That Lionesses Podcast - Toone & Walsh: Prom Night, Euro Memories & ABBA Shushing 🤣 | That Lionesses Podcast Connected by EE

Episode Date: June 2, 2025

One scored the opener. The other set it up. Together, they made history in the EUROs 2022 final. Joining Harriet Rose on the first episode of That Lionesses Podcast connected by EE is Ella Toone and Keira Walsh! They relive that unforgettable Wembley win, look ahead to this summer’s EUROs in Switzerland, and share plenty of great stories along the way. From top tracks on the Lionesses Playlist to a fantastic Spanish face-off (spoiler: one of them’s much better than the other), Ella and Keira bring the energy on and off the pitch. Follow @lionesses on Instagram, WhatsApp and X, plus @england on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube so you don’t miss a thing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I went to prom but I couldn't go to the after party because I was on the bench for City for the first time. So you shushed me in the cinema but you won't shush me at Abba Voyage? No, I wouldn't. Good to know. Yeah, I mean I look after my eyelashes, nails, you know, stuff like that. Feel good, look good, play good and all that. Yeah. Kay.

Kay. Are you bantering? Are you bantering? Kay. I'm sat next to you. I don't know. How's it going? Are you bantering?

Kay. Hello and welcome to the first episode of That Lioness' podcast connected by EE. I'm your host, Harriet Rose, and I'll be here in the lead up during the Women's Euros 2025 in Switzerland to bring you exclusive access to the players and the latest goings on from within the England camp. As this is the official podcast from the England team, we'll be bringing you interviews and content you can't hear or see anywhere else. So make sure you hit the follow button wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to the official England YouTube channel

so you don't miss a single episode. I, for one, am very excited and that's because I'm a fan just like you and this podcast is made to get you closer to the players that you love. Today we're kicking off things by taking a trip down memory lane to the unforgettable summer in 2022. You remember the one where the Lionesses only went and won the Euros in England and who better to help us relive it than two legends who made their mark. one who scored the opening goal in the final against Germany, and the other who set it up.

It's Ella Toon and Ciara Walsh! Come on! Dream team! Ladies, it's such a pleasure to have you here. Thanks for being the first guests on That Lioness. That's nice. Not bad, that.

It's nice to feel wanted. And you shoved it middle. The rest of them. Well, you were very wanted here. Number one, if anything. Now, Ella't it? Not bad, that. It's nice to feel wanted. Yeah, and you shoved it middle. Put the rest of them. Well, you were very wanted here. Number one, if anything. Now, Ella, it's been three years since the Lionesses brought it home. Since then, you've made it to a World Cup final as well. Can you believe all you've achieved in such a small space of time?

No, not really. It's been a bit of a whirlwind. I think when we won the Euros, life changed massively and everything kept happening and then we got to the final of the World Cup as well so it's been an amazing

two years and hopefully another one this summer will be nice yeah it'll be lovely and Ciara since the last Euros

you've moved to Barcelona yeah me I might it's not about you now oh no I like it though no no sorry give us a bit of Spanish

that's all I know where is the library you know a whole paragraph from GCSE I do but it's it's me saying I'm 15 years old It's not about you now. Oh, no, I like it though. No, no, sorry. Give us a bit of Spanish. ¿Dónde está la biblioteca? You know a whole paragraph from GCSE? I do, but it's me saying I'm 15 years old. Please perform your GCSE oral for us. All right. Hola, me llamo Ella. Tengo 15 años.

