Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - David Gandy

Episode Date: June 21, 2018

This week Emily goes out for a walk with model and fashion icon David Gandy and his dog Dora who was adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. They chat about shyness, going to number 10 Downing Street in the wrong clothes, and disasters with dog poo bags! David also takes Emily to meet some of the dogs at Battersea and talks about his role as ambassador for the charity battersea.org.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She doesn't wee or poo, but she straddles the path. She just puts her centre out. Oh, is that what she's doing? She's got lots of instincts in order. I might try that, because I haven't done that. I mean, I'll wait till you've left to walk. This week on Walking the Dog, I went out with international fashion icon, and let's face it, human wonder, David Gandhi.

David brought along his dog Dora, who's from Bastie Dogs and Cats Home, where he's an ambassador. There weren't any Ferreiro Roche, I'm afraid. But he did take me for a little tour and there was just so much cuteness I almost fainted. Anyway, here's some of the greatest hits from our Battersea visit.

Hi, this is Walking the Dog and I'm Emily Dean and I'm here with a very special guest I'm here with David Gandhi. Morning. And I like that you said that like we're on breakfast TV. It's great. Still breakfast, isn't it? Well, yeah, and we're somewhere very special, aren't we?

We are. We're at Battersea Dogs in Catsome. We've got the lovely Natalie who's going to show us around. And we should say before we start, David is you're an ambassador. Is that right? I am ambassador. I was the first ambassador for Battersea Dogs Home. So these are the new kennels which were built.

When do we open these? A couple of years ago. Two years? The Queen came to open them. Did she? Did the Queen have to wear protective blue booties? No, I don't think she did. I don't want her, right? It's sort of like we're in a spa.

Is it like dog spa? Yeah. and it really chills them out. So this is what's lovely about the New Counts. They're all heated, they have their little run outside, and they've got the music playing. And so people can think that Battersea is going to be sometimes a bit of a depressive place,

but it's not when you come here. It's really nice for them. Can I just say at this point, I feel like I've won a competition, which is go and cuddle the cutest puppies in the world with David's County. They are lovely, aren't they? Or go and cuddle the most cutest puppies

unfortunately, David Gahn is going to be there. Just enjoy the whole whole. process. But you are gorgeous, only you two. Oh wow. Do you know there's something so therapeutic about cuddling a puppy isn't it? Like I feel really calm. My um, Steph, my girlfriend, he's a barrister. She actually, um, they have dogs in court to calm everyone down. Gandhi's going in. He's going in. This is one of my, my biggest things is when people at Bathsea there says a lot of staffers. Right. Um, and they're, they're, they're, they're

staff and they're very wary of staff is because they are bought as licking like aggressive dogs. They are the softest animal and softest breed you all, one of them that you will ever ever imagine and all they want to do is have human contact. We fostered so between myself and my parents we foster a lot of dogs and the staff is we've had... Okay, come on then David. We've had three now. They have been the most well-trained dog, the best trained, like the best behaved dog.

Oh, that's like a Game of Thrones dog. Yeah. But that was one of the things, wasn't it? A few years ago is the intake of huskies because everyone wanted a Game of Thrones and they were. So the thing about a husky and the root of the huskies is that they are, you know, they are trained to run 100 kilometres a day or something. So people buy them as a, you know, a fashion. a fashion accessory about doing a place in London and they suddenly go

my dog's ripping everything up and it's well it's under-stimulated it's bored the reason I'm ambassador to Bathti and why I chose and you know over other dog sent over the rehoming centres which do a brilliant job is the fact that Battersea will never say no to a dog so whatever dog comes in they will re-home and whatever the cost I'm a lot of other places I'm trying to listen to you The cooking is basically made the move on David. He's got a treat, so I can't believe it. Sit down.

David Gandhi carries treats around with him. Give him Paul. You got Paul? Good girl. There you go. Beautiful dog. You would love Dora, wouldn't you? Yes, you would. Well, actually, I'm not sure because Dora would... Yeah, so Dora your dog, we're going to talk about her, but we're going to meet her very soon. But Dora is a cross or mixed. She is the definition.

is the definition of a Hmongrel. So we didn't know what she was. And then, I think it was about 10 months into my relationship with, actually no longer than that, with my girlfriend, Steph, and I obviously introduced to the Batsy and so I foster dogs. And she's grown up with Great Danes, and her mum's actually got two rehome dogs herself. So they called up and said, we have Dora.

She didn't know the age, but she's a little pup. So I said, absolutely fine. She needed some bit of recuperation. And yeah, she's now ours. It was what we call a foster failure because she never went back and she... And yeah, because she's... But she actually had a DNA tested, which I think is the only thing that people in Chelsea do for their dogs. Yeah, I was going to say, yeah, I'm going to...

Yeah, I just want to know what kind of what she was, so she's, I think so sort of like 30% Yorkier, and there's collie in there, there's Shih Tzu... Hello, Ella, fine. This is why it's so hard to leave Vassey with that dog. It's quite kind of emotional in a way, isn't it? I find it quite emotional. The way I put it is that I know all of those dogs are going to be rehomed very, very quickly. And people say, well, you must want to take dogs home, you feel sorry for them.

I actually know they're under the best care they could ever be anywhere in London. You know, we've seen dogs who have come in, and literally all the staff here, they take turns like virtually 24 hours a day to sit with the dog and keep it company. And I've never seen that care anywhere else. It's just absolutely remarkable. I never feel sad coming here. I actually feel so positive for the dog. Yeah, yeah.

Great, it's in the best place than kind of be. I would... Well, I like their pads as well. They are quite much. They're underfloor heating. Yeah, they've got underfloor heating. It's so chill, isn't it? It's so good.

See you. See you later. Bye-bye. So that was Battersea. It's an incredible place. And there's so many ways you can help. So do check out more info on them at battarcy.org. Dot UK.

