Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Bridget Christie (Part Two)

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Bridget Christie, the comedian, actor and writer continues their warm, funny and wide-ranging conversation about life, comedy and the moments that shaped her career.If you haven’t already, do catch up on part one. And if you’d like to see Bridget live, she’s heading out on tour next year with her brand new show Jacket Potato Pizza, running from January 2026. Tickets and dates are available at https://bridgetchristie.co.uk.Follow Emily:Instagram XWalking 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 Bridget Christie. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already. And by the way, if you want to catch Bridget on tour next year in her show, Jacket Potato Pizza, you can book your tickets now at bridgetchristy.co.ukuk. Really hope you enjoy part two of my chat with Bridget. And do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Bridget and Ray Ray. Because you ended up going into stand-up.

right in thinking partly because you weren't getting acting work yeah yeah and of course you've got more control over stand-up haven't you you can do it when you want it's you don't have to be asked to do oh everything that's happened to me has been absolutely correct and right and I I couldn't be happier about the position that I now find myself in because I I remember actually being in in a bed sit that I lived in when I was trying to get acting work and I was temping. That's how I ended up at the mail. I was only supposed to be there for like five days or something. And then I remember thinking I actually can't live with I can't live like this. I don't have the I actually don't have the confidence to be to go through years of being rejected. Yeah. And and because I can't. It's just a really negative um like a blocking process like you're constantly blocked like there's no creative process with just being an actor until you get the job so until you get the if you're an actor until you

get that job you're you're impotent because you're not you're not working or you're not thinking about anything you're not creating anything and I found that quite a damaging way to live actually and then also because I always needed to pay my rent I did think that it was something that I could do whilst keeping down a day job yeah and you know I did day jobs from 15 to 37 37 and some of them were things like working at the Daily Mail and I remember one thing it particularly interested me that because when I was very young I worked at the Daily Mail on you magazine which was the sort of Saturday Sunday supplement and it was honestly I can

honestly say it was one of the most unhappy work experiences of my life only because and this is no disrespect to anyone who is there I feel I have to say this probably all dead now but I just felt like an alien so did I obviously I did I mean I felt so alien and I remember there was an editor there and we should say I'm sure it's very different now there's a very nice woman actually who's a friend of mine called Joe Elvin who went on to editor who'd been at glamour and she's lovely

but this was back early 90s when it was the editor was very devil wears Prada and she had this Diana Princess Diana Ash blonde Bob and Chanel pumps and lilies in her office and I was just like I'm like some scruffy creative from an acting fan I just was so

fish out of water and I remember going in there and I pitched this idea to her and I said what about we could do something on how Cardiff is becoming this big cultural hub which it was to be fair to me was when it was that and there's all this theatre happening and all this and she looked at me and she went let's leave that to the Guardian dear shall we yeah yeah and that summed up my experience there yeah I think I was seen as um I'm not I don't know I don't know of oddities. I mean I absolutely did not belong there but I really wasn't meant to be really just sort of found myself there and then did you have to do there was something brilliant in that show

I remember where you'd have to go to parties and well it was the diary it was Dempster's diary so if there weren't enough reporters to go around I mean that you know we would have a list of say maybe 10 to 15 events that night you know book launches gallery openings you know West end shows and um you know i was just either doing stand-up or actually going to these parties and eating that would be my meal i was so broke in fact this bed set i lived in in parsons green took everything except for all of my income apart from about i think i had about 40 quid spare you know a week or something so i would actually go to the parties and the canopes as my at that evening meal.

And my favourite stories. And I met some amazing people. Who did you meet? David Hockney. Did you? Yeah. What was he like? Lovely, smoking inside, which he wasn't allowed to do.

I know, but he was so sad. I don't think you're allowed to smoke any of her, David. My Gloucester accent. We're going to be kicked out here in a minute, Dave. Oh, look at this, Bridget. It's a school trip. Regents Park, Charleston. Oh, hello, he's called Raymond.

There you go, give him a stroke. Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you. Bye bye. Bye. You want to stroke him? Oh, thank you.

Oh, it's so sweet. Oh, it's so sweet. to me, oh, you've really taken a shine trip, haven't you? Bye bye, bye, bye, bye. What a lovely experience that was. Did you like that fidget? I absolutely love it. That kind of touched my soul a bit.

It did. Did you think it was? It went right down into my marrow that did. But do you know what? That's why I got Raymond, because I just think the happiness he brings. I love things like that. Yeah. The simple thing.

