Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Mollie King (Part Two)

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Mollie King, the conversation continues with more warmth, stories and laughter from the singer and Radio 1 presenter.If you haven’t already, make sure to catch part one. And don’t miss Mollie’s brand new comedy-meets-crime podcast with Matt Edmondson, Matt and Mollie’s Novel Idea.It’s a total joy, with a new chapter of their murder mystery released every Wednesday.Follow Emily:Instagram X Walking 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 Molly King. Molly's just launched a brand new comedy meets crime podcast with Matt Edmondson. It's called Matt and Molly's novel idea. It's a thing of total joy. So do give it a listen now. It's out every Wednesday. Really hope you enjoy our walk and do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Molly and Ray Ray.

It must have felt really weird when you guys decided not to continue with the band. because that must have been very mixed emotions in some ways. Very much so. It's one of those things where you go from having your diary completely blocked out for you to suddenly looking at your diary and you're like, gosh, there's nothing in there. So it's on me to fill everything.

Which in some ways I really, I liked. It was like a new adventure and a new chapter, but I really miss the girls. You know, I'd been used to seeing them every single, day. That's not an exaggeration. We might have, we might have the odd week where we're working like six days a week, but you would be seeing each other all the time. So to suddenly, then not be seeing them. It's a bit like a breakup in a relationship. Yeah. It's like, God, I really miss that person. I feel like I'm missing something that's with me all the time.

But it's been amazing to kind of see how well all the girls are doing now and just, um, It's been amazing to kind of keep that closeness with them. It must be weird though, yeah. I can imagine that sense of like just also because one thing that I think is interesting and you don't strike me as this kind of person, but I think often in the music business, I mean I witness it sometimes even with people who've been at the top of their game in TV or comedy for a long time where there's always someone in the background kind of silently doing stuff.

We were joking about that before. where there's always cars just appear. Yes. You know, and food just appears when you want it and you don't have to sort of think about things. And it doesn't seem like you ever got kind of lost in that particularly. But I wonder there is that sense of always having people around you. Yeah.

When you're in a band. Yeah. And that must have felt slightly odd to suddenly feel, oh, okay, the next year isn't mapped out for me. Yes. Yeah, I think that we. We always had, as much as it was us five girls, we would always have pretty much the same team around us.

So we all kind of grew with the success of it together, if you know what I mean. So in terms of our hair and makeup and our stylists, it was pretty much the same team from day one to our last gigs. And so I think that we weren't ever surrounded by sort of yes people. It was very much like, guys, do I look rubbish in this dress? Yes, you do.

It's terrible. Take it off. You need that real talk. Okay. I'm glad you brought that up. What is something you regret wearing now? Come on, Molly. Where do I start?

There must have been a look that you thought, what was I doing? Multiple. My goodness. I still have that now from, you know, last week. We went to a premiere in what looked like we were wearing bin liners. We each had a different colour bin liner, and it's like the dresses were so shiny, like so shiny. I can't remember what colour mine was.

I think I was in pink, which was rare for me, because I was always in the band. I was always the one wearing yellow. Did you have colours assigned to you kind of thing? You were yellow. Who was pink? Is that Frankie? It was.

Frankie was blue. She was blue. Rochelle, I think, was. purple okay I think Vanessa was green yeah um I know maybe maybe was pink um but oh my goodness we we we tried to rock those tights for years like different colored tites each girl um for oh my gosh a lot of the costumes I look back and go what were we thinking um but it was a time and it was fun we never took ourselves too seriously and I do think that is important.

Do you know what? I've got to be honest with you. You are the most sort of grounded down to earth music industry person I've ever met. But you just seem completely un, I suppose, unchanged by it and not, I don't know. It's fascinating to me how, because often what happens with something like that as well is that people start,

you know, it's a lot for young people. Yeah. Isn't it? And how old were you when you were in the Saturdays? I was 20. Right. That's incredibly young. So we all know that the trajectory that often happens.

You know, and even if you manage to keep it under control, people do often, of course, you're young and you're high adrenaline, you're risk taking. That's what young people do. And then you give those young people who have a propensity for risk taking a shitload of money and opportunity. and that's when you're going to clubs and getting pissed or whatever you're doing, putting yourself maybe in not great situations. It just doesn't seem that you ever did that. And I wonder, why do you think it was?

I don't know. I mean, I don't drink, so... Have you never drunk? No, you know, if it was like a... If I was maybe at a wedding, I might have like half a glass of champagne. You see, I don't drink. But I did when I was younger. Okay.