And now for the walk. David took me to Richmond Park in London, which is so beautiful. It was a really nice afternoon, actually, and I hope you get a sense of how sweet and unaffected and just decent he is, which is quite the achievement, because if I look like that, there is no way I wouldn't be a total monster. But he's genuinely an advert for nice guys finish first, whilst wearing sublime pants, of course.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe if you like this and you want to hear more. I'll shut up now, and I will hand you over to the man himself, here's David. Right. Hey! Hello. The dog is let loose. Door has been let loose.

So we should introduce the podcast, David. Okay. We're in Richmond Park. We are. Which is absolutely huge. It is. It's one of the privileges about living in London.

I only live about 10 minutes away from here. Yeah. And it's why I always think, I probably wouldn't have a dog in many cities of the world. I've got friends. who've got dogs in New York and they take them to these horrible little ungrast sort of dog areas. And I think every dog loves countryside.

Even you know you can really like city dogs. Well like Dora's now just running off and all the difference smells. It's going so fast. We should say I haven't even said really who I'm with and introduced the dramatist person I. I'm with David Gandhi, international icon. How do you feel about that? I was embarrassed when those sort of words come up and sort of how to, you know, how to, you know, how to, you know, how do you describe yourself and it's a very sort of difficult thing. I always just sort of say I'm in the fashion industry, which is quite sort of a diverse explanation of kind of what I do.

But that's kind of what I do now. It's, obviously, I started off modelling. Are you the highest paid male model in the world? I don't know. We don't really discuss it. I hopefully set the trend where we're all about at the moment. It's quite a weird thing. Obviously with everything apparent at the moment of being of the equality of pay between men and women.

I was going to say, it's the one area where there's a gender pay gap that works the other way. Which I've hopefully tried to change. So women get paid a lot more as models, don't they? Yeah, I mean, I did accept it first. It was people, you know, they will say to me, do you know, why do you accept that? And I did at first because the women deserved it. I'm just going to slow down and let these lovely people pass. They might be having a private conversation.

And then... Oh, before we do anything, actually, I want you to keep that tab open on your browser and we're going to come back to it. But we need to introduce Dora properly. Yes. So this is your dog Dora. This is how my dog Dora. And she's so cute.

I can't actually. bear it. She's turning to a real cutie. She's a daughter. How old is Dora? So Dora because she's a rescue, we don't call her. We don't know since she was a pup. Battersea thought she was about... And you got her from Battersea where you're in a bachelor? Yes. We thank you for coming along by the way. It was nice to, nice to show you around. So we thought she was about sort of five months old when we got her. Yeah. We then realized she was a lot younger. She was probably about about 12 weeks, so about three months. like when we got her and she can't add months onto a lady's age.

No, absolutely not. So now she's 14, 15 months old, around about that. So she's still a pup. She's still got her pup, her exuberance and she will. And she's a mixed breed? She's a definition of a Mongol, which I quite love in some ways because she's, she'll probably touch would be a lot healthier than a lot of pedigrees. David, you know what I like about Dora? everything. But I like the way Dora just, it's so cute the way she just, she keeps coming back wanting to just check in like an iPod being a dog. I will give you the reason why she's due because what her favourite ball is in my pocket. And she knows. She knows it.

And has it changed your life having a dog in any way? Yeah, it does. It's a huge responsibility. Yeah. People thought it was very strange when I worked at, I worked at, I started at Battersea. And they also might say, well, what dog have you got? I said, I haven't got one. And they thought that was strange. They were, how can you be ambassador to be ambassador? I said, because my whole idea is to push responsible ownership. Yeah. And at the time, which was five years ago, I was on 80, 90 flights a year, on traveling the world.

You had a big carbon footprint, Andy. I did. I did indeed. I don't know, I've planted a few trees and stuff. And so I... And also, you're in a kind of, you know, you're in a steady relationship as well. Well, we are now. So that will change. We're all joined another family.

I don't want to alarm me. Yeah, I haven't given her a board. So she's a stubborn little moo. Yeah. This is woman. We're fickle. So tell me, David, I want to get a sense of Dagenham Day, which I have heard you called. Do you hate that?

It's just you get stereotypes away from Essex. Because you're from, you're from Bilawiki. I'm originally from Bila Ricky. I mean, I left Bilawiki when I was 18 and I, and I just, you get stereotypes. And my parents moved virtually at the same time as I moved up to London. Doris is doing some business. So I better go and collect that one.

Oh, Dora. Don't you think dogs have a really vulnerable expression on their face when they go to the bathroom? It's quite weird because they seem to look you in the eye, which is quite weird. So whilst doing their business, they seem to look at you in the eye, which is quite odd. See, this is a funny thing, okay.

So there's no bins around, obviously, we were in the middle of Richmond Park. So I wrap it in a couple of bags, I chucking my pocket. I was in a meeting the other day because I'd sort of gone home for a shower. I changed and I'd been over Richmond Park. And I sat in the office going, is that smell? Like, someone's trolling in dog shit. Thinking maybe it was me. And I got out and I was just like, well, I haven't.

So it wasn't. So it wasn't me. And I got in the car. And I was like, it's still, you could see everyone in the office. It's like in this meeting was kind of going, funny smell. I wish it was Noel Jen Gabbana. David. David, what has happened to you?

You've let yourself go. What happened, David? It was all, you know, it was very British. It was all very British team and no one, everyone's too polite to say anything. Oh, that's not bad, David. It's gorgeous. Dora will probably go and chase that in a second. Yeah, so you were saying, so you're a Billerickie boy,

but you wouldn't consider yourself sort of, Mark Wright, anyways, Essex? I think what we do in, I mean, that's the thing that Essex has, everyone knows Essex from those programs. And my parents live up in, they moved up to North Essex, Suffolk, which is stunning countryside. It's, you know, we're comfortable. You know, he painted all of his paintings. It's a gorgeous part of the world. But no one sort of sees that.

They see the very small part of what we see. Yeah, exactly. Which is, they're just rolling in. She said, Dora, well done. We should say Dora's rolling in the mud now. She, she, this is what I love about it. She is. Which was Adele's follow-up album.

She's a proper dog, and which I kind of love. She is not scared of anything. She'll go and go play with this. She's very sociable. Yeah. I can take her anywhere. She'll go rolling anything she wants. She's all they call a proper, proper dog.

