Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Nick Grimshaw

Episode Date: October 24, 2022

This week Emily and Ray went to North London to meet Nick Grimshaw and his dog, Stinky Blob. They chatted about Grimmy’s childhood in Oldham, his incredible experiences during his radio career and his new memoir, Soft Lad.Season 2 of Nick's podcast, Dish is is launching in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, Stinky, come on. Oh, sorry. Stinky. Yeah, he's called Stinky. Yeah. Thanks, guys. This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I popped to North London's Clissol Park to meet Radio and TV star Nick Grimshaw. Nick has two rescue dogs, pig, a bull terrier,

who is at home with Nick's partner, Meish, but he brought along his other dog Stinky for the walk, who is a ridiculously cute, part pug, part terrier, and part just magical Disney creature. Nick's a joy to spend time with, as he's just bursting with brilliant stories about his childhood in Manchester, the incredible experiences he's had during his radio career.

Oh, and he's also obsessed by dogs. And by the way, if you ever wanted to hear how people react when a grown man runs around a park shouting stinky, you might enjoy this podcast. We also chatted about Nick's memoir, Sopflad, which is out now, it's so beautifully written, and it's one of those fearlessly honest books that manages to be moving and thought-provoking and funny

at the same time, a bit like him, really. I'll shut up now and hand over to the man himself. Here's Nick and Stinky and Raymond. Right. Wait, do you want to be set free? There you go. Let him have a party while he's out. Should I set Raymond free, Nick?

Stinky. Go off it. At the bin. I hate when they go in the bin. Like, gross. I find it interesting. Stinky. Oh, here.

I find it interesting. Your dog is called Stinky. Mine's the one who's done four poos already. Yeah, he did do a poo. One which he took to a table delivered to someone as a gift from the coffee shop. I have to be quite strict with him, Nick. Do you? What breed is it?

He's an Imperial Shih Tutsu. Oh. I love his hairdo. I think he's going to get on. He's going to get on well with your dog. I'll go this one. Stinky's like, oh, Stinky. It's very social.

Also, he always loses me and thinks it goes on with another family. Oh, look at Stinky. I know, he's so happy. Always happy. Stinky, this way. Stinks. Come on.

Look his little face. Isn't he funny? Nick, I love his little run. I know. He's such a funny little mash-up of all the dogs, isn't he? I'm so thrilled to have you on this podcast. Thanks for having me.

And let's officially introduce your dog, Nick Grimshaw. Who have we got with us today? So we have one of the family today. I have two. I decided to bring the better behaved one. So I've brought Stinky Blob and I've left Pig with Meish, my boyfriend, because she's great, but you've got to concentrate on her. She like rips branches out of trees.

She jumps in lakes. She eats people's picnic. like she's a lot so you've got a really keep your eye on her so I was like not good for chatting I don't think it's not a relaxing walk with pig that's all so I thought I bring Stinky he's like the dream dog always happy listens stays with you doesn't jump in legs doesn't pull branch down doesn't chase squirrels well I want to hear a bit more about pig but let's talk me through Stinky first so Stinky is there's a bit of pug in there yeah I don't actually know

So his mom, he's from Battersea, they're both from Betsy, and then stinky, well I had pig first, and then when I moved house, pig always used to follow me around. She was a bit older pig when I got her, so she always used to follow me around and she was quite needy. And I thought maybe if I get another dog, she's got like a little, you know, pal for when I'm upstairs, maybe she didn't need to come upstairs and follow me around. Not because I didn't like it, but I just thought it was quite stressful for her. to be always like never relaxing and any time I like moved a cup she'd get up and see where the

cup had gone so I was like maybe she's like got some sort of abandonment issues like I don't know what happened to her before I got from Battersea so Stinky was basically her support animal so she could you know have someone in bed with her and now he just follows pig when pig follows me so it's like a conga around the house of those two following me everywhere but she's definitely calmer since we got Stinky Really? Yeah, and I think it's just, it must just be nice to have something from your own species in the house, you know? Yeah.

Understand each other a bit. So yeah, I got him from Battersea, he was eight weeks old and his mom was tied up outside Battersea and she was really pregnant and when they came into work in the morning, they found her tied up and she was really, really pregnant. And when they brought her in, the second they brought her in, she gave birth. So she'd been like holding on to like be somewhere safe. And I think there's like, there was like seven of them or something. And Stinky, we don't know what he is,

but his mum was half-checked Russell, half pug. We don't know what the dad is. So I don't know what he is. He's just sort of a mash-up. Yes, because he's got quite a lot of energy for a park. He does. He's got that terrier. And he doesn't have the flat face either, really.

But he's crazy. He's so funny, he's such a funny character of a dog. And how do you think he gets on with Ray? They haven't, I mean, I wouldn't say they fell into, each other's arms but they seem to tolerate each other. Yeah, he's really good with dogs. He like sort of kind of is the dream dog in that he just sort of ignores them. So he'll like say hi and like play with them for a minute, but he's not bothered.

He'll never like be bothered to run over to dogs. Every now and then, when they're in the house, he'll like to have a little play with them or if someone brings a puppy around, he'll play with them. But yeah, he's quite happy with his own company, you know. He's content. Oh, Nick, is Stinky doing a Stinky? He's doing a Stinky. And so pig is a bull terrier?

Pig yeah, he's half staff, half bull terrier. And I don't know, everyone who I've ever met, like my friends, have got a bull terrier, I've got quite a few friends, we've got staff, he's like, they don't seem to have, like, that much energy, or they, you know, just adequate amount. And pig seems to have, like, superhuman, maybe it happened in the cross-fertilisation of the two breeds where she's got some, like, mad energy.

