Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Kerry Godliman

Episode Date: January 30, 2024

Join Emily and Raymond for a walk with the hugely talented comic and globally celebrated actor Kerry Godliman and her lovely scottie westie cross, Molly. Pottering around Beckenham Place Park on a freezing January day, Emily chats about the time she met Kerry's parents, how Kerry feels about being 'no nonsense' and how her life has changed (or not!) since starring in Ricky Gervais's After Life. Kerry stars in the second series of Trigger Point on ITV and ITVX - you can watch it here: https://www.itv.com/watch/trigger-point/10a0591 You can listen to Kerry's podcast Memory Lane, which she hosts with Jen Brister wherever you get your podcasts.Keep up to date with all things Kerry on her website: https://kerrygodliman.com/ Listen to Emily and Ray's first walk with Kerry from December 2019 Listen to Emily and Ray's walk with Ricky Gervais from March 2019Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Walking The Dog is a Goalhanger Podcast brought to you by Petplan: visit petplan.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast is sponsored by Petplan, who are the UK's number one pet insurer. I've always used Pet Plan for Raymond as they cover things other insurers don't and they can even pay your vet directly, which can be a big help. No, Raymond, that doesn't mean you can spend all the extra cash on treats. Terms, conditions and excesses apply. Pet Plan is a trading name of Allian's Insurance PLC. I was walking down the street and these builders shouted out, She's alive!

And I was like, wow, that's interesting. This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I took a stroll with Kerry Godleman and her adorable Scottish Westy Cross, Molly. Kerry is not only a hugely talented comic, she's also a globally celebrated actor, who you'll obviously know from her heartbreakingly funny performance in Ricky Jervais's afterlife, which is, by the way, now officially the most watched British comedy in the world.

It's had over 140 million viewers. Cut to me, asking her to help me fish leaves out of Raymond's undercarriage. But one of the things that I think will really strike you about Kerry is just how miraculously unaffected and unchanged she is by all of that global success. She's just a total gem of a human being. Unsurprisingly, we had the loveliest walk, and I can also exclusively reveal that Raymond and Molly

turned into the love story none of us saw coming. I'm off to Google Doggy Wedding Planners. I really hope you enjoy our walk. I'll hand over now to the woman herself. Here's Kerry and Molly and Raymond. Look at that dog, Kerry. That's a proper sheep dog, isn't it? That's a proper sheep dog.

They're really clever, those dogs, aren't they? Look. All it's done is off around the toilet. No, I know. You can see the way it's looking, sitting. It's really clever. Do you think it's cleverer than our dogs? My dog's so stupid, Emily.

She really is. Now I feel bad, now I'm looking at her with guilt. She's not that stupid. But when people say a clever dog, I think, I don't want a clever dog. I don't want to play chess with it. I just want to go for a walk with it. I don't want it correcting me in my pronunciation. She's looking at me, making me feel bad.

Do you know, I'd forgotten how much I loved your dog, Molly. Do you mean that? Honestly. There's something so... She is quite special, isn't she? Do you like her flower? So the bloke that cuts grooms her, when she comes back, he always puts a little flower on her collar. Like those sort of weird massive bow headbands that you get on babies that are bald.

She's aged, doesn't she? Don't you think? She's aged. She's got white hairs around her eyes and her bum. Look at her bum. I'm all right, though. No, have a good look. You can't because her tails down.

But when she goes off, it's like a little bunny's bum. It just looks as young as ever. I have started following Ray on social media. Me and my daughter just love his clips. They're very good. They're just so funny. I'm so glad you like Ray. He's just a natural comedian, isn't he?

Do you think so? Oh, he's absolutely got funny bones. Oh, do you know, that's high praise from you, Kerry. That's made my day. Ray, Carrie Goddlerman thinks you're a natural comedian. Look at him. Wow, he's not really. What does he do that a lot?

He just goes off with other families. Oh yeah, does Molly not do that? No. I've just normalised that. I think that's what they all do. Oh, he's so charming. Look at him, we're at the room. He's really networking.

