Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Angela Barnes (Part One)

Episode Date: April 9, 2024

The brilliant stand-up comedian Angela Barnes joins Emily and Raymond for this week’s episode of Walking The Dog! Angela may think she’s a pessimist, but she certainly brightened our day…We met in Brighton’s Stanmer Park and Angela tells us all about how she was inspired by her dad (who ran a sex shop, if you didn’t know…) to start her comedy career, how important it is to remember your good fortune and what it’s like to compare careers with her peers. You can listen to part two of our walk with Angela here!Keep up with all things Angela here: https://www.angelabarnescomedy.co.uk/ You can listen to Angela’s podcast We Are History wherever you get your podcasts. Catch Angela at the Edinburgh Fringe this August with her work-in-progress show "Angela Barnes Is Getting Worked Up". Listen to Emily and Ray’s first walk with Angela from November 2021 hereFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My local supermarket just happens to be in ASDA, and I was in there doing food shopping. And a bloke said, get up to it, said, what are you doing in here? And I said, well, I've got to eat. What do you think? Where do you think my food comes from? This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I went for a stroll with comedian, Angela Barnes and her beautiful cockapoo, Tina.

Angela is a hugely popular stand-up known for her appearances on shows like Live at the Apollo and Walk the Week. And she also does a brilliant history podcast with writer John O'Farrell called We Are History, which is honestly fantastic, so do check it out. For more info on Angela, go to angela Barnescomedy.co.com. I'll stop talking now and hand over to the woman herself. Here's Angela and Tina and Ray, Ray. Come on, Ray.

Do people think he's a girl because he's got a pink harness? In Brighton, you'll be fine. What a start, Angela Barnes. I get that because Tina had until recently she had a blue harness and people would say oh is he a lovely dog she's got a blue harness

doesn't mean she's the hey hi Tina what do you think of Raymond you seem to be slightly indifferent oh hang on we're having a week going to the bathroom on the first day didn't even close the door you say hello to Raymond

where's Ray so let's go down here Angela try and find the little cafe oh there's a signpost there that'll help You know me so well, Angela Barnes. I know you need a coffee, Emily. I know this podcast isn't going to start properly, too. You've had some caffeine.

I like that I'm the high maintenance one. I mean, you're a guest. It's very rare when I'm in a room and I'm not the high maintenance one. I'm just enjoying it. Here we are. Oh, yes. I'll just put Ray's lead on because I want to be liked by everyone here. Do you know what I mean?

I do. So Angela Barnes, wonderful, hilarious, brilliant, Stand-up comedian, Angela Barnes. I'm so thrilled to have you on walking the dog. It's lovely to be back again. Thank you for having me back. And we're in Brighton. We are.

Specifically, we're in Stanma Park. Stanley Park. Lovely stand-mapark. And we're with your beautiful Cockapoo Tina. We are indeed. She's having a good old sniff at the moment. I think there might be... Yes, I knew that was imminent.

She did this last time we did the podcast. The moment we started recording, she had a poo. Come on then, Angela. Let's go. These are the tea rooms. Yeah, I'm just going to find a bin for, I won't take the poo into the tea room. There's a bin up there, I think. So I just go and deposit this. Come on, Raymond.

Don't eat the plants, Tina. So we've got to the tea rooms. What can I get you? Lovely. I'll have a mocker, if I may. Get me. Been in Brighton six years. And I'm ordering a mocker.

You've really changed. It's really changed. Just safe putting sugar in it. I remember the days when you were happy with the Coronation Street pensioner. Milk, two sugars. Milk, two sugars, builders tea. But now I'll have a mocker please, darling. All right.

So one mocker, one latte. Perfect. Right, Angela Barnes. Right, Emily Dean. Here we go. I'm relying on you to take me in the right direction. Oh gosh, don't do that. I have zero sense of direction.