And I think, I'm wondering if the sporting thing as well was really helpful sort of discipline for you yeah I've always just been like disciplined and you know I said it earlier but I never expected anything it was very much you know I know that I know I was I know I was do people say when you were in the Saturdays and you went to big showbiz parties you're at the Brits or you're going oh I don't drink are they quite sharp they were delighted they're like can you drive me home I'm like yeah the nissone I'm going to put many of you in, but just jump in. Ballet Parking.

I'll drop up as many as I can. Elton John Ronsmith, yeah. If you could get in that, can you put the seat back in the Nissan? Pop it back for Elton, yeah, yeah. Sorry it smells a bit of dog sick. Yeah, don't judge the boot. It might be like the sporty, the kind of upbringing of having to be disciplined at a really young age, really young.

So I wasn't ever like going to parties and having a Smyrna off ice when I was 18. That just wasn't my thing. That wasn't my thing. Parents, this is what you need to do. Get your children into sport very young. And then they will miss out those difficult teenage early 20 years when they go off the rails. You never went off the rails. There's still time.

There's still time. Post Saturdays, we've already established that's quite a sudden sort of, that must hit you suddenly. What do I do? Yes. Yeah, completely. I've been doing this since my childhood. Yeah.

This is what I'm trained to do, is perform. Yeah. So, did you consciously think radio would be perfect for me? Or how, was that just something that happened sort of organically? So I went on strictly, you know, we mentioned it earlier. How can we forget? You were really good, right? No, honestly, I'm not just saying this.

I was terrible. I was so, no, genuinely. I'm going to swear soon. What are you? Foll? Honestly, I remember Craig said to me, he said, darling, and he was right, by the way, he went, darling, the palm tree has got more bounce than your samba.

And I was like, do you know what, Craig? You're absolutely right. But I had the best time on there, the best best time. But it was actually through doing strictly, I would watch Claudia and I'd watch Tess. And I was like, oh my goodness me, they look like they are having an absolute ball and my God, they're so good at their jobs.

I was like, I want to be them. That's so fascinating. So you're sort of looking at Claudia and Tess and thinking, I wanted to be you. Honestly, I remember especially when I was up in the Clauditorium and I would see Claudia doing what she does. And my God, she's so good. She's so natural.

And I would watch her and I could see that she'd have like someone counting her down in her ear and how she'd have to hit her timings, but how she would do it all so effortlessly. And saying with tests, the way, you know, she'd be reading her auto cue, she'd never mess up how she'd throw to the judges. And I was like, my gosh, I would love to give that go. Were you thinking, I don't want to do this stupid dancing. I just want to be asking the... No, oh, the dancing. Oh, my God. I mean, what a gift to be learning from a professional how to dance each week.

Yeah, but the sportsmen often do well for that a reason. It's true, though. Have you noticed that? The sportsmen often do well. They do, actually. Sports people, I should say. Yeah, the real athletes, they do do very well. Because they're so bloody competitive.

Yeah. Everyone else is like, oh, just chaotically go and hung over and do an hour, whereas they're literally treating it like they're training for the Olympics. Yeah, they are, yeah. So, but so I did that and then I, I had, oh, should go around that way? Oh, lovely. Yeah, right across the bridge. Lovely.

I had been, I'd been asking, before doing strictly, I'd been asking Radio One for quite a while if I could go in and they had me on quite a lot, I guess, whilst I was in the Saturdays. Yeah. And post being in the Saturdays, I'd go on quite a lot for chats and games and things. And I just got that feeling. in my tummy of the excitement in that building and just that love for radio. And I would ask all the time, my manager at the time,

I said, can you keep asking Radio One? To keep asking Radio One, if ever there's an opportunity for me to pop up and do anything, I would love to have a go at it. I love him. He's so polite, my producer. When people are quite noisy, he goes, well, just let these people pass.

Instead of saying, they've got loud voices. He said, should we just let them pass? Which I know is his word saying, Glad to your head off. You can hear them from John O'Grote. You get recognised a lot, Molly. I've noticed people looking at you and it's really nice because they don't harass you,

but it's just like a nice smile they give when they see you. Oh, I mean, people have been so gorgeous. I mean, if I've got like hair and makeup on it would happen more so. If I literally, no makeup, haven't tongue my hair, no chance, I know reception. See, doing this podcast, I've had all sorts of people. So it's really, because it's outdoors, you get a real insight into the public response to people. Okay. Like some people, when I had Jeremy Paxman on, people were going, oh my God,

Jeremy Paxman, and then looked a little bit frightened. And then saw he had a dog, he was called Derek, who's this silly dog. and they're like, oh, it was like they were so happy to see him in that. Yeah. And I think, should we let these people pass? I think. Great line. I think with you, I know this too, but I think people feel they've sort of,

like you feel very comfortable and like someone who's been around, you know, and it's like, oh, she's, I don't know, there's just a nice warmth that I think people are. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Are you aware of that? No? I mean, people, if they come over, have always been really, really lovely.