So I'm following you. Oh, don't follow me. That's the fool following the fool. I don't know where I'm going. So let's set the scene. I'm with the wonderful Kerry Godleman and we're in Beckenham Palace Park look at that sage bush

It's huge That's the greatest intro I've ever done I think Something smells nice too Can you smell something nice? I don't know what it is but it's not me It's a plant We just walked past it, I know what it is, it's this Look, get your nozzer in there

Oh it does smell like me Isn't it amazing? I was out with another gardenery friend the other day and she pointed that out to me and I can't remember the name of it I can never remember the name of plants but it's beautiful smell I'm pleased to be hearing it's a really sunny day it's one of those lovely crisp winter mornings very New York I like it yes you know what I mean it has got that feeling I'm going to let her off the lead now we're going to see the dynamic Molly oh yeah she's going to say hi to Ray they're going to be a gang they're going to be a gang remind me is Molly quite a sort of introverted dog yes so is Ray

Maybe that's why they get on. Yeah. Is Molly the same? Yeah, she doesn't... She's not a people-pleaser. I've got to be honest, Kerry. If people don't stop, because I think Ray's pretty special

and go, wow, look at that dog. I get really upset. God, but that must be exhausting. There's so many people in the world. We live in London. You'd never get anything done. And you know what I sometimes do? I say, don't worry, Ray.

Obviously not a dog person. You must say that a lot. Oh, look at Molly. Come on Molly. I love Molly. What I'm worried about is that I'm, because she comes up a lot on, you know, various podcasts. There she goes, rolling probably in Foxhit.

Is that I give the impression that I don't like her, but I do, I do. I love her. I just want that to be out there right now. I think it's just your way. You express your love for her in a slightly different way. Yeah, we're just old companions now. So Molly is... She's a Westy...

Scotty Cross. Which is a lovely combination. Yeah, it is actually. And you don't see many of them. So she's sort of got the build of a Westy but she's got black fur, so she's more Scottishish. But then, funny enough, we do occasionally run into them.

We saw one at New Year when we were out on a walk and it was exactly the same. Westie Scotty Cross. So you don't see loads, but you do now and then come across. them. And she's got her beautiful little flower on. Yeah, flowers a bit weird, isn't it? I kept it on for you, really. I was going to take it off and I thought, no, I'll save that for Emily. I kind of love it. Yeah. And Molly, you ended up getting, it was sort of a campaign by, is it Elsie your daughter? Yes, my daughter, yes. She was 16 now and utterly indifferent.

Really? Yeah, she wanted her when she was seven. And she was desperate for a dog? Yeah, she wanted a dog really badly. She'd ask for a dog all the time. She'd leave notes around the house saying, can I have a dog? Dear Santa, here's my list. Dog. So it got her a dog. And Ben said, I was like, I don't think so.

We're not really dog people. And then Ben sort of said, I've always wanted a dog. And I was like, oh, let's get a dog then. And that's your other half, isn't it? That's my other half. And? And actually, he is, he walks her every day. This is, I walk her now and then.

He walks her every day. So it's more his dog than my dog. But he's our dog. Did you have any pets growing up? I had a cat for a bit. But no, no dog. There was a story. I think there was one when I was a baby and she went for me.

I think it was a spaniel. And she went for me and that didn't end well. And then there was a terrier. My grandparents had a terrier, Bieber. So there were dogs sort of in the sort of family stories. But I didn't grow up with a dog. We weren't dog. We weren't a dog.

family. It was West London you grew up in, wasn't it? North West, Ealing-ish, Ealing, middle sex. I need to get on very quickly to your parents. Yeah. You've met them, haven't you? I kind of love your parents. Well, you met them once. And I've never been the same since.

So this is your mum is called Linda. And your dad is Martin. Martin. And they're quite a double act, aren't they? Yeah. Well, that day, well, let's say, you met them at Chelsea Flower Show, and it was an exciting event. Like, had you met them in Liddle, it would have been a very different thing, but you met them at Chelsea Flower Show, and it was exciting. But right, you know what was interesting? After meeting your parents, I sort of realised why you'd become a comedian.