She is, but she absolutely loves all the different smells. So go on, so you were saying about Essex? So your parents actually, would you describe your background as middle class, working class? I suppose my father came, my mum and dad came from probably working class. My dad, he became a successful businessman, started a lot of business himself. Yeah. My mum sort of did the same in the same businesses. Yeah. Yeah, he came, of course, it was quite a, quite a impoverished background at first, and my mum's family were a little bit more comfortable. But yes, you're probably, yeah, working class. My dad and nanny,

from Walthamstone. I think my grandmother was more impopulous, so also London-based. And yes, they moved out because and they were kind of first to kind of move out to Essex, which was in kind of those days were seeing as like the countryside. No one kind of moved out.

And is it true? Did your granddad work for Margaret Thatcher? He worked, so he was the staff at number 10. Wow. During Margaret That, so he had some great stories. My granddad, he was... Would he tell you about them? Miss him dearly.

He was, yes, he would... he would, you often sometimes see now, you see footage of Margaret Thatcher, historic news. I remember a couple of times my gran had pointed, pointed himself out. And what did he do there? He was just a part of the staff. There's so much, because the staff don't change. You know, you have staff at number 10.

He was messenger and everything. And he would tell me stories, and Ronald Reagan would come in and go, hello, Jim. He's got a guy, and hello, Jim. What was that whiskey got me the last time? This is Ronald Reagan. He'd be like this, this, sir. Get me one of those.

and my grandad would go off and go and get him. And my granddaughter always said it would drive him mad because Margaret Thatcher called him Jimmy. My granddaughter was either James or Jim. I feel like calling me Dave. Don't call me Dave. Call me Dave. It's like, you know, it's the same thing.

So. You're not a Dave? No, I suppose. I don't think you are. So how amazing. And did you ever get to go to Downing Street? Did you think pictures or anything? Me and my sister, so my grandfather said, right, well,

we can go up to number 10 and we'll have the outside the number 10. door and my mum dressed us in or didn't dress us in like hand me down track suits which were clearly too small for us I hate to say it but she is playing up somewhat to the Essex stereotypes yeah but she just said we didn't didn't have huge amounts of money back then and yeah you granddad did it on a bit of a whim and but that's we're not the way I've sort of brought up is it's not about what you own it's not about your you know your your your or anything like that. It's not all about looks. It's about what you do, it's about what you achieve. And that's the way we're kind of being brought up to sort of be like that. And so my parents

were never worried, really, about what we look like. I think my mum said, well, you used to dress yourself anyway. Yeah. You're so sort of independent. And I was like, okay. So would you say at that age, I don't know, how old would you have been 10, 11 or something? I think I was quite young. I was about 7. So my sister would have been about 10. So were you? I remember vaguely. I've actually been back to the number. does a weird thing. I'm sorry to interrupt, but she doesn't we or poo, but she sort of straddles the path. Let's go up here. She just puts her scent around. Oh, is that what she's doing?

Yeah, she's got lots of instincts. I might try that because I haven't done that. I mean, I'm waiting until you've left walk. So, David, when you're growing up, I've got a theory about good-looking people. And I think... We should find one. We can ask when we're walking around. No, you're not allowed to do that. You're not allowed to say, oh, I'm not good looking. Because you are, because it's made you a lot of money. You can't. You can't.

You can't. I've never understood when people said, you know, you're saying good looking. Do I look at your mirror and go, God, I'm good looking today? You can't ever say that. You can't think that. I mean, I look at my face and think, my goodness, like hopefully one day you'll grow into that nose. I don't have. See, I don't believe that you think that.

I honestly do. I don't mind. The two things that you know that grow, you're older, your nose and your ears. They carry on growing. I'm going to be like the rolled doll character. I know. I'm like, children would be like, BFG, BFG.

I mean, they're the last two of things I need to grow. Self-effacement aside, I think you must be aware, even if you won't accept, which you must accept really, that, you know, if people pay you for something, it means it's a quality that you have. Other people see it.

Even before you were famous, you were used to people staring a bit. I wasn't really, though. I mean, I have to say, yeah, I wasn't seen as more like the good-looking, like, hot guys at school. I was always probably a little bit. I went through a stage of, like, sort of 15, 16, maybe 17, of being, like, having that puppy fat stage as well. I played lots of sport and I worked out, but it didn't mind I just had puppy fat. And then I shot up to 6'3 and I was and worked.

hard to get the body I kind of almost, you know, kind of known for. And when did, were you aware of, sort of women looking at you in a slightly different way? I'm not aware of it. This is another thing as well, is I'm, you know, I'll be walking and my mum also said, God, did you just see that group of women just sworn to you walk around? I went, no, I don't, I don't, I, I've never had a lot of confidence, still don't, never did, and still don't, of chatting up women or talking to women. So, it's this confidence thing, I just don't think I ever really had it. So many of my friends, some of the people I know that were literally, you know, the saying,

you can talk and you can laugh for women into bed. Well, I certainly laughed when I'm in bed with some men. But that's another story, David. Yes, that's why you don't want them to laugh, really. But, you know, I have friends who, you just think, how do you do it? And you see them talking to a girl, talking to women. And they are so ridiculously charming. And it's literally talking to go into, you know, sort of going out with them.

And I've never had that. I was always sort of like the shy, quiet one in the corner. Not really... But you must have had attention from women. I suppose, I mean, you know, the fame thing kind of... You then get attention. Post-Dulchengabana White Pants campaign. Yeah, exactly.

That's when... That was a game-changing to you. Yes, it was a... a real game changer. And what's that like when, I mean, as I say, we, we're in a very happy,

lovely relationship now, but just talking about it as a concept and what it was like. Well, how did that feel like? Because I think there's something interesting about male friends of mine who are famous.

So what's weird about being a famous man is that you spend your whole life sort of trying to get women. And then when you're famous, they come up to you. Yeah. It's a bit like the same thing where you work your whole life to be able to afford the things you want. And then weirdly, brands then give you everything.