Mi cumpleaños es el 12 de septiembre. Tengo los ojos verdes, el trango y pelo y coto y castano. Muy bien, gracias. Adiós. Muy bien! I think we're done. Yeah, you are. You are. Kira, what have you got for us, babe? On Espanol. muy bien gracias adios muy bien I think so yeah oh I've been there you have you have

Kira what have you got for us babe on Espanol no I don't really have no gracias just needs confidence no fab fab fab and you've moved back now

yeah how does it feel to be back playing in the WSL yeah it's good yeah it's different it's a lot faster

than the Spanish League I would say and it's changed a lot since I've been gone but happy to be back. Do you miss tapas? Yeah, I do, but I did miss... I know I'm going to get slated for this,

but I did actually miss English food, to be honest. Which bit specifically? Well, I feel like we've just got more variety, haven't we? Bit of everything. Better restaurants, I would say. Again, I'm going to probably get slated for that. I mean, that's a bold statement. Yeah, but you can just get

lots of different cuisines in England it's more of a variety of like you can go all over the world in the UK which is what I'm trying to say

it's pretty much just Spanish yeah which I'm not going to lie I'm pretty partial to and how's it been back preparing to defend your

European title good yeah I don't know I feel like I've not really thought about it that much because we've still got two games now yeah I feel like I've not really thought about it that much because we've still got two games now

yeah I feel like it's like just the warm-up stages so it's just getting like yeah microwaved yeah I mean we've got a lot going on

haven't we we've had Nations League and all that so you don't think too much about you know the summer it's about what's ahead and that's that's these games so

yeah I mean we're excited for it this is what I'm learning about football is you can't plan more than like two days ahead. Oh, no. Yeah, not really. No, you can't plan anything.

No. Does that stress you out? I think we're used to it now. Yeah. I feel like we're quite, both of us are quite laid back, I'd say. Yeah. Yeah, just kind of roll with it.

Just have to go with the flow. Yeah. Because if you make plans, there's no doubt that you're going to have to cancel them. So there's just no point making them. What's no doubt that you're going to have to cancel them so there's just no point making them what's the biggest cancel you've had to do

I didn't go to my prom when I was like 15 because I had to go to camp that's sad but I went to prom but I couldn't go to the after party because I had a

I was on the bench for City for the first time oh you missed out on the after party do you know what I feel like we should ask Serena to create

a prom in Switzerland I can't wait to see Kira in a prom dress. I'm not going to lie. I think if you win, we're doing a prom and you all have to wear prom outfits. You can wear a suit if you want. Why is she throwing me under the rug like that? Did you just snort?

Did you snort? What? A stylish one. That's cute. Before we get excited for what's to come this year, we thought it'd be nice to reflect on the 2022 Euros and the moment you finally brought it home. Ella, it was your first senior international tournament with England.

How did you feel before you started? Can you remember? It's a little while ago now. A lot's happened since then. But no, I felt ready. I mean, I knew that my role in that tournament was to be a game changer and come on and change games. And I just embraced that role.

Yeah, I made sure that when I stepped onto the pitch, I gave 100% for the team and did what the team needed. And I think it suited me really well to come on and impact the game. And yeah, I think throughout the tournament, I just really enjoyed it really well to come on and impact the game. And yeah, I think throughout the tournament, I just really enjoyed it. Tried to embrace it. Tried to just, you know, learn as much as I could because it was the first time I'd been away with the seniors. So yeah, I loved every minute of it.

And it was nice that we brought it home at the end. Just nice. It was amazing. Absolutely. Just so nice. Bloody fantastic. Yeah, that's it. That's it.

Kiraira as someone who's played in tournaments before what were your expectations going into it I don't know I think because it

was a home tournament obviously it's a little bit different and I think the energy is a bit like wilder it would be

probably a lot more eyes on us than normal I think just the way the sport had grown it was going to be a lot different but

obviously we didn't expect to win it I think that's always what you dream and you want to do but to actually do it is really

difficult because there's so many good teams yeah and there's a mixture of like talent and also kind of right

time right place look and yeah look has to be on your side to win we had no injuries like yeah got through that like pretty well

I would say and um I think we started peaking we like was peaking yeah our first game definitely probably was our worst game

and then it got better from then on yeah someone who was obviously instrumental in that victory was Mary who retired

from international football how much is she going to be missed from the team big mazza mazza big mazza yeah she's going to be missed

