Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Harriet Kemsley (Part Two)

Episode Date: September 17, 2026

In part two of Emily and Ray’s chat with the wonderful Harriet Kemsley, Harriet opens up about motherhood and how having her daughter gave her a sense of self-worth and confidence she’d never really experienced before. It’s a beautifully honest and moving conversation about how becoming a parent changed the way she sees herself.Harriet also talks about her rise through comedy, her experience appearing on Last One Laughing, and her podcast Single Ladies In Your Area.Plus, there’s more on Harriet’s brand new stand-up show, Floozy, which heads out on tour this autumn with dates across the country through to February. You can book tickets now at HarrietKemsley.com.If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one for more from Harriet, Sunny and, of course, Ray-Ray.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to part two of Walking the Dog with the wonderful comedian Harriet Kemsley. Really hope you enjoy it. You can catch Harriet and Sonny in the TV show Wagging Rights on you and Dave and stream it for free on you. And you can buy tickets to her tour floosie at Harrietkemsley.com. Here's Harriet and Sonny and Ray Ray. Ray. What is happening? Ray, we're just having a nice rest.

Ray looks permanently outraged. Ray, come on, Susie. Come on. Come on guys. Come on, boy. Sit down. Good job. Good boy. Sit with Sunny. Sonny. Are you looking after us, my love? Yeah, you're just protecting everybody. Don't you think Sonny's being quite good with Ray? Do you think? I think they're so, You think it's so sweet Ray is so sweet. He's never barked. Does Ray sleep?

He's never bark? It's a cabapoo thing. What can I say? Camapoos are just barkers. Well, I mean, I've got to say, Sonny, it's such a typical cavapoo, physically. Does Ray sleep in your bed? 100%.

Yeah, I don't understand this. Don't sleep in the bed. I would you not want that. It's the best thing in the bed. It's always people so sleep on the hard, cold floor. It's like, I wouldn't treat someone like that that I loved. Does Ray sleep on your pillow? Yes.

Three pillows, minimum. He's got a three pillow minimum. Also, I'm single. He is. And I'm single, so it's a bit weird. If anyone ever broke in, they would just see this dog's little hairy face lying in splendor on the pillar. And I quite like that, them getting freaked out. Yeah.

Well, me and Sunny sleep, I don't know. I don't know, I haven't watched the show, like what fits, but we, um... Oh, this is in wagging rights, the show? Yeah, where he sleeps, he's, Bob, he's like, he's just, you assert me. He sleeps under the covers with his head on the pillow, and then I kind of, like, spoon him, and we sleep, and we sleep like, yeah. You know, Rose a bit colder than that. He's like a sort of bit more one-light stand. You know those, yeah, and they roll over.

It's a weird thing, he'll lick me very manically before bedtime, and then I'll go, Oh, and I'll go to snuggle him, and he'll go and sit at the other end. Yeah, that's enough, know your place. Yeah. Yeah, I'm in control here. He's like, we're in a polyamorous situation here. So, it's perfect. So tell me, so you made this show with Bobby your ex.

So, yeah, we got the commission six weeks before we got married. It was one of the matters periods of my life. And we, like, wrote, we called it a reality sitcom, because it was based on, like, past arguments, things that the happening about it. And then we'd recreate them with, like, friends. Catherine was in it. she was amazing she was so funny um and she was becoming quite big at that time yeah so like she was so katherine is just so generous like she didn't need to do that in any way like i don't even

she i don't even know if she claimed her feet like she's so she's so generous and she was so supportive and um yeah she was so funny and uh yeah we just made this show and i'm really proud of like what we made in that time but um but yeah i don't know if it was like the healthiest thing for the relationship or our mental health but it was so much. And we should say you had a beautiful little girl together which is so nice and you're very open about this you two are no longer together. Yeah yeah so he lives down the road it's so I love I read if I'm right that you had a no fault divorce or something yeah and that just basically means there's no idliness in court you're just kind of saying look we're going to sort this out. The agreement was we're both going to be

unhappy with the agreement and as long as we're both unhappy then that's that's what it is. Yeah. And we just, yeah, we just did it between ourselves. I think it was just, yeah, it's really tricky because I don't want to say, I say things. And then Bobby says, why would you have to keep talking about it? Yeah. But yeah, he's a great, he's a great dad. We speak every day. I don't know if we'd want to speak every day, but that's what we speak every day. we both just put Mabel first and I'm like so grateful for that.