I feel like this is just going to be walking around a garden centre, so maybe we should go out that way. And do you know what? I think we're still too young for that. Yes, we are. Come back in another ten years. another 10 years and we'll walk around a garden central I'll tell you all about my funeral plans that's what you do isn't it and we'll get a free pen yeah I still I like the concept of the garden centre

I just I feel we're not there yet I don't think I'm there we're not there yet no well I don't have a garden for a start so it's sort of wasted on me well I do but mine looked more like if Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungent had to been left in charge of a garden what would it Wilding. That's what you're doing. It's very fashionable now, Emily. Rewilding. It's fine. It really does look like that, Angela. That's what you can tell people, though. Oh, my rewilded garden. Do you like it? I feel people walk in there and go, what happened? It's got those voices. So I cannot be more thrilled to be with you, Angela and Brighton. I'm glad you're here. We're with the wonderful Tina. We are. Do you want to be? We want to be.

want to just remind me when Tina came into your life and why? So Tina is five. She turned five on Christmas Day. She was born on Christmas Day and she, we've had her since she was a little pup. So we've had her since she came to live with us in February 2019. So she was a sort of pre-pandemic dog. But she's very much a sort of pandemic dog because she suddenly had us at home 24-7 from when she was a year old. She's quite a, what they call a Velcro dog, you know. She likes to be with us. Don't you love those euphemisms?

I don't love it. This is a needy dog, you mean? That's what you mean. Oh, there's a bin. Let me put this poo in it. Oh, is that a beagle? Oh, look at you. Hello, is that a beagle?

Oh, beautiful. What's the name? She. Toby, this is Raymond. Oh, Toby. Oh, I'm so sorry. I think Toby was a bit freaked out by Ray then. Oh, Toby.

Bye, Toby. Hi, Toby. You were telling me about Tina. Yes. You got her... Yeah, 2019. She's been with us. Just pre-lockdown, essentially.

Pre-locked down, about a year before. And, yeah, we were very... I always wanted a dog. And my husband was a bit ambivalent, but it was a deal breaker for me. So we got... And now he is absolutely... They're inseparable, really. Him...

I mean, if she had to choose between us, I'd be out the door. she absolutely loves him and it's reciprocal if I'm out gigging or on tour or whatever and I come home late and they've gone to bed Tina would be lying on my side of the bed and just sort of open one eye and look at me like oh the third wheel's back

and you didn't have dogs growing up did you no no so I'm quite allergic to everything as you can see by my weeping eyes now as we're walking past trees and so yeah we never had dogs because of my allergies because when I was grown up, you know, these sort of poodle crosses it wasn't really known that that was a thing that was good for people with allergies.

There were dogs in the family so cousins and aunty and uncles had dogs but because of my allergies my parents wouldn't let me have one. So I always wanted one and then you know as I was an adult life was just with different jobs I had and being on the road and stuff it just wasn't really conducive. And then I got to a point in my life where it was a bit more. You know, my husband works from home and makes life a lot easier. And what does your husband do again?

My husband works in IT. So he works for a big department store. I'm a bit jealous. Yeah, it's quite nice having a husband not in the... No, just 24-7 IT's before. Oh, there's that as well. Well, you'd think that. But he's good at his little area of IT.

but I use a Mac because I'm a, you know, a tosser. And he doesn't, yeah, he's windows. So he's no good to me, really. It was such a sunny day here yesterday, and you've come today when it's a bit grey and drizzly. Yeah, but you know what? You brighten people who all say that. Honestly, it was lovely yesterday.

It's like the comedy night where you have a tour show. Honestly, we sold out last week, honest. Yesterday they all came. I think that should be its twin town name. Honestly, it was lovely yesterday. Yeah, so you were saying, you were telling me about your husband and you didn't have dogs when you were growing up, but I wonder if you could just remind me a bit about your childhood,

just to give me a sense of it. So I grew up in Kent, in Maidstone in Kent. We had cats. My parents divorced, I was quite young. my mum remarried, I had a little brother who's 12 years younger than me and actually since we last met and he's made me an auntie now

so I've got a little little niece, Laura. I know your dad was a bit of a character colourful character. Yeah, I mean I think we talked about him before he ran a sex shop was I love that he ran a sex shop

it's the best thing ever it's quite a People sort of... You went in there when your dad was in... Yeah, but I was an adult. I wasn't... He didn't have me in there doing doldow sock takes with him when I was 14, you know, wasn't like that.