I said that. He smells. Have we just done a fart? No, no, he hasn't. Well, it was a bit exciting. There was loads of kids around him. I think I did a fart, actually. Oh, I think it was me. Tell me who else. You met David Hockney. Oh, everybody. Did you?

Yeah, I met everyone. Did you meet Jean Wilder? Yeah. Frank Skinner, he don't mind me saying this, because he's told this, I think, on our show. But he interviewed Gene Wilder once. Yeah. And he got a letter from him afterwards, saying that was the worst interview. You are the worst interviewer I have ever had.

That was terrible. And he listed all the reasons I think, well, it was about, he kept the letter. I mean, he took the time to write a handwritten letter saying you're the worst interviewer, I don't know. I would see that as a badge of honour and can I say something? I think that that was Jean being funny. Do you? Yes, I do. He is extremely dry.

I'm going to tell Frank that. And I think he would have found Frank very interesting and funny. And I think that because when I met him, he is dry as a bone. Is he? Now, subsequently, I've heard that he was a very difficult person, but I did not find that at all. I had been sent to his book launch by the mail. And I don't know what happened, but he said, I got to the, we were in a little kid. cage, you know, reporters go in a little separate cage.

Oh, I find that so humiliated. Yeah, it is, it's like you're a sheep or something. And I'd gone, oh, in my Gloucester accent, oh, you're much more serious, you know, in real life, you know, because you're so funny in your films and, you know, you wouldn't think that you would be, I just got my, I said it in the wrong way. And I think I ended up saying something like, I expected you to be, Not, how did I say it?

I said something really stupid like, it wasn't this, but something like I thought you'd have a bigger personality or I thought you'd be funny. I thought you'd be funny. No, I know. And as soon as I said it, I was like, oh my God, what have you said? Or I thought you'd be funnier in real life. I said something absolutely stupid and wrong, but was not in my intention at all. And he stood up and across the table.

put his hands around my neck to strangle me and he was strungly he was joking, he was trying to think Frank got away with murder and he was doing this and then I started going and playing along with it and then everyone in the line was going

what on earth is going on here and I was like I was really worried because I thought someone was going to get like Dave Bennett you know the photographer I thought he was going to get a snap of it and I was going to be like like that or something I don't know anyway then he laughed and he sat down and he said it was

really nice to meet you and then as I was leaving weirdly him and his wife were walking down the back stairs and she looked at me and she said thank you so much he hates these things and that really cheered him and I went god I'm so sorry I completely said the wrong thing and she said no he found it he was finding it really boring and that's really fascinating me because I think that's quite telling that anecdote, that I think what he sensed in you, the fact that he felt confident to do that to you. To strangle me?

Yeah, I don't think he would have done that to some regular male columnist or something. I think he sensed that you had a sense of the absurd. I think comics sense that in people. Yeah, maybe, yeah. I think he worked out. You sense it, and I think he probably worked out, she can take this, she's got funny.

There's something in him, it was an instinct thing. I bet he's never, he doesn't do that to someone. from the teller, William Hickey or whatever, the telegraph, he's not going to do that to them. I think it was a very annoying thing to say. Like, I think back on that with shame, because, like, I'm, because I'm the same as Gene Wilder, no, because when I'm signing my books at the end of my shows and people come up and they say something that is like, um, you just kind of think, all right mate calm down you know if if they're trying to be funny or insulting or something like that you just think what have you said that you know I don't know yeah I think I think I must have

said it in a way that was not provocative or trying to get a rise out of him or so I think because it was I did say innocently I was trying to say you that I wasn't expecting you to be so comatose Every time you try and retell it and come up with another euphemism, it gets worse, just FYI. It gets worse. It does. After your experience on the mail, I would watch that show again. I loved that my daily mail help. What do you want, darling?

He wants to sit on your lap. Is that all right? Is that why he was scratching? Yeah. That is unbelievable cute. Come on, Bob. Yeah, you also, I think the show that was your big breakthrough was that it was a big for her. which was based around it. I mean it wasn't the basis of the show but it was prompted by

which I loved this idea that Bick had produced these female friendly pens. Yes. Pink that were shamed ergonomically designed for our little fingers. For our tiny fingers. Well those sorts of things are really useful to I think if you've got something that you want to say about something that's important. You can always find something adjacent that's silly that you can kind of disguise, you know, not that I think that you have to disguise messages in comedy, but I think that, you know, they're very, they're very, they're very, it's very handy. If you, if you, if you think about kind of misogyny, you know, on a scale, there's something from a pen or a hat or a pink, toolkit or a pink step ladder which is quite funny and you know kind of inoffensive to the

other end of the scale you have like the worst imaginable violations of human rights and gender-based violence that you can get and so the this I find them really handy little things to you know there's so many it's that thing of when people couldn't make the association between page three and violence or sexual violence against women that this insane I don't know if it's willfully naive but like oh there's nothing wrong with that that's different you think no no no it's all connected it's connected it's connected it's absolutely connected yeah and I that's what I I remember I mean that show was huge for you and having been with you since