How lovely is that? And do you know what? Actually Harriet, my mum had a similar thing with my dad and at the time my sister and I as we became teenagers. You know my dad would come around for lunch they were very friendly and I was not used to that. So as a kid I thought this was weird. I was like why can't you be like the other parents who just honk the horn outside and couldn't speak? Do you know what I mean? I found it weird. I was like why? Because I would think if you're coming into a house for lunch and you're sitting there laughing together and you're coming sometimes we'd go to friends houses for dinner still with my dad there I think why can't you live together but it was only as I got older that I realized how important that was

that actually it gave me a sense of okay their relationship didn't work out but they're here together because of us you know and it's there's something really exceptional about that I think if you can pull it off how old were you when they separate so I would have been I was older than Mabel we would have been about I guess 10 something like that I think that's hard because you knew what it was I think that's a that's difficult I'm hoping that she won't know any different she was one she was one when we separated and so there's no there's obviously going to be challenges but I think well not really that's just her normal isn't it so that's all

she knows is my dad but what I mean is it's great that you have that relationship regardless of how much time you physically spend with each other, it's just that she, you don't have that honk the horn outside relationship, which I think can be tough in retrospect. Yeah, so much he honks the horn. Depending on whether there's been an argument at all. No, he's so good. We just went to Chessington together.

It was like the first kind of like, we're trying to, yeah, it's taking a little wild reset, but yeah, me and Mabel stayed there for the night and he came in the afternoon and we went and he hates roller coasters. I'm with Bobby on that. She just loved it, like just him screaming, going around on these little kids. Screaming on the teacups. But yeah, I just want to, because I think that's it. And it's like, it's probably that for your parents.

It's like they could be that because they weren't together. They could be the better versions of themselves because they had that space to be that. And so they were then their best versions of themselves for you because they weren't. Well, then it becomes my mom. Mum sees my dad with this girlfriend and starts thinking, okay, you deal with it now. And it's that thing of, it's sort of not my problem anymore. Sorry, Ray's face. It's just sire dying.

Are you looking at sign? You don't need to bark. Sunny's heard something. Look at Ray. What's going to happen? Ray. This is what they taught me. I have to do this.

I have to go. Show us what you do. Sunny. I've got this. I've got this, Sunny. You can stand down. Did everyone feel safe? So Harriet just went over to the door.

That was quite impressive and it did work. Thank you. So what do you have to do? So if Sunny, one of the things I've noticed Sunny's thing is barking at the door, which is very common with dogs. One of the most common issues people are having for it. Yeah, but nevertheless, Sunny does it?

And so you dealt with it by, you did something really amazing. You kind of draped yourself. over the door. Actually, I don't know if you have to dress, but you could just turn to front of the door and you say. It wasn't a bit F-HM pose in the 90s. Thank you for saying that. And you say, you say, I've got this because the problem is I've made him think he has to step up because I, he's looking around thinking no one's in control of this. And so I have to let him know that no, he's safe, he can relax, I'm in charge, but no one's

ever thought I'm in charge. So this is the, this is the issue. Oh, okay. This is the issue. It's trying to become more, more out of that. I'm going to do this with Ray, I've got this. Ray, he's not bothered. He doesn't give a damn if I've got it or not. He just wants food.

So I want to talk about how your career, I'm so excited, Sunny's coming near me and I don't want to tempt fate. So I'm not going to engage because then he might feel pressure. But I'm really excited. He loves to lick people that don't want to be That's his favourite thing to do. He's looking well, my producer. What was, I mean, last one laughing, which was not so long ago,

was I feel that was like a really big breakthrough career moment for you because obviously you'd been doing lots of stuff before that. You're sort of part of the comedy landscape. But that was a, what am I right in thinking that was a big breakthrough moment for you, career-wise? Yeah, it was mad. You do so many, like, just like random things. Yeah, see, he knows I've got. it so he's gone to the door but he knows I've got this I know I want panic

it was crazy you just do it for so long and then you do little things you don't really think about it and then it took me a while to kind of realise what was happening but then suddenly everyone in my life had watched it it was it was so it was so confusing and yeah it's been amazing it's kind of like changed everything and so yeah I feel so lucky and like grateful for it Were you really excited when that call came through? Were you surprised? Yes, but it hadn't been a thing before.