So you can take her out, for like hours like I bring her to the park, she runs around, chases the ball, put her on their lead, carry on, go and like walk around, go to the shops, get everything that you need. Just go out for like, you know, a few hours. And then she'll go home and be tired for about 20 minutes and then she's like, go again. So I don't know, she's got a lot of energy. I remember when I first got her, she was really hyper and really needy. And I worked with like a dog trainer to see what I could do to sort of help her out and you know what was the best course and they were like she she'd be good on a farm

really i was like well i can't become a farmer unfortunately so next solution and they're quite it's interesting things all terriers they've got to be quite have you had to work hard with the training or was she was she was quite well behaved she's she's good she's good she's very food motivated, she like loves to sit for a snack. She loves playing tennis balls, she loves interacting with humans. She doesn't love dogs. She's fine with them when I'm not there. But what's weird is when I, before I had stinky,

I used to live in Primrose Hill and it was so doggy. Like everyone had a dog and it was dogs everywhere and I used to take her there and never have her on a lead and, you know, in the park and she'd run around and she was brilliant and never had to worry about her. And then when I got Stinky, it sort of changed the dynamic a little bit, and she started being a bit protective of him. So she would never like run over and bark at a dog, but when a dog came over to her, she didn't like it. Stinky's going to visit all these schoolchildren.

Oh, Stinky's going to visit some kids, yeah. Oh, they seem to like Stinky. Yeah, he's really friendly, Stinky. Yeah. Hi, he's very friendly. Don't worry. He's called Stinky. Come on. Oh she's at home. She's chilling today. Yeah, she's just a stinky day. Yeah. Got to separate them sometimes. Yeah. I love all those kids shouting, stinky.

I know. Stinky. Stinky. So yeah, when I got stinky, it changed a little bit and then when I started going to out with Mish, when we became like a foursome, then she was got even, she changed again. Like she got really. protective and I spoke to the dog trainer about it and she was like I think it's like when you become more like a pack she sees her jobs evolved but now she's like I'm the protector I mean she beats him up at home and they play fight like crazy when we're out no one no one's allowed near stinky no dogs anyway I am I'm here because I know you're a big dog lover and I've been dying to meet you because I'm a huge fan but I'm also here because I wanted to chat to you about your absolutely brilliant book, which I've read and I loved it.

Oh, thank you. And it's called Soft Lad. It is. And it's a memoir, isn't it? Yeah. And rather handily for me, you've given me a brilliant insight into your life and your family and your childhood. So I want to go back to Little Nick and dogs because you grew up in Oldham. And you didn't have any dogs, did you?

I was desperate for a dog and I always, always wanted a dog. And my mum was a bit scared of dogs and was never up for having a dog and it was all I ever wanted. And we lived near a park so there was always every single dog breed walking past the house and I'd sort of stare out the winter and wish I had one and try and go out and stroke him in the street as they passed. And I was obsessed with them and I never got one. And my dad was semi up for it and I could try and convince him and he'd take me to the park and take me to like this dog pet shop that we'd go to and look at all the toys and stuff. But I'd never actually got one and my mum sort of tried to fob me off with all different pets like hamsters and budgies and fish. Like everything else, which in the end ended up being a lot small hamps.

than just a dog could have been, like rabbits, everything. So never ever got one, she got me a cat, which is the opposite of a dog. I mean. So yeah, I never got one. And we used to have, well, we still have like our family friends. They used to have a dog called Sandy. And I was obsessed with Sandy, so I'd always go around and play with Sandy and ask to look after Sandy. And I took Sandy to like the local dog show once, and I entered him there.

And he must have been like about 14 or 15 years old or something. And they entered him into like the local dog show. Like this ancient Labrador. I was like, here he is. Can barely walk. And Sandy was a celebrity. Sandy was the first celebrity you ever met. Sandy was the first celebrity.

Yeah, he ate their Christmas dinner. Like the Sandhams, they were called the family name of Sandhams. They ate their Christmas dinner. Oh, he ate their Christmas dinner one year. And it got out to like a local paper. and then it got out to another paper and then it ended up spreading and it became like this massive worldwide news story

that a dog had ate the Christmas dinner and I think it just ate like a bit of the turkey and then the papers got onto it and someone else and it like snowballed and it got to the point that people were calling from like Australia and New Zealand and asking to speak to my auntie car mall and the Jay Leno show called and we're like, we want to do a feature on Sandy,

the dog that ruined Christmas. And it became like this massive dog story but I think it's not much news at Christmas is this so they were like well go with it we'll go with the dog there the turkey but yeah Sandy was the first celebrity I ever met world famous for about a week and your childhood it was Pete and Eileen who I love the sound though yeah he had Pete and Eileen and your brother Andrew and sister Jane yeah but in some way Nick you were almost raised as an only child because there was such a big age gap yeah yeah there was like 11 years

between me and our Jane and then 13 years between me and our Andrew. So yeah I did grow up feeling like an only child when in terms of playing. Do you know what I mean when you were like I didn't really play with my brother and sister they were really good in that they'd look after me and take me to gigs and do all the good older brother and sister things like introduce me to the right music and things like that but in terms of like playing I never like played with them you know we never like climbed in a tree house or anything like that because by the time I I was, you know, four, my brother had moved out and he was 17 and had a job and was like, you know, an adult man. He has a four-year-old.

And you described yourself, which I love, as the third sequel that no one wanted. Yeah, I was. That was a total surprise for my family. And I think, like, my mum and dad were thinking, like, oh, we can wind down a little bit now, you know. We're in our 40s. My mum was 41, so I think she was thinking, that's it. That's a rap. That's the ardubid one. Oh, you're there.

I was looking for you. Your childhood was kind of, was it a sort of cul-de-sac life, I call it? Sort of gentle, suburban, bit Truman show. Yeah, a little bit. Like, we were, like, on the outskirts of Manchester in Oldham. So we were in, like, very, like, suburban horseshoe-shaped. little road with bungalows and hanging baskets but my family my mum and dad are both from Manchester so they were really proud of being from Manchester and

we always went into Manchester City Centre you know my mum made sure like I don't know if she did it on purpose or just from Lay's of no changing it but like our dentist was in Manchester City Centre and everyone at school was like your dentist's in town that's mad so we were always in Manchester but yeah I grew up in a place called Reuton And your dad worked for Finder's, which is the most brilliantly 70s and 80s job. I love it. Shout out lean cuisine.