And it's been quite funny, actually. And you and Stuart is the double whammy, let's be honest. Nobody cares about me when I'm next to Stuart. Is that right? Oh, my, absolutely not. Does he get more attention than you? Yes. He's also super tall, isn't he?

He's super tall, he's six foot six. I come up to basically his, his nipples. to be really specific. Wow. He's super tall. He gets stopped a lot. But the funny thing is, is that they sort of approach him in a very different way to what they might say to me. They go straight over.

There's no hello even a lot of the time. It's normally like they're talking at him like, oh, that game the other day. What did you think of that then? And it's like, Stuart's gone from talking to me about changing a nappy to like, oh yes, okay, the India versus England test match, how was that? But, yeah, it's been very... And what do they like with you then? What's the difference with you?

They'll say, do you mind if I have a selfie? They might say that. Yeah, they might say, oh, you know, oh, my daughter saw you on this or, oh, my... You know, we listened to your radio show with Matt and can we have a photograph? Whereas Stewart's, it's like... The little girl was excited then.

Oh, I like that. What about she was actually excited about Ray? I think it was Ray. Absolutely. Ray. Imagine I thought she's going, oh look, it's Molly King. I was just going, it's Ray. She's like, it's definitely Ray. I really don't know who that woman is. So let's get you into radio so I can talk to you about what you're doing at the moment. Because, so you ended up, well, you joined, when you

joined Radio One, you've done a huge amount of different shows there in some ways, haven't you? Yes, so I basically joined at a time when Matt Edmondson, who's my, my co-host on the show, he was going to be doing something for the year of 2018 where he would have a different guest come on and host with him for a month each Saturday. I was the first one that went in and the minute I went in, Matt and I just got on like a house on fire. It was weird.

We didn't know each other. We'd met a couple of times from, you know, when I was with the band, he might have interviewed us. But we didn't know each other. And it was like we had this telepathy of like, God, we just get each other, you know, and Matt immediately would, you know, take the Mickey out of me for X, Y and Z. I love to laugh, so, you know, Matt's the funniest person I've ever met. He's so funny, although I don't like to tell him that. But he would just have me howling, and I did my month at

Radio One, and I really, again, I, like, studied it. I watched how he did it. I watched how he would move the faders and how he would hit the timing for news and all that kind of thing. And there's a real rhythm to radio as well, isn't there? There's a real kind of like art to it and I would just watch him and I would be completely in awe. And then he had a couple of other people come on for a month. Oh, I hate those people. Get rid of them. Don't you just? Don't you just? I was like, no. Do you know what? They're worse than the people from the stage advert that came up toward it. I'm sick of these people ruining your big moments. Do you know what I mean? I know. How dare they? How rude? How rude? Leave the way clear for Molly.

So they had the kind of rapper example and then they had lovely Scarlet Moffat. And then after those two, Radio One said to me, look, would you come back? We felt like you and Matt really had this chemistry. You must be so happy. Oh my, I still remember. I was at my sisters at the kitchen table. And I was like, oh my God, my phone's ringing from Radio One. And she was like, pick it up, pick it up. I was like, obviously I'm going to.

Let me just try and contain myself. So I was like, hello. And they're like, could you just come in for a meeting? We just wanted to chat about stuff potentially for you and Matt. And I was like, what, me and that? Like, what? And they basically said to me then that they loved how we worked together and would I want to come on permanently as his co-host.

And that is just like unbelievable, unbelievable. So I very much made sure that I could sort of absorb and take in as much as I possibly could. So I went to shadow as many people's shows as possible. That's like, again, Team GB. It is a bit Team GB though. I think it's just a bit of like, okay, you've been given an opportunity. But not everyone is like that, Molly. How can I make you realize this?

is that a lot of people think they've done the job by being famous. Do you know what I mean? A lot of people would come to that and think, well, they've hired me because I'm Molly King from the Saturdays. I've done it. I don't need to go and see what Scott Mills does or Nick Grimshaw or Greg James. I can just turn up and it's enough that I'm here.

But then you notice I work with Frank Skinner. I used to host a radio show on Absolutely. We did the breakfast show on Saturday. And do you know what? What I learned, similar to what you're saying, what I learned from Frank is that he's pretty well known. He doesn't have anything to prove now. He's Frank Skinner.