They hadn't done it so you didn't know what it was going to be. You do so many things and you don't know what's going to do. You don't know how big and successful. Because it was, I think people were almost shot by how well it did. Yeah, because there was so much comedy stuff, they were like, oh, no one wants comedy, no one. Like, that was the narrative. But the thing that was amazing for me was the cast. was like my heroes.

Like that was, I was very much like, I always think I was like, you know, in a big brother when Shantel came in and she pretended that she was a celebrity and had to trick them all that she was a celebrity as well. Like, that was my role to be like, I'm a comedian to everybody. Because for the first, like, two episodes,

I'm like so overwhelmed. I don't know how to speak to my heroes and not laugh and try and make them laugh. So I'm just like, I'm just going around, just like trying to, like, breathe. because it was just so crazy. But yeah, I feel so grateful to it. And did you find when you came out, was it like,

I mean when I say came out, it's not like Big Brother in that it takes a couple of days? Sannie, I've got this, thank you. Sunny, please. Sunny, Sunny, I've got this. I've got this, thank you. It's all good. Sunny, please, please remember what I said. Thank you.

I don't know. Sunny, I've got this. Thank you. I like, thank you. I like thank you. Like a massage therapist. Thank you. So polite.

Sunny, I've got this. Thank you. Thank you. You can step down. I'm in. But yeah, that must have felt really amazing. I was saying, I know you weren't sort of away in the house. And it's not like Love Island where you come out.

Oh my God. than in Instagram, but still there must have been that sense of your agent's phone's ringing a bit more and suddenly your social media's growing. Well, we did it in September. Then it came out in March and in September you, I mean, every comedian that does it thinks it's, they've bombed because no one's laughing. The whole thing with a comedian is that you're meant to make people laugh and no one's laughing and you leave and you think, well, that's it. I've just, you know, I'm never going to work again. And so it's quite fun to speaking to everyone that does it because they leave and they go,

that's um well that i don't know how that's how they're gonna and then the show comes out and it's so wonderful and warm and they don't um because no one's laughing in the room doesn't mean that people aren't laughing like um at home or with jimmy or whatever and um yeah so it's um but yeah it's suddenly yeah it was crazy it was just like but i'm just yeah i'm just so slow it was just a did you how did you find because i bet you were sort of recognized a bit more and how did you find that It was quite confusing. I think... Sunny, I've got this.

Sunny, I've got this. Please. Please. Sunny, please. Hello. So I'm wondering how, obviously, doing a show like that comes with a sort of increased, you know, visibility and recognizability. You've talked about being shy. How did that you deal with that?

Was that suddenly, because presumably people may be coming up when you're with your daughter in the park or at a shop in the shops or in Tesco? or something. How did that feel? I like the shyness from years of stand-up is like it's so much better. Like I couldn't like having I couldn't have had this conversation with you in my in my early 20s like it's like just so much better just from kind of like a it is like a muscle I think and I just put myself in so many situations and also I think there is something helpful in it in that like it's a it's a shortcut I guess that people see a side of me that I'm always I was always trying to be like very polite and like this but they've already kind of seen it. In hindsight I would have I didn't know it was going to be such a family show

and so some of the there's a lot of children that come up and in hindsight I would have maybe done things a little differently but it was the first series and we didn't know that you mean so many people would watch it as a family and when you say that by doing things different and you mean you wouldn't have ejected ping-bombles from your downstairs we can take it However, we can take it however we want to take it. But maybe there were things in it that I go to festivals and there's a lot of kids coming up. Do they mention the ping pong balls at all? I kid at a big football, but we to sign a football actually.

And I was like, well, I can't throw, you know, let's say, I've had a baby, but it's not that bad. But, but yeah. I mean that's the ping pong lady. Yeah, exactly. You have to be the ping pong lady. and so yes you don't always I don't always think things through necessarily but do you feel comfortable with it all the time there must be moments when it does feel a bit like because I can sense just the way and I respect that actually I can sense you're someone just in the time we spent together this morning

who has I think appropriate boundaries around family staff and you as a performer not everyone has that And I can see that sometimes doing this line of work, you have to assert those boundaries quite a lot, don't you? Especially with social media and staff where... Yeah. Might think, oh, everything's on the table now. I think I've been really lucky so far in that that hasn't been an issue. I think that, yeah, I don't share Mabel's face. And I think that I just...