Now more than ever. It's just like with the buildup of digital and social media is they want to be seeing on the right person and they want it posted. And they will start sending your items, which I have to say, I'm not the best at accepting because I only really wear and work with brands. I'm working with or brands I want to help out. Well, I suppose you've got to be careful as well because that's an endorsement technically as well. This is a difficult thing. And it's like then they say David Gandhi wears our well that that's exactly it. That's the difficulty that you have and I need to explain this to the concept of sort of like you know that business side to a younger model who will put on a jacket

and then that brand has you know that guy who's well renowned in a jacket. So there they have a picture of you and they've put it out across the world and they've done that all for the price of sending you a jacket and that's probably where I took the modelling industry is that probably no man had seen it from a business platform and where the women had and the women were far more advanced than the men were in the industry because they've been doing it longer I suppose and I was going back to open the other tab from earlier saying about the equality and now I never complained about it because the women's fashion street is so much bigger. It's worth so much money. Now, again, the gap has closed over the last few years. Men's is actually growing fast than women. It's

probably never going to be as big. However, the names involved, all the supermodels, you're talking of Christy Toington and Naomi and Kate Moss, they could sell so much more, so worth so much more money to brands. So of course, they should be paid more. Oh, Doris met a... What is that? Is it a Westie? Westie, yes. Is that a Westie?

No. Bobby. What, sorry? Bobby. Bobby. His name's Bobby. Oh, I just wanted the... The Bree.

It's not my doctor. Oh, sorry. He's a little Scottish Westy. Hello you. Oh, you're from the Royal Ballet store. That's exciting. Yes, it's up there. Oh, really?

Oh, nice to meet you. Bye, Bobby. That was hilarious. That was a pretty cross-purpose conversation. I said, is that a Westie? I was trying to work out what Bobby were short. And I thought, well, that's a breed I'm unfamiliar with David knows about dogs, and he doesn't seem to know what Bobby is.

Anyway, so with your brand's at M&S, I can see how men would look at you and think, oh yeah, I'd like to look like him. And women would think, oh yeah, he's nice. I'd like my husband to aspire to be him. in a way that those sort of young, skinny, not saying you're not, but you know what I mean by that? I'm certainly not skinny. No, but those less built up models,

so I can. Hang on, sorry, she's lost, she often does this with her ball. Hey Dora, what have you lost? Go and find your ball on me. Dora's lost her ball. She will, I'm not saying it's a needle in a haystack type of situation. If you leave, she'll find it in a second, hopefully. I've spotted it, but I'm not gonna say,

anything because where is it doing me find it come on dora find it oh look david there's three sausage dogs coming oh she quite likes them that chance where are they have you seen it and there it is they are so adorable hey dora does you get her ball yeah i've got it in my pocket so you can stay with me i'm afraid um yet the the thing ends with that is that i what i try and do so i've just taken over the well i've become ambassador for tailoring at mness so i'm working on and the creative and we've just shot it out in South Africa. So what I've done is actually carried on the story from last season and I've created everything is not about the actual person

and about the clothes. To me it's about the lifestyle. Whatever men do, wherever they are, they are actually pack animals. That's what they are like. The animal instinct is to, okay, there's a few alphas or alone, but basically they're pack animals. So guys will go golfing, they'll go to the football, they'll go to the pub, they'll have a boy's weekend away. And that's what I wanted to recreate. So when you actually look at them, you're not looking directly at the clothes and you're just thinking, God, that looks fun. But what a cool picture. And I want to be part of that. And that's what the girls did.

You know, it's the Cape Mosses and the Chrissy Turlington's. And Cindy Crawford was, if you look at her. Who's the nicest out of all of those models? Who's like working with out of the super? I've never had a problem. I like them all. I get on with them. Well, Chrissy Tarlington was, is the most stunning woman I've ever seen. I think she's absolutely lovely. Does lots of charity work. worked with her one. She came on her own with her dog. No entourage. Oh, that's why you like if you've got a dog? Well, that's probably, yeah, more of the appealing elements.

We're crossing the road now. And she was great, but I know I've worked with them all. I obviously did the closing, the Olympic closing. I did. With Kate and Naomi and Bianca and everyone, which was, it would have been nice to have another guy for a bit of male support. Nah, you like standing out. the best way. I just kept out of it. I mean there are a lot of discussions about who was walking

first, who was going and I just and they were all in a huddle around the directors and I just sat down with a cup of tea and so I'll let you get on with it. I'm just happy to be here. I'm... You're quite low maintenance. You're so you know what? That's what I think your Twitter bio should be. David Gandhi, astonishingly low maintenance. Hey, I wanted to ask you about... So you went to university? Yes. I want to go back to Young Gandhi. Waste of time that was. Was it? What did you do at university? What did you read? I read multimedia computing marketing, which actually at the time we didn't have the computers and the Macs and the power we did today. So that's basically what I was studying to create what we are using today.

Well, you're all standing around one black and white ZX spectrum. Playing Arcadian. Like any millennial going, what's Arcadian? So were you not academic then? I wouldn't say I was academic if I was interested in something. This is what used to frustrate teachers. So you sort of work getting people go, you've just got an A on that,

and you've just done that, you've got an A on that English paper. And what we do as well is we pigeonhole and we stereotype children. We all do it. We all do it as adults. We look at people and go, where are you from? You're from Essex, right, we pigeonholed you. We know exactly what you're going to be like.

Yeah. Where are you from? You're from the States. You're from. And it's a safe thing for people to do, I think, because people don't like change they don't like different. Do you think people do that with you a lot?

Oh God, yes. You're a male model. Yes, absolutely. It's something I've had to overcome. What do they think about you before they meet you? I know what they think about them. I think they probably stereotype you

as a male model and male models are perceived as a zoolander. That is the access that you've had or the information that have people had. And people always go, you must be, you can't be that intelligent. So they think you're stupid? Yes, absolutely.

Would you say that about models if you made? Would you think you're a bit of vain and a bit? Do you know what's interesting? And I'm going to tell you something, which is we met, I should say, when we went to Montenegro with Jaguar. Yes. And I basically went on this trip. I was working at a fashion magazine at the time.