I've never met anyone who works so hard. Really? And even on that show, just the amount of prep and work to making it good. And you must have seen the same with people like Greg and Scott where it's like, oh, they've never think, I'm good at this now, it's fine. Oh, they're like proper hard workers. They really are. And obviously they're so, they are the best of the best.

They literally are. But they still work hard and they still love it and they still put the time in. Oh, hi. There's a big poodle. Oh, sorry. It's like a giant halfie. The man nearly ran Ray over with the bocgy. Come on, Ray.

Did you like the poodle? Where's the poodle? Look at his tail, Molly. Where's your poodle? Where's your poodle? I know, I know, papa. It's exciting. Go and chase that poodle.

Go and chase that poodle, Baba. So you've learned a huge amount, and you've been about radio. Yeah. And as you say, this partnership with Matt just really worked out, and you've carried on working together. In fact, you're about to go off and do your, it's a weekday afternoon show that you do on Radio One. Yes.

And I'm going to drop you there after this. Thank you. And you've also just launched something very interesting with that, which is a brand new podcast the two of you are doing. Yeah. It's called, well, it's Matt and Molly's novel idea podcast. Yeah. And it's the two of you are taking turns,

writing a chapter each of a crime novel. I mean, it's not a pure crime novel, because it's bloody hilarious, I should say, as well. What are you saying? I don't know if you realise. And so how did that all come about? Because there's brilliant, there's also a guy called Stefan Powell who worked on the Newsbeat. And he's got an amazing voice.

Doesn't he? He's got this Welsh. And he makes it sound. I really like to listen to him and he narrates the novel. So you'll write a chapter, you and Matt then meet up and say, right, share your chapter. He reads it out and you both discuss it. Yes, exactly that. God, you've described it way better than I ever do.

It's quite a strange format, but exactly that. And so why did you decide to do crime specifically and to do that novel? Because you could have just said, you're hugely popular, you two, and the dynamic is strong. You could have just said, oh, let's just do a Zoom every one hour a week. Why have you made it so hard for yourself? I'm asking myself this. I am asking myself. No, we wanted to do something that was different.

You know, podcasts, there's a lot of podcasts out there now. and we wanted to do something that was different. Matt and I, like I said earlier, we love to, we just love to laugh. And we do have that brother-sister relationship. And Matt actually came to me and he said, look, we always sort of pitch each other ideas. We love to sort of get each other's take on things. And he said, I've got an idea. He said, what about if we wrote a book, but not together?

I'm going to write a chapter. I'm going to hand it over to you. You can take it off in your direction. Oh, then take it back in my direction. And I was like, okay, I'm not completely sold on this. I said, I think what we need is sort of like a referee in between us. So what about wonderful Stefan, who, yes, like you said, was on newsbeat at radio one at the time. And I was like, yes, that's good.

He can narrate each of the chapters and we can dissect them. And it has been the most fun I've had in years writing this. You know, neither of us, I'm stating the obvious here, writers but we have got so into each of our chapters it has been and it's a murder it's so this is the thing right at the start when we agreed to do this Matt and I we hadn't decided on the genre me being me I stupidly assumed it would be a romance don't know why I just thought it's going to be a Jane Austim and we sat down to record episode one and Stefan who is

kind of like, you know, the ref, he was like, right, the first, the book you're going to write is going to be a murder mystery. And I was like, go what? And it has been just like laughter after laughter. The difficult thing with the murder mystery, and this is definitely why Stefan chose this, is that Matt is actually in chapter one setting up the crime. But because we alternate each chapter, I am inevitably then going to be writing the last chapter, the final chapter of the book. So I'm the one here who's got to tie up all the loose ends. That's really unfair. Isn't it?

I tell you what you're going to do. Go on. You say, what about the epilogue? I thought we'd agreed on that. Is that at the end? Yeah, prologue, epilogue. But we've got to have an epilogue. Oh no, every crime novel needs that.

And then you don't tie anything up. Because I noticed with your version, I enjoyed is that he was getting angry. I've heard the first two episodes and it's honestly brilliant by the way. I really recommend you guys listen to it because it's just so funny and something about Stefan's got this incredible voice like he's just made for audiobooks or something. Ray was loving it. Ray was listening and snoozing.

He was finding it so calming. Oh, Stefan's tone, yeah. But it was so funny. Why I loved it is because the stories are quite entertaining. But also it's hearing your reaction to it. So Matt sort of sets up this big premise. He's very proud of it. Very proud.