And it's funny because my dad, although my dad was very liberal and particularly in that area... Oh, hang on, Tina's doing another poo. Yeah, he was sort of very liberal and low back, but because I was his daughter, he wasn't necessarily like that with me because I was his little girl, you know. So it's not like, yeah, you know, we weren't sort of some hippie family.

It wasn't like that at all. But he enjoyed life, I think it's fair to say. Yeah, great dad's not necessarily a great husband probably. When did your parents split up again? So I was nine when they split. I'd sort of remember them together, but not much really. Yeah. So my dad was very sort of like.

larger than life are very colourful and fun. So I think it was also... And also my dad's mum lived with us. So my nan lived with us because my mum worked full time. So, you know, in terms of sort of taking me to school or cooking my dinners, it was my nan that did a lot of it, really.

So yeah, my mum would sort of get home from work and then my dad would get home from work a bit later. See, I felt sorry for my mum because when I think about that time, she's in it but not as much as my dad really because she was doing the oh look at him so your dad so yeah he was the sort of life and soul really and you know you'd go to a family party or whatever and it'd be my dad telling stories and kind of he used to love he had a motor home he loved camping and you'd go to these campsites and he would make friends with anyone you'd talk to anyone make friends with anyone

and they'd all be sort of in his thrall, you know. And I'm, I think... Was he quite tanned? Yes. Yeah, I'm getting the picture. He was blonde and tan. He was. He was.

Of course he was. You know, drive with his arm out the window. So one arm browner than the other. Lovely short sleeve shirt in the summer. Yeah. Quite nice looking, I imagine. Oh, I can't, ooh. Oh, dear, that's weird.

He had half a tooth at the front. He had broken teeth, because when he was at school, He apparently was swinging his football boots round and knocked half a tooth out and never got it replaced or anything. So he had this sort of, but it was kind of an enigmatic cracked tooth. I think it was sort of, yeah.

I know you've said, well, that's just what he did. You know, at that point when he ran the sex shop, it's like, well, it's great because it's great comic. It was great for a comedian starting out. It was definitely stories in there. But there are some people that might have, Turn that into a misery meant more. Yeah.

Do you know what I mean? Oh yeah. I mean, it was, you know, there were tough times with my, yeah, with growing up and with divorce. It was different. I think when, when did they divorce in the 80s? Well, I do think they got divorced then because he was being a bit of a naughty boy. I think they just got married young. They were very different, my parents.

Like, I mean, I'm glad. I don't know how I happened, really, when I think about it, because they're so different. but my mum's great about you know she went through a lot with my dad I think but it was such a long time ago and so when I got married a couple of years ago my mum did a speech at my wedding and she was you know she said really nice things about my dad which she didn't have to say you know because it was obvious he wasn't there and it was a big person missing on the day because we should say your dad's no longer with us he's no longer with us no so he died oh gosh 16 years ago nearly now

so I was in my I was 31 when he died he was 60 which you know you used to think oh 60's not a bad but now I'm like well that's not as far away from where I am as I'd like it to be really so I'm 47 now which is the age my dad was when he had a

quadruple heart bypass so it does sort of make you just kind of well as you well know you just know nothing's a given is it and I was talking about it with someone the other day it's that sort of

you lose a parent I think you suddenly have that realization that everything that happens that's nice from then on will have something missing from it a bit you know

and it sort of divides your life into two well I think it feels like also there's a very specific thing with a life interrupted you don't just mourn the past, you mourn the future you didn't have with them.

You do, you do. And those moments you're talking about, your wedding. Exactly, those things that you just assume they'd be there for. But there's sort of other ways to look at that. Like my dad, because of the way he was and how full of life he was, it would have been very difficult to watch my dad get old and sick. And I know it's always difficult to watch a parent get old and sick. But I'm sort of grateful that I didn't have to do that with my dad in a way.

Even though that would mean he would still be here, he would have hated it. And he always said he was going to drop dead at 60 because his father had. And he just felt that was what was going to happen to him. And it did. Tina, no. No. Oh, what is wrong with you eating mud? Oh, no. Oh, Tina. So I'm a bit excited.

I still have a little bit of a schipoodle. Shih Tzu Poodle? He's an Imperial Shih Tzu. Oh, look. And they're called Shipu? Yeah, sheepo's. Yeah. Oh, bless you little bundle.

