Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Ania Magliano (Part Two)

Episode Date: November 27, 2025

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Ania Magliano, the comedian continues their warm, funny and open conversation about life, comedy, cats, and everything in between.If you haven���t already, make sure to catch part one, and don’t miss Ania’s nationwide tour Peach Fuzz, heading across the country from February next year. You can grab tickets at aniamagliano.com.Follow Emily:Instagram: @emilyrebeccadeanX: @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of Walking the Dog with the wonderful Anya Magliano. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already and do make sure to go and see Anya live in her show Peach Fuzz touring nationwide next year. You can get your tickets at Anya magliano.com. Really hope you enjoy part two of my chat with Anya and do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Anya and Ray Ray. Come on Ray.

He reminds me a bit of my cats. He's so cat-like, Mags. I think he'd get on with your cats. I think he would. What are your cats called, by the way? They're called Chicken and Ricken. Yeah. And they're one years old.

Both of them are one year old. Do you look them at the house? No. I wouldn't either. No. Do you want to see a photo of them? Oh, please. They are so glamorous.

Because basically my previous cat, I love him, but he did get hit by a car, sadly, because he was a outdoor cat. And it was awful. And then I thought, I can't do that again. so I've got indoor cats. Oh my God, these are the most beautiful cats. What are they, main coos? They're rag dolls. Rag dolls.

They are basically like two clouds. They're kind of like if Ray is like a sort of, he's like a cloud on a rainy day, these guys are like clouds on a sort of dusk. They're kind of grey. You're a cloud on a rainy day. So after things started taking off for you, and it feels like, you know,

because you were, nominated for a comedy award weren't you and all sorts of things started happening for you and I very much remember suddenly being aware of you and your name was being mentioned and because you're still pretty young. Thank you. 27? 27 yeah 27. Did you feel when all that was happening were you sort of feeling okay this feels like it's going in the right direction were you I feel like this year is probably this show that I'm doing now is like it's the most felt natural of just this is my voice here it is but it's probably still developing but definitely early on I didn't I was still finding it out I think when those kind of things happen like the it's very hard to not be getting your validation from other people in a career like comedy when the whole set up of every piece of work you do. is do you guys find this funny and do you like it and it's like the whole it's like makes of I think it makes sense that a people pleaser would go into a sort of

which I don't I don't know how much I am but I think I definitely have that tendency would go into a career like stand-up way the whole job is being like is everyone having fun is everyone having a nice time do you like me which is not what all comics are like a lot of comics obviously don't give a shit on the surface maybe deep down they do yeah one thing that I'm conscious of just as a female is that this sense I have of always having to make the atmosphere okay you know that oh dear there's a row in the room I'll get rid of this like it's my responsibility to make everyone get along and to make sure no men are upset and i wonder that's interesting as a comic

isn't it because you really are doing that all the time you're controlling the atmosphere aren't you yeah yeah and i definitely have that tendency of like i want to make things okay yeah and i want to like mediate and kind of reset resetting like the room to it being okay I think in terms of finding my voice and when when stuff kind of started happening I always I have always really cared so much about the shows I'm making that that's is always kind of grounded in that for me so like but I have such a huge emotional investment in my shows like I get so so sometimes I get really sad. If I have like a preview that doesn't go well,

it can really, really upset me. I just care so much about making a show that is good and that people enjoy, but also kind of has some truthful element to it. And that's like I love comedy that doesn't do that and it's just silly and fun. But I don't know. At the moment, maybe it would change.

At the moment in my life, I like really care about people connecting to what I'm saying and saying something truthful about my life that I would have needed to hear maybe two years ago or something. So I think that's always a good thing to refocus on and be like, that's in my control. I can just focus on what I'm making and put all my effort into that. And that will always be there regardless of whether I'm getting an award nomination, whether I'm not, and like who the stuff other people can control. I mean, this is all so easy to say.

Obviously, I never put it into practice. But like, it's, it's in theory, it's how I'd love to live my life. Oh, there's a waterfall there. This is. is this is the japanese garden bit it's rather beautiful isn't it this is amazing with the orange trees and stuff parks are just the best i know and i really love i know this is it but i remind myself how lucky i think god this is free you can just come in here oh for now it is i'm sure it'll change god if they start charging for parks that would be then finally everyone will riot I think that could be what pushes everyone over the edge. We'll get past this waterfall and then, okay, by waterfall.