I think she's a massive character and what she's done for the women's game and like especially goalkeepers like she's always been so passionate about

like fighting for female goalkeepers so yeah we're definitely going to miss her and yeah I think her individual accolades kind of speak for itself in terms of what she's done

and yeah she's a massive massive miss yeah but it's exciting for her like to make that decision and um kira what was the your very first impression of ella when she first joined the england camp because i feel like you'll tell i want truth we need tea right now i'd already knew her yeah i was a little kid at city you see back then didn't speak cheeky very cheeky oh were you quiet

really shy yeah I always knew you were going to be cheeky you just had that about you now I don't stop talking come out every now and again

what shifted for you do you think from shy to opening up out of your shell I don't know because I think that I'm still quite shy

like especially when I meet new people I'm really like I'd rather let other people do the talking I'm the same as you though'm really like i'd rather let the other people do the talking i'm saying as you though i think they're not yeah we'd rather let someone else do the talking and we just sit back whereas when i know people i don't know i just feel like i can be myself um i don't know when the shift was i think it was that session when you it was

hailstoning and you come in crying why did you cry i'll tell you when i'll tell you when it shifted i'll tell you when it shifted so my first camp i get here right i know obviously kira and the girls at city i'm really close to abby mcmanus and whatever anyway blood testing so it gets up goes to blood testing faints i fainted first camp didn't really know anyone, like, on the floor. So everyone's like, quick, someone go and get Abby. Like, obviously, Abby was like, we were really close then. Next minute, I see, I woke up from the faint and Abby was at the door taking pictures of me. Anyway, when I came out the room,

everyone was laughing at me and that, and I thought, you know what? Icebreaker for you. Yeah, exactly. She done you a favour with that, I think. I know. She jumped me over. Yeah, so I think that was it for me.

I just, I'm, you know know I went to my first camp shy and all that fainted doing a blood test so fainted someone took a selfie a different person yeah so you know hey listen everything happens for a reason blood tests will make you or break you you know I'm so scared of them now scared me for life do you know what so am I they make me gag even thought to be honest I felt a bit sick in that story but I'm proud of you for getting through it. The pair of you were very important, obviously, in the final, scoring that first goal and setting it up, helping one another to achieve England's first goal, which led to the win. Is that moment sort of still etched in your brain like it was yesterday?

You bet you still watch it, don't you? I still watch it, mate. 100%. When I'm feeling a bit down or I've had a bad game, I just watch that. I mean, if it was me, I'd watch it every single day. And I'd make everyone around me watch it too to remind them who I am. Oh, I mean, it was such a special memory.

I think obviously the girls who started the game did all the hard work and like, you know, kept it nil-nil. Yeah. And then I managed to come on and, you know, have that moment, so. But I think we trusted you and Alessia to do that. We knew you'd come on and you'd probably get a chance for us all to score.

Yeah, and I think throughout the tournament that was happening for me and Les. Like, Les was coming on, scoring backheels and stuff. But obviously, when you score the goal, you get the recognition. But I recognise everything that Fran, for me, was doing the whole 70, 60, 70 minutes and then I come on and she tired them all out. You know what I mean? Yeah. I think we just had a good team.

We all understood the rules, but that moment was, yeah, unbelievable. And obviously I got quite a lot of credit, but the pass was put on a plate. So, you know. I don't know, you did chip Kiefer at Wembley. I did do the rest. I will say that that is a beautiful thing to hear because it's so true.

It's not about the goal scorer. It's about the whole team as a whole. But I mean, it must still be the most important goal of your career. Like the one that sticks in your head is like that moment. Yeah, for sure. She is that girl. Yeah. I mean, it definitely sticks in the mind.

