Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Josh Widdicombe (Part One)

Episode Date: December 17, 2024

We’re in Hyde Park today with our old pal the comedian, presenter and actor Josh Widdicombe! Josh and Ray have a bit of backstory - the pretty much fell in love when Josh last appeared on the podcast in 2019. We were thrilled to go on another walk with him - because we have a LOT to catch up on…We find out what Josh thinks will be featured on his obituary, the effect of growing up in a very isolated place, and how life has changed thanks to his podcast Parenting Hell which he co-hosts with Rob Beckett. Josh will be touring the UK with his new show Not My Cup of Tea across 2025 and 2026. Extra dates have been added due to phenomenal demand - so head to https://www.joshwiddicombe.com/ to get your tickets now!Listen to Emily and Ray’s first walk with Josh from February 2019Josh’s book Watching Neighbours Twice a Day...: How ’90s TV (Almost) Prepared Me For Life is available now!You can watch Josh on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day!Parenting Hell with Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett is available on all podcast platformsFollow @Josh_Widdicombe on InstagramFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was quite shocked you said yes. I'm not going to lie. Really? Because you've become way more famous since you lasted it. Are you paying the credit? This week on Walking the Dog, Raymond and I took a stroll with the wonderful Josh Whittaker. We decided to walk around London's Kensington Gardens, mainly because it's just up the road from where Josh records the last leg, but also because it's an absolutely beautiful dog walking spot. I don't need to tell you how funny Josh is because you'll know that already from his brilliant stand-up,

his ridiculously successful podcast with Rob Beckett, parenting hell, his co-presenting role on the last leg, and his fantastic memoir watching Neighbours twice a day. But what I will tell you is what a thoroughly lovely sweet nature, charming human being he is. He's also very much Team Raymond, having met him before when he guested on this podcast. So do go back and give that one a listen if you want a little.

double helping of Josh. You'll also be able to see Josh on this year Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. I literally can't wait. And you can also book tickets for his upcoming tour, not my cup of tea, which will be carrying on all the way through 2026. This boy sells out fast though, so get your tickets now at joshwiddickham.com. I really hope you enjoy our chat with Josh. Oh, shut up now and hand over to the fabulous man himself. Here's Josh and Ray Ray. That man walking towards us looks like could be part of the Rob Beckett clan. They've got such a distinctive look, haven't they?

They have. Do you think it's Viking? I think it's a bit Rolf in Sound of Music. I was glad you went with that Rolf. Who's going? Can I say... That Rolf isn't a good deal better. He was the Nazi.

Yes. What's worse? Let's not go into it. Yeah. What an opener to a lovely Christmas walking the dog. knotting my shoes. Come on, Raymond. Come on, right.

Hello, Josh. How old's Ray now? Ray is... He's going to be eight next year. And that's about middle age, is it? All right. No, no. Dog years, what's that?

40? Something like that. Yeah. Oh, look at that big one. Yeah, that is big, isn't it? I don't like a big dog. No, I worry, Ray. might be breakfast for him.

Hello. What is it, Husky? Are you who I think of you are? Possibly. Josh? Yeah. Can I take a picture with you? Yeah, of course.

Very nice to see you. Lovely to see you. Oh, thank you. Oh, wrong way. Oh, look, your dog seems to like Josh as well. Big fan of podcast, the dog. Thanks. Thank you.

Cheers. Can I ask before you go what breed your dog is? He's a white German shepherd. White German Shepherd? Do you hear it often? In the pure breed, I've got a pedigree certificate, six pair of... Oh no, I wasn't checking up, it's all right.

People get confused. I got asked a question once, somebody said, when he was a puppy, somebody said, when he grows up, is he going to be a regular colour? And I said, no, that's all how it works. Really? What an incredible dog. Beautiful, aren't you? He's not albina, so this is, there's no albinism, this is... No, Albano, yeah. Oh, it's lovely to meet you.