Yeah, I think people are generally just, like, so friendly and it is, like, so new. so grateful that now I can tour and sell it out and not be touring and like panicking about the sales so it just feels that must be really nice it's such a relief and generally people are lovely so it's um it's not it's generally people are really nice I think some some men maybe I could do without but the women always yeah women always are wonderful the girl the great ones are great. The great ones are great. It's just yeah some of the messages may be on online that I just don't need and but then you know you pretend to shoot ping pong balls out of your vagina you need to you know you make choices and you learn what that attracts and yeah and we

should say you present an absolutely brilliant podcast which has massively taken off, hasn't it? To the extent... Were even you surprised by how much that forecast took off? Yeah, it was, it's me and Amy Gledhill, we both

came out of these long-term relationships and I'd never used an app, I'd never done anything like that, I just couldn't, I just couldn't really fathom how I was going to be single. I'd become kind of this like old prude lady. I just like didn't know how to... Stop stealing my Instagram name.

we can we can brood together can be honest more I'm going to have an old prude lady and I'm going to make you do it I just didn't know how to it's so we started this poggers where Amy literally sets out her dating profile in the first episode

and it but it turned out so many people didn't know in hindsight the first series is so embarrassing we're literally asking and we should say it's called single ladies in your area but the first series is so embarrassing

we're just like literally asking people how do you kiss someone? Like it's like... Yeah, I was quite shocked by that. It's so pathetic. That's why I like it. It's so pathetic, but we just didn't know how to gross the divide. Like how, if you're sat with somebody, it's like a muscle that you lose.

And then how do you just like kiss someone without someone being like, what the fuck you're doing, Harriet? You know? I think that's what is so brilliant about it and what I love about it. Is that there is a sort of vulnerability about it. Yeah. I don't think you can half-ass those things. I don't think you can do something like that.

If you're going to deal with being single, it's about vulnerability. It's all about vulnerability. So I've heard podcasts like that where people will sort of attempt to have it both ways, which is I'm going to talk about being single, but I'm not like those single women. I'm a hot, confident in-control single woman.

I think that is generally what people, that's been a successful podcast, is people that are really good at being single. I don't like those ones. I don't know if you're successful and good, I don't want to fucking hear about you. We're coming in and you're like, I think the listeners must be like,

thank God I know more than these two idiots. It's the first being the thinking. Give me more old prude lady. Yeah, yeah. And so, um, and so yeah, I was a real old prude lady. And it's got,

as we've done it, it's got so much easier and so much. Just like, I've never done proper dating. Like it was just like school and then comics. And then now it's like, oh, I can actually like,

intentionally date people and not just end up in a relationship with someone that I got drunk with. Yeah. And then had a toddler and then, you know, without thinking things through very well. It's like really trying to be much more kind of considered. And there's a lot of cringe that you have to overcome, isn't there and that, in terms of that horrible, the first meet? Yeah. The worst. Yeah.

Going to meet someone. And then you have to get used to doing it repeatedly as well. This is it. I think, and I think it is a numbers game. I think it is that you. Is it easier the more you do it? Yeah, yeah. The first one I thought I just couldn't.

Have you done that? No, I'm not really, do you know, I never really have. And I think it came afterwards for me, after my later. And I just, I don't know why. I think I just don't really like, and I know lots of people love it and say it's great. And so many people you walk down the street, so yeah, that's how me and my partner there.

That's how we met. It's how everyone meets now. Yeah. I think you have, you have, are you single? Yeah. I think you have to do it. I think we should set you up a profile. I think you have to do it because it's how everyone meets.

Like you go to comedy nights and you ask people how they met and everyone met, everyone meets online. It's how people go out now for nights out and no one is approaching anybody. You're having a nice time with your circle of friends. They're on their apps. They're on their apps. Exactly. And they're messaging someone to arrange a date on their night off. It's not about meeting someone when you go out now.