I like a Shih Tzu Poodle. Yeah, they're quite cute. And they've got the poodle, so they're, well, we've got a... Bit of a curl. Yeah, got the curl. That is the trouble, though. Her fur is all matted. Yeah, that's why she's a cockapoo, but we keep her short,

because she just doesn't like being brushed. Yes. Oh, I'm good. What's the poo? Missy. Missy. This is Raymond. You come on there, Missy.

So, yeah, so that's what led you to comedy was the loss of your dad. Oh, yeah, it's that sort of, you know, life's too short, is it? It sounds like such a cliche, but it's true. It makes you sort of go, right, what are the things that I was really not happy with my life when my dad's, you know, generally. You sort of feel guilty about it, though, don't you? I did, you know, Carrie Ad Lloyd has a podcast, the grief cut. and it's a really lovely podcast, very positive sort of thing about grief.

I talked to her about it. She said, you know, when good things come out, you feel a bit guilty because you sort of go, God, if somebody gave me a big red button and said, press this and your dad would come back, you'd think, well, yeah, obviously I'd press it, but then I wouldn't have my career. You know, so you just sort of go,

oh God, is my life only working out because my dad, you know, You feel sort of guilty for that. I think that what happens is that you became a comedian. That's your whole, that's your career, that's your life. It's your passion. It's your vocation. You can't ever not connect that with your dad now. No, exactly.

And while you sort of think, oh, it's sad you didn't get to see it. And also, I don't know if it would have happened if he'd still been here. So, yeah, that's like the sort of positive that, or the thing that he gave me is that, Because I think the thing that upsets me or worries me is that my dad died worried about me because I was not happy and I wasn't. I hadn't found my thing and, you know, I was sort of 31 when he died and he knew that I wasn't on the right path and wasn't. So I sort of feel sad that I can't go, oh, by the way, it works out all right, you know.

I meet my husband and I have this career and I'm really happy. but then you sort of go well what happened had to happen for that to happen you know so maybe there's some level he knew that I don't know it's who knows what the grand plan is I don't really know his one well I'm thrilled that you did decide

to become a comedian because prior to that you were in the sort of you were a nurse and in sort of yeah I sort of worked in care and social care and I didn't did lots of different jobs like I think we talked about last time yeah I couldn't stick to one job for very long because of ADHD and which I now know which I didn't at the time I just sort of I got restless very easily and bored very easily and I think bored's even the right word I just

it was like a it was more visceral than that it was more sort of I can't keep doing this same thing every day and as you know like a job like comedy no two days are the same you know so So it keeps you constantly interested and keeps you from getting in that rut of, I can't face buying my sandwich from the same coffee shop with the same. And some people thrive on that. Some people need routine and need, you know, it's different people need different things. That's why, like after the pandemic, when they're, you know, oh people need to get back in offices, it's better for them.

And you go, well, you know, it's better for some people. Whereas working from home is better for, it's almost like we're not all the same. Yeah. So yeah, I feel very lucky to have found. the job that suits my personality. I don't think everyone gets that lucky. And some people just have to... But it took you a while?

It did take me a while. I was 33 when I did my first gig, which in, you know, stand-up years is pretty ancient. But, you know, sometimes I look back and go, oh God, where could I have got to in my career if I'd started 10 years earlier? But the thing is 10 years earlier, I wouldn't have had anything to say.

I wasn't in the right place. I wasn't... I wouldn't have had the confidence. I always think with people that go straight from You know they might go to university And then they go straight to a Performing Arts course or whatever And then straight into acting

That's great if that's the path that you can take And that works for you But there's something really to be said If you want to relate to the people Who are sitting at home watching telly Or watching the plays you're in or whatever That life isn't very relatable And if you are doing

Stand Up That's part of your your job is to be relatable, right? So if you've never had a proper job or you've never, you know, your whole life has been, I can't write jokes about, oh, you know what it's like when you're backstage at a gig. Well, no, your audience doesn't know what that's like.