And I really get the sense that you had, there was a lovely sort of energy in your family, in the sense that you sort of always felt slightly different, didn't you? But that was never, you were never made to feel weird in your family for that. Yeah, I did. I did feel different. And I think I felt different. because I felt kind of like an only child, but not really a fully, you know, textbook, only child. And I didn't really like what all the other friends that I was with

are probably at primary school and definitely secondary school, like all the lads that I was friends with, we had sort of polar opposites of what we were into in terms of films and music and what we wanted to do, our time and they loved sport and I hated sport and sport seemed to be this sort of only thing for a boy at that time it's like the only thing and I didn't like it so I did feel like an outsider with a lot of the lads at school but never at home like my family were big and still are big man united family and loved the football but I was never made to feel bad for not liking it or

for not um being like a skilled football like my dad and my brother and my sister was a big fan. I like the sense of you being, I suppose, a bit of a performer from quite a young age. What I think is interesting is I can see how your family gave you that freedom to express that. And I wonder if that's also partly to do with the fact that you weren't being compared with other siblings.

Yeah, maybe. You were on your own, you were one off. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, they'd let me do what I want. and I'd, to an extent, right, in terms of like performances, they'd, whether or not they wanted it or not, I'd do it. I'd do a show for them and impersonate everyone. And they used to do like, Tina Turner, and I used to do Jarvis Cocker,

Heather Small. And I'd do, like, shows for my family. Often, like, when my dad was trying to watch the football. But yeah, they were definitely encouraging, but also, like, shut up, stop, get out. so they were encouraging but it was it was realistic oh look at that one Nick I know I love that and it's like a little lamb what kind of dog is that oh wow apparently the very rare breed yeah I love him from Wales oh oh he's very he's

lovely and sort of Christmasy yeah it's Christmasy oh bye bye how do you find that Nick by the way you know that thing about dog walking You're constantly doing that, aren't you? I'm chatting to people. The little exchange. I love it. Do you? I really love it, yeah.

I love it, though. There was questions that people ask. They're always like, how old is he? I'm like, why? I never say why, but I think it's such a funny question. Why do you care? How old is it? And you go, six, and they go, oh, six.

It's such a weird question. Because they don't care either. It's just like weird. Politeness that we have, like, how old is it? And I'm like, I don't know. Five or six. And also, and what's their name? Like, you're going to then have some sort of relationship with them.

It's important for you to know that information. It's like a lot. I like that. Do you know what? I tell you when I found that useful, and I've gone through periods when, I don't know, I'm just, we've all had them, those periods of not feeling great or feeling a bit down.

I've always loved dog walking in those periods because it just allows you to engage with the world. so you don't completely pull it. Hi, Stinky, come on. Oh, sorry. Stinky. Yeah, he's called Stinky. Yeah.

Oh, Stinky! He is stinky, so. Bye. Thanks, you are cute. Don't worry. Thanks, guys. Stinky. See you later.

Bye, bye. You know what, Nick? I felt really proud to be with Stinky. You know that thing? Like, I feel, I felt really proud because people were giving stinky compliments and I was standing there, like, slightly pretending in his mind. And he never gets many compliments because of his face.

Like, it's nice that all those girls are like, oh, he's so sweet and cute. Normally people are like, he looks weird. But he does look weird, but that's why I like him. And you... were sort of carefree until a certain age when I feel you suddenly became more conscious of yourself. Would that be fair? Yeah, definitely. I think in, I think we all get a bit more self-conscious when we're like early teenagers or people stuck going out of school together. Yeah. You're like,

when you're at primary school, you hang out together, sure, outside of school, but you're like a friend's birthday or like you're under like adult supervision. So I think I started to feel more conscious of myself when we were teenagers and we were like going out on our own. So when you'd be like 13 and people are stuck going to the park and hanging out and you'd sort of see personalities outside of what you see in school, you know? So I definitely felt conscious of myself then because you're you're a teenager you don't really know how to like stand or like hold your arms or like out of your picture taken or how to smile and Like you're overthinking every single element of your being.

And I just remember feeling as a teenager, like really different to everyone at school. And not really wanting to be like them. I wasn't like sad that I wasn't like them. I just remember feeling really different. And not really knowing why I felt different. And then I think when I got a little bit older and I realized that as gay, I thought, oh, that might be it. Yeah.

Could be that. Like I just remember everyone loving FHM and like Gail Porter and all that these, there was such a weird page three culture. And I just remember not really getting it or like not even not really getting it, not getting it full stop. And I remember thinking, or maybe these women are a bit too extreme for me. Maybe I've got simpler taste. That's how I was started to process it.

I thought, well, maybe I don't want to go out with Giselle, Kelly Brook. Maybe I want to go out with Gail Platt or something. So that's when I first realized I wasn't like, you're the other boy. I don't know. You know, someone a bit more of a, someone a bit more akin to me in my house and my family at the time. Yeah, so you're growing up and there's a really touching story again in your book. I don't know why, but I found this so touching,

was that you were trying to sort of find an entry point into this kind of male teenage boy culture and this thing was all the boys would have calendars and I remember that so vividly it was like the caprice one or... It's so funny when you think about it. The Melinda Messenger. Every single boy had a calendar as if they had a busy schedule. Like why did they need a calendar and it was all anyone talked about for ages and then everyone on the first day of the month at school would be like, oh New calendar today and it'd be like jet from gladiators or Melinda Messenger.

And yeah, I just remember that being such a huge moment of my childhood was the discussion from about November. If not earlier, what calendar were you going to get? And you'd have to get basically soft porn. It was always like really sexy bikini shots of every woman off the telly. Do you know Nick, I should say, this is very unprofessional, I haven't even said where we are. Am I allowed to name the park? Yeah? We're in Clissol Park in North London, which is so beautiful.

I need to spend more time here, Nick. Yeah, it's such a nice part of this. Yeah, so the calendars, so the boys would get these calendars and you're thinking, oh shit, I better choose one. I better choose one. So I'd always think, right, who's really hot, who would like straight lads pick. And I'd always go for like Kylie every year, like not even realizing that Kylie was really gay. I just was like, well, she is obviously for the heterosexuals. This is not going to.

