Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Jake Bhardwaj (Part Two)

Episode Date: August 13, 2026

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Jake Bhardwaj, Jake takes us behind the scenes of the day Prince Harry came on Joe Marler Will See You Now, from finding out one of the most famous men in the world was going to be a guest to what he was actually like when the microphones were switched on (and off).Jake also talks about his own fascinating career shift, having spent years behind the scenes producing comedy for some of the biggest names in the business before gradually finding himself in front of the camera. He reflects on what gave him the confidence to start making his own content, and how he’s adjusted to suddenly becoming the talent rather than the person looking after it.If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you’re at the Edinburgh Festival, you can catch Jake’s live show Not Another Quiz Night at the Gilded Balloon until August 30th. Tickets are available at https://www.edfringe.com.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 Jake Bardwodge. If you're up in Edinburgh at the festival, do make sure to catch Jake's show, not another quiz night at the Gilded Balloon until August the 30th. And by the way, do give Walking the Dog a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Jake and Ray Ray. I want to go back to the chase because you're working on the chase. The chase is hugely popular. Yeah.

I imagine it's a kind of high turnover show as well in terms of... in terms of you're getting them out quickly. It's not like you're making succession in the nicest way in the world. So what's it like? What are the worst parts of that job and the best parts of that job? As a question writer, I think that it's,

I think the worst part of the job was the realization that, okay, I'm in TV now, my foot's in the door. But actually, writing questions on a game show is probably the most. niche job in television that you could have. There are producers for everything. I mean, everything had it so, I mean, maybe it doesn't anymore because the funding's less.

But every type of job had a different producer. You have a casting producer, a questions producer, a welfare producer, a food producer, if it was a food show, not just for the chase. But you'd have, like, it was so specific that I was like, well, how do I get out of this and move to comedy? And I saw the casting team having a laugh on the phones, trying to get, you know, people in the way,

the show or the way so it was it felt a bit like I don't know how to get out of this and and and um it onto the next thing and having not knowing anyone in the industry and not really knowing that a freelance life could exist that was a bit daunting. Best part of it was being in the thick of it and I think I was in maybe one of the last couple of years when I started in TV I was maybe in the last year or two of the glory days of telly yeah I reckon we it was it was you know go to the pub on a Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon. It was, there was a bar in the office where every week...

Did you ever make any mistakes on the questions? No, great verification sort of system. I'll tell you what they did on one of the day, because they knew I had an interesting comedy at some point. The question producer lent in and said, right, you get your head down, you write your questions. One day you could have a Fanny Schmeller moment. One day.

I thought, God, to have a Fanny Schmeller moment. So Fanny Schmella was something... Defani Schmela was, was... Bradley... Yeah, she was... She's an Olympic skier and she was the answer to a question. Yeah, and did Bradley Walsh lose it or something? Bradley Loss lost it and like, you know, it was great, you know, great clip that went viral of him laughing.

So that's considered a great question? Great question, but like, you know, get your proper questions first before you start stepping up to try and make Bradley laugh. Okay. I did have a couple that made him laugh and that was like, felt like a great moment. But the thing is, they were already on... They'd already had 250,000 questions. in their database at that point, at the point that I joined, because they were on series 20.

And you couldn't repeat a question. You could rephrase a question if it hadn't been used in the last 10 series. Does it make you realize how much easier your job would be with it, AI, or does it make you think you wouldn't have a job? It makes you think, God, probably those jobs aren't going to exist soon. Because AI can look at the database. It can look at the database. Tell you what's been asked.

And you could say, could you ask a question about food, but make it slightly different and less racist? Exactly that. Exactly that. When you were working on the chase, I'm just obsessed why your chase is. What system was, the aim is to write 30 questions a day. And you would have about 10 categories. No, sorry, way more than that.

What we're talking about? Your basics, your geography, your history. Oh, yeah. But also mythology, royalty. Oh, I love a mythology. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Astrology, that was one of the categories. And you had those difficulty rating.

of one to four. And one has to be a getable one, but not so, a getable question, but not so getable that it's patronising. So you can never ask what colour is the sky, but you can say the sky is a shade of what colour. And that is therefore a slightly more, less patronising way of doing it. But it's interesting the way that the subtle differences

of questions on different shows. For example, on BBC, your categories might be literature, and film. On ITV it will be books and movies. Well and on Bolzai, instead of geography, you had places. Instead of history, things that have happened. I believe also. Instead of maths, they had sums. Numbers. Numbers. I love places.