So if you want to meet somebody, it's like an admin. Like you have to become a part-time admin person that works at Hinge. Like it's like a crazy new life. But that is, I find it, because of the way my brain works, that I do find parts of it very helpful in that you are, it becomes easier to know that someone's interested in you. It's like, we've all put, we're all here for the same reason, whereas you could be chatting to someone in a bar and then think it's like something.

And then they're like, okay, well, I've got to get back to Susan. Have you met anyone nice on there? Yeah, I've very, I keep very nearly getting into things. And then it just falls, it doesn't work. But each time it's like, I think I've been like, protect like protected by something but yeah I've met but you've also got something else going on which is that you've got your daughter is your priority and she has given me a self-esteem I've never had in my life it's genuinely so helpful because I cannot I cannot try and help anybody or fix

them I cannot bring in any ways to strays like I have to I have to raise the bath myself because of her because I just see it through her eyes and I have to anyone that comes in has to be such an addition to our life I like what you're saying because I also think you're actually reflecting to your daughter what a relationship looks like. And if you've got some terrible fuck boy living here or even coming around, it's like I do think that sometimes it's difficult because I understand some women choose to stay in relationships which I absolutely wouldn't tolerate some of the behaviour they tolerate. We've all got friends like that where you think you were willing to overlook that. I certainly couldn't. I would never judge them for that choice.

I do think when you've got daughters, it changes it slightly because I just think, well, what are you modelling for them? You're sort of saying it's fine. It's fine to accept this. And I think if you're in a relationship with someone and it's not working, I saw the moment that you would get back with somebody. I was so sure that the relationship was not right and that maybe we would grow up and see that this was not right.

But then when we first separated, I would have to go, and sit in a cafe while they were together and the i would just sob in this cafe that i couldn't be with um my daughter and i think those are the those are the reasons you get back together with somebody that's not working because you just think i can i can be with my child like that's why but then now i i find it so helpful that i she's changed my life like i have to make things good enough for her like i wish that i had been born with the self-esteem that she has given me that means that means that I have to find somebody that's good enough for her. Isn't that lovely?

Yeah. I love that. Yeah, I feel so, I feel so, like, she has, like, oh, God, I just get emotional. I think, but, like, it's just, I didn't know if I'd like being a mom or not. Like, it felt that, and I didn't know if I was, like, capable of it. Like, I'm, like, a bit of, chaos, and I just, and it's just, yeah, changed everything. It's the best thing. I love that.

Thank you. Thank you. I love that that's brought tears to your eyes. Yeah, yeah, it just, do you know, it's an interesting thing. I did a thing called the Hoffman process, which is a whole other conversation. Yes, I've heard about this. Which was amazing. Did you go to America to do it? I did it in the UK.

I did it after my sister died and then both my parents. It all happened so in quick succession. You know, and you think, okay, this is quite a lot and I maybe haven't processed. I haven't a chance to process because the timing, you know, the sister was bad enough and she had two small kids. You know, it was horrific. So I did this thing called the Hoffman process. And, you know, it's amazing when you come out of that.

You know, I've met Russell Kane, I've met people who've done it. And you don't talk in too much depth about what happens, but you do, there are bits on it that really stay with you. And one of the things you have to, I realised, and that's why I got Ray, because I realised, one of the things that came out in it, you have to say the most awful things you have to admit about yourself. Like I remember sitting in this room saying, and you're obviously looking at why I'd never had kids. And it was like, I never thought I was good enough to look after anything or anybody. I didn't think I was good enough to do that. And then it was only after that And then after the process I was like

Okay, well the kid window has maybe passed for me And that's not practical for me But I never even had a pet Because I thought no animal You know, I'm not good enough And that's why I got Ray And hearing you say that I love that I know it's an animal

It's not the same as a kid I'm not comparing it It literally is I got Sunny And Sunny was like a test Sunny was like a test of like can I Priorit something else Can I like can I look after it Can I not?