I had no idea that she was gay at all. And everyone that I liked as a kid, I had no idea that they were camp. So like Jerry Halliwell, Kylie, Tina Turner. I was like, oh, these are like strong women. This is very heterosexual. I loved Tina Turner. I still looked at. Tintana. She's my cave. So yeah I thought that they were really like good

heterosexual women to have and adorn my books with and stuff at school. So I had like a Jerry Halliwell bookmark. I thought that's quite straight isn't it? So good. And you got your mum to buy you, did she get you the Kylie calendar then? She got the Kylie yeah and I used to get that every single year and pin it up and and you've subsequently met Kylie with your parents. Did you tell her that? Yeah, with my mum and dad. I don't think I did tell her that. No, we went to see her in Manchester with my mum and dad and then weirdly ended up going backstage and it was quite a weird situation because she ate her dinner and we weren't eating dinner so it was just four of us

round a table and she ate dinner. Well guess because she needed to eat dinner because she'd just done a show but we were like, oh it's 11 you can't have your tea at this time so we didn't eat and it was just quite a weird interaction. But it was It's a funny one with my mom and dad watching Kylie eat salmon and vegetables. But I didn't tell her about the calendars now. Next time I see her. But you did tell. You did tell David Beckham that you'd had a poster of him on your wall

because I feel like David Beckham was an oddly significant person for you. I feel it was almost like that was a bit of a light bulb moment. It was a real lightbulb moment, yeah. because I remember I always trying to get football and it was all anyone's thoughts about so I'd try and get football magazines from the shop to see if I could get a bit interested in it and I couldn't and I'd try

like when we go to the newsagents to get one and I remember like flicking through it and seeing a picture of David Beckham and not knowing who or what David Beckham was and not being able to look away from it, like just totally transfixed by the image of David Beckham. And I couldn't figure out why I loved it so much because I don't know how old I was as young,

but not old enough to be like, oh, I fancy him. I was like young, but I was like, can't stop looking at it. And it's like magnetic and sort of magical. And I couldn't really figure out why. And then over the course of like a day or so I were looking at it, I was like, oh, I know why. Bloody gay, I don't I? So, but that was like a first moment of me, like, really fancying someone.

That was the first time I fancied somebody. But you didn't feel, presumably did you feel after that it was kind of something that you couldn't really talk about? It was a private thing. Yeah, and it was a private thing and it was a weird feeling of feelings, feelings that I'd never felt before, which were quite joyous. and then also feelings of like shame and guilt and fear of I've realising oh I like this picture but I like it because he really looks like a handsome man and I must be gay so that was my feelings have seen the picture it's quite a weird mixed bag of feelings I've seen David Beckham's face but it makes me so sad that that would have to be

your first reaction because I suppose, you know, I know slowly things are changing, aren't they? But those messages you must have been getting were that they said this was wrong and that this made you weird in some way or abnormal. Yeah, and as I said, not I hate to add from your family, but from my family at all. They were just like around. It was anytime anyone was gay on the telly, it was like this massive tragedy or this horrible secret. or they were dying or they'd killed themselves.

It was like something that was like weighted in guilt and shame and it was like an affliction. So even though it wasn't, you know, I wasn't seeing like apparent, you know, homophobia in my household, but you'd just feel it from like watching telly and like hearing the way people said things on the radio or the way that someone had, you know, a casual microaggression of homophobia,

They were just like constant, so you just knew it wasn't the right thing as a kid in the 90s. You know, it's interesting because even at the more benign end, the fact that TV presenters, we all obviously knew were gay, but there was this conceit that they never acknowledged it. They never acknowledged their sexuality. They said camp things and they came out with innuendos, but they never publicly stated they were gay because they couldn't. Or they were like a caricature of gayness. It was like... It was a straight idea.

You know, it's like a, it was like an extreme, I don't know, it was, there was no one that you saw, or either I saw on the telly that was gay, that was like, oh, they're a bit like me. And I thought all gay men were like liberarchy. Genuinely, when I was growing up, I was like, but I'm not like that. So maybe I'm not gay, because that's what I thought gay men were. Or when someone did like a sketch show and there was a gay character, it was like this extreme camp, like drag queen or something. And it was like, that wasn't what I thought I was. I didn't think that you could be gay and not be someone in performing arts. All dying.

That was like my two extremes of it. And I was like, well, I'm not dead and I'm not liberarchy. So it was just quite, I don't know, I didn't really know where to put myself. And I felt othered and I felt quite alone and on the outside of everyone really when I started to realize. because I didn't really understand what he was. I thought it was like a new personality you had to embody or a new lifestyle you had to learn about and take on. I didn't realize it was still you.

It was just an element of you. So I didn't really know that at the time. So it seemed overwhelming because we had not really interacted with anyone gay at all. You know, and we had like gay people in our town and you'd like as kids, people had dressed. I've passed and go, the gays lived there. Not like as a bad thing, but it was just noted.

Like that was their personality. So it was like, you know he lives there? Who? Gay people. So every time you went past someone who'd like point and say it. So it was never like, there was never anyone like burning pitchforks outside their house or anything. But it was always noted. So it made me think like, oh, that's your, that's the thing.

You're like, I think I wrote in the book that it's like that became their personality. So like postman pat, like that's what he does. Did you end up having the conversation with your parents? Or did it just happen sort of evolved quite naturally? Yeah, no, I didn't. I remember speaking to my sister about it. And my sister was like, kind of I just say? She was like, it's absolutely mad that you'd have to,

that she said, the thought of me, I mean, to sit down with my mum and dad at a table and be like, just want to let you know that I have sex men. My sister was like that. I can't handle how cringe that would be. She was like, just, she's like, she's like, you just can't do it. And she's like, I don't see why you should have to have that horrible, like, just want to let you know that,

I actually want to have sex with men. She's like, it's so crazy. I don't know, I think times have changed so much. Like I remember growing up and there was always questions from like people in the street and neighbours and relatives. from a really young age that they'd say, oh, you've got a girlfriend, oh, bet you've got a girlfriend.

And I just don't think anyone would do that anymore. I'd just never say that to a kid. You know what I mean? It's such a weird thing to say. Oh, but you've got a boyfriend to like a little girl. It's like, well, no, she's seven. But do you remember that? People would say that to you all the time. People just like it was a sort of assumed or pot on you

that you'd be... I kind of think it's quite weird at any time of your life. It's weird. It's weird, well, yeah, really weird. When people come up to you and say, because you're saying, what you're basically asking, you're sleeping with anyone?

Yeah, that's what you, yeah. It's not of your business. Yeah. Oh, Nick, what's this? Oh, I don't know, a bit of Tai Chi. This looks up your strata because you're very into all your... Oh, Stinky's got a little friend.

Over here, oh there, Stinky! Oh no, he's interacting the Tai Chi. Stinky! Oh shit. Oh, shit. Look! Don't want me shouting, Stinky, why you're doing your Tai Chi? That's right.

