what you're doing. You really do and give them the time.

You know, after COVID, it was a case of, okay, well, I'm going back to work now, so I'll just close the front door and leave the dog for eight hours. No, no. No, it doesn't work and you should never do it. Can you have it? I've got, well, it's interesting you mentioned that. I've got a rescue Tabby from an animal sanctuary in Basingstoke. She's incredibly bad-tempered.

Oh, no. Well, she is. I mean, she's absolutely awful. I would never be without her. Unfortunately, she's... But you love her dearly. Well, no, I tolerate her, and I always will. She is clean in her habits.

She's small, she's rather sweet, looks sweet, but except she isn't. She has appeared, unfortunately, on the cover of Hampshire Life. and that gave her ideas above her station. Oh, I see. And she's never really, she doesn't live in Hampshire anymore. She's moved to West London to be near me, with me, in fact. And I think she rather resents the fact that I've taken her away from her. Well, get her a magazine cover in London.

Yeah, well, she's been in the Sunday Times magazine. I don't, but that's not, this isn't about me or about my Dora, who's currently at the Vets actually having her claws dealt with. Oh, bless her. Dora, that's a good name. Good name for a cat. Oh, good name for a cat. Yeah, it is a good name for a cat. And actually, it's interesting, isn't it? When you are a pet owner and I've had, she's my second cat, I grew up with a dog, I now, I do judge people a bit if they don't have a pet. Now, are you a bit like that? No, no, no, no, because people can have their reasons. I totally understand that. But it's incredible how many people now want pets for the right reasons, not for the wrong reasons. And I think that, like, we underline that, of course.

course in the show. But no, I wouldn't judge something. I don't judge people. I don't think it, no. I'm not like that. Gabby, you want to get into judging people. It's good fun. The, the appeal of a pet rabbit has always slightly escaped me. I must be honest. And somebody makes, well, in the first episode, somebody makes a positive case for rabbits and does say that they can be house trained, which I didn't really know. Yeah. I remember a friend of mine after school her and her sister had a house rabbit that used a litter tray and would sit on their lap watching TV just like a dog, just like a cat. Yes, absolutely. And that's not cruel.

It's perfectly all right to invite a rabbit into a house. So long as they have their space, because that's also really important. They've got to have their space. They need their place that they can go to if they want to get away from everything. It's the same with us as well, isn't it? We all want somewhere that we can get away from it all. Yes, you're absolutely right. Do you think there's a limit to what people in Britain will do for their pets?

I don't think I've imagined this. I think in one of the episodes I saw, a dog had acupuncture. Yeah, absolutely. I've done live television where a dog has had acupuncture many years ago on a BBC show. So I've seen it happen and it is remarkable. This dog had its back legs. It had to use wheels. It was a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful dog.

and had acupuncture live on the show, and it helped it. It was remarkable. Absolutely. Yeah, all for that. Okay. And the rat that I mentioned earlier had a tumour, I think, which was removed by a vet. Yeah. I'm afraid, although I clearly appreciate that the owner was very attached to the rat, I don't really understand why anyone would want a pet rat. can you... Some people might say I don't understand people that want pets so...

Well, I don't and I've got one. No, do you know what? They love their pet rat in the same way. I remember with our... We have live audience there as well. We're all, like I said,

all over the UK on Village Green. And we had tarantulas on and we spoke... I went in, you know, Bollu and I were talking to the lovely people who were there, the live audience and we said, look,

are any of you, you know, are you phobic? Are you worried about the tarantias? They all said, no, we're fine. We just don't want to get too close. We don't want to get too close to look at it. And then at the end of the interview, and we stopped rolling, all of them got up and they wanted to learn more about the tarantula.

And they said, we weren't holding it. That's not what we're doing. But we were just wanted to know if they wanted to come up and find out more. And they all did. Right. I'm not, well, I don't mind spiders, but I think I've been. probably would just keep my distance. Dogs are obviously, I mean, there are some very cute dogs in the programme.

Of course there are. But there are English bulldogs. And look, if you've got an English bulldog, I don't doubt that they're gorgeous, loving, all the rest of it. But goodness me, Gabby, they do have genetic problems, don't they? Absolutely. And we talk about that on the show as well. It's really important. We do discuss all of these things.

And it's all about joy. But also there is the reality of it. And that's why we've got wonderful Dr. Bonnors. He is a vet that knows his stuff. So we do. We talk about all of these things. And actually, he even, he talks about the importance of brushing a dog's teeth. And I thought, you know, in the beginning, before I learned all about it, I thinking,

wow, what did I learn? And in fact, I then learned how to brush a dog's teeth. And the dog trusted me. So now, and as Balu said, please don't go around with the toothbrush and just see any dog and just go, can I brush a dog's teeth? I wouldn't do that. But it's really important for pet parents to do that. that. Yeah, I didn't realize that. You should routinely brush your dog's teeth. Absolutely. Absolutely.