accidentally trapped him in a bin like it what is it can i keep him alive it's it was i've never heard anyone i say that and it literally was like and that's so i think we can really kind of like beat ourselves up and like hold ourselves back because of our thinking and yeah and it comes with your divergence a bit as well and i think with me it was kind of um not something else i learned doing this was you don't want to leave a footprint on the world. It's fear. So getting an animal, I named him. I made a choice about the kind of dog I was going to get. Apparently it's a cavapult. I've chosen something. I walk out of the house. This is my dog. What's his name? And I think it can feel easier. We've all met people like this and I was one of them. I call them

those shadows people where I don't choose a partner. I don't choose a dog. I don't decorate my house or I want it, I'll just inherit the colour scheme that I bought. Do you know what I mean? I go to other people's houses and I appreciate their animals and their family life and their choices. It's a sort of confidence thing, isn't it? And I can see how, when I walk into this home and I just think it's something so joyful about the way it feels so warm and if I was a little girl, I would just love coming back to this home. I would feel so happy in this space. And I think you've created such a lovely environment for your daughter to grow up in. Yeah, it was, thank you so much. It was a thing when we separate that I was like, I'm always going to have flowers, like I'm always going to

have these things and I'm always going to do things that mean that, I don't know, that you're just trying to make things nice, but I think I completely relate to what you're saying and I've actually seen it a lot in people in my life and I think that's exactly what you should join a dating app. I think that's why you need to do that as a challenge for yourself is to like do it, you know. Oh, now, what can I do? Now you've told me. I think you have to do it and then you have to come on single ladies.

I know, and then she's going to make me... If you come and single ladies, we'll set it up for you. Okay, fine. Great. It's a deal. Great. Unfortunately, my producer is here. She's going to make me do it.

But yeah, that's a great thing is have something like a podcast, because then you can't get out of it. And this is, it's actually like it's so bad. It saves the cringe a bit. Yeah, it does. Like in my, someone was saying the day that my, um, my life I just get hired to do things where I suffer but it's like people love to see me suffer doing different things like I just had to do this half mile swim and then the dog training that just went so badly and then um all these

kind of things but it's actually like it forces you to do things like I would never be doing these things in my life and then you grow as a person by doing things outside of your comfort zone and we all see that you know we can all see that in people where you think oh you've been protected from discomfort a bit yeah you need a little bit of discomfort you need to know what it's like to end up in Australia and not have the money to get back or your experience in New York, you've got to live with cockroaches. I went there because I was, I just, I always try and do the scary thing, like obviously, like within reason, but like I, that's why I went to New York. I was like, I'll never leave Canterbury. Like I just will never leave somewhere where I feel like kind of like

safe and like seen. I'll never leave Canterbury. So I had to go to New York. It's like such extreme like reaction. And then doing stand up was like someone like me doing stand up just feels so nuts. But it was like the scariest thing I could imagine that I did it. And then I married Bobby. I'm joking, I'm joking. But like divorce, divorce. Go on, do your thing again. Sunny, please, I've got this, please. Thank you.

Right. Oh, we need it. We'll do wagging rights now. But yeah, Diffource felt like such a scary thing. But, you know, you just like, yeah, sometimes the scariest thing is the thing you have to do to grow, I think.

100% is. I need to talk about this show that you're in. currently. Wagon rights which I've been lucky enough I was sent a preview copy of this show and I mean have me all over it what's not to laugh I'm literally the target audience dogs

comedians and specifically comedians being a bit rubbish about disciplining their dogs but it's called wagging rights and it's yourself and well you explain the set off of the show Rod Gilbert and

Vicki Patterson Kay Kerr Sarah Pasco and their and their dogs are like characters in it like it's like there's like the comics then the dogs are the characters and yeah it's it's chaos it was chaos to film I haven't actually seen it yet so I don't know anything some people it turns out were very competitive and we won't name any names but there's oh I will people who who were secretly very competitive and acting like they weren't doing a thing and um how is we're all

Gilbert at the moment. Well, I tell you what that reminds me of. You know those people that say they haven't revised for exam? He'd be like, oh, I haven't really done anything. And then there was this moment where he'd be like, yeah, I'm just not really taking it seriously. And then he unzipped his coat and he had one of those dog tree pouches underneath his coat. Who is this man?

He took it so seriously. It reminded me when he unsipped his coat, I don't know if a bit, in football, when you'd get a player manager like Glenn Hoddle and he'd suddenly take down his track suit and be like, I'm coming on. I'm daddy needs to deal with this. He was in control, wasn't he? Old Rod. He was in control. There's this, there is a moment later in the series where poor Rod gets partnered with me and Sunny.