Bye. So I'm going to have to talk to you about Taskmaster. Absolutely. Because you have been in the latest series of Tartermaster, which I've been loving. Oh, thank you. Partly because of you, I'll be honest. And I think you're brilliant on it. Oh, that's so nice.

Thank you. Because you're, what I like, it's really interesting. It tells you a lot about people's personality in a way. But you're quite happy to be, how can I put this? But you don't mind the authority, I think. Like you don't mind, you know how some people come in and they're quite antagonistic with it. Oh God, I love the authority. Yeah, you quite like it though, don't you?

That was something I didn't know about myself until I did it. And then when you go into the studio and you see everyone else's responses, and I was like, oh yeah, I would be like, it kind of made me have a bit of a crisis because I was like, is this, would I have been one of the Nazis? Do you know what I mean? I'm like, I have no backbone at any point. They're like any time that there was one task, which is, which was a really confusing one, which was about ducks and how many ducks are in the room. And that was the only time I sort of, I thought I lost my call. Obviously, there's no. sign watching back. Like I didn't externalise that at all and I didn't kick off to Alex or anything, especially not compared to how like Rees or Maisie does. And it just makes me think, yeah, God, I'm letting myself be walked all over by by the taskmaster and his assistant. And you like

it, what I do like it is. Well, I quite like following rules in theory. Or like, I like, I like having a problem to solve. So I think I quite like just getting the task and being like, okay, how am I going to do this. I think they sometimes make it they make it clear like don't try and find a work around for this task like just actually do it. You know because they do sometimes think that will be the best thing and I think they're right. But also I definitely I think there were a few times where I kind of put my own spin on things and felt a bit mischievous. But I in the studio there were times where Greg gave me one point and I just felt absolutely devastated. Yeah. myself it is a game it is fun stop taking this so seriously but I just wanted I

wanted his approval at all times and you've got quite a few fans of your style as well now your taskmaster look seems to have taken off which I'm called what did you call it or someone else called it oh I don't know so I work they have a kind of stylist who works on the show who helped me get your clothes together help me get them together and actually like he did a really great job and we basically had a Zoom call and I said to him I said to him I kind of dress like I'm in Fantastic Mr Fox I love that like these ties yeah woolen waistcoats exactly and kind of like autumnal colours I guess though we went we were definitely for 10 episodes you need so

many outfits so we definitely got a bit more got a bit more spicy with the colours and stuff but it made such a big difference because I felt I wouldn't have been able to do that on my own like I I like I think I'm getting into a phase of my life where I'm starting to understand why it's nice to put a bit of effort in the way that you look because it can make you feel good whereas I think there was a period in my early 20s where I was like oh it's such a waste of time it's a waste of time to do any makeup or to do to put any clothes on that fit you well. Yeah.

And then I kind of now am like, oh no, it can actually make me feel better to make, make me feel like I'm ready for the day when maybe I wouldn't otherwise and kind of not have this huge, like, I definitely feel like I'm relaxing a bit nowadays, whereas I think early on I took everything really seriously and kind of was, like, it has to,

the rule has to be, it's 100%, it's all or nothing with everything. I think I'm discovering the middle ground. And that is partly just getting older, isn't it? Because I think when you're younger, it's that sort of slight intransigence you have, which is why you have all these heated political debates at university. I mean, you still have them when you leave,

but it feels like it's the most important thing in the world. Look at this little number. Duck or goose. Goose? Goose look right in eye. It's beautiful, and it's in my colours, I will say. It's fantastic Mr Fox colours. It is, yeah.

The goose is, oh look, goosey. Really going for the grass. Is Ray interested in it? What do you think, Ray? Do you like the goof? He doesn't give a fuck. Hello goose. We need to talk about your tour.

Because you're doing this, it's called Peach Fuzz. I love that. Thank you. I mean, it refers, does it refer to the Peach Fals that I know, which is the Peach Fuzz on your face, basically? Yeah, it does. I don't know how much that will kind of actually be in the show because we've been through quite a few iterations now

I've been working on it for longer than I would have worked on any other show just because of Taskmaster coming out I had to change the schedule slightly but it is all about the body and it's kind of about, I would say it's about my relationship to my body but not in the sense of like

I almost feel like that makes it sound too like oh it'll be about food and eating and all that it's not about that it's kind of about like the difference between feeling like my brain is I'm always in my brain rather than living in my body and living in the moment and stuff. It sounds very abstract and theoretical, but I promise it is funny. Because I think also it's interesting when you were talking earlier about doing work,

kind of therapeutic work with your body, where you're saying, oh, maybe my body can tell me stuff about how I'm feeling just as much as my mind can. Yeah, exactly. It's basically kind of exploring that. I think it's kind of been off the back of doing that work. I can't wait to see it. And this is, it's February through to May next year, is it? Yeah.