Or, you know, your audience doesn't necessarily live on trains and in hotels like we do. So you have to, I remember Sarah Milliken saying to me really early on, she don't forget to live as well as work. Because if you don't live, you don't have anything to write about. Life's what you write about. you know and you've got to fill that well with doing stuff that people do

and it's really important you know go on a Sunday go to a boot fair go to visit a castle or whatever do don't let you know not live a life just because you found this job that doesn't have defined days of work well you're so right what you don't want to be is the

the comic stood up saying private jed's right what's the deal Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Let me be clear. I am not a multi-millionaire comedian, you know, and I'm not famous. But I have things like I was in my local supermarket just happens to be in ASDA and I was in there doing food shopping. And a bloke said, get up to it. So what are you doing in here? And I said, well, I've got to eat. What do you think? Where do you think my food comes from? You know, before I was in this world, when I used to, it was an alien world to me. You know, I didn't know anyone who was on telly. I didn't have that background. So growing up, if I saw someone on telly, whatever they were doing, I sort of assumed they were a millionaire.

Of course, I now know that's very not true. Your career in comedy started essentially by running club nights, didn't it? Yes, it did, yeah. Because I felt that was your way of testing the water. Yeah, well, I just loved comedy. Like I was a bit of a comedy. nerd I loved watching it my mom took me to see Victoria Woodlife when I was 14 and it was like watching magic just this woman in a microphone just had these people in the palm

of her hand just losing their minds and it was like how's she doing that with words she's not you know okay she did use music and stuff as well but I'd been to see bands and I'd been to see play oh my God Tina sorry something absolutely foul has just come out of my dog's backside Tina So you always We're sort of slightly on the sidelines thinking I want to There's part of me that wanted to do it

But I just didn't think And it all started I was So I used to be a member of a theatre group In South London Where I was living at the time And My then boyfriend

sort of harboured He wanted to be a stand He loved comedy as well And he used to do sort of little open spots and things And we started running a comedy night at the theatre. So that's how I got into that. Then when we split up and I moved to Brighton,

I really missed it. So I started running a night in Brighton. And just getting community. It's like a sort of new material night, really, on new acts and new material. And I had, this was back in 2008. And I had my sort of regular emcees where people like Josh Riddickham,

James Aecaster, Joel Dormitt. So I had quite a good eye. And so it was then when they were all starting out, you know. And then, yeah, my dad died that summer. And I sort of went, right, actually, because he'd always said to me, oh, you should do it. You know, why don't you get up and do five minutes at your own night? And I thought, don't be stupid, I can't do that. And then, yeah, after he died, I thought, yeah, he's right, I should.

This is what I want to do. And if I, you know, I try it. And if I'm no good at it, well, at least I know. And so, yeah, that's how it all... So I went and did a stand-up comedy course, Comedia, in Brighton. And I actually... The people I was working for a charity in Brighton at the time,

and they paid for me to do... I think they paid half for me to do the comedy course because they sort of went, oh, it'll help your presentation skills and things like that. And then they're... I end up, yeah, leaving that job to be a startup comedian. So I don't think they quite expected that when they paid for half of the course. Yeah.

But that's what happened, yeah. Why do a lot of people from the medical profession, are examples of doctors and nurses, transition into comedy? Gallows humour is a thing, you know, that if you're working with people every day who are at a bad point in their life, be it that they're sick or their circumstances are bad, or, you know, that can rub off on you. you if that's your every day.

And so you have to, for your own sanity, develop a sense of humour about those things. You know, and some of the funniest things I said in hospital waiting rooms, staff rooms, rather, but they're things that you couldn't, probably wouldn't repeat outside of those places. Because it's a valve, it's a release from what you've seen or what you've dealt with that day. and so for me it's a sort of no-brainer really that you develop those muscles of finding the funny in the dark

what groups of people were you working with Angela I worked mostly with people with mental health problems and often with people with what they then called dual diagnosis so mental health problem and substance misuse was my main sort of area but I also worked with homeless people I work with people with learning disabilities.