And Rod is so competitive. And I felt sick. I felt absolutely sick because I have admired Rod for so many years. And I just think, like, he's one of the best stand-ups in the country. and the thought of Rod having to be partnered with us was just absolutely sickening. Horrific. But yeah, I think everybody learned stuff like about themselves.

It's like you are, your dog's behaviour is a reflection of you. I think like it was a very, it's very interesting and like the tips like the dog train is just like, it is possible not to live with a badly behaved dog. I know, but it's interesting isn't it? Because I think, did you get the impression that the key things were, well, it's repetition, isn't it? Yeah. Is that one of the big things? That's one of the big things.

And consistency. And I think that's one of the things that I struggled with because you're working. You have a child and it's just like chaos. Do you have people looking after Sonny as well sometimes? Yeah. So the trouble is you can't predict that they're going to be following through in the same way. Yeah. And he goes to Mike's husband sometimes.

And that's a little different environment. It's a different environment. It's a different environment. And yeah, so you can't completely control it. But, yeah, the difference in some of the dogs was absolutely crazy. I mean, the problem with me is I'm a really slow learner. And so I think, yeah, we might have got somewhere out of like 100 episodes maybe, but they don't commission 100 episode series, which is unfortunately.

And what was your main thing in this show that you realized from doing this show that you need to be consistent with Sunny? what's Sunny's main issue and what do you need to address? What I realised is that it's my lack of confidence or like my anxiety about things was affecting Sunny. And I think that has been a really helpful like life thing to learn because you think if that's passed into Sunny like am I going to pass that on to Mabel. Like this is a thing that I have to work on my like I don't seem like I'm in charge at any point in my life and I have to try and take a bit. more charge of things because then he'll feel safe. The boot print on the world.

Not the flip flop. This is it. This is it. Yeah, I think that's exactly it because then they feel like they can be safe because there's a leader. Like at the moment we're leaderless. So he's like, I guess I've got to drive this ship. Like I don't know. Someone's got to step up.

Someone's got to step up. Bobby's left and he's like, oh God, I'm the man of the house and this is. Yeah, but yeah, I just. But it is kind of, it's interesting with your dog. about you and I think I wonder if taking part in a show like that I would feel quite exposed because I take it incredibly personally when someone says something about my dog's behaviour or completely different that was the thing that I found so hard is that anyone can insult me to the end of the day like and they do yeah it's fine I like laughing at myself but I just didn't want to let sunny down

it was so funny how we were all like we were all just kept saying I just want everyone to see what they're capable of I just want them to be able to see like what they can do and like You just didn't want to let the dog down. It's such a, you just wanted to show, like, what sweethearts they are. Like, he's just such a little sweetheart. I'm just going to take a picture because this is the cutest thing I've ever seen. He just snuggled up. Oh, my darling.

Harriet, look at me. You look so gorgeous. You look so glamorous. Oh, my God. So would you, you must be, are you pleased you took part in that show? Yeah, absolutely. It was like, and what was so lovely was, like, prioritized. sunny for once like he just gets left last like it's like after Mabel and trying to do her like to be able to

be with him every day and do these things and he just it took him a while to kind of um get on board with some of it but then in the end like he loved like to have little games that you're playing like the problem is I was saying earlier he's not really like um like a walker like um my friend um johnny lives with um puppy and he's like I've never known a dog that just you're taking for a walk and just sit down and he's like I'm done. That's what Ray does. I just, yeah, I don't want to, he doesn't want to go and walks. That's what Ray does.

We'll be out walking Ray. I thought it was just a shitsu thing. Oh my God, it's sunny a shih Tzu. I really, please can I buy you as a gift that DNA testing? It's quite expensive, but I'm willing to spend it. They're 79 pounds. But I'm sorry, I've really, I mean, do you think there's some sheep or?

something in there. He looks like a lamb. He looks like a lamb. A freshly shorn lamb. He looks like a lamb. Yeah. I imagine this Daily Mail headline. Harry Kempsey rated a lamb as a dog for six years. It's a little bo-beak. I don't even think Sonny's part lamb. Because I've never, I'm not being funny, Harry, I've never seen a dog's skin go like that after being, I'm going to use the word That's not groomed, that's Sean. I can honestly tell you, I need to leave you because you have a life, but this has been something so lovely about this morning. Oh, I've loved it.