All the information will be, there are some dates that are having to be rescheduled, but there will be all on Anya Magliano.com. And I suspect, do you think something like Taskmaster as well, that does increase your profile massively, doesn't it? Yeah, it does. It doesn't. I think also what it does is that it not only increases your profile massively, but I think it gets you in front of, like, really nice people

who want to enjoy stuff and want to have a good time. And I've had some audiences coming from Taskmaster. Well, I'm definitely going to come and see you on tour next year. Whether you like it or not, because I'm a huge fan of your stand-up, and I can't wait to see this one. And I'm not going to do that thing of saying, you know, I think the worst thing people say to comics is, tell me what the show's about. And you're like, well, you kind of have to come.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I can't spoil it. I know. But yeah, I think it will be fun. And I'm really enjoying doing it, which I think makes a massive difference. I feel like I'm having the most fun with this show. Sometimes in previous shows, I think I've got too bogg. down in the kind of like i don't know just i don't even know what i get bogged down in but this one

just feels really fun i really care about what i'm talking about and so i really hope that comes across and people get enjoy that element of it as well and connect to that um which is how people have said that at the end of previews so that's good to hear little ray your partner is a comic yes isn't he and i know you do a podcast with him we do but we do but we do but we we've had to end it. Just because we were like, this is too much. Was it? Yeah.

Well, in terms of your relationship? Yeah, it was just like, it was so, it was so stressful always having work. I mean, it was really fun to do. And I think we did it for a great amount of time. Who are you? Who are you? Who are you prioritising the well-being of your relationship over a podcast? I know, I'm a coward.

That seems probably quite a healthy choice. Yeah, I think it's funny. I think when you work, actually like, I think it's quite. normal to not work together, but we have always worked together straight from the start. And it just does kind of add a low level of stress to the household when you can just always talk about work at any point. And I think we kind of were like, okay, we're going to have to three years in put in place some sort of boundaries to like make us feel like there's some separation. Because it doesn't, it's not romantic to always be.

sort of talking about podcast stamps. You're your blue tech, my con. Yeah, exactly. I read something which really, and I loved you for this. I can't remember if you were being interviewed, or whether it was on another podcast, but I just remember you were talking about your partner and you were saying how you did a lot of deep diving on exes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I love that you said that. you know why? Because I think women are so told to be, are so shamed for that. And it is a bit of this misogynistic Bonnie boiler trope. Oh, she was researching my ex-oh, she was looking me up online. And I always think, given that 90% of homicide suspects are male, do you blame us for wanting to do a little bit of background research before we let you into our fucking home? Oh, exactly. And also, they went out, yeah, sorry, Will. And also sorry to my will. And to you, all the wills are lovely.

Just check, are there any felons called Will? I'm sure, but these two wills we like. Probably a couple, but they probably had a bad day. But you know what I mean? I just think that's part of, we're doing the necessary work here. Yeah, and also I love it. It's funny because I did, so I did that as I kind of spoke about that in my last show. That's what it was.

Yeah, and it was an opening routine. And I remember one of my friends came to see it in the early days of me working that show out. And he was like, I love that you just opened the show by talking about something so. embarrassing. And I didn't know that it was embarrassing. I was like, oh, okay, yeah, that's a choice. Oh, I just assumed everyone would be like, oh, or this bog stand a bit of observation. Yeah, which is funny. I love that part of comedy. I said something at a gig last night where the audience just go, no, that's just you. And you go, right, I've really given myself away there. But yeah, I love doing it. And also his, his ex, I mean, they went out for eight years. And it's just like, I found

it really intimidates him because I've never done a long-term relationship like that and so I'd never done longer than 18 months before I went out with him so like I was like so how do you do it like what and what's what I just couldn't wrap my head around it so I think I was just sort of very intrigued by it's weird when you go out with someone and they've had this whole massive chunk of life before you like I don't really think they should be allowed to do that I hate it when they've lived beforehand yeah well the alternative is dating a baby which which is obviously... I don't recommend that.

Not ideal. Or just growing up in a village in the country somewhere where you meet when you're really young. That's what my grandparents did. They met when they were like 19 or something. But then if that happens, doesn't that mean that you get to middle age and then the eye starts wandering? Maybe. Look, the tongue is hanging out. Is his tongue out? Where is it? Ooh!