Yeah. Obviously, it weren't just like a tap in, was it? So it's even better. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah know yeah yeah yeah yeah i mean an amazing moment for me and you know you always want them moments in in games and in tournaments so hopefully i can i can have another one at some point oh you will i'm sure of it um kira let's talk about the party after the final yeah how did you celebrate the win um

got very drunk good girl because the thing is you guys have to be really well behaved obviously because you're sports ladies but when it comes to

completing and winning the Euros surely you can just have a bit mindful I feel like we just do what every other normal person would do

absolutely was it lit I don't really remember much of it if I'm honest perfect people on shoulders there was a lot of people

yeah yeah dancing on it yeah there was a lot of that there was a lot of booze I remember Serena and Leah cutting the wedding cake

do you remember that I do remember that wedding cake it looked like they were cutting a wedding cake like they were both holding like the hand of together

and were like cutting like a a Euros winner cake so waitena and leah got married at the end but everyone else was like still kind of had a drink at that point so we were all just there like what's going on what is this a glimpse of the future who knows um now of course there's lots of players who make up made up the squad in 2022 so I've got some quickfire questions for you to answer about them. Are you ready? Yeah. Spill the tea.

All right, Kira, who was the unsung hero of the tournament? Ooh, I don't know. Yeah. No, I was going to say Demi Stokes, I think. Oh, yeah. Okay. Perfect. Yeah, I think Demi Stokes.

Yeah. Amazing. Ella, who surprised you the most on the pitch? Well, I know Kira's unbelievable anyway, so I'm not going to say you. yeah I think Demi Stokes amazing Ella who surprised you the most on the pitch well I knew I know Kira's unbelievable anyway so I'm not going to say you I'm going to say Stanway

yeah I think she was solid throughout the tournament which isn't a surprise because we've obviously played with her for a long time but yeah she had a great tournament

yeah she did Kira who gave the best pep talks that's so serene really aren't they Jill nah

Jill Scott we. Jill. Scott. We love Jill. Jill Scott all day. Yeah. Ella, who was most likely to forget something important? Oh, Jill Scott.

Definitely. Yeah. What would she forget? Anything. She'd forget everything. Her shoes, yeah. Perfect. Her head if it weren't for her.

Kira, who's the biggest joker? Jill Scott. No, Jill Scott. She's a triple threat. Keita Parrish, to be fair. Oh, yeah. One of them, too. Ella, who had the biggest joker? Jill Scott. No, Jill Scott. She's a triple threat. Keita Parrish, to be fair. Oh, yeah. One of them two. Ella, who had the best dance moves?

Oh, I've seen some shapes cutting about. Don't say robot, don't you, dear. Oh, definitely not robot. T. It's got to be someone like Keita's in that, hasn't it? They love a bit of a shoulder shimmy. Chloe's not a bad dancer. Oh, yeah?

Kelly, yeah, she's not a bad dancer. Keira, who cried the most in the post-Win celebrations? Leah. She usually cry? Yeah, I feel like she does when it's stuff like that. I'm a crier. I'll cry at anything. I feel like her face got screenshotted a few times,

even from, like, the finelissimum. You know, when she's, like, bending backwards. Yeah. She gets screenshotted quite a lot a lot of emotion yeah yeah as she should Ella who's the

skincare queen in the camp skincare who's bringing the glitz and the glam Screamwood yeah she's got a lot of products I would say yeah Alex

really 10 step skincare routine yeah I feel like you're a bit of a skincare girly like I mean I do work with Charlotte Tilbury sometimes oh hashtag brand deal I just hashtag brand deal that in the podcast hashtag brand deal keep them on side hashtag let's get another brand deal for all of us me and kira also looking

um because i feel like i love like you've got you are like you've got the eyelashes and the nails and you you take a lot of time to like and I love that yeah I mean I look after my eyelashes nails you know stuff like that feel good look good play good and all that yeah

I could be a lot better with a skin skincare routine you both got great skin yeah I got told I was quite shiny in one of the things I did earlier

is that nice said he wanted to sort my forehead out and I wasn't really sure what that meant so okay well I think it's beautiful thank you

forehead is shiny one of the best I've ever seen. Thank you. I'll take that. You're welcome. Thank you. Now, I know that music's a big thing in the camp and every summer needs a playlist.