Look, we don't want to get bogged down with all your snooty geography. Places is good enough for us. Instead of Latin, sayings. with no cheat. So, after Aprae Chase, you'll then you'll plunge yourself into comedy producing and you've worked on everything from the last leg to the Big Fat Quiz, you work with Romish.

As you'll know, you've got to really craft your own career. You'll see, you've got to cry. I mean, I suppose that is the case in lots of careers but I'm more so mean that by like, you know, your contracts last three months. You're constantly having to sort of think about the next job. And how will that, what will that look like on my CV? And I wanted desperately to do comedy. I finally got a bit of a break where I was, I did development,

at a place with Youngest Media doesn't exist now, but I learned how to develop shows for a year, another internship, developing quiz shows. And then the comedy break happened at a company called Rumpus. Oh yeah. There's two producers, Ian Wimbush and Emily Hudd, who I still work with on stuff now. They gave me a job as a junior researcher

on a show called Comedians Solve World Problems. And I just threw everything at the interview. I was like, I have to get this. There's no way with all this, like, I love game shows, I love quiz, but like comedy, so everyone wants to work in comedy. Well, everyone that I wanted to be friends with anyway, wanted to work in comedy. So I threw everything at the interview.

I think I even made like a sketch for the interview to play them. So we're talking about cringe. Got the job and then from there was able to like, right, I've got one credit as a researcher here. So you could move about then. So I did then eight out of ten to Cat's Countdown. I did have a new for you.

Did you work with Romish as well? Yeah, I didn't work with Romish but I was like in awe of him and it's funny, full circle moment. My last producer job last May was was actually like a show that Romish does called parents evening. It's one of my favourite shows. And I developed it with them as well. I love that show.

I watched every episode. I'm obsessed with that show. And in fact, my goddaughter Honey was on that, I think, with Jonathan. So that was a full soccer moment because Rangaby, his company, Ben Green, who he runs it with, he got me in for a few weeks

because they were like, we've got this idea for a quiz show. You know, you've done lots of quiz throughout your career, but you know, comedy, can you help us develop the actual format of it? So it's obviously different to the initial development, but it was cool to be able to be part of developing it and then produce it from wanting to be in the same room as him.

And all these credits. It was a cool moment, actually, at the Morangabee Christmas party all those years later when I had worked on that show where Romish was like, oh, I've been seeing your sketches online, they're really good, keep going. And it's just that like sort of keep going thing from him was really nice.

It's interesting when you talk about all the various things you've worked on and they're you know hugely high profile shows in comedy you've built up an incredible CV as a producer on things as I was saying like well you said eight out of ten cats last leg big fat quiz but now what I'm interested in is how and I say interested because it's something I've experienced it's how you're a producer you're behind the scenes person you'll create your content producer or creator effectively. Your job is to make other people look good. But secretly, you have a dark secret, which is, I kind of want to be on that side of things myself. And I don't know if I can break cover.

So my question to you is, did you have a sense when you were doing that, that I always had the sense, certainly, that I was a bit too big. And when I say big, I mean obnoxious for regular, you know, off his life or whatever. Did you ever have that sense? Be honest. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was humbled very quickly. I remember in that development internship I mentioned

where we were developing quiz shows all the time. I mean, as you know, when you're trying to get a quiz show sold, you're doing endless run-throughs of it to test the format. And that's exactly what you're testing, the format. And I was there as a sort of 22-year-old intern. They were like, we can put a run-through on of this quiz show idea you've had. It's quite a good idea, if I might remember. And I came in being like, welcome to the show.

La da la la. Really hyped up that. And they just said, look, this isn't about you hosting it. This is about the show. Instantly humbled. And I was like, from that point on, I was like, what was I thinking? This isn't about me. This is about making it.

And I was very satisfied by that because I just, I mean, as you do as well, there's no other thrill in any capacity of just making something, especially making something that's funny and seeing people laugh at it, whether you are the person that cast the contestants or whether you're the person that wrote the script for the game. It is a buzz seeing that go on the telly. But if you have what I call the look at me, Gene, that changes things, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah.