AFA and and my Daily Mail Hell I remember having a real I punched the air was so happy when... Oh, that's very kind. Because I felt, you know, it's like if you're into a band and you're like, oh yeah, everyone else gets it. I mean, a little annoyed because I was their first. This is mine. Well, I didn't expect that show at all in any way to do well.

At all. How did you find that, because your phone starts ringing more, your agent's phone starts ringing, there's attention, you've got a comedy award, you was suddenly huge and how did you find that, Bridget? Did you find that at all overwhelming, or were you comfortable? with that god no i just kept my head down and carried on i didn't they didn't it didn't affect me

really in any that was my 10th show yeah and i was 42 see i love that so so i i had done 10 shows um i was 42 i had kids um it it didn't really that the the the uh the the the the The best thing that came out of that was that people came to see me live. The end point of my career, if I look ahead to my future, my dream and ambition is to be doing stand-up to full rooms. I don't see any, there's no, there's nothing bigger than that I would. So everything is towards that goal. It's never, it's not financially driven or fame driven or anything like that.

It's doing really good stand-up. That is what I want to do for the next 20 years. And things that come along, the change was huge for me, like, but as a creative process. Right. So being allowed to get something that was in my head onto screen is an achievement even though it was cancelled before I had a chance to finish it off, which did, I was absolutely gutted, I'll be honest with you. I don't usually get gutted about work things. I'm usually pretty good at philosophising and keeping things in perspective. You know, they don't really matter. The people around you, your family, your loved ones, your health is that. only thing that really is important I think but I was I was upset because so many

women had been in touch to say that how much it meant to them and I felt that they've been cheated out of the final part of the story and so that upset me actually and also one of the few programs really or shows that I was aware that was sort of speaking to women say of age or you know there's so little for us where we're not I think what I loved about it was is showing middle-aged women as human beings rather than through the prism of their families their husbands their sex life yeah an appendage and even sex in the city it's sort of about their relationships and their sex love we

don't really see their work yeah you know it's and I love that this was about them as well-rounded human beings and not often when we see older people I feel like we can only handle them being a bit prim and twee and slightly sexless and adorable do you know what I mean yeah I mean there was deliberately no intimate relationships in the change between anybody because it was really about our relationship with us with ourselves and also you know kind of who are we outside of are, you know, labels like, you know, mother, sister, daughter, wife. And I think that men are allowed to do, men are allowed to do that, male characters are allowed to do that much more than female ones.

And I deliberately didn't want it to be a breakup story or her going off and then, you know, shagging loads of, that is not an interesting story to me at all in any way. I know that Well, the Hollywood version of that You would have been with an Austin Butler, 27 year old, but do you know what I mean? That's what would have happened. The point of her leaving

would have had to have been a young man. And I love that she was like, she tots up your character, Linda, tots up the invisible hours of labour she's done, and she just says, I'm claiming some of these back. And in the way that I feel also, if a man said,

do you know what, I'm really stressing, at work I've been working 40 years I'm taking three weeks for a golf holiday or something yeah it's not the same thing to know people wouldn't bat an eyelid at all they would not be judged for being a bad father no one asks them who's looking after the kids it's a completely different we think no one asked male comics because I think female comics get asked this a lot how do you cope with the kids when you're all touring well do you know something when I look at male comics tour um schedules i i do think who's sorting everything out you know i do i think about

i do think about that yeah yeah there's someone having to yeah when particularly when that's every night when joe wicks drove around on his harley davidson with his was it his brother or something i was like oh no how's rosy doing then who's what's she doing what's she doing I'm going to disgust with the patriarchy. I'm going to take a picture of you in Ray. We'll make this look nice. Oh, you look lovely. Yeah, that's all I care.

I haven't got my glasses on. That's all I care, to be honest. You know, when you pretend, we always go for the one you look nice as a sin. Do you do that? Yeah, and your friends like, they're like this, your friends are like that. Your friends have got their eyes closed.

