Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Nikita Kuzmin (Part Two)

Episode Date: May 7, 2026

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Nikita Kuzmin, the conversation moves from the Strictly spotlight to what really drives him, his discipline, his love of dance, and the mindset that’s taken him from training as a child to performing on some of the biggest stages in the UK.There’s also more of Mabel, who is clearly being trained to an exceptionally high standard, and Ray doing his best to keep up with proceedings.If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you want to see Nikita live, his brand new show Supernova is touring the UK this June and July. Tickets and dates are available at https://nikitasupernova.uk.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to part two of Walking the Dog with the wonderful Nikita Kuzman and his Chihuahua Mabel. If you want to go and see Nikita live in his upcoming dance tour Supernova, you can book your tickets now by Nikitasupernova. Really hope you enjoy part two of our walk and do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Nikita and Mabel and Ruiway. If I was on Strictly, I'd definitely want you as my partner. Let's do it. Because I just think I like your energy. Well, I'm quite calm.

Yeah, you are. I'm chaotic when I'm on live tele. Just because I get excited. Yeah. I love live live television so freaky much. But generally in training sessions, I'm very calm. Very, very calm. I think just the celebs need, you know, they need their time.

They're doing a brand new thing, a brand new skill that have never done before. Yeah. I think they deserve all the love and just attention and patience and you know Because they're more nervous than us Yeah, way more nervous So you ended up going to Germany mm-hmm and You would we it right that you were doing German strictly I did it for one year So you must have been so thrilled when you got that gig

I was definitely happy, but to be honest, I didn't I was not planning on Maybe I'll leave it. I was not planning on doing telly. That was just to try to do something different. I mean, it was COVID year, so it was just everything was a bit in chaos and I was just doing something that I've never done before. I used to quite ignore television world as a whole together. You didn't really want to be famous then?

No, I'm not trying to be famous now. But what I mean is... Famous is such a... It's famous is such a terrible word. You can say well known. Why don't you like famous? I'm interesting. I think famous is just like, what is really famous?

Who is famous? You know what I mean? Then you start doing lists and then it's just like, I don't believe, I think it's crap. Really? People are people. Every single person is a person. Like, you know what I mean?

I'm just a person who is known because they're lucky enough to be on a telly, on a TV show which people watch. You know what I mean? It's not deeper than that. It's not way deeper than that. Do you sometimes feel self-conscious of being, because strictly does catapult you to a different level

in terms of people recognize you, don't you? Hello. People do. It's a dog, yes. A black what? Black cloth. Do you know, he does look like a black cloth, doesn't he? He looks like a towel, doesn't he?

Can we keep his sense, please? Do you think he looks like a black cloth? Do you? I think he looks adorable. What do you think of her? What does she look like? A brown dog? Whereas my dog, Raymond, looks like a black cloth.

Do you want to say hello to the black cloth? Yeah, I'm not going to. This is so funny. He's very friendly. You're going to stroke him. There you go. Does he bite? No, he doesn't bite.

He never barks either because me and my friend, we're both very good dog owners. We don't let our dogs bark. No, you say she's got to bark now, probably. He's going to go and we and bark. All right, let's go baby. It's very nice to meet you. Loveless to meet you mate. Do you want to high five?

Do you want to high five? Okay, I got a high five myself. Does he make you two? Can you high five? Yeah, I can do that. I don't want, otherwise it gets like me hanging. Um, um, um, some, um, um, some, um, um, something. kind of ish I am in some kind of YouTube videos but not really he's on

I'm not I'm not as popular as the YouTube guys unfortunately he's a dancer is on strictly come dancing I wiggle my bum bum for a living really is a what you mean I didn't say anything in full life he's a dancer he's a professional dancer I just dance and you probably seen you like dancing not now I'm sorry I am kind of I'm off dearie. This child is just to show me your dance. What are you, some kind of Pharaoh?

I love you. I love you. You're brilliant. What a great personality you have. What's your name? Toby. Lovely to meet you. I'm Nikita. It's been so nice to meet you.