Is that fair? It does, doesn't it? I mean, there are only so many occasions where you're like, I just want to be, I want to be having a crack at this. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, because I'm just seeing it being done in a way that's like... Do you know what it is actually as well, which I found frustrating? Is watching certain people be booked to host a show or be on a show and just doing it with such lackluster and just phoning it in?

And then the step above that, and thankfully there aren't too many people like this, lackluster is one thing, but doing it lackluster and also being a bit of a dick about it along the way, I just thought, this isn't fair. There's people, like me, who would love to just do it and do it properly or do it to the best that they can and hopefully be polite along the way. Did you ever say to anyone during that period? I think what must get difficult is when you rise to a certain level. Like I think when I became, I don't know, sort of editor at large, you know, the ES magazine for the Evening Standard, I became a deputy editor of a glossy magazine or indeed a producer on a show.

I found it harder because it's like, well, hang on, you're climbing this ladder. You can't suddenly say that now. What's the interesting about you though, is that do you not think that, because you, I don't know how you did it in, like, I don't feel there were enough years in the, but we'll get into it. Like you became the top of newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, like, I mean, it's one thing trying to climb the ladder to get to, become a producer, a serious producer, executive producer in TV.

How did you do that in... Different mediums? Different mediums. Because I'm... Some might call me a dilettante, which is a master of no trades. I think it was just... You know what it was, looking back? I think it's because I was desperately searching

for something that would make me... Where I would think, oh, this is what I meant to do. And because I think, oh, it must be journalism. Or maybe it's TV producing. Or maybe it's this. Maybe it's... And it was only when I started doing radio. with Frank Skinner and he gave me that break

and I remember thinking oh it's like I could breathe I thought oh this is what feels normal and actually when I'm in these offices regardless of how high powered I'm being I'm feeling I'm just too much did you feel too much yeah

yeah yeah yeah there was no matter how sort of friendly and and liberal in terms of not politically but like liberal that people can be as bosses in media, there comes a point where it is just like, can you just get on with your work and sit quietly at the desk? And were you bad at that? Couldn't sit down.

Couldn't sit down. Laps and laps and laps of the office. Endless just like... Are there four letters potentially after your name? I don't know. They're off to mind. I've been to get the form four times. I've lost the form four times.

But I don't know if that's the test. Maybe that's the examination. I don't know. When did you find out that you had that? I found out because of like it was about 2019. And the man, and they got, you know, I didn't fuck about with the internet. I threw some serious money at the problem. I think I might need to.

Yeah, I've got a guy. You can go to my diet. Really? Yeah, he's proper. And how long did it take just to be like, you've got ADHD? And that's what the proper diagnosis will take a while. It will. It won't just be, oh, I've filled out 20 questions, like the check.

questions like the chase you know but he did say to me I was other people saying it to me it wasn't me thinking it and he said that's very common he said you're the last to find out yeah and I had people saying do you just think maybe you need to because this is creating problems in your life so yeah if you've had other people saying it to you anyone who says I've definitely got ADHD nine times that of 10 might have it yeah it's like calling yourself the funny one in the friendship It really is. I mean, yeah, basically, the more people that I'm now meeting, the more people are saying it, yeah, I suppose. I have always wondered as well if it is in any way linked to

or would diminish the symptoms of anxiety as well, I wonder, I don't know. But I find it, it's very hard to focus. It's very hard to stay on one thing. People are always saying you're looking around all the time rather than being in the moment. But then I don't know if that's just everyone all the time now everyone we meet there as well yeah maybe tell me about the move then when you broke cover yes so you suddenly think because this was recently jake wasn't it I mean I've obviously it wasn't I suppose I mean for from the point you've been doing online content had you even when you were producing so before that I had been I had been so shy of stand-up but so

obsessed with stand-up that was another break cover type type thing that the way and I was I was working on these quiz shows and and also panel shows and the thing that they went when those two worlds meet at their best is is is is is is is is is is is is is asking questions fun sort of game show games fun challenges and when I was like 23 24 I moved to Depford and there's a pub opposite me literally opposite me and I went in I said can I run the pub quiz here, do you have a pub quiz? And they said, what, are you sure you want to do that?