Mab's open. They've fallen over. They're lying. They've got their house out. so they've got shit all over there but I look amazing yeah but you know it shows in moments like that I realize god human beings are selfish that you like to think you're a kind person but then when it comes to the photos they're the real you comes out I'll take this head I wasn't as vain when I was younger no this is flattering for you I like this one the light

is really good it's very renaissance which is a good thing Italian Renaissance. The hat. Florentine Renaissance is your energy. I like to work out what... Is it the curly hair? No. I have got an old-fashioned face.

I have as well, though, but I like old-fashioned face. Maybe that's why I haven't got any acting jobs. Do you know, I do think it might be my face. Do you think so? Well, I mean, what else is it? Oh, that I can't act. But you were so good in the chain. It's either two things.

It's that I can't act. or it's my face. It can't be anything else. So I like that you admit that because I think people are encouraged to sort of gloss over professional disappointments and say, you know, it's like we're leaving to spend more time with my family or whatever,

you know, the Tory MP thing. Whereas I think there's a real power in that vulnerability and honesty and just saying, yeah, I was really sad. You know, I wanted to do more. What have the changed? Yeah. Yeah, why would I...

Why would I... I was absolutely... I remember my exec said, oh, yeah, they're not going again. I was like... I just sat in the park and... It's very unlike me to be that upset about the work thing. Yeah, but I was absolutely... Because we had such a brilliant team and such a great cast

and... people were really passionate but you know the people who it didn't rate very well so that's that's why that's what you know I don't know whatever but I'm glad that I made a piece of work that was not interfered with and that I was happy with because actually I'm not sure that that happens very often no I don't not in TV and film well maybe more so in film independent film but I think But with TV shows, I think there can often be a lot of intrusion and involvement from channels and production companies and execs that kind of drag it away from its original vision sometimes. And I didn't have that. So I did make two series of a show and it did look like

how I wanted it to look like and it did have the music that I wanted and it did have the actors that I wanted. And I have to hand that to them. They did give me all of that freedom. so I'm really grateful for that. And also, how many people get to make their own TV shows? It's incredible. And also, I think it's so interesting, though, this sort of way we measure success sometimes that I always say, you know,

it's that thing about chasing numbers, and I understand that's, there's economic realities, but also I think you always have to ask yourself, would I rather make Succession or Britain's Got Talent? And that's no disrespect to Britain's got talent, but it does what it does, and it's reliant on big numbers. But with Succession, you're not setting out to have the whole world watching.

Because actually, we may know what that is and like it, but it's not nowhere near as many people watch that as would know about Love Island. Or, I'm a celebrity, get me out of it. But the people that do love it, understand it. And that's why you make it. Yeah. I would say that, you know, to like young writers or whatever, don't write to order.

Don't write the thing that you think will get commissioned. or have mass appeal. I mean, oh no, people shouldn't listen to me because then you won't be in work. And I wasn't for 40, 30 years. So my career is no model at all. But I just think it's such a difficult industry to go into, stand-up and the TV industry and film.

Or anything, it's so rare to get anything actually made that why put yourself through that if it's not something that you're really passionate about that's that's just where I'm coming from but I think that I don't think you can try and second guess what what people want because I then don't know what that is no I think exactly if you believe in what you're making regardless of where it stands culturally you know there was a thing that Gordal used to say my dad used to quote it which is shit has its own integrity so that he would say dynasty is great because they believe in it

The people that are making it and acting, they think they're doing great acting. When we try to do that sort of show here, those high-end glamour soaps, they never worked. Like Eldorado, they got cancelled because we weren't being true to who we were. We can do Coronation Street. No. Well, yes. We do that brilliantly Coronation Street. Don't get me started on Crossroads, which I'm re-watching the whole of it, because I'm obsessed with it.

But I think that's the thing. if you believe in what you're doing, I think that's good advice what you're saying. Because you couldn't do that sort of stuff you're talking about. You can only do something you absolutely believe in. I think if you're happy writing something that's maybe more formulaic, there's no shame in that. No, and that's a skill in a bit, none at all. Yeah. But it wouldn't work for you?

I don't think it would work for me, no. Just because I think probably I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough to write to order. I can write about things that I'm interested in, but I'm not sure that if you give me any subject, that I could then go and write a great comedy drama or sitcom about, I'd have to be invested in the subject matter, or the characters or something like that.

And that is... And that is because I'm not good enough. Because you should be able to turn your hand to anything, shouldn't you? Like acting. I think a lot of the time I've gone, oh, I don't think that character would say that. Well, it's not your job, is it, to say that? Because you've just come into audition for it.