Oh, really? Parakeet. They're meant to be thugs. Do you know that? They're meant to be real thugs. Look at them. But you get loads of them. I feed the birds in my garden

and they all just like, they sort of bully all the little birds away from the feeders. There's a little baby squirrel with the parakeet. How do you think that friendship's going to evolve? Well, they're both thugs. Oh, it's when the two bullies get friends. Yeah, they're like... Is it an unholy alliance?

Yeah, you see, it looks delightful, this little tableau of nature. But apparently, I don't know really much about it, but I was told that the reason the parakeets are so successful in a sort of breeding sense is because they're bullies and bugs. Oh, it's a real survival of the fishers. Oh, God, don't get me started on the food chain, Emily. When I met your parents, Kerry, Linda and Martin, it was only briefly, but they both left such an impression on me. Did they? They amused you, didn't they?

My mum amused you because she was trying to shock you. She was gossiping and saying things And she was effectively shocking you And I could see it I was like mum stop it And you were just thoroughly enjoying it I just thought she had such funny bones And so did your dad

They had a kind of Morkham and Wise double act thing going You're right I don't, I mean they're my mum and dads So I don't see what you see It was like There was the dynamic was so perfect between them I tease them because when they start with that, I always like to imagine when it ends,

the bottom of the screen says, you have been watching, and it ends like one of those old 80s sitcoms. You have been watching, Linda Godleman play, Linda Godleman! And then she eye rolls. And it made me realise you must have grown up with a real kind of comic energy around you. Yeah, I suppose so. I think there was a lot of that kind of... speed of exchange. Yeah, there weren't sort of long-form monologues.

It was quick fire back and force. And because your dad had the best job in the world, my favourite job, favourite parental job I've ever had on this podcast. Really? It's an unusual job, isn't it? A violin maker. It's a weird job? He's a violin, viola and cello maker, probably.

but he hasn't made an actual instrument for quite some time but he can do that and used to do that but now he does restoration. I remember you telling me before it wasn't that he had, came from a particularly musical background or anything like that? No. Is it more just that he had that kind of, he's a sort of craftsman? He just fell into it. He left school at 16 in the 60s and got an apprenticeship.

Someone just persuaded him to just go for it and he did and then fell into this sort of job. In those days, there were lots of apprenticeships, weren't there? So, no, it wasn't a kind of rarefied artisan background at all. Wasn't that sort of Lord Lindley making furniture? No, it wasn't. My father was a Lucian. He trained me, and his father traded. None of that. But he must have been good at it. He must have, even though he didn't choose it, it came upon him. Once he started doing it, I think he did discover a sort of passion for it.

He was very enthusiastic about it. Because it did open up her world that he didn't sort of know prior to that. Do you think back then it's interesting that people now, there's much more a sense of you've got to find your thing, the thing you're special at, your talent, your gift is. The word passion is used a lot. Like young people have got to have their passion. And it's exhausting, isn't it, passion? Can't you just sort of quite like a thing and do it?

And Linda, your mum, was, she did sort of marketing, she did like, market research. So a lot of stuff when I was a kid, she did market research. So, I mean, she had lots of different jobs and she's an Alexander teacher sort of in the main now. But when I was a kid, she did market research. And I imagine she was quite a good talker and quite persuasive. Oh, she had a lot of hutsper. I mean, you've met her. So she'd go up to people.

I had a routine on this in my last show. She'd just go up to people and go, what do you think about Pop-Sarts? I hear you suffer from a dry vagina. Can I recruit you to come to a KY jelly discussion focus group on Thursday? It was that kind of like, it just took some boards, some front, to go up to people and just ask them, consumer. It's not data harvesting, isn't it? We've got the internet now. Yeah.

But it used to be women with clipboards outside Safeways, just asking people their consumer decisions. Did they have strong feelings on mayonnaise? Would you say you're pro mayonnaise, anti-meonase, indifference mayonnaise. Those kind of... And I used to do quite a lot of it as well. I'd help her out and she'd pay me to do it. So it was kind of a nice little bit of extra income when I was a teenager. I loved seeing you with your mum and dad.