There's a... Well, find out more by watching The Joy of Pets 1130 on I-D-B on Sunday. We'll be there. And on I-TVX. At a time to suit you and your pet. Presumably there's canine toothpaste, though. Yes, there is. It's meat-flavored. I could smell it. Oh, Gabby. I'm learning so much I never thought I needed to know in this conversation. Does it have a great brand name? Do you know, I don't know. I can't remember. I just took the toothbrush and then I brushed the dog's teeth and the dog was smiling. I thought, okay, it's working. All right. Well, there must be a punner. Actually, you know, I love dogs so much. Like I said, we grew up the dog. We had a Staffordshire-Therbal terrier first one. Then we had dachshunds and we bred the dachshund and we had so we had eight puppies running around at one stage. And then we kept one of those puppies and then we had Basset hounds growing up. And then I had a cavalier king Charles Spaniel. So I love, love, love, love dogs. But my mum, my late mum, always went on about brushing their teeth.

So she knew all those years ago. Well, it's clearly very important, and I hope people are paying due attention this afternoon to everything you're saying. You also, I thought this was interesting. I hadn't really thought about this. How important it is to take your dog to a groomer and what groomers can pick up, which might be useful in terms of an animal's health.

Absolutely. Absolutely. that's also in the show. We have a dog groomer in and they were talking about, you know, the lumps and bumps that they could find and other things as well.

But you must, because if a dog gets matted, you know, we've seen, we know that if the dog's not looked after, it can lead to all sorts of things. So please, please, please look up for your pets. Please look up for pets. Yes, of course.

Well, Times Radio listeners would never dream of doing anything else. What's this? James has sent me a lovely picture of his chihuahua. He says, oh, James says, I think I'm my chihuahua's pet. Well, it looks as though you might be. Has James put the name of his tool?

I mean, you're absolutely right, Gabby. We always need the name. We do need the name. Don't have it, I'm afraid. I met a dog in the park the other day. So lovely. Oh, my God. It was a greyhound, rescue greyhound.

And the owners, I talk to everybody. I walk everywhere and I talk to everybody. And the owners came up and they said, oh, this is Mike. And I just, I thought that was Mike, the Greyhound. It was just perfect. That is absolutely perfect. What's this from Jane? Don't diss pet rats.

I kept them for years. They're wonderful. They're clean. They're intelligent and affectionate. I hope the person concerned didn't just have one. They are highly sociable, right? Yeah, well, that's what we say about a lot of the animals. It's really important.

Going back to the alpacas, these are therapy alpacres. our woman, she's amazing, amazing, amazing lady. She has 39 of them and they go into care homes. They work with special educational needs and autistic young people and with people with dementia. And they are gentle and beautiful. We can't just have one. No, okay. Now, you were talking, I think semi-seriously earlier about wanting to have, was it a llama or an alpaca?

I've got confused. Alpaca, yes, but I can't. Like I said, our garden is the size of two double beds. so you know but I fell in love with these alpacas they were the most gentle kind

oh my word I mean I like I said I was quite moved a lot of the time I think I'm now officially not unofficially almost a vet am I a vet yet we ask every week

Balu sort of says no by series five maybe I'll be an official vet Okay. And what was it you were saying about llamas, alpacas, that you can't just have one of those either? They have to come in. No, you can't have one alpaca you need a few. But actually it's the same with a lot of animals. And there are certain ones that you can't. They have to be on their own.

So watch the joy of pets to find out of that. Okay. I mean, I think it's true that cats actually actively prefer a solitary life. Is that correct? I've never. So we had a cat when I was a little girl. And it seemed to be out of the house more than it was in the house. And it loved my dad. more than it loved anybody else. Right. So it would come in, sit on my dad's lap, and then look at the dog,

and then the dog would bark, and the cat would go, yeah, all right, then. And it would leg it outside again. So, yeah, she, gosh, it was a long time ago. Yeah. He was a solitary cat and literally a solitary cat. Yeah, and what was the name? Syracitty.

Gosh, that's quite sophisticated. And the dog was bazooka. Right, right. Well, what a household. Gaby, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. I think this programme actually will bring a lot of comfort and indeed joy. It is called The Joy of Pets. It's on ITV and ITVX from August the 23rd. And it starts this Sunday, doesn't it, at half-past 11 in the morning. Gabby, thank you very much. Thank you so much. Gabby Roslyn, who is hosting that new ITV show, it begins on August the 23rd. And you can find it on ITV1. at 11.30 in the morning, but you can find it any time these days, can't you, Hannah? What a world we live in.

ITVX. Yeah, it's there. Probably there for all time. And there are some very sweet bits in this, actually, if you are thinking of getting a pet, we'll concentrate your mind because pet ownership comes with very real responsibilities, as we all know. Right, we're back tomorrow. I think our guest tomorrow is Mary Portus.

Exciting. Yeah, that is exciting. That's tomorrow. Have a good, period of time, if you believe in the clock, and we'll see you tomorrow. Congratulations, you've staggered somehow to the end of another off-air with Jane and Fee. Thank you. If you'd like to hear us do this live, and we do it live, every day, Monday to Thursday, two till four, on Times radio. The jeopardy is off the scale, and if you listen to this, you'll understand exactly why that's the case.

So you can get the radio online, on DAB, or on the free. free Times Radio app. Offair is produced by Eve Salisbury and the executive producer is Rosie Cutler.