I'm so glad that it rains. Yeah, I'm just saying, sorry about the coffee and the shit on the floor and the barking. And the land. The fact that it's a dog podcast and I brought a sheep. The fact that it's not walking the dog and he brought a goddamn sheep. But what do I expect from a farmer's daughter? go. There we go. I've loved it and I honestly I really have liked you when I've run into you at very, normally Catherine's do's and stuff like that and I'm also, oh, I really like her, but

chatting to you this morning I just think, yeah, I, the energy off you is very, there's a very lovely, authentic warmth about you and I really pick up on energies quite strongly. I mean, not on a Lou, Sandser. I love you, Lou, but put the crystals away. I made her do this as well. But yeah, I don't know. She wore her cats. She did it. No, she just loved Ray, though.

She loved Ray. She did talk about her cats. Obviously, she's talked about her cats. But yeah, and I think I love when you talk about Mabel, how emotional it makes you. And I think I would really love that if you had been my mum. Oh, my goodness. Oh, you know, set me off again. I know I always love seeing you as well like I think um oh god um it's been a it's been a lovely morning

I'm sorry for everything I'm just sorry about the dog I'm sorry you've been lied to it's awful I think we should make a Netflix documentary about this I'm so gullible genuinely it's literally a fucking lamb sitting there well I have loved it and I hope maybe we can get them together I would love that. I would really love that. Sunny and Ray. Ray and Sunny. It was meant to be. Oh my goodness. Would you like to play with the little sheet?

I like they just sat and used each other so calmly now. Oh, Ray and Sunny, it was meant to be. Bye bye-bye, Sunny, we love you. Bye, guys. Thank you for visiting. I did a big ending, a big dramatic ending. It was a bit emotional. Yeah, you know, go back in.

And then I remembered, I forgot to mention the bloody, tour. The woman spent all morning with us giving us weird cashew nut coffee with her lamb and we haven't even mentioned the tour. You are going on tour in October. I'm going on tour, yeah, from a few weeks time

yeah, I'm touring around the country. This show is called floozy. That was a choice I made. You name it way before we read the show. But yeah, I'm flusying about the UK, so yeah, I'm excited. Oh, I'm so excited. And if we want to, can people go to your website?

to buy tickets. Yeah, at Harrietkemsey.com. So it's all, um, it's all up there. I'm gonna sneak Ray in. I would love that. I've had a dog heck on me before. So if he's gonna, if he's gonna, but you said he's never blocked.

He's perfect. He doesn't rock. Bring him along. Shall I? Literally bring him. This isn't an invitation to everyone. Ray's got a special pass. Yeah.

Um, that's so exciting though. Ray. And so, and are you doing, are you doing sort of work in progress gigs now? Yeah, working in London. And always be comedy and Bill Murray and how the like it's. festival until

again to September. We start and ready. But that must feel quite nice as well when I suppose it just means that listen it's always nerve-wracking doing new stuff and you always think I hope people come and da-da-da-da but on the other hand nice position to be in that there's an element of people coming along sort of knowing

you. It's not like you're having to prove yourself to quite that degree. It's crazy and the difference now that I can do previews and people come like you just before you'd go to Edinburgh and you'd have done a cafe at 12pm on the sea front and then you'd have done a tent at midnight in like the middle of nowhere and then you're like to try and put a show together to these like random gigs with like but that's part of the fun but yeah now having people come that already kind of hopefully like you somewhat is like

really helpful well if they've got the ticket it means they know what they're getting they're not coming along to your gig they're not coming along and they're thinking this is going to be a very high intellect. This is going to be a show where we're really going to have to focus and put on our thinking at it. What isn't this? Stephen Fry? No.

Well, I would, you'd be my vote to come and see every time. All right, then we need to leave these lovely people. Ray. What's your overriding view of Ray? You're a fan, aren't you? I am, but I've been obsessed with Ray since I met Ray. Ray, Ray, do you want to say goodbye to Harriet and Sunny? Bye-bye.

She's a perfect thing. You've sat here so nicely. Bye bye, sonny. We love you, sonny. But it's because you knew that I've got this. That's why you just knew. You're just instinctively new. You just knew you're so perfect.

Bye. Bye, Ray. Bye, Ray. 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.