I got a very good... I don't know. I got a very good energy about your family. Oh, that's lovely. Thank you. I can see why you're... very grounded and oh do you know what I mean yeah they are they are very grounded when you consider Kerry you've appeared in I think afterlife am I right in saying it's the most watch

comedy series so I'm told ever which is sort of mind-blowing I can't get my head around that so I don't quite understand it but over when I last checked in I think it was over 140 million people of yeah it's mental isn't it I think it's quite a challenge to be part of something like that and not just part of it, but a crucial lead role in it for that not to change you? I don't know how it would change me particularly. I'm just, maybe I'm just too set. Like, we're too old now.

I'm not going to suddenly have a personality transplant just because I'm on a television show. It's just too late in the day to suddenly completely become someone else. The only thing that's noticeably different is that more people, not loads, but more people sort of recognise me off that. But actually it's quite nice. It's quite, it's not particularly overwhelming. It's not like, it's not loads,

but more people will come over and say, hey, hello, and that's quite nice. But presumably, a lot of people in that situation, had you wanted to, you could have thought, right, I'm going to really capitalise on this, I'm going to go over to LA and spend a year there. Do you reckon? Come on. I think we like to think that the world is as controllable and manageable as that.

Oh, I did a thing now I've got to go to LA and I'll be in films. I'll probably get an Oscar. You know it doesn't work like that. But you've got to really throw yourself at that. And I've got a career in a life here. It would be awful to just start again. Back at the foothills in LA, banging on doors. I know what you mean and sometimes people say like someone said to me the other day I said something about doing a self-tape and audition

and they went you still have to audition I said what planet are you on what do you think they just ring me up and go we've got a lead are you free last time we went on a dog walk

together I did a dog voice you did to Molly and I don't know how well it lands is you what are you doing You just sort of said something like, oh, you do a voice.

And it was like you were completely re-evaluating me in that moment. But I'm all right with it now. I've softened. I've worked on myself. Look at this guy with his stick. What is that a lab or something? What are they? Excuse me, what kind of dog? My friend and I were just wondering, what kind of dog is the black dog? She's a flat-coated retriever.

She's retrieved a massive stick. She has. They just come in black and their liver and the brown colour. Ah. Not the light, it's a golden retriever that's a light colour. Oh, right. Flat coated retrievers. Flat coated retriever. Right.

You don't see so many of them. No, that's one. We were curious. Yeah, it seems lovely. See you. Come on, Roe. So you know since we last spoke, I did a dog podcast and I went to crafts. I know.

I just stood there a gog. like oh my god it's like a dog cult because again if you're not a particular I mean I'm not a dog person but I like having a dog but there's that other level of absolute mania for dog and a breed of dog and it's really weird that world it's like all kinds of really bad behaviour and lots of lovely behaviour and dog

good times but anyway I went to crafts as part of the podcast part of the podcast. And what was the podcast called? It was called Dead Competitive. Can we still listen to it? I'd have to hear it. It's the BBC Sounds on BBC Sounds. It was like I don't know. We went down loads of, you know those sort of, it's a bit like a true crime podcast

but about dogs. Like a dog cereal. Yeah, yeah. But it was interesting because it was a whole world opened up to me that I wasn't at all familiar with. Like I saw hundreds of red setters or like showing and honestly they just look the same as each other. They're just exactly the same.

And then they get like compete. And they have like these breeder, like these top breeders. Like they sell dog jizz. And they send it in the post in a jiffy bag. People pay five grand for a top end dog jizz. It's mad, Emily. But I think the dog thing is interesting because some, you've always striked me as someone.

who's, you're quite no nonsense. I don't mind some nonsense. I love a bit of nonsense. No, what are we doing now? No nonsense. No nonsense makes this sound like you've got zero sense of humour. Which can be further from the truth. What I mean, I'm going to retract that, if I may.

I would say, you like to get the job done? Yes, I suppose. Yeah, Bosch. It's the whole Bosch thing. Bosch was the name of your show. That was the name of my show, yeah. And it's a nickname that comedian Greg Davis developed for you. What about you is Bosch?

I suppose I am a bit, I do have a sort of tendency to think, let's not overthink this, let's crack on. I sort of sometimes, if I don't stop myself, can whiz through tasks like, in bullet points and just have a very like, right, we did that, tick that off, we did that, let's get that done, move on to that, and then we'll do that. But that's the only way I can do it. Would you get frustrated in that kind of situation? A little bit.