And part of my motivation going on this trip was so that when people said, what are you doing on Thursday? I could say, I'm going to Montenegro with David Gandhi. I didn't say that 50 other people were going. I just thought it sounded quite cool. So anyway. It was a cool trip by the way. It was a great trip.

But I'd never met you before and obviously I knew who you were. Yeah. And I think I've probably never been so wrong about someone. If I'm honest with you, which I'm going to be. Yeah, yeah. I remember walking in and seeing you and I just thought he's going to be like the man in the white pants in the ad. I thought, which is obviously a part you're playing. And so I thought he's going to be quite arrogant, a bit cool.

And he's not going to talk to me because I'm in my 40s and I'm not a size zero and I'm not 5'10. So he's literally just going to ignore me and treat me like the old Nana in the corner. I've never been more wrong about someone. You know what, but you're probably the person that, if I'm going to call it, I would go towards you because I knew I would have fun with you. And I knew you were... Steady on, mate. Come on. presumpt you or something.

You've got a lovely girl, friends. Do you know what I mean? I'd go to you and go, like, me and you're going to be friends. I can tell that straight away, we're going to have a laugh. You don't take yourself to you seriously. I don't. And that's why I've sort of go towards. So, yeah, so again, so you pigeonholed and stereotype me before getting

to know, but we do it with everyone. I did that. If you say you're a footballer, right, I know, we will stereotype footballers, the same thing because you have that probably bad stereotype. And that's the way people perceive people. It's a very safe thing. people to do. I think that's true, but I'm going to say, I... You also thought I didn't eat anything, didn't you?

I thought you didn't eat and I called you two dinnerscandy. Because I kept going out to the buffet and coming back. And I was quite shocked that you kept eating. See, this is another thing as well. People say about modern, well, you clearly, you clearly don't eat anything. I'm a 90 kilogram guy. I don't know what that is, but I'm 90 kilogram is about, and there was about 14 and a half 15 stone. Wow. So I... But that's all muscle. But you have to, you know, muscle can see so much energy. Yeah. And it's like I wish it was a muscle, unfortunately. The older I get, the less muscle and the more fatty it gets. But I have to work out even harder. Do you work out every day?

It depends when I'm training for something. If I'm training or work about five times a week. Okay. Which is part of my life, I've trained before modelling because I played lots of sport. And I didn't like how physically, you know, because I grew up quite good. I got quite skinny and I didn't like it. So I started working out to bulk up. It wasn't anything to do with modelling whatsoever. I just did it because I wanted to look at. a certain way and it's the way I was happy with my body. Because you kind of fell into modelling as well. I mean there's this story about you which sounds like a plot out of a rom-com because your friends sent in the picture to this morning. Yes. Is that right? And they said it was a modelling competition.

Yeah. And Richard Maidly said congratulations, David Gandy 21 or whatever. And then I think everyone thought, oh, I'll just never hear from him again. Yeah. And then... Unfortunately, I'm still around. So then you start, did you start, you didn't go straight into the Doctor and Gabi campaign did you? Then that took, I did work for Dr. Juana their show in about my first or second season but no it was a lot of at the time when I came to modelling it was all about the skinny dior guy and I wasn't a skinny

dior guy. Yeah. And he had the modeling industry at the time which which everyone, the thing is about the funny thing about the fashion industry, it's a strange thing with the fashion industry is you want everyone to be individual, you want to create individuality. However, what you actually want people to do is all dressed the same. Yeah, yeah. So when I design something, I want everyone to wear it. So I want to look same, but then you want to create something, there's individual.

So I just didn't do what everyone else did, which was be that skinny sort of look. So when Dolkina came out, Mary A Testina came out of the concept of the light blue guy. Which is the Dr. Cabana, which has been going for a record 11 years now. It's won like 20 awards and something else. And it's still the same story. We've changed the goal. And we do a different story every three years. And it's still the biggest selling

Dolce and Gabana fragrance. Were you aware, though, after that campaign, were you aware of that change that was happening in your life? That you were on billboards in Times Square or, I don't know, you know. Yeah, my mum actually spotted. It was kind of a weird thing. I showed her the campaign because I thought, it's a little bit risque.

It wasn't risky. It was something we hadn't seen for a war. while. It was, you know, something like that was very 80s and 90s and we sort of hadn't seen that sort of athletic guy beyond campaigns for a lot. My mother... It was like a Michelangelo sculpture. That's a nice compliment, David. That's lovely to be comfortable, but I'll take that one. Okay. But yeah, my mum said, yeah, she doesn't, David, this is, this is like something hasn't been

seen for a while. I think this is going to be big. And she spotted it. And it was literally, I remember I went to New York two days after. And yeah, it was it was, it, it, it, it, it, Suddenly I had press and papers and everyone wanted to know who this guy was. And it was a little bit overwhelming, to be honest. Yeah, was it? However, it was something I'd been waiting for for six years. So it's not just like a no-name model, it's Kate Moss and David Gandy. It's Chrissy Turn around and David Gandy.

Do you mean, come here a second? You say you're quite shy. Come here. Sorry, I've seen deer up ahead. Oh, yeah, good idea. We should say there are deer in this part. There are. Can you see some, David?

There's some over there. They're quite a well camouflage. How do dogs react with there? Everything is different. Dora actually thinks they're just big dogs. So she'll go up and try and there's millions over them. Yes, we're worried. So being shy, so you're...

Yeah, so I still am shy. You are quite shy, aren't you? Shyness can come off as a weird thing. Shyness can come off as being arrogant, as in you think you'll be standing off in a corner of a room and you're not sometimes being involved. And I've got much better at it. But this came from, and I was sort of,

explains to people but I wasn't when I went to school why my my junior years my senior years up until sort of the sixth form were quite horrible and I was a bit bullied and I wasn't really accepted that much was but um I probably I mean why is anyone bullied I know that's up to the bullies to answer that question but I mean why did you feel what's in what way were you bullied um a bit physically a bit a bit a bit mostly mentally as I think that's the worst thing and this is where I feel very sorry for kids now because I could get away. When I was at school, I could get away from that. And I could go home and that was my safe haven.