Your job is to say what is written on the page with conviction. Yeah, but I... Really? just strikes me as a little bit you know if you don't mind if you'll forgive me yeah if you don't mind um if you don't mind just saying what's on the page that would be great how are you uh because when you're making something like the change yeah and it's different with your own stand-up because which we'll talk about now but that's you and it's you yourself and i essentially but there when you're working on something like the change where there's more of i suppose a show

running element involved how do you find that how do you find that how are you at I suppose being assertive or do you I struggle with that a bit I think like telling a room full of people what to do I worry about that are you okay with that you comfortable with that yes I think I think with something like the change because I could just see everything yeah it was much easier and to have like a fantastic team who were so talented it was just not a difficult process at all because everyone just got it so it's some you can you can be gently assertive I think you know you don't have to change your I really don't think that you should

have to change your personality to get things done or actually that is something that is a bit of a bug bear of mine where people who are difficult get treated better that is something that annoys me no end in this industry is that there's no consequences for bad behaviour it seems well once you get to a certain level yeah but I just think that enabling that is really not good I think I think every single member of a

production should have it equal respect from the top to the well there's no top or bottom is that it's just everyone doing different jobs but um that that does really annoy me um and i don't think that you should have to scare people into doing good work either i just don't believe in in that kind of system at all yeah um so yeah it's um i it's different i wonder i've got nothing to compare it to or i wonder if it wasn't a project that I was so invested in that I would find it harder to, I probably would delegate much, much more, I suppose, delegate, especially with art and costume. It's all a, it's a collaboration, isn't it? And sometimes you disagree on things and then five minutes later

everything's sorted. It's fine. You've got, I think, and you have to, I think that's the thing about working with people. Yes. Yes. That's the thing about working with people creatively. Don't you think it's almost you have to develop a sibling energy with them? You know, like with your siblings? I'd say to my sister, you fucking wanker, and then I'd be like, oh, can you turn the TV on? And there's something so powerful in that relationship,

just that resilience, the emotional resilience that I think you need that. Because you get really heated with creative projects, don't you? You find yourself really going, I do anyway. It's like you care a lot. You care. Yeah. It's when you care that, you know, people can get, there can be disagreements because everyone's after, everyone wants the best product at the end of the day. Everyone wants the best program.

And, you know, you should disagree on things and you should work through them and then have a beer at the end of it. You know, you should be able to do that, you know. Are you quite forgiving person? And you strike me as being quite forgiving. I don't know why. I don't carry stuff. Yeah. I don't, I don't, I don't, I move on quite quickly, I think, from, from that.

Everyone else is a terrible behaviour. We forgive them. No, but it's a very important quality that I think, because I think, bearing grudges, I think it's the quality. And I'm not saying I haven't had it in the past. I really have. It's the thing I really try and fight because it's so draining and it's...

You know, you were talking earlier about seeing anger in people and how sort of ugly it is. I feel that about resentment. Yeah. I mean, look, I'll never not be really upset that the change was cancelled. I'm not... I've accepted it, but I'll never be happy about it

and I'll never think that it was the right decision. But you have to suck it up and get on with it. And, you know, it was great to have two series and, you know, most of my friends haven't, you know, who are better than me. And, you know, do you know what I mean? It's not, it's not, it's just a huge privilege to have been able to do that. But in terms, you know, there's no grudges or anything. There's just, I suppose sadness.

There's a sadness. Well, there's just honest acceptance of how your reaction to it, you know. I want to talk about your talk because I'm going to sneak I might sneak Rayan under my coat I'm going to do it Bridget they won't notice I'm going to come and see you I had a dog in my show

I don't suppose you saw any of my Charles the second shows you're making you feel guilty now no well there was a woman brought a dog in a handbag and the bag and the bag started moving on the floor and I was like oh my God

did she say and then I yeah well actually I saw it was a dog like this and I thought that it was a wig in her because I thought no one's going to put a dog in a handbag. It was Joan Collins. She carries hers around with her. Anyway, she had brought it in put it in her bag and I said well get it out for God's sake you know it can't it can it breathe all right and so she got it out and I said as it bought a ticket and said no that was the worst thing that it was in on a comp and then I held the dog And do you know what the dog did?