Isn't there like a kind of a saying where in a group of women giving each other advice or whatever and then they go, when they listen and allow all the feelings to be expressed and share all the pain and the, because you don't want to shut someone's trauma down, so you allow. And then you give advice or whatever. So the obvious thing to do would be in this circumstance you just gave me is to leave that person. And then if they come back again with the same baggage

and the same anecdote, and you go, OK, well, we have covered this. So you need to leave that person. And then if they come back again saying, oh, Gary's still a prick. They all get up and move somewhere else. I quite like that. So it's not shutting people down.

No. just not like going on and on forever and ever and indulging it. I don't know. To be honest, it only emerged in Taskmaster and then... I think it's a good quality though. Well, it worked for Taskmaster. I mean, it's good in a parlour game context. Maybe it is a comedian thing. They just have that telling gene. Telling it like it is Jean. I don't know. This podcast is sponsored by Pet Plan who help keep the nation's dogs happy and healthy. There was so much to think of about when I got my dog Raymond, toilet training, grooming, food, and just how many belly

rubs can one woman reasonably be expected to give to a Shih Tzu every day? But one thing I've never had to worry about is paying for veterinary care because I decided to insure Raymond with Pet Plan, who are the UK's number one pet insurance provider. Oh, don't get jealous, Raymond, of course you're still my number one. Just a tad on the high maintenance side. Terms, conditions and excesses apply. Petplan is a trading name of Alleyans Insurance PLC. I feel you like pivoted to comedy in a way, didn't you, after initially training to be an actor. Yeah. But was it, why did that pivot happen? And do you think you just ended up thinking, oh, well, this is what I should have been doing? Well, you attach a narrative with retrospect,

don't you? I mean, at the time, probably, I was just flailing around, just keeping busy and doing what I could but and now I'm you know like we talked about earlier now I'm middle-aged or whatever we can we can retrospectively attach a narrative to our stories but so if I were to yes I left drama school and then for about two or three years I sort of I got bit parts in things but not much only odds and sod you know this is a swimming lake could you imagine getting in that yeah so then I I was doing bits and pieces of acting and then I did a course at City Lit, that's how I started. So I did an adult education course in stand-up, just for fun really.

And I did have probably a secret desire, but it was very buried and hidden under lots of fear. But I did like it. And then I just didn't do it again for a while. And then I came back to it. Obviously, working with Ricky, Jervais, was kind of fairly career-changing, wasn't it? Yeah, definitely. extras originally I had a little part on extras that's how I think I met him and then I came back and did Derek and then yeah and then afterlife were you prepared

after afterlife for the the sort of level of reaction it had no not really no it was very and because of the con like it wasn't because of the specific um nature of the thing and that my character's dead and speaks from beyond the grave that's another layer of kind of like when it first came out and I cut the first uh moment of like oh lots of people have watched that I was walking down the street and these builders um shouted out she's alive and I was like wow that's that's interesting so there is a bit of that and sometimes people say it's the specific nature of the part because you're looking down the camera

so you're really talking directly to people and I suppose it's that kind of cathartic thing that it evokes other people's grief so it's the nature of the part and the scenes of the show well do you know I wanted to tell you it was really lovely because I obviously really loved it

and my I can't remember if I had mentioned this to you but my sister died Yes. And would have been probably, you know, around the same age that your character, Lisa, would have a bit, you know, might just be 402, 43. Oh God, was she? Yeah, and she had two kids. And they were pretty young. They were one and ten. Yeah. Or 11 o'amie. And Mimi, she said to me, I want to watch this thing afterlife. Oh, really? Was you a bit nervous for her to watch it? Yeah, I'd be honest, Kerry. I was. Yeah. And she said, no, I think I'm going to be a little. okay because I think he always makes me laugh and I feel better when I laugh and I went okay. And do you know she loved it?