Was there a team DJ during the tournament? Leah. Yeah, Leah. What was Leah's go-to bangers? Well, the one that reminds us of the tournament was ABBA Does Your Mother Know? We played that before every game, didn't we, in the changing room on the way out. Does Your Mother Know by ABBA?

Yeah. Does that just get you gassed up? Yeah, it got us pretty up there, yeah. Yeah, and Rach used to do a rendition of River Deep, Mountain High. Oh, yeah, I've heard that one. That's not Celine Dion. Yeah, it remakes. Oh, I love it.

She had the proper voice for it, didn't she? Yeah, she does the version Celine Dion. Oh, really? She'd given Celine Dion the run, remake is. Oh. She does the proper voice for it. Yeah, she does the version Celine Dion. Oh, really? She giving Celine Dion the run for her money? I mean, at Trafalgar Square when we

had that thing, she was on the mic and she was pretty good. Belting. We were all a bit hungover, so I don't really know what she sounded like.

Tell me, is there any songs you've got your eyes on for this year, Rose? Is there a song that you feel like... I can't, because not many people

like my music. Not that they don't like it, but I don't really fit into everyone else's. What's your genre? What are you talking about? A bit of everything. But I love, like,

my playlist, I don't think any of these would listen to me. I reckon I'd listen to your playlist. Name a couple of songs. Well, I need to get my phone out, but I've got this playlist

banging at the minute. It's just a lot of, like, George Michael. Yes! Kenny Kravitz, Lenny Krav just a lot of like George Michael yes Kenny Krivitz Lenny Krivitz Lenny Kravitz Kenny Krivitz Kenny Krivitz

I don't know who that one is Kenny Krivitz what a banger do you know what I cannot stop listening to it at the minute tell me it's getting stuck in my head

so much yeah have you watched The City Is Ours no has anyone watched The City Is Ours I think I know

what you're going to say The House Of Bamboo the song you'll have to sing it going to say the house of bamboo the song is that on you'll have to sing it for us and the house of bamboo that's it never in my

need of sticks dun dun dun dun sticks and bricks dun dun dun dun I feel like you've made up this song but I'm here for it 100% no I've seen it on TikTok

and have you the gangsters okay well maybe this should be... Anyway, that's not getting played in the changing room because someone will shout, turn this off! Or next!

Oh, I feel like we should give her a chance this year. I think she's telling lies if I'm honest. Oh, okay. 20 of your songs get played every time. Do you know what I do, though, right? Leah's the DJ. And I say to Les, Les, go and ask Leah to put this on.

Oh, so it doesn't feel like it's coming from you. Everyone likes it, and then I say, I asked for that one. So many ABBA songs get played because everyone knows you love it. Nobody likes my music. Have you been to ABBA Voyage? No, but I've been to it to go. Did you love it? Yeah.

Feels like you didn't. And you've really sold it. The thing is, like, it's not a real concert is it so there was people next to me and my friends who were telling us to shush and I was just like

it's a hologram like I don't need to shush it's not that deep it's not real like I'm allowed to talk it's fine so I feel like also I'm a talker

I'm a talker I want to talk like even in the cinema you know I'll talk in the cinema oh no that's too far yeah yeah that's a bit rude yeah so you shush me in the cinema but you won't sh the cinema. Oh no, that's too far. Yeah, that's a bit rude.