Oh, little tongue. Oh my God. Sorry, we're talking about my dog, not my producer. You've also, something else that really made me laugh that you said was you were talking about, because you're bisexual, aren't you? And you said that it's much harder work to go to bed with a woman. Yeah, it is. Is it?

Well, for me it was. I've not done it. I was so much more nervous because I kind of felt this pressure of like, well, this person's probably had lots of bad sexual experiences with men. No offense again. Should we just call this episode, no offence? I just felt like haven't, hasn't, haven't women suffered enough? Without having me fumbling around down there, not knowing what to do. But you have to do more, you have to make more effort, do you think?

You have to put more effort in. I guess so. I don't know. I think, I don't know. I think I definitely had all these opinions on sex stuff that is one of those cases where watching it back, I'm like, oh, this definitely reveals so much about me. Well, I thought I was doing observational comedy, but maybe, but maybe people were laughing at me. But your point behind it, which was interesting, was the idea that there was, I suppose, there's a sense for a man of, well, I suppose you think,

oh, well, they should be grateful to have me here. Well, I sort of think they'll be fine. They'll be fine. They can sort themselves out, which comes to shove. But I guess I definitely felt, because I think, because I started being a, practising bisexual kind of in my, I guess I was probably like 22 or like 23 or something. Yeah.

And it kind of like you're not a teenager, but you're going through these like teenage feelings about I don't really know what I'm doing. But I'm an adult. So I kind of have more self-awareness about that. And I also had this real thing where I don't think I ever wanted to tell anyone who I was hooking up with that I was new to it. Because I didn't want them to know. To think you were tourist or something. Yeah, exactly. So then I was sort of just suffering in silence,

just like completely out of the moment, just in my head the whole time. And, yeah, obviously now I have a boyfriend. Well, we're getting to the end of our walk. And I have to say, I knew I was going to love walking with you, Anya, but I really have loved it. Oh, me too. Thank you so much for having me. I'm looking at you and Ray,

and I feel a real bond is developed here. He feels so peaceful in my arms. Does he? Yeah. He feels like a sort of like ancient wise, like, um, may-eye. Is that the sort of word I'm looking for? He kind of looks with his long hair around his face and his moustache. Like I feel like I could ask him sort of, like he's seen the centre of the universe.

He is a bit of a Dalai Lama, isn't it? Yeah, exactly. That's exactly it. Well, I'm definitely going to come and see you on tour. I look forward to seeing you there. Oh, a leaf just fell on Ray. Oh, Ray. You've got a leaf on your bottom. Again, that was to my dog, not to any of the humans involved in this podcast.

So I'm definitely going to come and see you on tour. And thank you for bringing me such happiness. Oh, thank you. In your recent stint on Taskmaster and in general with your comedy. Have you noticed, before I let you go, I'm interested, I presume you're getting more sort of people, double taking a bit now that you're on a pop of the show how do you find it i love it well i don't i don't know the double taking but i like chatting to people because they're always very friendly

and normal yeah and also because i was a fan of taskmaster before i watched it so i'm like we have a lot in common yeah we're both fans of taskmaster i did meet one one girl this is a bit of great bit of gossip to end i met a girl who went out with one of my exes after me she was a fan of taskmaster and she stopped me in the street and she was like i love taskmaster and also by the way i went out with this person after you had you googles already no okay she'd flown under the radar because that guy wasn't really on social media which is a huge it when they do that never never fall into that trap um and yeah she we had a long gossip in the street about it and i was like is this my life now because this is amazing well i need to say both alex and gregg have been on this

podcast oh yes we've got the whole taskmaster Alex had his own dog and um Greg requested a dog because he's Greg Davis we can deliver and he wanted I think he wanted maybe a rot violer but I couldn't get him a rock violer so I could only get him a mixed breed of a German Shepherd rotweiler which is called the Rotten Shepherd oh that's fun of course he had to have the rotten shepherd yeah absolutely but I love those two yeah they're so that's such nice people as well I know It's a secret, industry secret. Well, so are you. And we've loved. We're all nice. And so is well. It's a loving.

Thank you so much. And thank you for carrying Ray for half the walk. Of course, my pleasure. But I will have to let you go, Ray, because I've got to go back to my home. What do you say goodbye to Anya, Ray? Bye-bye. He's not even looking at me. He's like, I want my mum.

What do you say, goodbye, Anya? Bye-bye. Bye, Ray. Thank you for everyone. everything. I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed and do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.