Really? And did it bring, I mean I'm sure it did bring a lot up? She really loved it and what she said to me she was really into it and I thought that was so interesting because she said, do you know why I loved it? She said because it felt so real and everyone just felt so truthful and I was so interesting she found it really sort of uplifting and that really so I wanted to thank you for that

because she found it so helpful I'm really glad to hear that and I hear that people say that and that's one of the really really lovely things about being part of that show really yeah very much so I've had some really intimate conversations with people about their grief and people

they've lost and it's sort of amazing really to be part of that it was just watching her laugh at it Yeah. And watching you doing silly things. Yeah, because all those flashback bits are just sort of pranky and playful and, you know, they're quite natural. And did you improvise a lot of those?

No. Issued me with a list of things he was going to do to me. It's like, okay, you walk through that door and I'm going to put a bucket over there. And then you open that lemonade and it will fizz up. Somebody couldn't even use, they were so chaotic. There was one where he fizzed up this bottle of lemonade. I can't remember if we used this take. But anyway, it went right in my face and all up my nose and started coming out of my eyes and ears.

It was ridiculous. He was in pieces, but I don't think we could use it. I can't remember why. Let's go here, Terry. Yeah, it was lots of pranking. Yes, because he's someone who he likes organised chaos. Yes, I mean, I quite like this as well. There are, maybe this goes back to the Bosch thing.

It's like you can have parameters, just clarity, around. the sort of improvised fun, playful, creative, do I mean? But it's just got boundaries around it. There's a friend that we have in common, Daisy. Yeah. Who I've worked with, who's a brilliant podcast producer. And she told me that you used to do, he was sort of mucking around doing plays or something like that.

Yeah. And she said, I couldn't believe it because we're all just sort of missing about essentially and said Kerry was so organised and she turned up in this of Charlie Chaplin costume. Bloody hell. Yeah, but Charlie Chaplin, I think I couldn't, I wouldn't have bought it with me. It would have been in among the, I wouldn't have sat at home and thought, right, I am going to pre-order my Charlie Chaplin outfit, fold it up and take it to Herford for a holiday.

But in a way, it's not about the Charlie Chaplin costume. what it's about and certainly the sense I got from her was that you were a bit if a thing is worth doing it's worth doing properly and get it done properly and I find that interesting but then I am a little bit older than her and you know what it's like when you're with family friends cousins siblings

people that are just a bit older than you they just seem to have their shit together don't they I don't know particularly oh right Kerry, what's happened to Ray? Oh God. Has he got a stick stuck? Did she say he's got a stick stuck up in?

Oh my God. That's not a phrasing you want to. Ray! Where is it? Kerry. Oh, it's in his foliage. That's a nice word putting it. Is that what the waxer says?

Oh, it's in your foliage. It's all right, darling. Impatient. Oh, darling, I'm so sorry you had that experience. This is like a workshop in how to be really kind to your dog. Oh, you're really kind to Ray. Do you think I have? Yeah, you're really lovely.

It's very humbling to be with. Are you really kind to Molly? I've ignored her the whole time, really. We just do what, toddler, it's parallel play, me and more. Come on, Ray. He's really enjoying himself. They do seem to have a sort of companionship, don't they? Do you know, I think they really tolerate each other quite well.

Do you think you're talking about Bosch? Yes. Which was your most recent tour. Yes. There has been a real shift, really, since you started. Yeah. Hasn't there? Yeah, definitely, yeah.

In terms of, I suppose, do you get the sense that there's a greater freedom to talk about whatever you like? Yeah, definitely. Because it's quite a nerve-wracking thing to do anyway, anything to attach anxiety to you will run with it you go oh women are allowed to talk about that and you go hang on why don't you try it and see what happens because you just wouldn't risk it

because that was the reputation that preceded but actually like we all know you can talk about anything as long as you make it funny enough and there's definitely more freedom too much too much freedom

now I'm interested to know in what you're like at confronting people. Are you, how are you with confrontation and, like, difficult... Really good at it. It's one of my favourite things. No. I just always find it funny when people say I'm scared of confrontation, and I think, oh, I'm not.