So you shush me in the cinema, but you won't shush me at Abba Voyage? No. Good. Now we're going to talk about the upcoming tournament, girlies. You're back to defend your title. Kira, what do you think about the potential

of the squad going into the tournament? Of our squad? Yeah. Yeah, it's good. But also like a lot of other teams are also good like it's going to be difficult yeah

but we've got a lot of new good young players so it's going to be an exciting one it's exciting Ella you guys obviously won the previous tournament

on our home soil how different do you think it's going to feel being in Switzerland being away from home I mean I think we always take a lot of travelling fans with us

so we never really feel like we're away from anywhere if that makes, I think we always take a lot of travelling fans with us, so we never really feel like we're away from anywhere, if that makes sense. I mean, we had the World Cup in Australia and played the home nation and we won. So we know what it's like

to play in front of crowds that aren't ours. But we also have a lot of fans who come and, you know, support us. So, yeah, I think we're experienced in that now. So hopefully we can have a few fans over there as well

to get us through. I'll be there. Nice. At least one. I'll be on the side, just me. Oi, oi. I'm sure you're thrilled by that news. Are there any new players to the squad

that you hope could make a big splash this year? That can go to both of you, actually. Well, you've got Grace, who's had a really good season at United did Grace not go to the World Cup she didn't no did she not

no so you've got players like Grace coming through Jess Park Jess very good players Aggie yeah

there's a lot really of you know talented players coming through and I think they'll be really exciting to watch and are the Lionesses going to bring it home

come on come on the Lionesses are going to bring it home? Come on. Come on. The Lionesses are going to bring it. Yeah. We will. You know what? We're going out there to give our all, to inspire the next generation,

to make the nation proud. And, you know, as my mum says, all you can do is try your best. Yeah, your mum's absolutely right. What's your mum called? Karen. Shout out, Karen. She's a Karen.

She's a belt, isn't she? She's not a Karen. No, she's not. She's not a Karen. Now, it's not. Now it's the first episode I thought I'd begin a new tradition. So something competitive for you, get you guys going, get you galvanised. I'm sure this will be one of the main reasons you play so well. It's called the Euros Alphabet Challenge. And the rules are very simple. You have a minute between you to list from A to Z different things that relate to the Euros, Switzerland, the team, the players.

I'm just getting out from behind this cushion really stealthily. I've got a stopwatch. So we're working as a team? Well, no, you're against each other going one to the next. You're just trying to get as many as possible. So in a sense, you're in a team and in a sense, you're competing. George, you know what I struggle with? Knowing what letter's next.

I will help you with that. Right. Okay. So, starts with you. A, B, C. But I will go... Alright. Okay.

But I'll say... I'll say... What, is something funny about my mouthing? Yeah, it was... It was insane. Yeah. Okay. There's one minute on the clock.

So, I'm going to be keeping an eye on that. You know what I'm doing? Because I can't think of one. I've got one. Okay, ready? One, two, three, go. Is that an eye on that. You know what I do? I can't think of one. I've got one. Okay, ready? One, two, three, go. Is that an A? A.

Alessio Russo. Basel. Chloe Kelly. D. Delicious Swiss food. Yeah. E. Ellerton.

F. Frank Kirby. ABCDEF. G. Stanway. George Stanway. H. Hanhampton.

I. Important goals. That was good, that. J. Jess Carter. K. K. Kelly.

Are you banned? K. I'm sat next to you. I don't know. How's it going? Are you banned? K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. L Lee Williamson M Big Mazza Mazza M N Niamh Charles O O Overhead kick P

Player T P Q Queens Question Queens Queens

What's after Q? R R Rachel Daly S Stanway Time I can't That was incredible What's after Q? R. R. Rachel Daly. S. Stan Wayne. Time.

That was incredible for a first go. I'm sorry. You just set my mind. Ella and Kira, congratulations. You were absolutely bomb at that game. It was brilliant. Harder than it seems. And also, I kind of laughed at you for not knowing the alphabet, and I didn't know any of it.

What's after Q? Truly, I need to learn that for the next episode so I will do that Ella and Kira thank you so much for taking us back to the summer you made history

and gave us memories that will last a lifetime and hopefully I'll be seeing you both in Switzerland and thank you for listening and watching

to the first episode of the Lionesses podcast don't forget to hit subscribe. That's me hitting subscribe. And follow the YouTube channel, please. This has been That Lionesses podcast connected by EE. Stick with us across the series. We'll be getting exclusive access and incredible info from the girlies.

What more could you want? Bye. Bye.