It's right. He'll be in the zone. He'll be in the zone there. Oh, sorry. Ah, stinky. He loves getting prams. I don't know why. Get down. Are you sure?

He's really friendly. No, he won't. He's very friendly. Oh, get down. Come on. He's called stinky. Yeah. Is that a personal thing? Yeah, well, he's just a bit stinky. This is Raymond.

This is Raymond. Yeah. Stinky out of there. He's figured out like prams normally have like crumbs in and like food in. So he's always like when my friends come around he's always. He's a lot bigger as a boxer but yeah she loves them. Oh. You want to come say hi?

Stinky. He's called Stinky blob. That's his full name. Come on Stinks. Lovely to meet you. Nice to meet you guys. Come on Raymond. Come on Raymond.

Come on Raymond. He always gets in a pram. Because there's always like crumbs, you know. Always there's always there. Oh, and everyone thinks, oh, he's so fond of children. Let's sit on that bench, Nick. We should sit down for a minute. We've really put the hours in.

What we have. Is that marathon this? I'm not fucking doing that thing again. Bloody walked a mile. This, Nick, is stunning. Isn't it gorgeous? Can we have a picture here? Because this is the one, Nick.

It's so nice, isn't it? So, um, radio, I'm interested in how all that started, because you were... So you were pretty laser focused from a young age, I think. Yeah, I was really, really obsessed with it. And I had not really, I didn't really listen to any of the radio station apart from Radio One. I just listened to it and I remember falling in love with it and how it felt really naughty really when I used to listen to it when I was on the way to school. You know, my mum and dad hated it. They thought that Chris Evans was really naughty and Sarah Cox didn't speak properly and the music that they liked.

And the music that they liked was like insane to them. So I loved it because they hated it, I think. And it just felt really free. And it just felt like they were having so much fun every day. And it was like a fun gang of people every morning, having a laugh and talking about their lives. And I just really fell in love with it. And I never, ever stopped listening to it. And I listened, it was a massive part of my routine to listen to the radio every single morning,

listen to John Peel at night. And again, like he didn't seem too professional, you know, it was never too proper. Yeah. He'd be like, oh, what should we play now? Or, oh, no, I don't like that. Or, oh, should try this? And I don't know. I liked how human it felt Radio 1.

So I really, really got obsessed with it as a kid. And when I wanted to do something that wasn't a regular job, I think because I had an old brother and sister, they were both quite encouraging of me not getting a regular job. Yeah. Because they were like, we fell for it. Stinks, so there? Sorry. Sorry.

They fell for it. So they were like, don't do it. Don't be an accountant. So I was like, oh, maybe I should do something fun in music. And then I thought, well, I can't sing and I can't play any instruments. And can't write songs. So radio seemed like the next perfect thing for me. And actually, it turned out to be better because it just means you're around people

and hearing from people and talking to people and hearing. hearing stories and sharing stories. So I set my sights on it quite young, yeah. I feel like you were really well prepared for it though because kids who grew up with older parents I think are so well prepared for socialising. There's a sort of sophistication socially about them that other kids don't have and it just means you can mix with anyone

and you're very portable. You're like an ambassador's child in a way. Yeah, well we always had great parties at our house My mum always had these girls nights and she still does them now even though she's 79. Stinky. And she still does them every month where all the girls get together and they have like a lunch or a dinner and they do it every single month. So my mum always had them and I loved them and I always thought they were so fab and so glamorous that people wear shoulder pads and like clip on earrings. So I'd always beg to be at those dinner parties.

And I guess, yeah, going on holiday my mum and dad when I was 10, they were like 50. 51 and 53. So I guess the conversation was more mature. And I'd be expected just to sit at dinner with them and their friends and talk to everyone. Come on. Nick, are you quite a people pleaser? Oh my God, yeah. Such a people pleaser.

How does it manifest itself? Oh, I don't think Raymond likes that. Oh, he's going to have to put out with it. How does it manifest? I just always want to make sure everyone's happy and contend and... even, even apologise for things when I know they're in the wrong, just so that there's no beef or drama or situation. When you're people pleased with it, it's difficult, isn't it?

Because I think I relate to that and you end up a lot of the time, it makes it hard to confront people. And it makes it hard sometimes to ask for what you want. Yeah. Has that been something you've had to learn how to do? Yeah, definitely. I hate confrontation. I've definitely got better at it,

but I started going to therapy when I was about 30 maybe. Yeah. And, yeah, I always hated confrontation, like, so much. And I still don't love it, but I can manage it better now and be like, can I just let you know, by the way, that this, blah-de-blah, so then led to this, and they need feel like this. So let's not do that. Or whatever, which I'm so happy saying now.

And always, you know, I'd always want to go to something if someone had invited me because I didn't want to like let them down. Whereas now I'm like, I can't go to that. Full stop. Which I don't feel guilty about which I used to always feel guilty, always go and always commit to too many things. And then I'd always be late for everything because I was trying to like get to everything to make everyone happy

or someone would say, I want to go on a holiday and I'd be like, I know someone that might be able to help you get a holiday and like get all worked up with everyone's business. And then you end up causing more of a for-a-for-all just than getting on with your own life. I find it interesting that you ended up doing a job which necessarily almost forced you to focus on other people a bit more than yourself. It was all about them. It was, I'm going to make it all right for you and we're going to promote your thing.

Yeah, we'll make you feel comfortable and your talk. Yeah. And a lot of radio is that with callers or celebrities. You're trying to make people feel at ease and make people feel welcome. Why do you think you were drawn to that? Do you think that was because there was a part of you that wasn't entirely comfortable with having all the focus on you? I think so. I think initially it was music that drew me into it that made me want to do the radio.