They're like, it's not really, it's not like a, there's no other 23 year olds in here, but basically. And I said, I really want to give it a go. And I did, and I was rubbish at it, and it was, Andrew and Gary, these two sort of guys in their, in their 50s who'd lived there in ages, who would sort of sit, they would always be proper up the bar and they would separate, very kindly to separate to make two teams, because there was

no one else in there, so that I could do the quiz. Oh, it's so sweet. And then I started just doing it every week, and I started introducing little returning jokes, writing gags after the questions, based on the questions. Little running games as well, to get a bonus point if you can bring in the regulars into it. And that built into a thing, and it became like a, you know, a fun night that they would do there. Then I started doing at other pubs. And weirdly, instead of gigging, like a stand-up, like a budding stand-up, I was doing like four pub quizzes a week in various pubs. So it was actually the quizzes that got you into it.

And that was for years and years and years and years and years. So from 20... So you're becoming sort of an emcee in some ways. Sort of, yeah. Whilst producing a mini game show. It's giving you minutes on stage. Yeah, I mean like, you know, and weirdly, the thing that I was... One of the things that would always scare me about stand-up was like,

what do you do if you're heckled? If you're running a quiz, you're always heckled. Because people are very passionate about, like, I think you'll find this, why you've written that? You don't know this. And then what happened? That was like 2016. That was 2016.

I started doing those. And then was it the next move was online sketches on social media? Yeah. So in 2020, so during COVID, I made this quiz show into a game show on Zoom as a lot of people did similar things. It became fairly popular, mainly because I'd worked with Joe Lysett on his show. I've done a lot of Joe Lyset's chat shows. an amazingly generous man.

And he would, anyway, he would, we were sort of, everyone was at a loose end. He'd always log on to these quizzes. And so they became a bit popular mainly because people wanted to see him on a Zoom. And then after we came out of COVID, I was like, right, I'm going to turn this into a real life game show. And I did it, I would do it at the top room of the O'Neils in Soho.

And it would be this like, just go on and on and on. It was like a three-hour game show where we'd play these games show. games, the quiz would be happening, but then I would also introduce comedy characters and it would just go on and on. Like it would, if people were enjoying it, we'd keep going. There were like three, four hour long things. And then, yeah, and then about two and a half years ago to try and promote and sell more tickets, I was like, I've got all these sketch ideas. They're all based off stuff that you'd have on quizzes. Like, let's start making them. And you put them up on the line. And then put them up and they started getting really well.

Doing all right, yeah, yeah. And so then at that point, is that making you think, God, people like this stuff that I'm doing. And that gives you the confidence, presumably, to do things like audition for Saturday Night Live. Yes. So the first year, at first year of doing these sketches, it was like, it was feeding the ticket sales

and the plan had worked. But in no way did I think it could lead to anything else. It gave me the confidence maybe to sort of like, do a handful more sort of like comedy nights that work on sketch nights you know get up on stage doing stuff that's just me a little bit but then after about a year I was like meeting people other people doing this stuff and they were saying yeah you know you can make a bit of money off of this and also you can like audition for stuff because people might give you a shot now and then that

happened and then and then I got signed and then I got signed last January and in that And when you say signed, you're talking about an agent. An agent, yeah, yeah, yeah. And in that space of time, just so many amazing things happened. I sort of auditioned for Saturday Night Live. I got through the self-tape stage to the live audition stage, to the screen test stage, to the final. What was really funny was that there are all these numbers

that don't exist in any real sense that got thrown around. You're in the final, 36. You're in the final, 17. You're in the final. And then it was like, you know what I mean? And then it's like, right, it's not happening. But you made it. And I was like, wow, what an experience.

What do they mean it's not happening? What you didn't... And then you've not been cast to the final cast. But were you deflated by that? No, because it was like someone saying, Connie Huck's not interested. She was never going to be interested. We'll soon find out.

I'm calling her eye in a minute. Well, it's Face Timer. I will do that. I'm going to do it. How do you feel about that? We won't tell Charlie. I'm excited. I'm nervous.

But yeah, I wasn't deflated because it was just, it was so unattainable. that I'd even get to... One of my big things was like I'd love to do something at the Soho Theatre one day. Part of the live audition process was a live night at the Soho Theatre. That in itself was a big. So then they say you haven't got it. When do you find out you have actually got it in a way? Three weeks before we started...

Ah! And what do they say? They said, we want to do something with you. We want to do a... we want to do a... Behind the scenes thing that explains how... how the show works, but done in a comedy first way. And I was like, well, I could, you know, let me start talking.