I could take the dog for a walk. I could get away from that. Kids are now with social media. And, you know, people being accessed all the time. Yeah. This is a constant problem. I think being bullied, I think you probably go through certainly an environmental kind of depression. You know, because it's like being in a...

I think without even realising it. Yeah. At quite a young age, you're having to deal with that complex experience, you know. Which I don't, when my girlfriend, I would hate this as my child was doing this. And do you not look at it as, do you look back on it badly? And I actually said, I think it put me in good step. Because even today, and I'm not like, anyone's listening to think, okay, I'm going to bully someone. That would do them good.

Absolutely not. what you know that is I'm a bit of alone I've learned to do everything myself I don't rely on anyone and that period said for business in the way you know modeling in the modeling industry you're traveling on your own there were days you know when I'm traveling or used to that I've heard you didn't speak to anyone and I never minded that you're okay with that yeah well I mean my my my solace my the way I relax is is walking taking dog for walk or driving out to the countryside and just taking Dora with me. And I've always done that

and I'll still do that to this day. And do you even in your relationship, which seems a really happy one? Very happy. Do you still like alone time? Do you think that's important even when you're with someone? Yeah, I really do.

I think it's, even if it's an hour in the gym or again taking the doctor walk. Why? I just think it's important still to have your, your separation, that's the wrong word, but to still be important to have your own, I love missing someone. Yeah. I love, I think

you, whatever you have in life, whatever that would be, you can have the greatest thing in the world. You get used to, or you get Yeah, familiarity. Familiarity, absolutely, yeah, in terms of good word. And I just think it's nice to go and do different things and we have, and this is probably the first relationship where my girlfriend's a barrister.

Now, we do completely the opposite work. She actually, you know, does a proper job. She actually helps people. And she's gorgeous. I know that's not important. No, absolutely. It does help. Well, all I'm saying is she is like someone out of a rom-com.

Because she's like, she's like suits or something. She's like this gorgeous barrister. Yeah. She's... Did you get a very strong feeling when you first met her? Were you like, yeah? I met her many years ago. And she was going out with someone else.

I thought you're going to say she helped me off a speed in charge. No, that'd be helpful. Yeah, and we met then, but nothing happened. And then we met about four years later, five years later. We hadn't seen it. We only lived about more down the road from each other, which is quite sad. We never bumped into each other. And you were both available at the time?

We were both available at the time, absolutely. Did you have to work hard to win her, or did you? I don't know, really, though. It was, I'd never really looked at it kind of like that, like I had to work hard, or she had to work hard. We straight away, we were just in the relationship. We didn't play games. Well, maybe that's the right side, isn't it? Yeah.

We were very, we came to very different people. You know, we were brought up in very different schools. You know, she went to, you know, a public school, and I was in biliquary companions. So we've had different upbrings, but sort of our principles and morally, we're very similar. And of course we argue about stuff. But actually the end of the day, and she's a very, very kind person. And that's why I look for in someone. That's quite hard arguing with lawyer, though.

Yeah, she actually says she. She actually says to me, I maybe should have been a lawyer myself because I can argue. And so she sometimes says, yeah, you probably should have been. But it is, of course. I mean, and she can switch this on in, it's quite an, you know, an amusing thing to see. Like she can, you know, you argue about something else and she twists you around because her job is to get an answer from someone. Yeah.

Or to get something from someone, they may not want to say. Yeah. And that's, you know, what I want to go. She's a brilliant, brilliant barrister. It was interesting. When I was interviewing Russell Howard, the comic, his partner, she's a doctor. Yeah.

And he said, I really like the fact that we walk into a sort of showbiz party or something. And she's not my plus one. No. He said, I feel so proud of her that I sort of think, well, she's actually sort of above this. Oh, God, absolutely. Not in a status way, but in a, you know. Do you feel that? Yeah.

I mean, we keep our relationship quite private. Yeah. We don't go to a... It's a thing that we purposely do. And it's something that as a barrister, she needs to keep that professionalism as much as it can be. Yeah. And you can't go to a client where they open up the paper

and the night before they were on a red carpet. Yeah. And then suddenly they're representing you the next day. That's kind of like how I interpret it anyway. And so when she started going out with me, She came off of social media because of the, you know, people will search you and, you know, that sort of scrutiny of being on there of being out with someone sort of like me. And so she came off with that immediately. She doesn't come to many events.

She comes to things where, you know, they're things of mine. They're things of when I'm launching something myself. Or, you know, style for soldiers is another charity I'm ambassador for. And she adores coming to those events. So she comes to all the charity things. But anything else, we don't take pictures of ourselves and selfies and put them on and post them. No one knows where we are. No one knows what we're doing. So we keep it very, very private.

I can see how you would make the decision. Right, well, this is my Instagram page and it's here to promote my work. It's all right, putting my face up there. Of course. Because my face is my job. Well, this is what I've chosen to do. But is there a sense of maybe contaminating something quite private as soon as it becomes public? Especially when you're not 30 years down the line with five kids.

You know, it's still relatively early stages. I think relationships are difficult enough. This is a very easy relationship. We still have to work at it every day. But I think they're hard enough without making it such a public thing and the papers and paparacti and everything. everyone being around you. Yeah. So, but that is also, is, again, being a shy person is, I don't want to put everything.

I never put personal life. Everything if you look at my social media is, you know, there's Pitzer Dora. Now Dora is my personal life, of course, but she's also a Batsy dog. Yeah. And what I'm trying to promote with Dada, you know, with Dora and people love seeing Pits to Dora. I think personally they would prefer to see more pics of her than me. Yes, I vote for that. Yeah.

Now you've met her. Yeah, but I would say she's been in the mud. So the most adorable thing, no pun intended. Oh, this is, this is nothing. Is she, no, but she's got like, it's like dog in socks because she's got sort of muddy four pores. It would be really helpful if she had sort of grey or black porters, but she's got white porters, which is even worse.

And then a black top or a grey top. She's kind of got a sort of salt and pepper thing going on because she's such a mixture of all these. She's like a little, Inablighten dog. Do you know what I'm telling me about that? She's going through a bit of teenage, I suppose she's not a teenager yet, but she seems to, she was a really grand dog. Yeah.