And so it could be around music all the time. And then I think when I started doing it, I realised how much I love talking to people and how much I love conversation. I like making people feel comfortable, yes, but also it makes me feel more comfortable speaking to other. people and here in other people's days or when I've had anxiety before or spoke to my mum about how to do with her anxiety I just think it's so much better to talk to someone else about not your anxiety but like how they're feeling like what they're up to like it sort of gets you out of your own head as well I think it serves both you and them in a nice way when you're less me me me and you were he says

do I mean though but you you started you worked for him to you originally didn't you and then you were hanging out with some amazing people in I'm fascinated by this kind of Camden collective where you'd be walking down the street and you'd see you got to know Amy Winehouse because you met her in precht and you were hanging out with people like Caroline Flack and that must have been an incredible period it was weird because I didn't think about at the time at all and then when I was writing the book and I started it's a weird thing to sit and write a book because you're sat thinking about yourself outside of your

I don't know if it's like good for you to do. It's probably quite bad for you to do. But I did it. And I was looking back on that time, it was such a mix bag of people that were all hanging around in the same pub at the same time. And then some people were famous, some people weren't. But then like one by one, everyone sort of weirdly seemed to excel in their chosen field. And you know, Henry went from working at a magazine to be in. designer and then Alexa ended up being like a TV presenter and Caroline Flack became really famous and then Aggie became a model and like I don't know all this and then Amy Winehouse was like a girl that was in the pub and she'd had that first record but she wasn't like famous famous she was sort of the underdog you know the Brits or anything

she was like um probably nominator because I need a jazzy nod and then she became obviously like really and everything sort of, I don't know, it all happened and it all seemed to be sort of based around that pub. That's how everyone knew each other and it wasn't like a celebrity hangout, it wasn't like a members club or anything, it was just like this very regular pub. But I think that's why London's good and why I loved coming to London because it wasn't just famous people hanging out in a bar that was like a member's bar drinking expensive cocktails, it was just a pub and some people did become very famous people. Some people worked on Camden Market. Some people were people that worked in the office with me at MTV. It was a proper mixture. They were all different ages and from different walks of life.

And I think London was good at that time because people were celebrated like if they were funny. You could just be funny and then you could hang out with whoever. Or I don't know, you were a good crack. It wasn't on the basis of like, oh, they've got quite a lot of followers actually and they've really been on TikTok. Like no one talked about work or, you know,

or talked about or even thought about being professional. Excuse me, Nick. Where was a dinky? I don't know. You've been crazy ever since you've got that. Look at Ray. How's he got more energy? Look at Ray.

I know. Ray's asleep. Nick, do you think you're like your dog? Are you more like pig? I'm not just saying this, but Stinky's never like this. I think it's because we're out without pig and he thinks like there should be some frantic energy. Do you know what?

He's so never like this. He's a bit like when Robbie Williams went, left take that. Yeah, he is. He's like that. He's on one. He's gone, Robbie Williams' first glastonbury post-take that. He really has. He's lost a tooth. He's on one. He's dyed his hair blonde. What is going on, Stinky? You've gone... He's mad for it.

I'm mad for it. But what I find is interesting is that you would all drawn to each other. People say, oh, isn't that weird? They all went on to be famous and successful in that field. And I think, no, that's why you were drawn to each other as people, because actually you felt there is a sense of otherness where you're doing that. Yeah, I think there was that sense of otherness, definitely, from everyone.

I think, you know, Amy aside, I don't think anyone was really from London. There's a lot of northerners, and a lot of people working jobs that they didn't really like and not had any money. So you had to do extracurricular things, and I had to DJ a lot

and I had to go out every night to make money either flyer in or DJing. So it meant you met more people, I guess. And you did, obviously, famously, you were at Radio 1 for a long time, was it 14 years? And you did the drive time and the weekend breakfast initially you did actually. And then you got giving the breakfast show, which was obviously the gig to get. And it's an interesting job to get, isn't it? Because there's built-in failure for the first few months you know.

You know you're going to drop listeners. I think that takes a lot of balls to do that. job. Were you daunted by that? Did you think, oh God, here we come? I didn't initially because I was so excited to do it and it was all I ever wanted it wanted to do. So not initially and I remember starting the show, I mean really excited about starting the show. And I remember when I did my first show about halfway through somebody who works on the show said, oh, like all these blogs are so funny and I was like, what do you mean? And they were like, oh, like the newspapers a live blog in it.

And I was like, what do you mean? And I think it was like the mirror and the Guardian like did live blogs. So it was like an update every, I don't know, minute or 30 seconds of everything I said and everyone that I spoke to and what song I'd played and what a text would say. And then when that happened, I was like,

oh, this is actually such a different type of radio show. It's so in people's lives and it's so important to people's days. And it's so in the forefront of their day. It's like morning, radio on, you're on. Whereas everything I'd done before felt quite passive. It was like nighttime radio or the weekends. People were like driving to do something nice.

I think breakfast weekday radio, you know, you set your day by it. You want to be in a good mood. You're in your shower by that time. That's what time you get in your car when they do that thing. So I remember a few years in, when we did anything changed. If we were a minute late for something, people would be like, you're late for the Knicks tape or you've done this at the wrong time and it's like, oh, we just felt like changing it today.

And they're like, you can't change it because that's what time I get in the shower. So when a DJ changes, it's like the biggest upheaval and like a massive ordeal and I'd not really factored that in when I started the job. But yeah, it's such a high pressured job. The tension you get from that job is really crazy. And in some ways it's really nice that there's always Do you want to go play?

There's always nice conversations to be had and people always want to talk and chat to you about what you said on the radio in Tesco or whatever people will always have a chat to you but then also people will always tell you if it's shit as well And are you okay with that?

Yeah I think so yeah You're quite sort of um I think that's like fair enough Do you? I always think my dad hated the Rolling Stones right And I thought if anyone could hate the Rolling Stones, then surely everyone can't like me.

Or he'd be like, Madonna's bloody rubbish. And I'm like, how can you think Madonna's rubbish? What are you talking about? So I think because I had to hear him as sort of it. And then... You know, said what he thought. I never minded criticism ever. He says that, but he went to Madonna's party with you.

He did go to under duress. Yeah, he did. Yeah, he did go to Madonna's party. He didn't want to go, but he did attend. And he didn't meet Madonna either. But he met Lindsay Lohan. He met Lindsay Lowen. He met...

Oh no, there was one bit where Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, didn't they... You and your mum and your dad have got there very early. And then Kim Kardashian and Kanye West walked in and thought you were the only people. We'd got there at the start time for a party, like 10 or whatever. But obviously no one gets to party at 10. Like when it starts, you've always got to leave an hour.

I don't know why, but we do, don't we? Like, you'd never go to a party. at the time it starts. But we did because I was with mum and dad and I had to wake up and do the radio the next day. Oh, Stinky! Sorry! Sorry!