Nikita is. Nikita. Yeah? It's been lovely to meet you, Toby. You're not giving us any money? Oh, it's okay. We're doing more. No money for you.

No money. Shame. Are we rich? No, we're not rich. We're not rich. Well, I'm not sure. I'm not saying it for myself. You like these puppies?

Do you know what? Oh yeah, yeah, be careful. It's okay, Mabel, it's okay, baby. I might pick the black one up. Right, this has been so entertaining. Yes, she just gets really scared of things. She's a puppy, you see? Very slowly.

You see? It goes very slowly. Yeah. There's a good. There you go. It's lovely to meet you guys. Thank you. And the black cloth.

It was so nice to meet you. Lovely to meet you. Thank you. Bye-bye. Where's the legs? They're hanging off. We've got to do some work now, but it was lovely to meet you. Lovely to meet you.

Thank you. They're walk. Yes, they walk. Bye. Bye, bye, guys. See you. Bye bye bye bye bye. Love to meet you.

What a fabulously eccentric characters. characters. When he called my dog a black cloth and what did I like? It's when he just turned around. Why does he look like a black cloth? And then he said, it's such a funny way to start a conversation. What I like, I mean, it's, it's stranger than, it's stranger than some dates I've had. It's when he said, are you rich? And I thought, do you know what? I mean, it's a fair. It's reasonable. You know, kids, they ask the best questions. Yeah, they have no filter. They're just going to say whatever they think, you know.

He said, are you rich? What was the other thing he said? Do you make YouTube videos? Yeah. Make YouTube videos. And you went, well, in a sort of, you know. Oh, look, he's all excited. He's screaming.

I think he's got excited. He thought, um, so, we were talking about fame. And I... My turn, we tell. Oh, yeah. Let's go. We were talking about fame and obviously getting that gig in, um, strictly Germany. Yeah.

There was more of just me trying something new, but I think that was the first time. There was probably the first time when I actually realized there is more to live than just doing the same, same thing all the time every single day for the last 24 years of your life. Yeah. So I kind of just thought, wow, I actually had fun without, you know, without everything. any kind of like repercussions or that I just had fun and I for the first time while I did you do well in the Germany strip me I did terrible I did terrible absolutely terrible why but you're so good oh no no no I was a disaster class you're kidding me absolutely terrible and I deserve to be terrible I because honestly I thought too much of myself

I thought that I'm going to be a young kid who's going to come to this German show show everybody what's up. Yeah. But I don't think I understood that that's not exactly how things work. That just because you are all right at dancing at that point, you can't just come to a new field which have no expertise, no knowledge, and just rock the world, you know? So I got taught a lesson.

Did you, Nikita? Yeah, and I'm forever grateful, because if I wouldn't have been taught that lesson there, I would have been taught this lesson here. But quite humiliating being taught that lesson on TV, no? Yeah, maybe I didn't really like like it, but again, I didn't think too much about it. I was just loving it. I was just loving life.

So, you know. And then you get the call to come on strictly. Yeah. UK. That must have been quite an exciting moment. I think it was a really, really exciting moment, but I didn't have a single clue of what it really meant. Did you not? You just thought it was another franchise.

No, I knew the show. Oh, I knew, like, I knew the dancers because I've seen it before so many times, but I didn't understand the scale. How? Because it's huge in this country, I didn't. I just thought I'm just, what strictly is in this country is, it's, it's just amazing. It's nowhere else a TV show is, has such a cultural impact in some way, you know what I mean? Like if you say to any person here, everybody knows it. Yeah. Anyone knows it. And I think it's like, we're, like, we. We are so, so lucky to be on this show. We are so lucky. Like, we are so lucky.