Oh, don't. So I, like, carried on doing the show, but holding the dog, which was a little dog like this. I swear to God, every time I got to a punchline, it would yawn. And then I went to another show that night, and the same dog was in that other show. It wasn't as special as Ray, though. No, you must come. Do you like Ray? You're really getting on with him? We're locked in now.

look at us where I absolutely could love them more I reckon um yeah yeah so tell me about your tour which starts as you say it starts next year January yeah January yeah jacket potato pizza yeah I love this title do you not know about the okay well you have to name your shows really there is one routine in the show about the time about about a part of the reason that I'm not really interested in dating is like I sort of can't be bothered to negotiate odd scenarios for example being made dinner by this guy on like a second or third date and the dinner was a dry pizza base with a dry jacket potato plopped in the middle of it jacket a jacket and I went

ooh what's that you know because when you're young you're nice out there I wouldn't do that now because I've got no estrogen. I would have gone, what the fuck is that? It's a jack potato pizza. And like he couldn't believe that I was asking. It was the weird, both dry, no tomato sauce, no filling in the potato. The filling was the dry jack potato. Why did he make that?

Well, it'd put two pizza bases in the oven and then he'd baked a jacket potato. Maybe he did them, maybe he put the potato. Oh, no one's asked me that before. It's like a serial killer or something. I did eat it though. But that wasn't the weirdest thing of the night. Yeah. To gauge whether a bit of How's Your Father was on the table.

That's the most English way I can say of... I feel like I'm on an episode of Terry in June. Terry, you won't be getting any How's Your Father tonight. All right, June. he did this kind of sort of weird he started doing this weird dance not like a sort of dance strip no don't worry it got nowhere

because when he no he just started going like I can't do it here because I'm holding right what was he doing gyrating I can't do it because I've got the dog yeah but you can describe it what does it look like he stood in the middle of

Was it like a sort of bears dancing in Happy Mondays or was it more No he would he might have got something if it was it was he stood there with his arms out to the side yeah and jigging his body from side to side with this with a with a what was the expression expectant look on his face like quizzical look on his face

as in fancy some of this you know or you know fancy getting your mitts on a bit of this grade A, I don't know, whatever, grade A, you know, I don't know. Then, undid a top button and a little bit of his zip, and he had another pair of trousers on underneath his trousers. And I said, oh, because it was cold, because it was nippy. And I said, well, why don't you just wear some thermals on? And he said, why would I spend money on buying an extra item of clothing when I have two pairs of trousers?

in my and I said well because you might you might get to have sex if you did and then I left but yeah he had he wore two pants trousers and he made a well a jacket potato pizza I'm obsessed so I'm upset I wonder what happened to him is that I'd happen now I might have had a third date do you know what's terrifying well he's married now with four kids someone is having that dance every night well I think I elected to have that dance I marked him down and fairly, I think. And he was funny, attractive, kind. I think it's just when you're young, you, I don't know, I'd say it was a red flag. A dry potato one, a dry pizza base and two pairs of trousers. Come on. The dance is concerning as well. But he made a lot of sense. Why would I spend

money on an extra item of clothing when I do have two pairs of trousers? There is some logic to that. There is some logic. But then you could say, why would I spend money on a nice furry hat when I could just put tarpaul in over my head? Or towel? Yeah. I could just, that's what he would say.

You could wear any item. Yeah. But then I would admire that. If I saw a man walking down here, what could it be? Well, a blanket on it wrapped around. He's not going to prison. The news of the world were trying to photograph him. Remember, they'd always do that.

They put a blanket over their head and they bang on the van. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I need to let you go to it. I don't really want to because I feel like I've met a lovely new friend. Well, I feel like we haven't really scratched the surface. How do I? We will.

We will. But I'm... The tour, which I'm stand-up is my... So you're really looking forward to that. You don't get nervous or think, oh, God. Oh, I get nervous about people not coming. We should walk because it's getting cold and we can do it. Yeah, let's move. And I'll take over Ray carrying duties.

Are you sure? Oh, she really likes him, doesn't she? You want you two or like to? He's in a pod. I think you've got quite similar energy to him. Can I tell you why? If you don't mind, I've got similar energy to Ray. Yeah. Because I tell you what it is with Ray. Yeah. He, if he's with his people.

It's like an iced coffee. Oh yeah. If Ray is with his people, with his people, he feels extrovert and happy. He thrives. He thrives. He thrives. But generally, he likes connections with one person.

And he's got an introvert side to him. And I think that's probably true of you. Like, I think you're capable of being extrovert and loud and all these things. But I sense. In the right company. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Aren't we all like that, though?

No. Hey? Some people are just randomly extrovert. all the time don't you think you know those ones so the tour the tour can't wait to meet the audience after i actually love that part of it i love being in rooms with people i absolutely love stand-up so much but i am at a strange juncture which is that i would like to oh look at those ferns oh my god Aren't they love me? These.