All his characters. And then he starts getting angry in episode two because he's like, you've barely mentioned, you know, chalk, the inspector. And you instead, taking it in this weird direction, inventing a character called something like Antoinette Dubique. Antoinette de Beck. She's the dance teacher, of course, of the guy who's been murdered in chapter one. But Matt is absolutely fuming that I haven't sort of continued in the same tone that he's done in Chapter 1.

But I'll tell you why, because my God, does that man love description? And I needed to bring in a bit of conversation. I also needed to bring in a bit of romance. Don't get me wrong. I know it's a crime. But there's always got to be somebody, you know, getting it on with somebody, hasn't there? So I've taken that upon myself. You have.

I mean, I've got to say, I do relate to your characters a lot, because there's a lot of fierce women in there. There are. And they're into their fashion. Yeah, let's head down. So I just, it's so brilliant, Molly. Thank you so much. And I really think everyone should give it a listen because it's just,

it's just a kind of thing of joy. Yeah. And because your dynamic is so great, I think for me, that's what really, it really makes it work. Because you sort of know each other so well, it's like a brother-sister thing where you get a little bit annoyed with each other. Oh, very annoyed, very annoyed, yes. Matt was like you picked up on in my first chapter, chapter two.

Matt was absolutely livid that I hadn't continued with his character, Detective Ian Chalk. But, you know, I had my own storylines to write. I had a lot to get through. And Twonet de Beck's putting on a production. By the way, I called it Dubikin. You know why I did that? Because Frank Skinner and I once had a joke on the show

where he kept calling him Anton Duby. And I said, stop calling him that. And then it went, you know, that's why I should have called the character. But it just becomes normal to you to hear the word. And then it's like, no, it's bloody Frank. He's my Matt. Frank is my Matt.

Blame Frank. And you would blame Matt. Of course, of course, yeah. You've got to blame him. Yeah, you have to. But, I mean, aren't we lucky to have those friendships where you can be so honest with each other, and go, that's terrible, Matt.

That's terrible. And he'll go to me, Molly, you're ruining the book. And I'll go, ruining it, I'm making it. But we... I love... I say to Frank sometimes. I spend every week, we do a podcast now, and we left absolute. I say we left. Our contract wasn't renewed. But it's 15 years. We had a good run. Yeah.

And that was our Saturdays. And then I'll say to him, what is wrong with you? Like the way I talked to him, I would never talk to anyone else. Oh, I totally. For you to do that. The way that I talked to Stuart,

sorry, the way that I talk to Matt is like how I talk to Stuart. Like, we literally will say things like, what are you doing? And he'll be the same to me. But it's, I think it's when you're that close to somebody, you can be like that. You can get away with it with each other. And also, I think with radio,

and I don't know if you found this, you know, especially coming from the music industry, where presumably you're spending half your time when you're talking and being interviewed in a broadcast situation you're sort of sensibly trying to give as little as possible away because you know that's going to be twisted it's going to end up in Closer magazine

Molly's heartache over her eyeliner or whatever you just know and you get media trained you get told how to navigate these things with radio of course it's the opposite you've got to give it all you have to You can't be going in there thinking, oh God, how am I going to avoid telling this awkward thing that happened yesterday? You've got to share it because that's why people are tuning in, you know. And that was sort of the strange thing of when I did join Radio One, it was like, right, there's no skirting around awkward questions.

You've got to get stuck in and share at all, which is one of the things I love about it. I think that's why... Did you find it difficult that shift at first? It must have been quite a dramatic shift in some ways. I think probably, but I have to give it to Matt in that he really helped me find my feet with it and just relax with it. And, you know, I always have loved telling stories and being able to, you know, if I can, make people laugh. So I really followed, followed Matt and, you know, like... It's very... I also think what I realised, just again, working on that Wreck-Fisher with Frank for 15 years,

actually the thing that I most feared telling people or people finding out because it was embarrassing was always the best content and it meant that people responded in a really great way and said oh my god that happened to me I had that as well oh absolutely like those things that you're like oh god I don't want to know this actually if you share them people are going to go yeah that happened to me too you're like oh thank God it's not just me yeah it's so great when people admit because it's about, I think it lies, always the successful stuff, lies in vulnerability. Yeah. In some way, even comedy. There has to be vulnerability in there. Completely. Yeah, no, definitely. I think that, you know, I've, again, I have to put that down to Matt.

He's really helped me kind of open up and talk about things. Will you stop this? Every time I've noticed this about you. You are so self-deprecating and humble, and I think sometimes you need to own your achievements. Okay? Thank you. You made it to Team, GB, because you were great. You were successful and driven enough to get into this hugely successful girl band. You were brilliant at radio, and that's why you're good at it.