I've sort of done lots of different. So you must be very kind and compassionate. I have empathy and a sort of sense of unjust, you know, when things just aren't fair and those groups of people, you know, there's a real sort of people think they know why homeless people are homeless or why people take drugs. But the fact is every person on the street has a different story. and I worked with people who'd been lawyers or teachers or police officers or, you know, any one of us,

it's only a few paychecks away from disaster, you know. And I think a lot of people don't want to admit that because it's frightening. And so it's much easier to demonise those people and say, well, they made bad decisions or they brought this on themselves because that way it can't happen to them. You know, money can't buy you happiness as is only ever said by people who are comfortable. it's never said by somebody in the queue of a food bank, you know. The fact is what money buys you is comfort to be happy. And that's part of the, you know, there's what they call the hierarchy of needs, you know,

being warm, dry, fed, intellectually stimulated, all of those things are basic human needs. And if one of them's not met, you won't be happy. And unfortunately, we've built a world where money is the only thing that gets you some of those things. but some people are just driven by accumulation of wealth for wealth's sake rather than for what it can get you in terms of being comfortable I have to remind myself sometimes you know because we all get whatever you do there's days when you just fed up and I have to sort of have a little word with myself and go

yeah but look what you could be doing today you know look what you were doing 20 years ago the fact is in my job now it's easier than any job I've ever had in terms of of no one's life is going to be negatively affected because, you know, because I tell a joke, really. They might in the moment not like it or not laugh or whatever, but I'm not going to make a decision that's going to mean someone's kids are going to get taken away or they're going to lose their house.

Or, you know, so none of it really matters. And that's, I think, been a real help to me because I don't, I can't get as worked up about some things in this world because it just doesn't matter. It's not. And I'm saying that of a very lucky position of, I'm also aware of how lucky I am that I do make, you know, a decent living doing what I do.

And it's, I've sort of come into this industry at quite a lucky time. I mean, it could have been luckier. You know, if you were doing it in the 90s when there were 12 comedians, obviously there was more, less competition but I'm very aware of my

good fortune and that's not to say I don't work hard but yeah it gives you an awareness and I try not to forget that you know that I can basically pay my mortgage and buy the things that I

don't have particularly extravagant tastes I drive a Toyota to Yaris I'm not you know I live in a two-bedroom flat. I don't live in a massive house. Like I said before, I think people assume that because you've been on telly, you must live in a mansion or a gated community and have someone to do your shopping for you.

And that's not the case. But those things that I do have, I've earned. You know, I haven't had help from wealthy parents or any of that stuff. It's interesting with comedy, isn't it? Because it doesn't matter how near the top of the tree you get that I'm very aware a lot of the law. of my friends who are comedians say

you know it's that comparison is the thief of joy thing that you it's very difficult as a comic because you're all sort of mates but equally there is that element of oh they're doing that not resentment for them but more panic of

should I be doing that? It's a real hard lesson to learn and I really try to learn it but I don't always succeed like for example I started hello come on when I started one of my contemporaries I started with was Ramesh. And we sort of started off doing all the same things at the same time. You know, did our first Edinburgh together. We did our first TV shows really

together. We did, we both did stand up for the week. It was our both, was our big sort of break for both of us. Then suddenly he went this meteoric sort of, and I was like, oh, see you then. And there was part of me that could have gone, seen that I've failed and he succeeded. I would never speak to him again. But you can't be like that because in this world, as you know, it's not like a job where, you know, if you start at the bottom and then you do well and you get your promotion and it just doesn't work like that. It's hard work and it's but it's also luck and getting a break or being what a commissioner

wants at a certain time. There's so many factors that you can't get bogged down in that. And I said, the fact is I'm really chuffed for Rom and I'm really, you know, every time I see, what he's doing now although I did have a moment recently when I saw he was, him and Rob were doing the thing on there Rob versus Romesh thing.

We're working with an F1 team and he knows I'm a big Formula One but I grew up on motor racing and Formula 1 is my thing so when I saw he was like filmed with this TV show with Mercedes I texted him I was like okay that's you've gone too far now. All your success, everything else you're making it big in America

fine I can handle that, all of that but you've just been chatting with Lewis Hamilton. I'm never speaking to you again. That's it. We're done. It's interesting you mention Romish Ranganaathan because he made an observation about you once. Did you? Oh yes, I think I know what you're going to say. And it was to do with my positive outlook on life. So tell me, Angela, what did your good friend Romish Ranganaathan once say about your personality? So I can't remember the exact circumstances, but I was obviously moaning about something and he said to me