Beautiful. I love friends. So do I. That reminds you. Do you get them in there? Your favourite forest? The forest of Dean. Yeah, you do, yeah.

They love the dark, don't they? They thrive in the dark. Yeah, they're really beautiful, aren't there? Yeah, I love them. I want to have a think about what I do next. Stand up is like, for me it's like a... it's it's something that you're never properly win or you know I feel like you can do anything with it and I don't think I've found that thing yet yeah yeah I've

definitely not done a show that I'm really proud of yet but then I think is in it the fate of the creative, the talented creative anyway, to always be feeling that forever? I've not done the one yet. I'm not trying to be humble or self-deprecating or anything. If I felt like I had done a really good show, I would say. And I know when I've had a good gig and when I've had a bad gig, and I'm happy to say that that was absolutely terrible gig and you'd never know why you're going to have a good one or a bad one and that's why it's so addictive actually because you'll never kind of work it out you seem quite a sort of gentle person and good-natured person that's definitely the impression you give

well we've only we've just I mean do people not give a good account of themselves then when they what do you mean no I'm very good at sensing I pick up on energy with people that's the energy I get off you how do you how does your down days manifest themselves are just isolate myself yeah that's good though not not speak to anyone not see anyone not you know oh yeah I don't I would say that I'm I was born happy and I'm I I know how lucky I am because I think that how we how our brains work is just pop luck really so I It's a kind of, but you know, bad stuff happens in life, doesn't it? But I just, which comes out sometimes, it does come, I, I, um, I did this thing called

transformational breathing. Have you heard of it? Is it helpful? Is it a meditation type thing? Yeah, it is. And I, and I, because you run a lot as well, don't you? I've had to stop running. Why? Because I've got Achilles tendonitis in both... In both Achilles. That's a nightmare. In both legs. So I now do lots of weights,

cardio, Pilates, yoga. I've joined my local leisure centre and I get in there most days because I've got osteoarthritis in my right knee. So I just do a lot of... I do not want to be a stiff old... I'm not going to be a stiff old...

going to be a stiff old person. I don't want to be like the person on the elderly people crossing here sign. Do you know that thing? Yeah. It's just like, oh no, is I don't want to be that. And also I worry about dementia. That's my motive for exercise. Oh, does it help with that? Oh, God, it's the most helpful thing. Is it? Movement is one of the most helpful things. Wow. Okay, that's good. This is what I don't want to be. I don't want to be out of breath putting my seatbelt on. Who is? What, lots of people are, aren't they? You know, you're all sitting, sitting...

Is it just me? Do you not notice people like huffy and puffy and puffy? No, I know what you mean. I love the countryside and walking and stuff like that. And when I think about my future, I can see my... Well, I hope I lived at old age. But I imagine myself as an old person like hiking up Snowden or something. That's what I want to do.

I see you on the bike. Because you were a biker. Up Snowden. Well, it wouldn't be able to bloody park there, would I? I'd have to ride to Snowden and then ride it back. Sorry, this is not a line bike area, Snowden. God, that pissed me off. So stupid.

But you are a bike. You were a bike. Oh, you mean a motorbike? Yeah. I am a biker, yes. I loved that era in your life. Me too. That's 16 were you?

Yeah. Into Hawkwind, Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin, John Foggetty, you know, credence. Do you still ride the motorbike sometimes? I've just sold it actually, my triumph, because I wasn't using it enough and I just couldn't justify, you know, taxing it and all of that business and insuring it. And also, because of climate change, riding a bike in London now is absolutely terrifying

because the buses melt the roads and your bike gets stuck in the, like, dips. Yeah, it's terrible. Do you know what was really lovely just then? Things like that make me happy. There were three girls. Yeah, did you see nothing? And they looked over at, no, they looked at you, and then they looked at Ray. And it was them recognising you and feeling happy at seeing you, and then seeing Ray.

It was like they were overwhelmed. Because I think you are a bit of a heroine to a lot of women. No. Do you not see that? No, absolutely not, no. But for me, I definitely think, certainly before your show came. along you know and this is going back to when you did a bit for her I think it was so influential that show in opening up the conversation about feminism and just saying it's all right to be

funny and a bit irreverent and talk about this subject you know there's a brilliant thing you said in your book I never forgot it it was like I don't want to get it wrong you said something like it was this whole rant you did look I said rant I can say that I'm a woman but you did this whole thing about what people perceive feminist to be and you were saying oh that people think They're all basically from the 1960s and they look like Velma and Scooby-Doo. It really made me laugh at. But I think that was probably really important all of that. That show and that sort of wave of interest around that.