Okay? Thank you. Don't. Do you make me cry? Don't be too nice. You're a bit tearful when I say that. Why do you think that is? I don't know.

I don't know. Oh no. Oh no, thank you. Allow yourself to be loved because you're very talented. Don't. Don't. Just don't. I need to walk off in another direction.

Remember what we were just saying? Your mummy. Remember what we were saying about honesty in vulnerable. I know. I know. I don't know why I don't know. I do. It's because I think it's your greatest quality is the fact that you're not an arrogant asshole. But, you know, also, particularly with the women, I think,

we can get into that thing of thinking, oh, this just happened to me, I was lucky, I was in the right place at the right time, that person helped me, that person did it. And it's like, no, everything you do, you excel at, And that's because you put the fucking work in. Thank you. No, I definitely do.

I know that I know that I'm a grafter. Yeah. I know that, yeah. And you know, I loved that when I said earlier, you were ambitious. You didn't flinch at that word. You owned it. And that's good, because women should acknowledge that. I really agree.

It's difficult, though, because you do feel like people are going to go like, I don't know if that's a likable trait, but actually, why shouldn't we be ambitious? Well, you know, I always think would you call Andy Murray ambitious? Well, of course. Yeah. So why can't a woman be? No, I completely agree. Would you call Stuart Broad Ambitious?

Yes, I would. Yes. You don't get to that position without, you know, one of the greatest cricketers you've ever had without being ambitious. So we call Molly King ambitious as well. And that's why we love her. I love that you're really sweet. comparing me to Andy Morrow and Stuart. I'm going to take that every day.

I'm going to look in the mirror when I wake up and go, yes, girl. Well, you've done more than them. Where's their pop career? Where's their podcast about crime comedy caper? It was so sweet the way you welled up when I said that. I'm sorry if that I didn't want to upset you not. No, not at all. Why do you think it made you emotional?

I just... I don't... I don't know. I think... I was going to say, should we let them go by? There you go, there you go. Why do you think it made emotional? I don't know. I think it goes back to that thing of, like, I am hard on myself. And I don't often go like, well done, well, you did good.

I just don't. I always think, like, well, you could have... could have maybe done that better or you messed that up Molly or you didn't tell that story very well and I wish that I wasn't like that I wish that I could just go like good job great but I don't know I just feel like I probably need to be kinder to myself in that way but yeah well it's it's lovely to have those moments sometimes yeah you know yeah not when you're feeling it because you think, oh, but it's like a sort of, sometimes it's just, like you say, it's would you, I always think, and it's very good advice when people say, what would you say to a friend?

Definitely. You know, like when I'm hard on myself. Yes. Completely. And I think that as well with things like standing up for myself. I think, would you stand up for one of your little girls here without doubt, without a question? Yeah. I would go like, oh, I don't think that's right, actually.

If someone was saying something about one of my girls that wasn't right, I would be, I'm so protective over those girls. I wouldn't worry about it. But when it's yourself, it's like, it's so much harder. It's just like, yeah, yeah, okay. Talking of your little girls, you have two now. I do, I do, yes. And they, I mean, that must have obviously been life changing and a wonderful thing. But I know that when you had your first baby, you lost your dad, didn't you? It did. Was that just not long after you'd had the baby, or was it? Yeah, it was 10 days after.

So it was a really difficult time. And it's one of those things that, you know, you kind of, I've always dreamt of having children. And the fact that we were able to get pregnant. and have a little baby, it's a miracle. And it was just one of those things that the timing of it all was really, really hard. And I was someone that when I had Annabella, I didn't really know anything about, you know, how do I feed a baby?

How do I, what do I do? Do I put them down when they're awake to sleep? Do I put them down when they're sleeping? Do I rock them to sleep? You're in this whole new world of being a mum. And so then to lose my dad so soon after. was really difficult. He'd only been diagnosed with a brain tumor

three months before. And they'd said to us that we would have between two years to 10 years. And so for it to just, for his health to deteriorate so quickly, was just

you know, one of those things that was really hard to watch and quite, like very hard to kind of believe. You're sort of watching this thing thinking, how is, how is this happening to dad? And you know, your 30s that's that's too young to lose a parent it is you know it's too young it is I wish I think about it a lot but I wish more than anything that he could see me in this chapter of being a