That's a very coveted spot, though. What do you mean? Getting on that show, being a pro on, a strictly pro, is a very coveted spot, isn't it? Definitely. You need to, listen, you need to be in the right place, the right time. Yeah, and also. Yeah, but I'd be jealous of you if I was a dancer,

if I was another dancer that didn't get it. Well, that's none of my business. I actually love him. Well, I want to talk to you a bit about Strictly, but before we do, I just, I want to skip straight to your tour. We need to mention because I'm so excited about this. Yeah, so am I. I'm definitely going to come. I can't wait.

Where are you going to come? Do you want to come? In London, you want to come somewhere else. Where are you? I was already sorting out the tickets. You see, I love this about him. Oh, of course I will sort it. Will you?

Yeah, why not? my fancy sequins on. Do you get a lot of women there? You've got a lot of women audience. I think, well, I think generally the majority of strictly audience is female. It is, isn't it? Yeah. Most of my audience are female as well. Is it? Yeah. That's why this is perfect for you, this podcast. You know what? You know what's the funny part about it though? It is female, but just because the female are recognized that they're watching the show with the man, they kind of pretend, they pretend that they don't watch it and it's like I'm like why

why are you pretending like when they come they come to me for a picture and say oh it's for my wife it's like oh yeah it's for my mom or something but you came here so you know me just just say it

you don't need to say you love me or you love the show you need to like I don't need all that I'm like all right cool we're just going to take a picture yeah but I don't know if you're sitting all together there's five of you or like four of you or two of you you're watching it together

Yeah, but Nikita, bear in mind. You're someone who's very comfortable with your masculinity, but I think a lot of men, I've noticed men, sometimes, particularly an older man, like a businessman type. He'll see Ray, and he'll go, oh, how cute. And I see him looking, and then he goes, very silly, silly dog. What? Because it's almost like he's embarrassed that he thought the dog was cute.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you know what I mean? They can't admit, actually. You can't admit emotion, yeah. I felt seven years old and it was really sweet. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know exactly. So I think that's the same thing with Strickley.

He can't say, they can't say, oh, I love Strickley. No, but I laugh about it every time. Like, okay, I just say, yeah, sure. No problem. Say hi to your mum or say hi to your wife or whatever it is. So taught me through the tour and what the show, what we can expect from this. Well, I think I'm just, you know why I'm so excited about it? It's because we should say what it's called first.

Well, it's called Supernova. Yeah, which is amazing. Which is basically an explosion of a star. and yeah I'm working finally with Bend the Floor which I've been always wanted to work with and they're the touring and production dance company right yeah he do a lot of strictly and especially I'm working with Jason Gilkison who is literally a legend a genius yeah he's our main choreographer on strictly come dancing and yeah he's just the man and to be having him on my tour as the director and choreographer it's just epic plus I've got the dances which I wanted

Did you personally? Yes, this year we didn't do like a proper casting. We actually asked specifically the dancers that we really wanted. Are you quite stricter? You like Madonna. Have you ever seen that Madonna film? Which one? Oh, you should watch it. You'd love it. It was called In Bed with Madonna, but it was called Truth or Dare.

Right. You've got to watch it. I'll watch it. I love Madonna's relationship with her dancers. Right. Why have you learned? I'm not sure why. I'm not sure it's like the same kind of thing. Oh, I don't think we're...

on the same level. I would love to. You and Lauren need to watch this. No, but what I mean is that they bonded a lot. On that tour, you realize how bonded they were. Oh, absolutely. You know? Listen, I've just seen this guy a couple of times.

This guy's a couple of times and I freaking loved them. They do things that I could never imagine to do. Really? Oh, they are so good. They are so good. Like, I'm looking forward. Tomorrow I'm rehearsing with them. I'm looking so much forward.

just to that just to those rehearsals moments and then obviously on the show they'll be just outstanding yeah everything about it is just somehow I got myself in this lucky position where things somehow worked out for the show and things didn't just somehow worked out you worked hard no obviously did but honestly to get to this stage where I can have the director and choreographer that I won I can have the dances that I really want and I get the production company I get the costumes which I really freaking wish for. And we're now producing this absolutely fantastic show. I just, I just, I simply, I pinch myself every day

because I cannot understand how did I get myself on this position. Obviously there is so much support and so much love. And yeah, I'm just eternally grateful because you need to appreciate those things because they are not forever, you know. And how long are you on tour for? So will Lauren your girlfriend, will she come and see you? You'll definitely come and see me.