What I will say is that I think that it is important to have, and I'm not one, but for me, this is how I think about things like feminism and the menopause, is when you think about it's changing people's ideas about what it is right because if you think about people like kate bush patty smith um p j harvey they are all menopausal women right the list goes on clare dains i could we could just list hundreds of absolutely brilliant we could sexy fantastic women they are menopausal or post menopausal or peri menopausal right that's all they are but in people's minds the menopause is this unsexy, old, irrelevant, uninteresting period in a woman's life that none of us want to talk about. Yeah. Why is that? Feminism in a lot of people's minds is this negative, you know, kind of anti-male movement. And it isn't, right?

So for me, it's about, it's, it's, I'm a comedian, right? And I was thinking about this the other day because after a book for her, I did another show called an ungrateful woman. And it was, it was about other issues as well. And I remember some journalists said, oh, are you doing that again then? And I thought, hang on a minute, mate. You're doing your women's things again. 10 years to find my voice.

Do I have to change, do you have to find it again about something else? else and it's like why why can't I just be the person you know and there was loads of us anyway it's not just me but why can't I decide to to do my work about something that I'm interested in why do I have to keep changing what I talk about and why is why do I may have to be made to feel like it's not popular or interesting for people because it is why you dictating what's interesting. You know, politicians and the media do this all the time. They sort of try and tell people what they want and what they're, and it's a trick. You know, they tell the public what they

want and then the public go, oh yeah, I agree with you. Well, it's a bit, it was interesting like with Hannah Gadsby. I remember with her show, one of the arguments that was being thrown at her was this isn't comedy though. And I think, well, that's because you think you've defined, men have defined what comedy is. And we're saying, what about if comedy was like this? Yeah, by whose definition. Yeah. Because we enjoy this. Yeah.

You know, but you're saying, but that's not comedy. But you wrote the rules and we're trying to disrupt that and maybe question those rules. Yeah. This is our TED talk. I love our TED talk. But they wouldn't have said that to Lenny Bruce or what? No. Who was the American guy?

It's so true. His name wore a black shirt and black jeans. You know the guy. You know, the big one who they all rave about, who only had about 20 minutes. Does it begin with B? A 90s guy. Bill Hicks. They never said Bill Hicks wasn't. No.

What's he doing? Pull it. Oh, go on at Paul. You know, it's a different... Bridget. Oh my gosh. I don't want to... We could do like... Shall I...

Do you ever have repeat guests? Oh, I'd love you to come again. Because we haven't talked about hardly anything. We have. We didn't say a word. We were quiet as a mouse. Well, this is my new Buzzy. Oh, you love Ray, don't you?

Yeah, I actually do. I'm so glad you guys got on. Darling, we're going to give Bridget a lift now. I actually think he's going to miss me. I think he really is. Has he got a car seat? Yeah. He's got three.

Dog car suits, unbelievable. And an elf blanket. Is that heavy? No, his elf blanket's his favourite blanket. Oh, it's just a blanket that's got an elf on it? It's got an elf pattern. Oh, okay. He loves it.

It's themed merch, which is very cheap. very cheap probably from that little special aisle I'm not sure um Bridgett I have loved our war so have I and I recommend everyone goes and I'm so obsessed by the sound at this tour now because of this story you've told me is it Jacket Potato there are worse stories than that there's there's one story that when I tell audiences there is a gasp and I think it's a funny story but no one else does it's it's it's a thing it's about a it's it's a it's a it's a it's a fetish themed um Bridget I've loved meeting you I've loved meeting you too Ray's love

meeting you yeah well you say goodbye to Ray oh goodbye Ray you've made it sound a bit weird goodbye Ray you're doing the voice over okay bye Ray no it sounds like can I just say hey hey Ray I'll see you I can't say bye to Ray in a normal way Hang on, let me try again. Okay. You say it and then I'll copy you. Okay. Bye Ray!

Oh no, that's way too high for me. That sounds... That's way too much. He won't want to see me if I say bye like that again. I'll say it again. Dogs respond to tone. I don't know. Why do you want me to say?

Bye Ray. Oh, that was threatening, isn't it? It's Kim Harris. Here, I'll do it without thinking about it. Bye, Ray. Is that all right? It'll do. Maybe this is why I'm going to say.

got any hunting jobs. Ha ha ha ha. 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.