Oh, lovely to meet you. Come on, Raymond. Interesting approach to being asked what dog it is. He gave me a long list of what he was. long listen of what he wasn't. Yeah. Are you into that crafty stuff? Back at home. Would you do crafts? Do you watch it? What do you think? I'm obsessed. I really like it actually, but you can't tell what's going on. You've got no knowledge. This is a good example of that. Yep. I took my daughter to watch the rehearsal of one of the weeks of Strictly and we watched it and we were like,

They're shit, they're good, they're good. And then it was on TV that night. And I was like, oh, I was wrong about everything. I don't know anything about this. I just go on what I'm... I'm just steered by the judges, in my opinion. And when I haven't got the judges, I have no knowledge of who's...

Yes. Impressing me. And that's what it's like with Crofts. You're like, how am I judging this? Oh, I'm quite good now. Are you? Yeah, I know. So you really got on with...

Because you've done this podcast, before. You're an OG. And I seem to remember you really liked Ray the first time. I do. I love a small dog. Crucially, a small non-barking dog, Josh. Never barked. Never barked. In his life.

Perfect podcast. We could be doing this without a dog. I think he's a bit like you in some ways. Do you know what to mean by that? No. Okay. I tell you why. because I think other people are very drawn to him

but he seems oddly unaware of that and I think that's his superpower I'd say that as a huge compliment thank you because likeable people that have wreaths if I may I find they're often very aware of it which is their fatal flaw it's their tragic flaw

you know what I mean whereas you don't really know it And you always seem constantly surprised by it. I don't, yeah, I would see I'm surprised by. But that's a superpower. That's a lethal combination. I was talking about this the other day, actually. I don't have any confidence, really.

And I'm trying to change that. I always find it easier to work with other people because I always think, oh, well, people are like Rob. Or people were like, do you know what I mean? Or Adam or whatever. Yeah. At least if people like them, then I can probably like just do a few jokes off the back of that, which is probably not the way to approach a career.

And I'm trying to change that. Are you suggesting you're the wind beneath their wings? No, I'm not. I'm suggesting I'm the, I'm a career, I'm a, I'm the Ernie Wise of the, although obviously that's unfair on Only Wise, but you know what I mean. I'm the teller to their pen. Yeah, that's interesting. So you're more kind of safety in numbers. But I don't want to be. I'm trying to change that.

So last time you came on, just to bring everyone up to speed, you were, I think it was, I don't know that four years ago or something. I think it was pre-lockdown. Yeah, Victoria Park. And it's hard to tell because your tour went on for so long. Fuck that tour. I feel it was bit much. It was bit much that you were promoting. bit much and it split over COVID and it was just it became a bit like the Roman Empire the first half was lovely second half and bear in mind all the caveats about much worse things happened in COVID than this but you're just like you're doing the same tour you were doing 18 months ago in places where you could sell out and still have half full.

So it's fine, you know, it's fine. And then also. Doogle, yes, he is like Dougal from Magic Roundabout. Yeah, I said, is it good, too? Yeah. Right, wait, you met a little friend. Hello, darling. What is he?

He's a Shih Tzu. Oh, is he? Yeah, but he's called an imperial Shih Tutsu. Oh, right. What's yours? He's a kind of cool. Oh, Canac Horsa. Hello, darling.

What's his name? Dave. Yeah. Oh, hello Dave. They're guard dogs normally, aren't they? They're guard dogs. He seems quite gentle though. He's just chilled out.

Yeah. Oh, lovely to meet you, Dave. That's Canacorsos. Do you know those dogs? No. Well, you're lifting him up for listeners. Canna Corso are really scary. Really scary.

Really? They're sort of rushed and all the dogs have them as god dogs. Oh really? Yeah. So we just met a can of also called Dave. That's why I couldn't have a dog. Why? I actually find it incredibly stressful talking to strangers.