But is she used to it, presumably, that you accept, in that line of work she gets that there's lots of travel and you know, you sometimes, you can't spend every minute and every day with each other because you're both working, you know? It's still very hard. Obviously, she is extremely understanding because this line of work is not for everybody,

especially to be a partner or somebody who could ask this. And we are with our strictly partners so much, of the time and then we go on tour and then it's really hard to understand but she's generally she's the best yeah because that's the thing with those but again work is work you know of course and those partnerships on strictly it's the time thing isn't it it's just because you are with the you have to put those hours in whether you're late or whoever it's like you have to and how many hours a day when you're partnered with someone so let's say with latent or something i think what we have i think a limit of nine or terms something like that when you say a limit what do you mean in terms of you can't go over that

No, no, obviously we can't. Just simply because we still have stuff to record. Everybody still needs to get a rest. So you meet early in the morning. Yeah, always start at 9. And do you always know when you get a partner? Because I'm interested, do you get, is it a blind date thing? Do they introduce you and then you think like a speed dating thing, like who you get on with? We do have sort of a speed date.

We call Circles Day where we kind of like all dance together and they kind of see who interacts with whom, like what is the best way to kind of just like, I think that day is mostly for height, but realistically, the most important thing is characters, because when characters match, then everything is quite easy. When characters do match, then obviously because you need to spend so much time in the room together, then things tend to be quite much harder, you know. It must be a really nice feeling there when you get partner with someone. You think that is exactly the person I wanted. Yeah, no, definitely yes.

But again, you make, you adapt to me, make things work. Somebody might be a quicker learner, somebody may be a slower learner. You always make everything work. Can you tell, who's an interesting thing? Go on. So Gary Lineker, you know the footballer who's been on this podcast, Gary Lineker says he can sort of tell when he sees like a young guy playing football, a kid, he can tell within two seconds whether they're going to,

they've got what it takes. just from the way they kicked that first ball. Can you tell the minute someone starts dancing whether... Are we talking about now strictly or general? Well, I suppose strictly and general because when you say for the first time, right, let's see you dance or whatever, can you sort of tell innately,

are you thinking, yeah, I think you've got sort of rhythm, you can move your hips, you can move in time to the music. Is it easy to tell when you're as expert as you are? I think well as in a professional field so we're talking about competition and everything you can definitely tell really you can definitely tell something what you love to call talent yeah you can tell me if somebody has that something special something different yeah and that mostly comes to be honest if that kid is not afraid to be to be himself yes it is and that comes mostly from that so if the parents have been really encouraging

and if the kid has that kind of mentality and from all the factors in life not just the parents of coaches, then they're going to have it. I know strictly because we are talking about already people not so young anymore, there is nobody under a team at least. We're talking to people all ages. There you can definitely tell because, well, these people have at least danced before, at least had a buggy. So you can tell, you can just tell, even you can tell.

You know, like anybody who is not professional dancer can tell in that case. Not as well as you would be able to tell that. Well, I would think, all right, what can I do next? How much can I say? How much can I do? How can I go around certain things? Yeah, like, you're right. If I'm watching friends dance, you can tell you.

I can see if a friend of mine just, it's just a weird thing about moving your body in a certain way. Yeah, coordination. Yeah, coordination. Yeah. So I could, I could tell the difference between a friend that had coordination and didn't, I suppose. Well, but that's really how. I hope so. But not like you.

Because also what you. you're looking for as well you just said something really interesting that I can see that one of the most important factors would actually be someone who's unafraid to express themselves absolutely because maybe that's one of the biggest problems is you can get someone who's talented or coordinated but really inhibited and lacks confidence that's quite a hard one confidence you can really build it that's going to be all right well positive reinforcement what do you say I'm dancing with you Did it?