mum and he would have he would have just loved meeting the little girls and he did meet annabella once did he think oh thank god but you know the fact that he saw that it was enough for him yes it was making me cry now I bet that wouldn't know because I lost I've experienced losses and I know, I think sometimes you have to think, God, the fact that he would have felt, I mean, I can't speak for him, but I hope that he would have felt, I can, she's okay. She's okay. She's got a lovely partner. She's having a kid. She's, you know, in a good space. Definitely. I do think that. And I think, gosh, you know, the world does work in funny ways sometimes. And I think that, and I think that, you know, the world does work in funny ways sometimes. And I think that, you know when dad was taken away from me you know a new little best friend was was brought oh that makes me cry i just think god that's i'm lucky in a way that she was brought into my life at the worst time possible so do you know what i think it's that thing of like it sounds weird but

my sister died and she had two oh god i'm so sorry kids and they were pretty small when she died don't i'll set you off now because you're like me you're not frightened of a cry and that's why i love you yeah but she had a 10 year old and a one year old and you know what oh my god yeah but you know what's weird what you said really resonates with me in that I honestly feel it's like since she's gone and it was horrendous similar to your dad in that suddenly oh we don't know how long it's going to be maybe three to six months three weeks gone my god it was a cancer thing but you know what was interesting is that it's that legacy I keep seeing signs of her legacy.

Just in when I, things that have made me slightly better and nicer maybe as a person or more empathetic or whatever. Yeah. And I see it in the girls. And that's what you just said about your dad. I love because that's his legacy. It is. It is.

You know? Completely. That getting through that, oddly, was, you were comforted by this new life. Definitely. Definitely. And it's weird now, even things, little things that both the girls do. My youngest is only one, so she's super small. But with Annabella, there's things that she'll do sometimes.

And I'll think, God, that's an element of my dad there. And that's just so comforting. How's your mom, Molly? Oh, my mom is the most amazing human being. Tough for her. Yeah, she really, really looked after my dad. And she is just amazing my mom. She's always felt like one of my sisters.

I feel like I've got three sisters. You know, I've got two and I've got mum. But she's just always there, always there. You know, with Stuart, he goes away a lot with work. I was going to say he's away a lot. And mum is the first person that's like, that's okay, I'll move in. I'll, you know, I'll sleep in your spare bedroom and I will be there and I will help you with the girls. Oh, I love her.

She's just amazing, my mom. She really is. I look at her and I'm like, God, if I could be a mum like you, the way that she's been able to just have that relationship with us, where it feels like I can tell her anything. And, you know, I know that a lot of people don't have that. And I know I'm like, gosh, I'm so lucky. I could call mum about anything.

You know, if I went through breakups when I was growing up, it'd be mum, I'd call and I'd be like, oh, it's over or whatever. But she's an amazing woman and an amazing mom. Did she like Stuart as soon as did you? Yeah, she does. Definitely. Because you guys met, was it at a party or something? He definitely fancied you.

He'd put it about, didn't he? He did the little sly one. Just in case she wants to know, I like her. Sly one. He had told someone, I quite like the look of the blonde one and the Saturdays. And I'm not, honestly... It was just really funny at the time.

And I'm not just saying this. Are you excited when you heard that? Of course I was. But I was, like, shocked. Because I'm just saying this. In the band, it was like every single... person fancied Frankie right and and like like Frankie's beautiful beautiful beautiful woman as are all of the girls but it was a bit like oh my god someone fancies Molly

and it was like ah and all of us were there got him up on our phone he didn't say Molly said the blonde one on the certain dose so yeah we met like years and years ago and we've got on a few dates but um I love the dates oh I I love the days. Was it quite... I wonder, is that difficult because you're both recognisable? And was it sort of... Is it Orks the first day?

Or did you feel comfortable as soon as you met him? I felt really comfortable as soon as we like sat down. Yeah, we went out for dinner. No, sorry, it wasn't dinner. We went for a... We went for a walk along the river. A bit cheap, Stu. And then we went for a lunch.

Oh, my God. Thank God. A cheap day. But I was really comfortable with him. We've got the same sense of humour. I was going to say he couldn't believe his luck because he's probably thinking, you know, I've got this hot blonde pop singer.

And then you turn up and you're incredibly funny. Do you know what I mean? Oh, do you know what he's doing? He got the full package. He wasn't expecting it. She hasn't got pretty girl personality. Do you know what he did though? He drove down from Nottingham because that's where he lived at the time.

And he said, I'll come and pick you up, right, from my flat. But what he did before, this is, honestly, this is so adorable, I can't. What he did before coming to pick me up was he drove to the pub that we were going to have lunch at just to check that there were like places where he could park. I was like, oh my God. He's so organised. Isn't he so organised? I mean, that's giving me...

I'm so unorganised. That's giving me tax return files ahead of time energy that I'm finding quite hot. His VAT registration has been sorted well in advance as a deadline. I hope so. But I was like, oh my God, so adorable. You're so adorable.