I don't court it, but I don't shut down. Do you not? No, I don't run away from it. If there's something once saying, I'll say it. Where do you get that from? My mum. Come on, you meant my mum. I think she is a kind of like

It's better said Things are usually better said, aren't they? It's not as you do it like You don't have to be aggressive or mean But if there's something going on No good comes from bottling these things up It's better said Because you are quite straight

You kind of always You sort of know where you are with me Yeah, there's no bullshit I hope I hope not No I can see that that would be true And you're doing, I really love, you and the comedian Jen Brister have a podcast. Yes, Memory Lane.

So it's kind of interesting. So since we lasted this, I'm now a podcast of myself, Emily. So we all have a podcast now, don't we? This is the only way people see each other is to be on each other's podcasts. And this is why I don't fall out with people, because I might one day need to have them as a guest on my podcast. So I think, oh, don't fall out with anyone ever. You've always got to bear that in mind. You've always got to bear in mind that you might need to pull a favour and get them as a guest on your podcast.

I don't like... I don't like the look of this. Molly, definitely don't go in there. No, please don't. No, Molly, come here. Oh, look, she's doing that again. She has been rolling in loads of something. Oh, I think it is smelly.

Yeah, it's fox poo. I think Ray's got it a bit as well. It really annoys me. I know. She's got it all in her bow and her flower. It's disgusting. Look. She's got it everywhere.

So, yeah, so the Memory Lane podcast is people come on with a few photos. A few photographs. Would you like to do it, Emily? Oh, yeah. See, this is what will roleplay, what you just talked about. And they, they, um, what have you said no? I've done yours twice. And Ricky Jabase was on it. Yes.

Just before Christmas, he said he'd do it. And he chose, for example, it was really great because he chose a picture of... Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio watching him host the Golden Globes. pulling a face at each other as if to say, oh my God. It's such a great shot. It's like a sort of Renaissance painting in terms of the meaning. Yeah, absolutely. But that's why I love about photographs and talking about photographs,

is they just hold these moments. And we do say to the guest, because some people do slightly, you know, worry about it, like you do before you go on a podcast and you think, oh, am I interesting enough or have I got good enough stories or what shall I choose to talk about? And it's just, well, you just pick four pictures that have four. kind of bits of your life that you want to share and it can either be literally about the photograph like oh look at the carpet look at your perm let's talk about perms in the 80s or it's your mum and the memories of your family life and bigger broader theme so it can sort of expand and

contract according to the guests you know what they want to talk about so i did it on my own season one we did on season one listen to me what wanker season one i i'm Oh, I did on my own. And then season two, I decided to invite Jennifer. You see it again, you're saying, oh, what do I come to in season one? You have been in, and I hate to keep reminding you of this, but the most watched comedy ever, okay? It's mad, isn't it?

And in fact, you're exactly the type of actor. My parents would have said, bloody good little actor. I use that phrase. It's a great phrase. Bloody good little actor there. Totally believe them. Totally believe them. I used to have a drama teacher at college that you see that.

Don't believe you love. Don't believe you. You'd be acting your face off. Don't believe you love. From the back. The main intention is to get this woman to believe you from the back of the room. Do you think with comedy and acting, I think what's great is that how nice to be able to do both?

I know. I love to. both and I sometimes sort of think oh maybe stand up gets harder as you get older because it's quite well because you've got to travel I like you know doing jokes on stage and making people laugh and thinking about routines and writing stuff but it's the travelling you know you can't do all of it from within 10 minutes of your house especially touring you've got to get on the road and go all over the country, which is really lovely,

but it is, it's a lot. You once said that, I think it was to me, actually. I'm saying you once, like it's in the Oxford book of quotations. It actually says to me over a dog walk and a coffee. You once said, no, but you told me once that

doing stand-up, you said essentially it's like crossing a motorway. You talked to a lot of, comedians that's someone else's metaphor I like it I'm gonna take it it was yours doing stand-up you said is essentially like walking across the motorway that's what it feels like in terms of the nerves yeah that there's something sort of almost slightly unhinged yeah willfully mad yeah like you're going towards something you should walk away from most people go why are you doing that like I said I can't remember if I said this to you before but I think for a long time

People go, you're so brave. And I would interpret that as a compliment. And then over some time I thought, oh no, they're not complimenting me. They're sort of pitying me. What are you doing? Why do you do that? He's got a leaf in his foliage again.