And then you got, I do it wrong? What do you say? No, it's all right. It's all right. Don't worry about it. It's okay. Oh, I feel like trying. There was just the first time and you just started it.

You know what I mean? Like you can have, you can have so, you can explain the same thing with a positive meaning a billion times. But as well, you need to always remember. Most people react better, especially when they're not professional athletes. And even in that case, with positive reinforcement. You say something positive and then you say the little criticism but put in it soft a way. The shit sandwich?

Yes. That's what we call it. The shit sandwich. Do you know that expression? I do know that expression. But I think more like more than that it's more like good coaching. But yeah. I say shit.

Shit sandwich is good as well. Nikita and his shit sandwich. You do good accents, don't you? What you mean? No. Well you do like do me a cockney accent. I can't do a cockney accent. Here you come.

I don't know what is. You tell me something in Cockney and I'll try to replicate it. All right, how are you doing? All right, man. How are you doing? It doesn't sound like that. Do you do Scouse? No, I don't know.

I do understand it though because I lived what in Liverpool for a couple of months. I should hope so. It's not bloody Ukrainian. It's hard. I do understand it. When I used to live in Liverpool, Why did you live there? Because I danced with Sam.

So I used to live there for a couple of months. couple of months. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Yeah, so when I dance with Sam Quack, Sam Quack, we should say, yeah. Yeah, Sam Quack. I used to sometimes go to this favorite salad place, really great place, like a big portion, very cheap, still pretty here, but then sometimes used to have such a thick Scouse accent that I really struggle, like boots a lot, it's just impossible, like really harsh. Really hard. I like, can I say the kids in this part of the world and we're in South London

are the best children I've ever met? She just said the ducks are old. The ducks are old. I mean, I don't know who I prefer. The ducks are old. What did the other one say? Black cloth? Black cloth is a dog.

Black cloth. So, what do you feel sometimes when you're working on strictly? Yeah. As I say, I had the wonderful. Layton on this podcast, my fave. Yes. And we talked a bit about how he got a bit of stick initially. Oh, therefore, therefore, therefore.

He did. It was people sort of saying, oh, but it's unfair and, you know, you shouldn't be doing that. And, you know, Leighton's so great because he deals with it so brilliantly. He's that, look, darling, how can I help it? I'm so fabulous. But it's hard, you know. I think he did deal with really well, but I still think, you know, for us during the show,

because obviously I get extremely defensive on my partner. So for us during the show we were like, all right, so we can see that some people are really encouraging, but there was a lot of negativity around it. And we didn't realize how much love was out there up until we didn't do the strictly live tour. And when we did the live tour, we were like, oh, people actually don't maybe hate us.

Like, you know, there is actually a lot of love. And that's when we realized, and we started speaking to people like, yeah, yeah, like we love. you love your art of the tango, we loved your moulin Rouge Pasadouble. We were like, okay, wow. So we did something and then, you know, like, as a bunch of like boys came to us and, or man and they, you know, like it helped me so much seeing or their representation

and all those beautiful things and we're like, oh gosh, this is big. Like this, we, like, without trying to do something, we actually did something. And I think that's where you, like, you were talking about characters which match. Yeah. we just matched. We were in the right time of life for each other, where we understood each other at every single point, and still today,

like we still are supporting each other in every single way. And you had a similar thing when you worked with Amber, didn't you? Yeah, yeah. But in Amber's case, it was even more. I'm not sure what is it about it? Or even when I, well, even when I know, I don't want to even say it out loud, because it just makes me upset

because Amber is such a good girl and she worked so hard. And she came in, we should say, right at the, I mean, it was literally, couldn't have been more last minute. If you got nothing good to say, just say nothing, you know what I mean? It's just, it's just such a, I'm, I'm, I still am upset about, like, how certain people. The way she was treated?