I just, yeah. Did he tell you that afterwards? Oh, he didn't tell me for years. Didn't tell me for years. And there he was probably pretending like, oh yeah, so where am I going here? He's been there. So isn't that just so cute?

So adorable. So you sort of knew this was the one fairly early on. So we went on a few dates, but then he was going for a test series to India. Bloody cricket is getting ruining everything. I know, man. So he was going there for like three months. And me and the girls actually went to live in America for three or four months at the same time. So it was impossible, like impossible to actually have a relationship.

Yeah. So it wasn't until maybe, gosh, eight years later that we got back in touch and started dating again. So, yeah, it is funny how these things work out. So much of it is timing, isn't it? Yeah, that's so lovely your story with Stuart. He's a good egg. What if I asked him, and I'm not entirely ruling it out, What would he say?

I might make him come on now, Walt. Get him on. Do you think he'd like Ray? He'd love Ray. He'd love Ray. He'd love Ray. Does he like dogs? Yes.

He had, he, um, he was completely in love with Alfie. And the proportions were hysterical. He's the world's tallest man. And Alfie was the world's smallest dog. So it was just brilliant seeing them walk down the street together. It was so cute. Alfie would be doing so many steps to keep up with him. I would always say you've got to go slowly here, Stuart, and he would because he adored him.

But no, he'd love Ray. So if I asked him, what is the thing that, what quality would you most like to work on of Mollies? What do you think would be beneficial to her to change? Do you think he maybe says, well, no, I'm not going to answer that. You tell me what you think. I have a suspicion. Go on, you go. I wonder if he says stop worrying.

Definitely. 100% he'd say that. Stuart is not a worrier. Stuart is, he's very logical. I'm sort of emotion and, you know, obviously a bit of logic, but he doesn't overthink things. And I think that's what you need to be a really good athlete. But he would say, just stop worrying, switch off.

Yeah. Yeah. I definitely need to be a bit more kind of how he is. she's quite matter of fact. Yes, it's quite, sometimes I do learn that from friends of mine, often male friends, only because I think sometimes men are encouraged. I suppose there's less of that fear of how they're going to come across, you know, so I sometimes, I have friends like that who are just very matter of fact.

Yeah. I sometimes think, what would they say? Definitely. You know, like I'm overthinking a very simple, email or something. Oh, 100%. To someone I don't know very well. I'm fine with people I know, like, well, that don't have to think about it. It's mortal friends. It's people I don't know and I think, oh, will it come across in this way? Do you do that? All the time. If that makes sense, hope you don't mind. That's not going to offend them. That's not going to be awkward, is it?

Oh, is it okay to say this? I actually, with a lot of my, like, awkward, if I've got an awkward email to have to send to somebody, I actually ask Matt, because he loves these things. I call him Matt GPT. I'm like, can you just, can you just help me write this awkward email? He's like, go on then, what's it about today? And he's great. Can I ask him as well? I've got a few I'd like to send him my emails. You come to my car and I'm going to, Molly is about to get in my car and I'm going to drive her to Radio One. Ray's got to be in the front seat because Ray's got his towel. No, Ray will go in the back. No, absolutely not. Ray, we're going to put you down now. Ray, well done, my darling.

Molly, we've come to the end of our walk. Oh, it's been such a lovely walk. Have you liked it? I've loved it. I've absolutely loved it. Thank you so much. I've really, honestly, I believe in being honest. Because we're often too embarrassed to say that.

I believe in being honest when you like someone. I really like you. I really like you as well. I want to just hang out with you all day. Can we do this again? Oh, can I be your friends? Please can we be friends? Please can we just hang out?

and you, Ray. What a thoroughly, what a diamond of a human being you are. Oh, thank you. And you. I've honestly. Yeah, she needed a bit of prompting there. It didn't come too easily. It was like a pause and she went, oh, oh, oh, and you.

I guess you as well, yeah. I have, literally, I've laughed so much. I just thought it's been such a lovely track. It's only when you saw Ray. Listen, I just want to say, please listen to Molly's brilliant podcast with Matt Edmondson. It's called Matt and Molly's Novel Idea podcast. It's every Wednesday you can listen to it on. I've heard the first two episodes and I was crying with laughter and cringing sometimes.

Oh, yeah, totally. I expect that. In a brilliant way. And yeah, it's just been real. Well, do you say goodbye to Raymond? Bye, my darling, boy. Bye, sweetheart. Thank you for a lovely walk.

Well done, darling. What an angel. When you say thanks for a lovely walk, he did nothing. Listen, he started the walk, didn't he? He's the reason we're here. Bye. 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.