And she's very well behaved and she's still a pup of course virtually. But she seems to be going through an adolescent stage of just looking at me, ignoring me now and thinking that she, as we all do, as we grow up, that we know. She's testing you. Everything. She's testing me and we're having a bit of sort of knocking our heads together at the moment and I'm not giving up and she's not giving up. It's a turbulent teenage period for her.

Hey, I want to talk to you something else is, do you? It's weird because when I say to people, oh, I'm interviewing David Gandhi. I think even I start to get slightly irritated by the response, if I'm honest, which is, I don't know, I think on your behalf, because I know you. Yeah, a lot of people say this actually. Yeah, a lot of people say the same thing. And I sort of think, well, I'm looking forward to having a chat with him, whereas your instant response says, oh, David Garnley, oh, lucky you. Yeah. And I know this sounds a bit, it feels slightly reductive.

Yeah, I mean, that's where I sort of said about earlier about getting over that stereo sort of. Yeah. And I, you know, personally. Oh, it's nice. They mean it nicely. Of course people are going to say that. You know, it's a compliment. You know, have I probably, if one of my friends said,

I'm going to I'm meeting, you know, this girl next week for a meeting, I'll be like, you've had worse meetings in your world, don't you? You know, it's a joke. So if people say that, people say that. You know, that's how most people are going to know me. Do you ever feel objectified is what I'm saying? I mean, I can't put myself on billboards in white pants and then say, I feel bad about being objectified.

I never really kind of got that one. Really? I'm very black and white person. It can sometimes come across as a bit harsh, but I'm very black and white sort of with things like that. It's talking, going back to the equality thing of, should we be paid as much as, well, I should do if I work hard enough. That's my attitude towards it.

If I build my brand as much as Kate Moss has built hers, then, yes, we'll be on equal pay. Until then, no, she should get paid more. it's a really black and white view and a lot of people won't like it. Well, you describe yourself as a feminist? Well, my whole team, apart from one person, is all women, on my teeth. Really? Yeah. I wonder if men are a bit threatened by you that don't know you, you know, just physically when they would see you?

Hopefully when they sort of, and I don't think I am a threatening person. Well, you're not once you open your mouth. I'm a bit of, you know, I'm a bit of a bloke at a bloke at heart. I like, you know, I have a drink with everyone. I get involved with the boys. I drive fast cars and... You are basically James Bond. That would be nice.

But I think like the stereotypical view that you had before you met me, I think guys are going to think that as well. And, you know, guys, if they've got girlfriends, are going to be defensive. They go to think, well, there's a guy going to come along. He's going to be a bit arrogant. Well, I think that's my point is that if you're saying to a boyfriend, I'm just going away for the weekend with David Gandhi.

understandably. Well, I don't really want you looking at him. Hey, listen, I had another question, David. Have you ever had therapy? No. It's something I've always thought about. It's something I don't disagree with. And I have had depression in the past,

and I can go into not deep depressions, but times a bit of sadness. and quietness and but I've I've kind of learned how to it's not so I can like train myself I just need I need some time away and I need to be by myself and and it goes

it's not something that I particularly feel like I want to rely on some medication or anything else and you know it can be that you're I've got so many projects and so many things working on you know I'm working on the moment and yeah I don't really switch off and I'm a terrible sleeper

And that takes its toll after a while. Are you a control freak, would you say? I must have to ask my girlfriend in a moment. I don't think it's a bad quality. I just think high achievers often are. Yeah, I think I probably am. I once described myself and I said, I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

And I got absolutely caned in the press for saying I'm a perfectionist. And I said, I don't understand it. It's not, you know, I'm not saying someone else is perfect or something. I'm just saying that things to me, Walk off that way. Things to me, in my head, there's the way it has to be, it should be done. It's a way, I think creative people might have it as well.

And I have to, I deal with this with campaigns and shooting now where I've come up with the creative. It's in my head. So it's the way I perceive and it's the way it's got to come out. So I will constantly go and it may be not the perfection is the wrong word for it, but there's certain things that that please my brain in some ways. I think we should reclaim it and let's call it, I think you're forensic. How do you feel about that? Maybe my forensic. Yeah, it probably is.

It makes it sound like a bit medical and... It probably does. Are you a crier? Do you cry? No. When did you cry out of? I was crying planes for some reason. Is this a thing? I don't know.

We get on a plane and I'm watching movies that are not even upsetting and I'm getting a little bit sort of teary-eyed about it. There is a medical reason for it and there's a term for it and I can't remember what it's called. On planes or is there? Yeah. You're more likely to cry. Yeah, it might have been the three bottles of Shabby that I've drunk on the way over to South Africa. But you wouldn't... No, I'm not. I actually think it's probably quite helpful. To cry?

Yeah. Oh, that's good, David. What's that? Is that her ball? Yeah. I thought that was a special... Come on, Dora! Oh my God, hang on. Dora! Dora! What is she got? Dora.

Dora. We're getting into a boggy marsh situation. I should say David's just gone off to grab Dora. Come here. Uh-oh, she's running off the deer. Dora, come here, now. Dora! Oh, David, that was a bit of a narrow escape.

Come here, come here, sit down. That happened sort of very quickly, didn't it? That's why you always have to be aware of... She won't go after them, I know, but it's this curiousness of a dog. Well, you don't want one of those situations. What's that? Fenton. Benton.

Yeah. Yeah, so we've saved Dora. from the deer there she just went sort of charging off well she didn't really go charging it makes it sound far more disobedient than she was she got to realise her. She's a puppy really she's a puppy and all dogs are curious

and come here. Dora! Come here! Come here! Sit down. Sit down. Look she's found another friend now she's going charging off there. Who she met there? Yeah it's really interesting. I found having a dog has really changed my life actually

just in terms of the... Do you find it become more social to people? Hello. Hello. There you go, right on cue. I find I'm more friendly. Yeah. I mean, I would describe myself as an extrovert anyway, in you.