Yeah, well, you know, obviously on the show, everybody gave lots of love to Amber, but like all of these comments and all of the negativity from people when she's just trying to do her job she's just trying to do what she's been well asked to do she literally saved the show in the way that without her I wouldn't have a partner and there would be one less couple in the final already so like there would be also not as many good dancing you know like she was a brilliant dancer so she gave a lot of just spectacular routines you know you've done what on the partners

front on the show. You have. They've been lucky as well. They've got the best one. So what? We are all good. We're all good. How do you deal with it, Nikita, if someone cries in a...

I would cry probably at some point. What you mean? People cry all the time. Do they? When they're trying to learn things. It's frustrating sometimes. And I cry as well. Do you cry?

Of course. I cry a lot. What would you cry about? Just it's like if I'm frustrated, I didn't do a good enough routine or I'm really stressed or I'm watching an emotional movie. or I don't know anything. I mean, and sometimes the, but the comments as well. Hi.

Yeah, hi. I remember, I went to the show. We went to the show. In the O2? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lovely to meet you girls. Nikita's fan base continues to grow, but he won't admit that he's famous

because he doesn't like fame. Well, you don't... I think, you know what? You can say, like, Tom Cruise is famous. That's fame. I don't know if it's just Tom Cruise though I mean that's quite a high bar because I mean you do get recognised a lot

yeah yeah we do get recognised but it's you can say well known good afternoon Mr MacPai oh you said hello to the Magpie are you superstitious oh so superstitious is that Ukrainian thing it's just a me thing is it

you know it's very difficult to say Ukrainian Italian German How do you know? You're a mixture. I'm a mixture of the product that is just of the environment. Mesa worldwide. Can we talk about your amazing grandmother? Yes.

Because there was something extraordinary that I found so moving, which was obviously, you know, the conflict in Ukraine, and we should say, is still going on. Absolutely, it's still going on, yeah. And your wonderful grandmother, you must have been very worried. about her. No, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because she was over there when war initially broke out. And she did something amazing, didn't she? She managed to get out. Yeah. She reached the Polish border and didn't she walk? At that time she couldn't, basically couldn't walk. She, yeah,

it's a very long story, but she couldn't walk and because we had a limited time to get her out of there because before things were well escalate really badly and they're still escalating every single day but yeah she's just she's just the best obviously me and my mom like five miles or something she walked so far away in the snow the bus dropped them out and then on the border and then they had to walk all the way to the border and then my mom and I picked her up from the other side in Poland. That must have been so emotional.

Oh, it was beautiful. It's just the fact that, you know, like just the fact that she's alive. Like, it's, like, at a certain point, stuff like this puts things in perspective, you know? Yeah, I see what you mean. We are so stressed about a lot of things. Yeah.

And then stuff like this happens, and you think, oh, all right, maybe your stress. It's not the actual stress, you know. Maybe there are things 20 times bigger and you don't even are considering them, you know? Yeah. How lovely that you have such a lovely relationship with her. She's the best.

I mean, she, I grew up a lot with her, you know. Did you? Why? Well, when my parents used to work and between school, I used to spend a lot of time with her. She used to cook for me, sit on me up, until I do my whole homework. I just, not sit on me, but you know what I mean?

Make sure that I finish my homework. Yeah. So, yeah. She used to cook those biscuits together. We used to cook cakes together. I used to cook so many things together, to be honest. Well, it was such a lovely. She's just the best, honestly.

It was so moving that. And it was also a lovely end to that story, thank God. Oh my gosh, yes. You know? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I'll just wait for that silly billy to finish. Oh. Go away, helicopter, helicopter.

Go away. What do you think? If I asked your mum or Lauren, people close to you, Yeah. What would they say is your worst quality? Worst quality? Yeah. Hmm.

Worst quality. Maybe that I don't rest. rest. I am over overly kind of just ambitious that much that I miss a lot of moments in life that actually do matter. I don't like to stop. I don't like to...