Sorry, can I just say, Gary's talking about my dog, not a passing male. Come here. Do you know, Kerry, don't you think, like Molly waits for Ray? They do. They have, they've bonded. They're like little mates now, aren't they?

like Laurel and Hardy. Why do you think they've bonded? I don't know. They just, who knows what goes on in those tiny ones? Do you know? They remind me of Linda and Martin Goddalenham. I don't think my mum and dad would be flattered. What puts you off people? What's a bit of a deal breaker when you meet someone? I don't know because it feels like you're sort of shutting people down. I try not to shut people down. I have my sort of judgments and prejudices and often they're sort of, you know, bit tribal, really. Yeah. But they're not aspects of myself I'm proud of. Yeah, because it's a difficult thing with comedy is because often you get comedy from

the old, it's the old punching up and punching down conversation, isn't it? And you go, yeah, we do find humor in being judgmental. And so what we're talking about in a social context, comedians try and make it, you know, comedy material sort of judging, either judging yourself or judging other people or family members or whatever. And if you punch too hard, you do feel mean. So it is a delicate balance between ripping the piss out of people, but doing it kindly. I don't think you'd do that anyway, because I think you're quite kind. We store it out and put it in a routine. The amount of comedians where they're having hypothetical rouse with things they could have or should have

or would have said with someone they had an altercation with. They're like, oh, I didn't say it at the time, but I got a solid five out of it. You're listening to now. Do you get offered films? I bet you do. Now and then I do, yeah. Yeah, but I bet you're quite choosy about what you do. No, I don't. I'm not inundated. Not at all. I love this projection that people have that I'm like, you know,

looking through scripts, picking projects. Certainly not. As it happens, I am about to do a film, which is going to be fun. But I have, I don't do them very often. Morning. Morning. Hello. Hello. Look at this one. What's this dog? What's this kind of dog?

Cair and Terry. Oh yes. They're lovely. Can I say hello? Yeah, yeah, it's just a little bit. Hello, Ken. Oh, they're ever so sweet. They're kind of like a Scotty Westy Cross. Yeah. So they're like a sword. They're not dissimilar. It's like longer legs. Yeah. Terry. It's a little. It's like a little.

little terrier friends. Come on then, Ray. Bye-bye. Do you think you'd get another dog, Kerry? Do you know what? Ben and I have talked about this. And we do love having a dog. That's a fabulous jumper.

We do love. That dog's got a onesie. It's made me think we should get one for our dogs. It's really good. Really good. I love the little bum window at the back. No, the only reason why I'd be reluctant to get another dog because it's such a long commitment.

is that now that my children are in their teens and a bit more, I can see, I mean, they're only 13 and 16, so it's not imminent, but I can see a life when they're grown up and not at home as much. And I would then like to do things, like travel or do things. And then you can't, if you've got a dog. Yeah. So I don't want to, I don't, I'll say burden.

I don't mean that Molly's a burden. that having a dog is a wonderful life experience. Do you know, increasingly, I don't go to things he's not welcome at. Well, I want to go everywhere. I want to do things. I've still got some plans that don't include the dog. You sound like, sort of like Judy Carlin in a musical. I want to do things.

I want to get out there, Emily. I want to see the world. But I do. You just said that in front of a woman. I did. I said that right loud in a park. That's just a small gig in a park. Oh Kerry, I've really loved our walk. I'm sure there's loads you'll have to cut out.

No, I've really loved our walk. I'm quite scared of you, so I would... Oh, don't say that. Is that what we've achieved? We got to the end of the walk and you said I'm quite scared of you. I have a lot of admiration for your healthy boundaries. I love boundaries. Do you?

Oh, I think they're great. Listen to a lot of Brené Brown. You love Brenne Brown. It's all about boundaries. Ray, can you say goodbye to Molly? Do you know they don't want to part? They don't like each other. I've got to go home and clean her.

Ray, Ray, can you say goodbye to Kerry on? Bye, Ray. Bye-bye. Have you had a nice time? He looks like he's had a nice time. Give it a dog. Boyce, go on. Bye, bye!

Is that how it goes? I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribe. And do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.