I would probably not describe you as an extravert, if I'm honest. You struck me as quite an introvert. Yeah, I probably am. But the thing I've actually this year, which I kind of realized that if someone says hello to you or just smiles to you, how it can enlighten your day a bit. And if someone, even if someone lets you, lets you out of a junction or holds open a door for you,

you think that was nice. And I think you then you then do that for someone else. You think that was nice, and then you're in a bit of happening. You then smile at someone, and then you say morning. And I think it hopefully continues. So this year, even if I'm just walking down the road

with, you know, I'll smile at someone and say morning, and you usually find they'll smile at you, and it's a very un-British thing to do. Well, they smile at you because you live in the bubble. of the beautiful. No, I don't think they'd do them. If you saw me most mornings, when I'm taking the dog for a walk home.

Trust me, you live in the bubble. And I don't mean that horribly. You're taking me into some weird marsh, David. Ah, see it! This is where it ends. This is where the microphones go dead and you never heard of it. Can you make sure they use a nice picture for me in the Daily Mail? You'll get the top billing, never mind.

I'll tell you what it is about you. You haven't got the personality of a good-looking person, which I think is your great strength. Do you see? Now, let me explain to you. So what it is, is that if I, I think a lot of people who are genetically blessed or perceived to be genetically blessed, kind of don't have to work as hard as the rest of us to be liked. Because if you start from the premise that everyone is essentially after love and acceptance in life,

it's what motivates us to do anything. I'm not sure if I believe in love, because there's, you know, no, I, I, I think if you go on on what is how people, people can be very standoffish towards me. And I don't think I'm as likeable as many people, as in because I'm quite probably an introvert. And I think people can find that. So I don't think, I think, yes, it may open a few doors, but I think there are, there are just some people instantly that are just likable. And people relate to them and kind of want to be around that person immediately. Because they kind of exuse.

I don't think it's got anything to do anything with looks. Charisma? Charisma, I suppose. Yeah. Come here, do me. Come here, do me. What have you got? You got half a wood connected to you.

There you go. When I was in Montenegro with you. Yeah. That's something I say all the time. I say, when I was in Montenegro, David Gandhi, and then I had to think of something. I just wanted to drop it in there. I remember I was talking about Frank Skinner,

who I do the radio show with, and you were saying, oh, I think he's really funny. It was great. And I also got the sense of you having quite a kind of, A mischievous sense of humour as well. I watch sort of things with Frank with, and I follow him everything, everything's done with David Boodill, and then they did the talk show, and they did Room 101.

And I find myself laughing hysterically at Frank. I think we must have like the same sense of humour. My dad's got the same sense of humour. And what would you say that was? I'm not quite sure really. Yeah. I think it's a little bit corny, a little bit silly, and I'm not quite, you know, that's what sort of makes me laugh.

You sent Frank's and pants, and he was really great about it? Was he? Good. Sending some more. He got some Mennoness pants. Well, he calls you, he doesn't call you Dave again. He calls you,

OMG, oh my Gandhi. There's actually, I think there's a website on Instagram I actually called Oh my Gandhi. Is there? Yeah, they're very supportive,

actually, very good. Do you get treated like a royalty when you go to India until they see spelling? Actually, it's a place I've, I think I've been to actually everywhere around the world.

I still haven't been to India yet. Is you all right? Yeah, absolutely. She's just greeting a spaniel. This is her dream to be chased. Oh. A well-behaved cock a spaniel, unlike my mongrel dog who's now gone. I finally found someone to chase her dream.

This is so adorable. Doris met. What is that, David? Is that a spangiel? Yeah, I think it's Springer. Oh, my God. I've never seen anything so cute. Dora's chasing after.

Is it a spaniel? Yeah, she's a chloe. Oh, she's lovely. There's four dogs now. And there's a little, I don't know what. What that dog is, I love it. Is it a terrier? Look, this is what I'd be if I was a dog, David. This is a big old dog party.

Oh, that one's just gone for a bath and Dora, Dora's debating whether to jump it. Dora will leap. This is so lovely that she's had this impromptu playtime towards the end. Oh, this is her dream. Bye, lovely to meet you. Nice to meet you guys. Bye.

You see, that's a really nice interaction. Come on. And that's what staves off, kind of low-level depression, I think. depression I think is human interaction. So you need time alone. The one thing where we look at this is that women talk men don't talk. This is a thing that and women don't realize that by chatting by talking through everything it's actually a form of therapy. Men don't chat. We'll chat about cars and football. I won't talk about emotions. I won't talk about what's going on and you know and I do that stuff a lot with my girlfriend Steph as like she said a good day.

You know, I won't want to talk about it. She's gone all the way over there, David. No, she's chasing those dogs. Oh, yeah. Dora, you fell in with a bad crowd. It was like West Side Story. Before you go, I need to go. We've arrived at your very posh jaguar now.

Okay. But I need to, which I'm going to call Cookie Monster Blue. Yeah, I like that. Cookie Monster Blue? Yeah. I should have called it that actually. But I have one question for you. Yes.

Dogs on the bed? Dogs not on the bed. I will accept. Dogs on the bed in the monster. morning, but never at night. She has her, and I like a dog to have their safe air in a house. But I will accept in the morning because

that's probably my weakest part, I know, too tired to fight. To put up a fight. So we find her on the bed in the morning. She comes up probably about 6 o'clock. And then spends probably an hour and hour off. So you don't think it's on hygienic? I don't think so. I mean, it's really up to the individual. I wouldn't. I wouldn't. I know. Lots of people

had the dogs on the bed. No, no. I don't see it. Okay. Well, I'm going to keep on having way on my bed then. I thought when someone said it's unhygienic in the bed I thought you don't know what I do in the bed If you think the dogs aren't hygienic That's the least of my worries David I've had such a nice time with you Thank you for having me

Thank you for coming for Battersea And seeing what we do down there as well I've had such a lovely time of Batesy I'm a bit overwhelmed by how gorgeous those dogs are And I'd love coming to Richmond Park It's gorgeous isn't it? It's like a lad in a whole new world I really hope you enjoyed listening to that

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