Ramesh who's not known for his bright outlook on life, let's be honest, he said to me, Christ Angela, it's not like, what was it, the glass isn't just half empty you've smashed the glass and cut yourself with it it's funny so and when Romish says that to you it does make you take stock and go, okay maybe I am

being a little bit of a negative Nancy here maybe I'm a team. Are you a pessimist? I am, I think, because if you expect the worst and you're never disappointed but I think as I get older actually I'm shedding that a little bit or I'm just sort of not being scared to sort of

I think if you worry if you expect too much that the worst will happen sometimes you sort of end up manifesting that you know if you go into a meeting with the you're not going to give me this thing I want so I don't even know why I'm bothering then they're probably not going to give you the thing you want whereas if you go in and hold yourself

like you deserve something and that you've earned something something, then you might get it. I know what you mean. You don't want to bring a sort of dark energy. No. But also I don't want to bring in arrogance. Like I hate British people.

We don't like arrogance. We don't, we sniff it out and we, particularly if you're going to go on a stage as a comedian, there are comedians who have an arrogant persona, but they're very much the butt of that joke. If you're going to be a British comedian, it's different for American comedians, I think. If you're a British comedian who has a very arrogant persona,

you're sort of undercutting that. You're kind of taking the Mickey out of that a bit because British people won't have it. They like the underdog. They like to see... I always say I want my audience to go away, not thinking, well, I wish I was like her, but thinking, oh, my life's all right.

At least I'm not like her. You know, that's a much nicer feeling to come away with from a show. That, you know, oh, my life's actually all right because I haven't done the stupid thing she's done or made the mistakes she's made. And I think that's a very British way of doing comedy, but there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance,

and I think it's always one that you want to be really, I'm really mindful of, and sometimes been too mindful and end up not being confident enough. Ray, will you stop looking at Angela so greedily? Oh, I wish I had treats, Ray, I wish I did. If I had them, I'd give them to you, I'm not that mean. I just don't have any. Ray, she's holding a poo.

You don't want a bag of poo, Ray. You really don't. Not Tina's sloppy one. That was interesting what you were saying just now about the comedy thing. You know, you're pleased for other people but reminding yourself that for every person that you might look at

and think, well, why do they get that gig? Because it's human nature. People are looking at you. 100%. Look at Angela. she's on live at the Apollo she's on Walk the Week do you know what I mean? Absolutely

We always look at how far we've got to go rather than how far we've come and I think all human beings do that I had this boss once who's going to sound really wanky but it was such a lovely little thing she used to do she used to go what's today out of 10

how you're feeling out of 10 today and you go like oh five she's like great what got you to 5 instead of like why aren't you at 10 And I thought that was such a sweet little, she's like, because it could be zero and it's not zero. So what got you to five? So what a lovely way of sort of framing that. So here's a question.

What's today out of ten for you? What's today? I think today is a solid seven out of ten. It's got me to seven because I've had this flu bug that's been going around. Today's the first day I've left the house. Or last night it was the first time I left the house in ten days. So I was feeling really cooped up and horrible. And so today I'm still feeling a bit coldy.

I'm still a bit sort of full of allergies. So that's why it's not a 10. But I'm out walking the dog. Like, it's nothing better than walking the dog, is there? For just sort of blowing the cobwebs away a bit. I'm not sat at my desk answering emails. My phone's off. So, yeah, that's taken me to a seven.

Oh, good. I'm glad to hear that. It's the curse of the freelancer, isn't it? Of that any time I'm not working, I feel guilty. because we don't have sort of set hours. So my husband, his job is 9 till 5.30. And at 5.30, he can close his laptop and has zero guilt about playing video games

or watching tell you or whatever he does. But we don't have that because there's no defined your job ends at this time. And so I always think, oh, it's all very well you're enjoying yourself right now. But maybe you could have been writing some jokes or you could have been doing this or you've got a show you should be writing.

Whereas this is perfect because technically this is work, technically. But I'm just having a walk with Emily and the dog. So that's the best sort of work there is, but it doesn't feel like work. I really hope you love part one of this week's Walking the Dog. If you want to hear the second part of our chat, it'll be out on Thursday. So whatever you do, don't miss it. And remember to subscribe so you can join us on our walks every week.