You don't stop and smell the flowers enough. Yeah, exactly that. Yeah, I think... And there's nothing to do like more with people otherwise they would just say it's more for for myself, for me to just enjoy, you know? Yeah. The things which are already here. Yeah. the things which are kind of just beautiful. But generally, I'm working on it quite a lot. You don't, you strike me as quite even temper then. You're not, you don't lose your, what makes you grumpy?

Grumpy, oh, just waking up in the morning. Does it? Oh, yeah, up until I have my espresso, the world, life cannot start. Generally, I need my espresso, like, I wake up, I go downstairs. It's the first thing I do every single morning. Are you quite good at, oh, maybe I was found a football. Lamele, that's the sweetest thing. Are you quite good at confrontation?

If you have to ring your agency, or, you know, there's something to do with the show or just something you need to iron out, are you quite good at... Yeah. Are you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get straight to the point. I quite like that, don't you? I think it's just a waste of time otherwise. It's not very rich a show.

I don't feel comfortable. No, no, no, no, you guys don't like it. Well, that's why I've had to teach myself. I'm much more direct than I use. to be. Yeah, you just got to get to the point. But you also, I think what I do try to do here, I just try to be a little bit more polite with it again. Just in other countries, you can just be direct with saying what you're saying. Yeah, you can't really do that. In Britain, here you are more, you have to kind of just not sugar-coated, but just be a little bit softer, explain yourself

a bit better because otherwise people think you're just rude. So you've had to learn that with the dancing, I bet, as well. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Because you're having to say, no, that's not right. You might have to say, that's great. No, yeah, but again, in that way, it's just better coaching. It just made me a better dance teacher, to be honest. Better at what you do. Well, I'm so excited to come and see you on tour.

I can't wait. Honestly, I have to say, what a thoroughly lovely chap you are. No, thank you. Thank you. And your dog is adorable. Yeah, she's the best. She really is. And do you know what?

It doesn't surprise me that you are so good at teaching her manners and discipline. We try over. She's my kid. I have to. You know what I mean? I don't have a choice. Be careful. Well, you do have a choice because some people don't discipline their dogs and they're horrible to be around.

Yeah, that's... You know what I mean? Yeah, but you know, like, I never knew that you have even puppy classes or you need to teach all those things. But then once I understood that there's so much. much better for her. Yeah, so much better. Now I'm just obsessed with training her in every way. Do you know what?

The longer I... The more time I spend around dogs, I realize dogs always reflect their owners. Very true. Maybe. So if you have a wild out of control lunatic... Yeah, don't say like maybe because I'm not sure she's going to

be... I would say Maple is very used. She's bursting with energy she's friendly she's warm she's got a hell of a lot of energy to burn off she does but you know what she's also very obedient and disciplined yeah unless she sees a naked man for some reason we don't like the naked man she loves them this has been so fun Nikita no thank you I've absolutely loved it was really really great chat thank you so much I like the way you say much much yeah that sounds kind of

What does it sound like? That's northern. It sounds northern. Do you pick up some northern from people? I pick up anything. I pick up anything, like whatever accent I'm around. Do you? Yeah.

Thank you so much. Yeah. I can still say thank you so much. Thank you so much. I love thank you so much. Because I don't know anymore how to say it. Makita, it's been such a joy getting to spend this time with you. And I love meeting Mabel.

And I think not only are you my favorite dancer. you're also the best dog owner. You know what, that's a bigger compliment than actually being a dancer. Is it? Yeah, you're kidding me. I try so hard to be a good dad and you never know if you're doing well or not, you know?

Oh, there we see him, there we go. So, yeah, I'll take that compliment. Thank you so, so much. You seem very well-rounded. And I think your mum and dad did a very good job. So please give them my... compliments. I owe them everything and I'll be forever be grateful but yeah thank you so much I really appreciate it. Give them my compliments but also while you're there can you ask them why

the hell did they call you Nikita because we need to know oh yeah that's what we started with isn't it. Come here buddy okay it's time to go home I got a row thank you so so much it's really a pleasure today really say goodbye to ray oh yes hold on bye guys bye ray lots of love to everybody Bye-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.