Come here. And yeah, Kim and Kenya, I guess, because from LA, they also came at the time that the party started. So the only people that were there were my mum and dad who were like well into the 70s and Kim and Kenya. So they didn't stay long. I was very touched. What about your?

what about what your dad said because you lost your dad didn't you and i'm really sorry about that because i i know how much you loved him and i was so touched that he had said to you you did it about your radio one gig and that was almost kind of one of your final exchanges almost it was in the last sort of you know yeah it was yeah he you know he was like very encouraging as a as a as a kid of about not even doing radio, just encouraging of like, I don't have encouraging him as the right word, but he was very like, you better bloody work hard. So he was like, you've got to work hard.

Like, you've got to work hard. Like, nothing's going to happen. You've got to work hard. And because he'd sort of works his way up and works really hard and, you know, could afford to buy a house. And by a car, he thought if he could do it, anyone could do it. And because we'd had, you know, we didn't grow up in the same. circumstances that my dad did. So he was very honest to work hard and be it whatever. But when I

wanted to do radio initially he was like, bloody stupid, his pipe dream or whatever, you got of a backup plan. And then when I said to him like, no, actually I am going to do it, he was really supportive and really encouraging and super proud. And yeah, he was so happy when I got that first Sunday night slot on Radio One, he was really proud. I think he was really proud because it's like the BBC so it seemed proper, you know, it was like he'd heard of it. And yeah, he was really happy and like he reminded me of my sort of vision as a kid and like my ambition and the hard work that I put in like before he died. He was like, you always said you'd do that and did it.

I was really in bits reading about when you went to that Adele concert. It made me really cry. It's so moving. it is. I read that out to Meish and he really cried. That's the only bit that he's read. He's not read it yet. And it's basically you went, Adele was an old friend of yours and you go to this concert and you take your folks because frankly you take your folks everywhere which I kind of love. Well they took me everywhere so I thought to return the favour. Yeah but that says a lot about you to me. Right. Because I've got to be honest and you've said they come from a different world

and a lot of people, even as an adult, would have that sense of, oh God, is this going to look a bit uncool? You know, like I've got my parents and are they going to say or do the right thing? But that tells me that your relationship with your family was always more important to you than anything else. Yeah, totally, yeah.

And I'm still like that. Like, I always invite them to every party and I invite my aunties and my brother and my sister and everyone, yeah. And you went to the Adele concert and she gave them. you a shout-out yeah which is incredible was it make you feel my love that she sung she did yeah make you feel my love yeah and dedicated to me and it was yeah it was very moving very surreal weird moment I don't want to ruin it no we won't ruin it

we'll just say we'll just say it was very moving yeah but your dad responded in typical mr. Grimshaw fashion your dad's always saying things like when you got hummers What I love about your dad is he thought, he was a bit confused. He didn't like a lot of the London food and your London ways, did he? No, he still always used to be like coming up here with his bloody London ways. Okay, what's going on here? Come on, Stinks. Oh, I'll tell you what it is, Nick.

Oh, there's another dog under my leg, that's why. Nick, which way should we go? Can go back. Let's go this way. Come on. Yeah. Maybe this way, because then that lady can walk that way with her dogs. Stinking, stink.

Look at him. He honestly never is like this. I think it's because pigs not him. I can't like it. I quite like it. I love his bark. Isn't it interesting Ray only likes Stinky? Yeah. Why do you think that is? I don't know. I think Stinky like leaves him alone. I think Stinky can read energy. Like with Ray, he's like, he don't want to play. It's interesting that he's just ignoring Ray but happily chasing every other than.

He's good at reading rooms and I would too. I can read a room. I think you're probably quite good at that. Yeah, maybe. Maybe me and him are the same. I think you're probably someone who can go into a room and think that person looks a bit uncomfortable. I'm going to talk to them.

Yeah. I have done that before once when at Glastonbury, I thought someone was, I didn't know who they were and I could just tell that they were on their own. And I couldn't really work out what was going on. And it was like, two o'clock in the morning at Glastonbury, and this guy was there. And I was like, are you okay? And he was like, yeah.

And I was like, do you need a cup of tea or something? And he was like, yeah, maybe. And I couldn't really work it out. And then I made a cup of tea for him. And like, I don't know, I was treating him like, you know, he'd never been out of the house before. And it turned out it was Hamish Bowls from Vogue. And he was like there to interview someone. And he, I thought he was like, I don't know, I thought he was someone's dad or something.

So I felt like, oh no, I just felt like he looks like he just don't, like he had a shirt on and chinos. I was like, he doesn't look like he should be at Glastonbury. So I like made him look up a tig. Yeah, I do do that. I do do that. I think that's from being a DJ. I think you have to read rooms when you're a DJ.

Because, you know, you sometimes go and DJ and you don't know who's going to be there, what it's going to be like. But then also, I think that is a sort of emotional skills, charisma thing that you kind of have or you don't. And I think obviously, when I think of you, I think of someone who's, you know, I call it the norm in cheers phenomenon. Oh yeah, what's that? Which is just, you know, Cliff will come in the bar. I've been like, oh, I'm going to be like, Norm comes in.

Norm! Oh, that's nice. Thanks. Cheers. Loved cheers of a Friday night. Tell me about meeting your beautiful other half. Oh, yeah, Mishi. So, yeah, I met Misha.

I wrote about this and I said that Raymond getting some attention. Yeah. Oh, first time I see one the other day, I've been a long-cun cousin here. You are the beautiful, oh my God, darling. I've got a shitser, isn't they lovely? Oh, hey. And when I see a mini one the other day, I just wanted to scream. Oh.

Oh. Oh, look at him. Raymond. Raymond. Raymond. Raymond. Oh, Raymond. You should let stick to grow like this.

I've just seen that, yeah. Yeah, the hairdo's fab, in it. Oh, God, Ray. Oh, I'm just, I'm just right. I just learned, I'm just around. Oh, hi, you're right? Yeah, so you're like. Yeah, how you do?

Yeah, how you do? Good. You're right. This is stinky. Oh, yeah, you come. Not as one. Oh, I didn't even see you there. I was taken away by the hair there from me.