You know, they had this idea of a thing called Five to Live, which would be five minutes before the show goes live. This is what it's like on the studio floor. I said, that's great. I'd love to do something like that, but I'd love to do some sort of sketchy stuff in there as well. So can we find a way of, you know, doing both?

And it was great. It was like a mini TV show. So I'm like, you know, I'm on the studio floor. it feels like it's about to start and then I say earlier I caught up with and that goes out on their social media I've collaborated with mine yeah yeah yeah and it was just the most that's where I first came across you and I really I really felt for you because I thought God is this genuine is he really talking to them five minutes before they go live or is this set up for the thing but I'm thinking it's still you need

to be charismatic to do that job even though you're working with those people and you know them, you're still having to get the best out of those people. Because I know, Saturday Night Live is... Their schedule is so busy. Yeah. It is... Every minute's managed. And the nerves.

And I know that because my podcast is becoming the new home for... I've had a lot of your people. Yeah, yeah. So Bella was on. Yeah, George. George was on. George was on. George is on, yeah.

George Four Acres. In fact, we're trying to get Paddy Young, aren't we? So if you could put a word in, much appreciated. Yeah. He'll do it. Anya Magriano. So Saturday Night Live, it's called 5 to live that. And if you haven't seen it, I really recommend going on Jake's social media to have a look at it. Because I think what's so good about that and why I really loved the work that you did on that is that we didn't know if this show was going to take off in the way that it did. Let's be honest, there were a lot of naysayers.

Yeah, definitely. There was a lot of negativity around this show, which is very British. Something happened, which I thought was awesome, where the cool take was to say it was going to be shit. And then the cool take suddenly was like, I actually think it's good. Whoa, you're the one to listen to, yeah. I was one of those. It's absolutely brilliant, you know. And it was and is, and you're part of that story. So I think it just, what I loved about what you were doing is, I think it was very clever.

It gave that sense. This is partly down to your charisma as a problem. presenter. I felt excited. I felt like I kind of wanted to be part of it. Like I'd been missing out if I wasn't watching that or involved. It felt like an event. I mean, that's exactly what I think they wanted to happen. That's great if it felt like that. It was the most exhilarating thing to just witness and be a small part of because I don't know, as someone who loves TV and I loved working in TV, just seeing Seeing that building television centre absolutely rammed with people and actual wooden sets being moved from one place. That's what I love. And people running because like someone needs makeup because they're about to go into a sketch that's rehearsal that's only just been like. And then, you know, all these like big stars walking, you know, Tina Faye walking through the canteen. It's amazing.

It's not going to realistically, well, I'll have to phrase this. I think the show will continue to do well. I don't think that that is a marker that maybe TVC is going to be this busy bustling place now forever and that TV is going to come back. But it's nice just to see an occasion where it is like that. Well, I think the format in which it remains is what we're debating, but the show is a success, you know, and that's what matters.

And you've been part of that. We need to talk about your podcast. with Joe Mahler. Yeah. Because that has been a phenomenal success. And that only, did it launch earlier this year? I can't believe it really. I think, did we do an episode before Christmas?

Maybe just before Christmas, yeah. Essentially, it's way less than a year. And it's you and Joe Marla and you're his sort of, I don't like the word sidekick. I think you're his co-host. Do you also actually produce it or have you got a separate producer? Are you more, are you more, are you more, the sort of producer in the way that Richard Osman is on point.

So do you know what I mean? Totally. Yeah. Yeah. There's nothing on the laptop. There's an executive producer called Tom Corrigan and a producer called Georgia Arndall. They're very, very, very good.

For most of it, for the most part, I've like, I've written the script. So we know who the guest is and I'll sort of write the questions, and you can. How the interview goes. Any games we might play? more and more I think Tom and Georgia are doing that because yeah for various reasons but your kind of co what's interesting and what I I love the podcast and why I like it though is that I think you play such an important role in that probably because you're funny but also you're very

confident with those guests so I think we need to talk about Prince Harry that I mean that's amazing that you had him on it was it was absolutely I mean it's baffling isn't it it he just can't quite believe that I was doing that and um I think for me the thing that I was really happy with was not just I don't know freezing up and not saying anything for for for the hour that would I would have been gutted if that had happened and you can never predict that happening in life what did you ever do you ever catch yourself going into a situation and coming out and being like why was I so shy why was it not myself why was I just quiet

I've done that strange isn't it I think it's more of infuriating if you're sort of naturally feel that you're you lean towards being extroverted you're like what whoa whoa whoa what was that um what was your first impression when you met him had you met was it your first time meeting him oh yeah yeah yeah yeah first time meeting definitely um i were my first impression was this is this is i know who you are i know you i know you i feel like i know you i know you i know you are a guy in the year above me at school that played rugby um um and he came in and And he was like, and I mean this with love, but also knowing it, he came in with a sort of, he sort of said, he was like, guys, honestly, just, you know, really here for the banter.

Just love a bit of banter, okay. Polo shirt? I think he was wearing a polo, actually. Was he wearing a polo? I think he was, yeah, yeah, yeah. Classic polo. And he came, and he just, he wanted banter, Emily. Okay.

He wanted bans. He wanted bans. He came in, he said, he had a birthday cake for Joe. This was not on the show. He had a birthday for Joe. And Joe was like, oh, I don't really like my birthday. He said, yeah, but you like Kate though, don't you? Look at the size of you.

Banta. Banta. Do you know what it is? That is bans. That sort of bands is like, let's be as mean as we can. Well, those rugby boys say the sort of things to each other. You're fat, you're bored. I'd need to have the years of therapy.

It's so abusive. And it's like, yeah, well, let's face it, you're a fat, ugly, cunt. And I'm like, no. It's not okay. God, they say the sort of things that make people like us start podcasts. It's awful joke. Nine years this has been for you because there's something someone said that was a bit of banter. Bit of bans.

Just a bans. Just banter, Emily. Your family died. Bit of bans. Such a shame. Sister died. When he comes on here, that's what he'll lead with. We'll talk about my dead sister in the name of family. in the name of Bants.

So. Bought you a cake. Um, I can't get a bored of the band. That's so funny. Prince Harry coming on his talk the dog with you. Still sad are you? Banta.

You know that our old tea? Oh my gosh. You're gonna have another funeral on your hands soon. Oh no. That's what he'll say. He would say that, wouldn't he? Hope you still got the contact details of that vicar say. That has bant.

But genuinely, genuinely, he was a very nice guy. He seems like the most normal of the royal family. It wasn't mean banter. No, I know. We're roasting you, Harry. We're roasting you, Harry, when you're listening to this. And that's, let's face it, that's what you would have wanted. I just thought he came across as someone who made,

I'm really mean this sincerely. He made everyone in the room feel seen and valued, which I think is a very rare skill that really only Eton can pay for. Do you know what I think has actually, there's an element of truth. that which is awful it's the inconvenient truth the people who've been through that system are very superficially charming I would say I don't know him you know him better but what I think he really is but this is what I was going to say is

that what has actually been worth the money is therapy in his case yeah because he seems someone who's done so much work on himself and that's where it feels sincere and not just rehearsed yeah it's real you know what I mean and also the point of it I suppose was he wanted to talk about the Invictus Games and we met um we met uh j charmers as well oh yeah and when they're talking about that like that it's all it's all absolutely real it comes from a real place absolutely real and you know when and to be fair i'm like how he's talking about mental health on the podcast and when he's talking about you know those sorts of struggles it's all real and of course

it is because why wouldn't it be he's still someone who has been through well i say still someone He's been through some mental stuff, absolutely colossal stuff. But you were very confident with him. You were quite cheeky with him. I was surprised myself, actually. You said quite cheeky things to him, didn't you? Yeah, I did. Do you know what it is?

I suppose that... What did you say to him that was cheeky? We got him singing Chuckle Vision at one point. Yeah. So, well, I'm so thrilled that you're doing Miss Jomala podcast. I love it. I love it. Because you're so good on it.

And I feel it's bringing you to the kind of audience you deserve to have because you're so talented Jake. Wow, thank you so much. I have to say, I don't think that if many people in Joe's position were told you've got this podcast opportunity, we want you to just meet this guy. How did you not meet you before? We've not met before.

Who put you in touch? Tom, the exec producer, who I knew from working on Joe Lysitz shows. So we just met online a couple of times. and he just got on and he said let's just go for it because he needed someone to bounce off he needed someone to sort of softly produce him on the fly and Yeah, and and and it just but the thing is what I don't think any other person Would be so generous as he's been. Oh my gosh that music. Let's hear

So this we should say this is very exciting This is so exciting we're in the Regents Park theater in the regents park and then this is Regents Park this is Regents Park this is and I think it must be a matinee performance of cats or something or a special... Is it cats? It sounds like it will. I would say... No, it does sound like... The music sounds urgent, doesn't it?

That's cats for you. Ray... And also Ray's looking panicked. Is there a theatre here? Regents Park Open Air Theatre. So... Listen. Oh, it's stopped now.

They might have been rehearsing. Are you big into musicals? Well, I had no choice. My parents were theatre people. We used to go, what were you doing for my birthday? They were going to see a dark operetta by Stephen Sondheim. But everyone else is going to see noddy. So we should talk about the quiz night because you're taking your quiz to Edinburgh.

You did it before, didn't you? And you had a sort of five-star reviews and a sell-out run. So you've coming back for more. Well, yeah, it's, it's called Not Another Quiz. Not Another Quiz Night, yeah. I mean, I guess it's been the amalgamation of starting doing these quiz, these pub quizzes with a bit of a comedy angle back in 2016. Through to making it a Zoom thing, to making it a sort of,

our monthly thing in Soho that went on and on and on. And then now it is an Edinburgh show. Is that throughout August you're doing now? Throughout all of August, we're there every single night. What I think it's good for is having a place to go for a bit of a party after you spent a day of watching stand-up shaft, stand-up shaft, stand-up show. It's sort of what it became last year

was a bit of a late-night show to go. And because, I mean, we've got comedy happening. We've got characters happening. We've got a DJ playing. We've got bonus games. We've got trivia. But the bars open throughout. So it's just a place to get all of that going on,

all in one place. So you can hang out with your mates, have a drink, be enjoying some comedy, maybe win some prizes. I think it should be the place to be. I might come up with Raymond. We'll come and see you. You absolutely should. You absolutely love chatting to you, Jake.

I've adored it. And I really am so happy that you've got so successful. What kind, nice thing to say? I think you deserve it, because I can tell you're a nice person. And I think you've probably spent a lot of years making other people look good, people look good and it's time you step into your light. Well I think you probably I mean it sounds like we've had very sort of mirrored experiences so I think you probably can relate to some of the feelings of

wanting to just give it a go in a different way. Yeah. Yeah and that feeling of you know it's not it's not like the previous life was a lie you know did you get that sense of people thinking oh you know was all this sort of behind the scene stuff just a way to get here. It wasn't, but it was just all part of the process, I suppose. It was part of discovering what you want to do. Some people never find that out. And I'm so glad that you have. And also, I think... I think that's a very good point. I think that it doesn't really matter what it leads to. I think what matters the most is giving it a go.

Yeah. I think you're absolutely right. Just so that you can have that sense of in a, in a so that you tried, you know, you tried. I think it makes you easier to be around when you're doing what you feel you're best suited to. Yes. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, totally. I used to find before I did the way.

I bet you were insufferable, weren't you? Do you know I was? And I'm not exaggerating. You weren't. You weren't, that's not possible. I think I just, it gives you a release, it gives you an outlet for this excess energy. It's like a Labrador going for a long run.

Yes, yeah, yeah. Do you, um, you've been asked to host lots of things as well. It feels like you've got lots of things going on, some of which you may not be able to talk about. But I feel like this is a big year for you, isn't it? I do, the thing I get most excited about is, um, is having lots of different plate spinning. It's so exciting, being able to make comedy, but in different forms. It's nice doing the Joe Myel podcast, but also the Pub Quiz podcast.

And it's nice doing the online sketches, but also doing a, a bit of acting in sitcoms and films and getting that sweet sweet money for being asked to host big events yeah that's not bad as well that's all right that's not bad as well oh we all know what that's right yeah I might get a dog you might as well such a copier I know start a podcast get a dog well that has happened to me before but that's an off-air discussion anyway okay we'll talk about that um Jake I've absolutely love this what a thoroughly nice individual you are well back at you it's honestly I've been so excited to meet you before but not just that I've been excited to meet

you before I knew that meeting you was something I could do in life so yeah it's lovely give me a hug Jake we love me Jake hopefully see you soon say goodbye to Raymond by Raymond 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