Is that right? Yeah. Why is that? I don't know. I find it, um, it makes me edgy. edgy, I just want to be left alone. To get up with my life. I like Malena Dietrich.

That's interesting though. Now I'm going to give you my theory about this. Yeah. It's quite quickly got together theory, isn't it? No, it's based on observing you for many years. You grew up, which you told me last time you came on this. podcast. We had a long chat about your childhood. Yeah. And you grew up in, it was sort of

of Dartmoor area, wasn't it? So it was a certain amount of isolation. I mean, I say certain you had... Yeah, a lot. This isn't it like four people in your year? Four people in my year, so about 40 in my school. But obviously there were combined years. And didn't you have two teachers at one? Two teachers? There was something I read about, the children would answer the phone at the school. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah. I forgot, no, so when you did the register in the morning, you'd say, rather than say here, you'd say packed or dinners, meaning you've got pat lunch or you've got dinners.

And then the teacher would add them up six dinners or whatever. And then a kid would phone that through, that number, to the next school. because we didn't have a kitchen. Why was the child having to deal with this admin? I don't know. Well, because the teacher couldn't leave the class because there wasn't in any cover, I suppose. There was no teaching assistant.

There was a secretary and two teachers and a cleaner and a music teacher. This whole thing sounds borderline. It was pre-offsted. I should be clear on that. I don't know. But it felt totally normal obviously because everything feels totally normal when you're a kid

I just wonder so that isolation I think if you grew up in somewhere which sounds I mean where you grew up sounds sort of unusually remote Yeah, it was almost Victoria or 20s or something You know yeah

Have I, do you want to see a picture of the village Oh yeah I'd love to actually I'm imagining it quite sort of of Ian Blighton thing Yeah yeah But I wonder Josh That means that Maybe you didn't build up that muscle for meaningless small talk that Londoners do.

Yes, maybe. So that's the Dartmoor bit. Oh, it looks so beautiful. And then the village is like, that's the pub. It looks so lovely. It is nice. It's lovely, yeah, you know. And you had a very happy childhood, Josh, I think, didn't you?

Yeah, I think so. I think, yeah, I did. I definitely did. I don't think there's anything too much to delve into sadly. Well, I think... Or maybe there is. No, I think what's interesting is that because your parents sound borderline hippie-ish in some ways. Yeah, I don't think my dad's borderline as well.

Yeah, I think he's far over the line still in 2024. Well, he had a ponytail. He had a ponytail. And he attempted to do a sort of slight Howard Marx at one stage. He's genuinely, yeah, he was an old hippie. He's got all those, you know... He was there on the scene in the late 60s and I think it defined his life. In the same way, you know, some people never get over, you know, their first relationship or whatever.

He probably never got over the hippie dream not being fulfilled. Yeah. Well, whatever they did your parents, I think they probably did quite a good job. Because you seem quite well adjusted. Yeah, I cover it well. I always used to bristle at that tears of a clown thing. Because I always used to think the problem with that is it's too convenient. People like that because it's such a lovely kind of juxtaposition.

And they like to think that you wouldn't just get into comedy because you like comedy. And I used to think I just like comedy. but I do think there is probably something about. I don't think it's comedians. I think it's all performers. But it's easy to say it about comedians. But it's all performers, isn't it? I would agree with that.

I think it's interesting because you say, what was missing that you needed this? Yeah. That is interesting. Because most people don't need it. No, I know. And it took me years to realize that they didn't. Yeah.

These poor bastards, they don't get to live the dream of growing alive of the Apollo. They fucking don't want to, mate. Like, it'd be a lot easier not to, wouldn't it? So you taught me through, which way should we go? We'll go around here because we'll stick to this. Hyde Park is so nice. Oh, I should say, by the way, we're in Hyde Park because Josh is very kindly... I'm so thrilled you're doing this podcast.

Not as thrilled as I am. This is the highlight of my day, genuinely. Josh, well you know what? I woke up looking forward to this. I was quite shocked you said yes. I'm not going to lie. Really? Because you've become way more famous since you last did it.

Are you claim the credit? What an hour that was for my career? No, but you have, haven't you? Thanks to Rob Beckett. See, that's the kind of thing that goes through my head there. What do you mean it goes through my head? Well, no, it's pretty. Because the podcast has totally changed everything for me.

Parenthood hell this is, yeah. Has it? Totally. It's absolutely the thing that currently resides at the top of my obituary. And it was based on a fluke in some ways. Not in some ways, in all ways. You sent a message to Rob. Yeah. And you've talked about this.

Yeah. I think you mentioned it in your book. for your parenting house. Sunday time's best selling book. Sunday time's best selling book. And you just said, you know, in lockdown right, okay, I've had this idea. Was it a voice note or something? Yeah, it was a voice note. Yeah.

While my daughter was in the bath, I was like, here's an idea. I'll just voice note it to Rob. How about he was doing all these funny videos about how difficult he was finding it during lockdown. and I was like, how about we just do a podcast where we interview parents that are stuck at home during lockdown about how difficult it is? I think it was Dad's originally. I don't know why that was for about an hour. Because our WhatsApp group is still called Lockdown Dad's Pod. So I don't know what that was. But our first guest was Catherine Ryan, so that was out of the door very. quickly as an idea.

Maybe it was just because we would, I don't know, anyway. I think you just went a bit 70s for a while. I just don't think women have it as hard. What women can go on in podcasts as well? They don't have microphones. They don't know how to work. They don't know how to work Zoom. We put the first one out nine days later.

That's the fucking great thing about podcast. It's like a media and you can just do it yourself. with Michael our producer did it really. As you say, parenting hell has become phenomenally popular. Yeah. And obviously the last leg is, you know, the other project you do, which is hugely popular, which I presume, are you going off to record that soon?

And because doing this on a Friday, it's so exciting. We've grabbed Josh on a last leg day. I felt a little bit of a, I felt really exciting. No, because you're 12 years in. You know, it's not like I wake up. up and go fucking hell because I've done a lot of them I just it's it's quite a safe day for me in a way these Friday mornings are like they're to do something exciting a new moment of the day if that makes sense it's interesting that both of those things which as you say currently could be your

obituary things oh almost certainly and they both came as a result of you not it was almost you weren't expecting too much out of it. And I wonder if when you bring that energy to something, that's a positive thing. Because it's a bit like when you really fancy someone and you're like, oh, hi. Yeah, totally. I totally agree. I also think there's something about, there's a casualness to it, isn't there?

Yeah. When you, last leg was going to be 10 days during the Paralympics. This was meant to be lockdown. Oh, I love your dogs. Oh, oh, it's all gone wrong. Oh darling I know. It's not the same coat as you. So is that aggression?

I think that one's jealous maybe. They get jealous, you see, Josh. It's like two supermodels facing off. Right. Bye. Bye-bye. She's wearing the same coat as her dog. I've never seen that before.

And also, I've just realised I think she looked a bit like a supermodel. And I just made that remark about supermodel. saying is let's get the fucking arthur. Yeah yeah yeah let's walk around the pond. Yeah I wonder there's something about not expecting too much isn't there right it's not a case of not caring but it's it's it's um you don't come over as thirsty do you so I suppose yeah I think so and I think um all you can do really is focus on what you're making and you can't focus on what the reaction will be That's a classic kind of piece of advice, isn't it? Yeah.

And I suppose if you think you're only doing 10 of something, you don't care what the reaction will be. So you just... The worst thing you can do is try and second guess where this is going over the next decade. Yes, if someone had said to you, exactly, with the last leg, how long have you been doing the last thing?

12 years. Right. Well, it's like that AA thing, isn't it? One day at a time. What I say? Josh loves doing the last leg. Oh no, I know, I know, I know, I know. No, but I should say, I love doing it.

What I mean is, it just feels too vast, doesn't it? To think of the future too much. Yeah. To think this will be the whole of my 30s. I've let you get away with it, but I'm going to have to press you on this, I'm afraid. Okay. Obviously, you and your partner, Rose. Are we haven't got a dog?

You still haven't got a dog. You've got two kids. I think you had another child since. You've got a cat? Is that just because of you and Rose sort of cat? people or it's just easier with your life? I'd like a dog in the future but it's a lifestyle thing at the moment. And you did have... They are a lot of upkeep. You're walking your dog every day, are you? Yeah. Or just for podcast. What do you think of

him? You love him. I love him. He's great. I think awful to say this, but I think our cat would have to be no more. I could see getting a dog in five to ten years. But you had, because you did have dogs. You had the, um, Ray, Ray, stay there, please. But I wasn't an animal person growing up at all. Stay away from the geese, please. They're very, very grumpy animals. Are they? Yeah. So you know so much about these things. I don't know what a geese's personality is. Goose's personality is even. As Ray have been pecked by goose? I love how trusting you are, Josh. What have you? I love how trusting. You know, so much about these. Why do you say these things? Like the personality of a goose? I've never,

it's never even popped into my head. Really? Oh I've had some real, really bad fallouts with them. Have you? Yeah. I had once had an incident with Fern Britain, which I'll never forget. Was Fern attacked by the goose? Fern told me, I think it was Fern Britain who first told me about the whole geese problem. On a podcast or just general? Look at that. They've got very orange legs as well. Yeah.

Hello, Goode. So if we let Ray go here, you'd be scared. Oh yeah. It's seem all right. No. They get quite brutal in packs. Do you know that person? You know when occasionally you'd have someone on mock the week.

Yeah. Who just wouldn't shut up. Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking of one. There can be like that of it. Right. You just come across one and it's going, yeah, too many scenes I'd like to see. Come on, mate. Only three of them making the edit.

Let's all go home. Bye, geese. Bye, geese. But you did have, was it Jack Russell was your first one? Yeah, but I can't articulate how little I was interested in animals as a child. Really? I have a lot more affection for our pets now. I don't know why.

But like I really like our cat. I feel we're not living in our house at the moment because it's been done up And we have to go back and feed the cat and I feel terrible for her because she's basically living without us And it really gets me down if I think about it I often think about I don't know if I would have said this last time, but it's the first thing I think of when I think of pets A Charlie Brooker column about how he couldn't get a dog because it might die because he knows it will die and he couldn't deal with that and he couldn't deal with that and You know some things just stay in your mind forever

And for some reason that like flipped a switch in my mind That's so interesting In some ways I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind me He's a Ray fan Yeah But I would say She won six Brit awards who isn't a Ray fan

Oh god Bit fun You enjoy a bit of wordplay But what I would say is that that's what makes dogs so special. Of course. Is that because when you get, they have built an obsolescence. So when you get a dog, but you know, bear with me, you know how are the human being? We all put to the back of their minds.

I don't want to be a down here. Yeah. But no one makes it out of this alive. And so we all have to delude ourselves every day that that's not going to have to have. happen. We bury that information because it's too painful to think about. Yeah. That none of us will be here eventually. With dogs, that's not buried in the terms and conditions. It's there. As soon as you get a dog, you know, you hope you'll get 12, 13 summers. Unless you're 70 when you get your dog. Yeah. Yeah. I think, well, I hope I'll get 13 years out of you.

Yeah, 15 would be amazing. Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting that you weren't interested in animals as a child because I I like the sound of you as a little boy though, Josh, because I read your memoir. Oh, did you? I really loved it. Oh, thank you. And it was through, I don't really need to tell you what it's about, but... It's watching Neighbours twice a day, is it called? And it's not a traditional memo, but it's your childhood sort of through the prism of your TV experience.

Obsession with television. It really was an obsession with you, wasn't it? Really, yeah. Total. Unrealising. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. It wasn't like I was aware of it.

I thought everyone was watching. I just wanted to establish your siblings were... They're half siblings, so they grew up in Cornwall. Yeah. And this was... I was in Devon. So we'd see them. I think it's Cape Fran, Henry.

And Jake. Oh, poor Jake. I'm going to have to know. I don't want him to be left out. You can save that in the edit. Exactly. Cape Fran, Henry and Jake. Where's Ray gone?

She's holding him. Oh, I got a bit absent mom in the mall. He's alright, are you worried about the bikes? Yeah. Should we go that way? Yeah, let's go there. Yeah, right into the aggressive geese. Lovely idea, John.

Yeah, yeah, why not? So your siblings were growing up in Cornwall, right? Yeah, I think television was just utterly exciting to me, because it was totally, uh, it was like a different collaboration. idoscopic technical world compared to where I was growing up. You didn't grow up thinking I'm going to be a comic, did you? No, not at all. I wanted to be, I didn't know what I wanted to be,

but I certainly, I always struggled with working for other people. I've really struggled with that. Do you know what I struggle? What I could never get my head around is, so say I was working at Waterstones, which I did for a year, It was like, if I put in lots of effort here, it will make no difference to me or really to anyone. But I don't know. There's something about me that was like I really like working for myself and getting out what you put in, if that makes sense.

Well, it does, but it's amazingly, you're sort of a head of your time. I don't even know if I'm consciously doing that. So you wanted to sort of. I desperately wanted to do something where I was my own boss, where all the effort I put in, was like rewarded with what I got out, I suppose. So, because you'd work at, you know, I do jobs, and I think, and I coast through it, bored,

because I think maybe I'd be different now, because I quite enjoy, like, throwing myself into stuff now. But like, I really enjoy that kind of, I don't know, just doing something for yourself and seeing what you can create and do. Were you popular at school, Josh? At primary school, I mean, it was a small pond. No pun intended, with where we're walking. But do you think that was my brain? I wonder whether that was my brain.

Literally, we're walking towards a pond and it's just, that's the way the brain works. I'd say I was a big fish in small pond at primary school, and then at secondary school, I was neither popular nor unpopular. I was kind of invisible. Yes, you said this before, that you were, I feel like that was maybe a conscious thing as well, that you were like, maybe this is a good strategy. Yeah, definitely.

I think I was, you know, I was Aston Villa or I was Everton, or I was one of those teams that you don't remember in the Premier League. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. If there was a history written of South Dartwell Community College 1984 to 1999, I wouldn't feature. Right. I hear you.

That's interesting, isn't it? It'd be a weird book. But then you've gone on, you know, I imagine to become the most prominent person. No, Ollie Watkins has since gone to my school. Ollie Watkins! Yeah, I know. Fucking gutted, mate, when he scored that goal in the semi-final. He's ruined everything.

I'm so sorry, Josh. That's genuinely heartbreaking for you. But yeah, I think that's interesting to me that you must have had that desire to be a little bit noticed, though. I think I probably did. I think I definitely did. I don't think I even consciously realised that. until maybe two or three years ago. I think I was always kidding myself

that I just liked comedy for the sake of the craft. But who the fuck am I kidding? Sorry, I keep swearing, who the hell am I kidding? You're allowed to swear, it's fine. What do you think of swans? Well, obviously they've got a bad rep, haven't they? Yeah. The old break your arm scenario.

But I love the birds on the pond. That is incredibly, that is incredibly, relaxed. I like loaded magazine. Waiting for Joe guest to walk around the corner. They are beautiful though Josh, aren't they? Yeah. Sorry, I don't know

whether we're still... Come on, Ray, follow Josh. Come on. Follow Josh. I keep wanting to go but that's not dogs, is it? So yeah, that's interesting. I love honest that is of you Josh that you think yeah maybe there must have been something in you that actually did enjoy focus and attention yeah definitely and so were there are any signs of that looking back I don't think until university no I imagine you

were quite studious very well studious in the way that I could do like a lot of I wouldn't spend my whole time working but I'd do the right amount. I'd do the work so that I didn't have to panic at all and I'd do that at uni. I worked out at uni what I needed to do and I'd do it. Were you quite motivated by being frightened

of being in trouble? Not in trouble but I did not like the lack of control of say taking an essay to the last minute or I didn't like that at all I did not like to feel unprepared or winging it

but then I am interested in that because you're wonder which parent had instilled that in you because they sound very laid back your parents yeah I don't think it was directly instilled no you went your own way yeah I don't know would there be a theory and I don't know if it's right that if you come from a very loose

it's like Ned Flanders isn't it? Yeah. He, well, I mean, he's a fictional character, but there's that episode where he, just to be clear. I've done a lot of research indeed. The Ned Flanders complex. I've just read his autobiography, actually.

Very moving memoir. But is there something about if you grow up in a loose environment, then you seek control, maybe? Yes, that makes sense. that makes sense because you were, I would, would you describe your upbringing as bohemian? See, mine was. I don't know whether I'd describe it as bohemian. It's more country maybe as different. Yeah, I think so.

It's less decadent, maybe. Yeah, I think there's not, I think bohemian to me, you know, feels like Evelyn Wars coming around for dinner. I don't know. Yeah. Like we were, my dad was friends with John La Cara. Do you know what they mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Perfect.

I love to. Wow. And we're talking about my parents. What a waste of time. I'd love to hear about John Lackarek. He was so nice. We used to go and stay with David Cornwall. Did you? In Cornwall. In Cornwall. We didn't know about the mistresses, I'm afraid. We didn't know. Shagging. Well, I'm sure my dad knew, but you know. But yeah. So the point is that's interesting. I can see that. But there was still a sense of Christ. So these are seagulls, are they? And so you worried the seagull will over peril, right? Listen to that noise. Surely you can take a seagull. Listen to the noise, Josh. Yeah, but they're all, they're barks wrestling. the bite. Until it isn't. Until it isn't. This is their manor. Yeah. That's the problem with these

ponds. Ray doesn't actually get to do much walking, I've noticed. He does. I just didn't realize we'd be doing so much avian work. Well, let's head towards that. That's Kensington Palace. Kensington Palace. Did you know that? No. That's where the late Princess Diana is that where she's married. And that is where, I believe, William and Catherine. That's where they live. I've had James Middleton on this podcast, lovely man. I do. So wait, sorry, they live in the middle of the park?

Yeah. It's been an absolute nightmare. Deliveroo. So they live there. It doesn't seem very cordoned off. How could we could go up to their house? Have they got a ring doorbell? Well, you've had previous with Royals, I imagine, haven't.

I've met Kate. How did you like, Catherine, please. Sorry, sorry. James... And I've met William. I bet they liked you. I did the raw variety. I would say our conversation was...

I don't think this is a slight on them at all. Perfunctory. That's what you're going to tell people when Adam Hill says, oh, did you do the podcast? How was it? How was it your conversation with Emily? Terrible impression. It was...

No, because they do that thing where they get... go along the line. Although Frank Skinner, as you may know, met Sophie Wessex and his wasn't perfunctory. Oh, what happened? I didn't know about this. She says... Is that Edward's wife? She said something along the lines of don't give up the day job. Bloody out. At the Royal Variety? I bet he took that well. And then she said... She's got a fucking she... Oh well this is it... Well, this is a bit bigger than the venues you're used or something like that. Well, this is a big venue, isn't it? And Frank said, he doesn't run and goes,

I've played the palladium. I really hope you love part one of this week's Walking the Dog. If you want to hear the second part of our chat, it'll be out on Thursday. So whatever you do, don't miss it. And remember to subscribe so you can join us on our walks every week.