Yeah, the hair catch. Hi, bud. Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you. Lovely to meet you. Bye-bye. Raymond getting some lovely attention there. I feel really glad, no.

I feel it's been more Stinkies Day. It has, but Raymond's more subdued, isn't he? And he'll, yeah. Stinkies all in your grill. Yeah, I like to think he's sort of, he's a scene stealer in his own way. He is, yeah. He's more like if he was a movie story,

it'd be like Rachel Weiss, you know, like classy, chic and stunning, but not in your face on Instagram, you know? Just good on his own right. It's like Rachel Weiss. You see it on a red carpet and you're like, wow, I love Rachel Weiss. You've nailed it. Where a stinky.

Where stinky's like Florence Pugh. I think Stinky's more like The Rock or something. And I love Florence Pugh. Please keep that. I met her in Ibiza and she was. so fun. And not that I didn't think Florence Pue would be fun, but I didn't know it was Florence.

I just thought it was like a fun girl called Florence. And then after about two hours, I was like, she's in the films. So tell me about Mish. Oh yeah, so Mish. So I met Mish the day after I left the breakfast show. And I left the breakfast show on a Thursday, and we had a really big night on the Thursday.

day with all our friends from the radio and then on the Friday I was really hung over and my friend begged me to go out and I was like I can't and so I was so bad and she's like please please please and I said I you don't understand I can't it's it's not going to happen and she like wore me down and then I went to this club on Hackney Road and as I walking in I saw Meish and obviously I didn't know him but you know when people say like oh haven't we met before like don't I know you I didn't say that thank God but I had that in my head I was like no I know him and it was really weird like I was just like oh no I know him I really recognize him and I'd never seen him in my life and I've never really had that

feeling before where I was like oh I know him I think there's a really weird feeling and then I went inside and my friend said to me, because she was in front of me, she was like, I just saw your husband outside, I just got a weird feeling. And I was like, wait, I just had a weird feeling. And then we started chatting to him and he had the exact same experience in that he was really hung over and he didn't want to be there and his friend had dragged him there. So it's quite a weird first meeting because we both were like, hi, we don't want to be here. So we bonded over the fact that we didn't actually want to. be there and then that was it and then that was like yeah four and a I don't know four and a half

years ago something four and how lovely yeah so um yeah and Mishu's great he's really good and he's um he's a dancer when I met him and now he's doing more choreography and movement direction and stuff so he's he's a nice person to live with because he has a job that's i find really interesting so I love. Quite hot as well. Oh yeah, really hot. Don't you think? Yeah.

Tell me, Nick. Yeah. I'm going to let you go now because you've got to get back to your pig. Yeah, well, Mishy's with pig. So we've had sort of separate. Doggy days. Doggy dad days. And what do you think, if I ask Mish, what does he, what does he love most about you?

And what does he find the most challenging? I know what he finds the most challenging. I'm quite messy in that when I get something out, I can't seem to put it back where I found it. And do you know, Misha's, my dad, exactly the same. You've married your dad. Exactly the same. Has to have the same hangars,

has to have all his clothes pressed, his underpants pressed. Like, his sense of pride and order and organisation is the same as my dad. Oh my god, Stinky's in a picnic. Stinky, oh, bye. Sorry. Stinky, come here. Stinky.

Stinky. I can't tell if they like it or if they're mad. I'm like we go and get him. Come here. Sorry, guys. And so you're going to go back now. And do you, by the way, who does most around the house? Are you the cook?

I'm the cook. He loves cleaning. Like loves cleaning. Like he really enjoys it. He loves making the bed. That's handy, Nick. He loves having the curtains all organised. And I love it like that.

I just don't want to do it. Like I hate doing it. But he loves cleaning. So he's really happy that I love to cook and that he. And you do the cooking because you've got the podcast as well with the lovely Angela Hart. Yeah. So Andrea and I, we're doing some tomorrow actually.

I spoke to this morning. And she is just so fab and so much fun. I love hanging out of there. She's so much fun. And yeah, so I've been sort of watching her cook and picking up tips from her every time we record it. But she just doesn't get stressed. I don't know where we learn, like, you know,

cooking is this stressful performance piece. That it's got to be perfect. And she's like, oh, don't fucking worry about it. She's, like, really relaxed and like, don't put yourself out. Like, make something simple, that's delicious. Yes. So I've been definitely cooking more since then. Because of her. I like her because I think her manner is very, as you said, it's low stress. And also, crucially, she's funny.

She's so funny. And I think you're very drawn to those people because your dad was funny, wasn't he? Yeah, very funny. So. And she's no nonsense as well, you know. She's straight up. She does say in front of the whole crew like, how many more fucking episodes have we got to record of this? And they'll be like 16.

She's like, fucking hell. 16 and I love that she just says that to the actual producers. And we should say it's called dish, yeah. But yeah, it's been really fun. We just had Stanley Tucci on. We just had Otolengi on, David Harewood. Tomorrow we have Marcus Wearing. It's a chefy one tomorrow.

All the potions. Yeah, poshions tomorrow. So yeah, but it's a lot of fun. I love it. You go off and enjoy that and I'll be picking up dog shit. Yeah. Nick Grimshaw, I kind of knew. I had a bit of a meesh vibe about you before I met you in that I knew I was going to like you

Because I'd read your book and I felt I knew you and every page I read I thought Yes, yes, this is how I feel and I think a lot of people will feel the same I hope so because at the beginning of the book it's interesting you show it I don't want to give too much away as you say but you show it to a friend of yours And he gives you some incredible advice when you're writing it and he says why is it important and I remember I won't say what he said, but I found, I think for me it was important because it was really a lesson in how the more you, the more vulnerable you make yourself, the bigger the reward because the more likable and lovable you are. Yeah, totally. And I think I learned that a few times in my life and talk about that a few times in the book of the, either words of wisdom from friends or stuff I'd realized through work, but definitely the case. I read that book and I thought I really like him Oh I'm glad you liked it

That makes me really happy Nick, thank you And I really urge everyone I urge everyone to get soft lad Because it's so brilliant Nick, have you enjoyed meeting Raymond? I loved meeting Raymond I wish I had Raymond

Really do I really want a third dog Raymond Say goodbye Is that what I get for coming on the podcast Because sometimes on a dish We give people like a bit of food I should get a dog

I really hope you enjoyed listening to that and do remember to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes