Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Rosie Holt (Part Two)

Episode Date: June 13, 2024

Join Emily and Raymond back in London’s Battersea Park for the second part of our walk with the brilliant comedian Rosie Holt. Rosie tells us all about her overnight viral success after she started posting online as Rosie Holt MP - and what it was like to write a parody book entirely in character. She also explains what it’s like to have people believe your comedy character is real, and how she handles pile-ons and misogyny online. Why We Were Right by Rosie Holt MP is out on 20th June. Pre-order your copy here!Rosie’s podcast NonCensored is available now on all podcast platformsFollow Rosie on Instagram @rosieisaholt and keep up with all things Rosie at rosieholt.co.ukYou can listen to Emily and Raymond’s walk with Jamie Demetriou from September 2020 here!Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to part two of my chat with the wonderful Rosie Holt. And if you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, please do. Also, I really recommend you pre-order a copy of her book, Why We Were Right, by Rosie Holt MP, because it's really hilarious. And while you're at it, I'd love it if you subscribe to Walking the Dog. Here's Rosie and Ray Ray. So the clip that went viral with you as the MP...

Yeah. Was essentially... It was a Sue Gray... parties and my MP was saying, I don't know whether I was at one of the lockdown parties and I won't know until Sue Gray tells me and until Sue Gray tells me then I can't say whether I was at a party. It's like, yeah, I can't remember all of it. It's like there's a party in the forest but no one's there. But Sue Gray is not in the forest? Then is there a party? And it went, yeah, it went really viral.

It had sort of seven million views. And a lot of, a lot of sort of well-known people thinking it was real. So, A.C. Grayling and Philip Paulman said he was aghast. And like Henry Bolton, the ex-view kit. He said this is appalling that MPs are able to behave this way and say these kind of things. So, yeah, then. That was when things really, really changed. I think at the time, we have Boris Johnson's MPs coming out on TV

all the time defending some pretty awful things, not just Partygate, but also, I remember when they decided they weren't going to give kids to free school meals and all these things. And I just found it awful, but also innately really funny because it was like they were all playing an improv game where someone had gone before, right, you need to defend this indefensible. thing and you need to do it you need to do it now and you've got two minutes go and so

that's kind of what I want the basis with all of those sketches was thinking god if you're thinking right I've got to defend this government I think for me why your videos have been so successful and why it's led to this well essentially this whole new sort of career in a sense for you I think what separates your videos from a lot of the other stuff I see you know on TikTok and Instagram those satirical videos and you do that thing you splice them

with the actual footage so you do them very well but the thing that really separates them I think is honestly your performance and I think it's how believable they are and how sort of authentic and plausible they are

and I wonder if that does have to do with your acting training that actually you're not sort of in a sense because you're not going intentionally for big laughs because it's kind of funnier that you're playing it straight.

Yeah. Oh, thank you. Yes, I think, yeah, I think it probably does. Also, I think for me, that's just fun. It's just funnier. I think also I've always liked, I've always been quite a good mimic. And I think it started really as me mimicking the way there's MPs have a kind of blank expression as they try to pivot from some terrible thing

to a different terrible thing. So yeah that was kind of the starting point with it So yeah I think because I found the reality of it funny That's what I tried to bring in to the performance I guess A lot of people who do character-based comedy Yeah For example I had Jamie Demetri on this podcast I know you were both fans of

And I think a lot of people who become character comedians Have found they've got a real talent for performing Yeah But there is something in them which is innately introvert or maybe doesn't want to give away everything about themselves. And that becomes quite a useful screen in a way, that there's a separation between who you are when you perform and who you are off stage. Is that something you like? Do you think that appeals to the sort of slightly more introverted side of you? Well, actually, I think what's interesting about it was yes and no.

So I think I'm not an introverted person now and I'm not a private person really. But when I used to do stand-up, I did stand-up as me. And at first it felt really cathartic because I'd sort of talk about terrible dating stories and things like that. But then I actually got to a point where I thought, this is horrible. This is making me feel horrible. To begin with, it felt great

because you're saying something embarrassing and everyone's laughing and you feel like, oh, we're not alone. But then it got to the point where I thought, actually I feel like I'm laughing and getting people to laugh at, things in my life that actually are making me really sad. And before the, a bit of, I think about a year before the pandemic, I'd kind of stopped doing stuff.

I was doing quite well at it. And I kind of got to various finals of stand-up new act competitions. And I kind of went, actually, this is not making me happy at all. And then it helped that things started happening with the acting again, like this crown jewel job. What I find so great about doing character, character comedy and same with doing character comedy on stage is you want you want sort of putting yourself out there in the same same way you do have a

character to hide it behind and I think I prefer that actually I mean I don't sorry I'd never go back to doing stand-up as myself but I like the freedom of a character even actually I mean you know my characters say some terrible things on stage and that's really fun You can't do that as yourself. Because everybody accepts that you're playing a terrible character who's saying terrible things. I think that's really smart of you to come to that conclusion

that I think whenever a woman, for example, laughs at her size. You know, I used to do it, Rosie. Laugh at my terrible dating life. Laugh at this, laugh at that. You are punching down on yourself. Yeah. And it is, yes, you're completely, you're punching down on yourself.

And you're inviting everyone else to take it here. And I kind of used to do it a lot. And it becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Yeah. I would say this stuff. And I, and it's funny we say about it being a self-fulfilling prophecy, because it's a bit like, do you ever listen to Esther Perel? Yeah.

Yeah. Because I love about what she says, how as humans, we're always trying to make narratives for ourselves and our relationships. And often what happens, with relationships as you people get stuck into narratives like, well, he's a slob and I work too hard and I'm the no fun one

and all this kind of thing and how actually they're not always true and it's a bit like that. We're all, I think if you're making jokes about yourself you're also trying to, you're also making a narrative about yourself right that you're asking everyone to buy into.

So I always say it's the spice girl persona that in any family you get kind of given it so what they've said about you. So my family, it was like, Emmy's a show off. Yeah. What would they have said? Rosie is. Well, in fact, I'm exactly what they'd say because my brother, my older brother once complained.

He said that mum's, you know, mum and dad, they've kind of have all these things of what we are. And he said, you're the open one. That's what he said. You're the open one. Because I tell everybody too much. And everyone were going, we don't want to know this. So that's, I think I was the one who just was honest and couldn't hide my feelings very well. My dad always used to say you could tell exactly what I was feeling.

I want to talk about your brilliant book, which I've just read, and I genuinely really loved it, Rosie. Thank you. Well, I'm going to hand over the floor to you because I can't, you know, it's your train set. It's called Why We Were Right, and it's written by my Tory MP. but that's secretly written by me. But she shares your name. She shares my name, which was never the plan. But the problem is when I started posting MP does this on Twitter,

people would just go, resign Rosie Holt. So they kind of decided that my name was hers. So, yeah, so it's why we were right. And my MP basically trying to convince everyone why actually, in the last few years, every scandal that the Tory Cup party has been part of, were actually really unfair because they were really good things. So every chapter, since the chapter of why we were right about Brexit and why we were right to party through lockdown.

And it's basically Book of Tory excuses is what it is. But it was so much fun to write. I loved it. It's quite a challenge, I imagine, writing a book, you know, a book about in character, remaining in character throughout. I'd always go through a sort of period with it where, at the start every time I had to do a new chapter I'd kind of go

I kind of go I can't do it oh my god and I had for about three days doing nothing but panicking and then once I got into it I'd really enjoy it but yeah in terms of keeping character it was quite fun getting her to flash to flesh her out actually because before she knew she died for being sort of two minute bits on

screen or when I have her on stage she's still sort of it's still fairly limited she's not going to reveal things so much about her private life and I liked being able to talk about her husband Craig yes and her dog she has a dog as well who's got some British bulldog in him of course

oh hello darling you see when I see a lab I feel safe I love a lab I love a lab you know where you stand yeah you do you do well I absolutely loved it and I think it's such a brilliantly written book and comedy delivers the

point so much better than if you'd have written a book as you saying, you know, I'm assuming your politics are left, you know. So right, if you'd have written a book saying why I think things need to change. I don't think it would have hit home, for me personally anyway, in quite the same way. It's funny, I think it's because it's very much to have that I'm like that. Like, I think it's a failing of mind that I'm always quite repulsed by things that are too earnest. So I think it's easier for me to try and find the humour in something. I mean, I used to get told off about it at drama school.

What, what would they say? They said that I was, one teacher said I was a sad clown. You need to hide behind my humour. And I remember when I was a subject saying I didn't have to turn everything into a funny story. And it's terrible. That's exactly what I've. ended up doing. Not heeded their advice at all.

Why do you think you do that? I don't know. I think I've just always done. I don't know. I think it's just always been, even if something like really horrible happens to me, I usually try and think about how I will make it entertaining if I'm telling someone.

I mean, I'm not, you know, I'll still kind of, I'm not going to be like making a joke of five seconds. But I'm definitely thinking about it in that way. And I'm not sure why that is. It's interesting, isn't it? Yeah. Are you a people pleaser? Oh, yeah.

I'm getting in a big way. I think that's why I like dogs, because they're quite easy to please, aren't they? As long as you give them a lot of attention. How do, are you something you're aware of when you're fighting against? How does it manifest itself in your daily life? I am trying to fight against it. I mean, it's kind of like what we were talking about before

in that I have to make quite a conscious effort because my natural thing is if someone does something I don't like or I don't agree with in a work set, my natural thing is to go, oh yeah, no, that's fine, don't worry about it. And actually what's nice about the last few years as I've got more confident in what I'm doing and my product, I'm a lot better at standing up for myself.

But I still have to watch myself all the time. I get myself into situations where I think, why am I working this project with this person? I just did because they asked me and I didn't know how to say no. And the other thing I have to watch that I do in emails is I realise I say I think a lot in the emails. So I'm like sort of trying to soften everything I'm asking for. So I think maybe I'd like this to happen.

And I think, I think, and so I, I've started trying now to sort of consciously redo my emails before I send them and get rid of all that I think. Because it's sort of, you know, I'm worried. I think it's an innate feeling of worried about being too bullshit. You just say, yeah, say a statement of fact. You go, no, I'll soften that statement of fact. Rosie, I don't often do this. occasionally I do it on the podcast but I'm going to do it with you

I ask a question and it's a little bit embarrassing but sometimes I risk it I really like to be friends with you yes I'm gay do you think we can be friends I'd like that a lot do you know I ask Greg Davis that what did you say did you say no

who said I would love that M I never heard from him again But I think friendship, don't you? I think friendships are actually, people should treat them more like romantic relationships, really. Yeah. Because they kind of are, and there are some people you click with straight away

and then some, like, I don't even know where I'm going with this. Totally. No, it's a real thing. So I'm working out, I'm getting the measure of you. You seem a very good-natured, quite gentle person, quite kind person but a bit mischievous well it's I mean it was funny we were talking about people pleasing because I think one of the things I found

what I found difficult about the kind of suddenly that like on taking off online was there's suddenly there's suddenly a lot of people that hate you which I sort of hadn't kind of contended with and I think as a

I mean, I say as a people pleaser, I don't think it's nice for anyone, suddenly go, oh, there's loads of people that hate me. That's interesting what you were saying, because I was going to ask you that. It's kind of an unnatural sort of fame, the one that you experienced, isn't it? Because of the sudden nature of it. Yeah. And nothing prepares you for it. Was there a part of that that was a little bit unsettling?

Yeah, definitely. I think also because it was weird, because when it took off and knocked down, you're sort of getting all this interaction online, you're not sort of meeting people. But even after that, I think sometimes it made me a little bit paranoid. When I was having a kind of pile on, which didn't happen very often, mercifully. If I was getting lots of people being horrible about me online, there's a thing where you, if you go into a cafe and you have a sort of waitress who's a bit rude, and you think, oh God, is it because you're online and you hate me?

Or are you just a rude waitress? So it's an overthinking? Yeah. Which I think I've moved out of now, but yeah, it is funny. And also, I mean, like, you know, my lovely agent, I remember once sort of saying to me, she was going, you know, these people, if you met them in the street, you wouldn't care what they thought. So it doesn't, it doesn't, you can't, you shouldn't be setting so much store by what they're saying. Yeah.

Which I don't most of the time, but every now and again, I think, I don't know about you, but if I search my name, no good ever comes. It's always bad. What a lovely dog? What do you think they make of your dog? What kind of dog is it? Is it lab? Oh, beautiful dog.

You can tell a very gentle temperament. It's very gentle. Yeah. Very good dog. What's your name? Oh, Lenny. Lenny's such a good dog name. Isn't it great?

So he was found by British. military officer. Yeah, the Bufthazone, Cyprus. What? The military zone that the UN controls. I was working for the UN, so I come in there. We stayed there. You work for the UN?

I did there, yeah. How amazing. So, yeah, he's a Bufthor zone dog. And was it complicated bringing Lennie back over? I mean, there's a shelter in the Bufthor zone that does amazing work. So normally it's like a 600 euro package of nurturing, vaccinations, everything, because a lot of them go to the UK. Oh, I love meeting you. How interesting you are.

Bye-bye, Lenny. See that's what I love about dog walking, Rosie. Did she notice that at the end she then saw Ray walk and she went, oh my God. She hadn't taken in the Rayness of Ray. What I love is we've just met this woman who was clearly quite a formidable woman. Yeah. Worked for the UN and something to do with intelligence and had this amazing dog. and then she sees Ray.

Oh my God. Do people come up to you, Rosie Ever and say... They do, and they're only ever nice when they come up to me. Did it? Which is really nice. What do they say? Usually they just go, oh, I really like your stuff. It's really, really good.

Then sometimes I had the one where a guy just went, do you do those MP things? And I was like, yeah, and he was like, oh. And then we were sort of stuck in a cute, like it was one of those awkward things, but then you don't really know. Do people ever come up to you and think you're, have you ever had anyone mistake you for the real MP?

When, no, but when I've done my comedy live, I have had people in the audience think that I'm a real MP. And I don't know why they don't think this is a comedy club, why is a real MP doing a speech? But I once, had, I did a gig where a woman, she was just absolute daggers at me, and then she went, go fuck yourself when I was on stage, which was so funny. And I went, I, I said, I went, those are your feelings and I respect them. And I, I will, I can't fuck off, but I just sort of,

garbled about it, but it was really funny. And then I did a gig once to a school and, like, a huge portion of these parents, I mean, they thought I was real. They were so angry. We should also mention the brilliant podcast you do. Thank you. Nonsense. And she's another brilliant character who's this classic reactionary, broadcaster, commentator, one of those people who goes on about wokeeries. And it's a brilliant creation. It's again, it's very subtle. Everything she says is sort of plausible. It's not absurd. Oh, thank you.

It's so much fun to, I mean, she's, yeah, she's a horrible character, but it's really good fun. It's an improvised podcast, and so we just get really good comedy actors we know to play various politicians. Yeah. And it's very fun and very silly. When you're promoting the book then, which you will be. Yes. Because it's out.

It's out. imminently. Yes. So because of the election, it's been moved forward. But the timing is great, isn't it? It is. When you're thrilled when you found out about the election? Or were you worried?

No, I was really worried because, oh, we're going that way. So it comes out on June the 20th, June the 20th. And it was due to go out later with the idea that it would come out long before the autumn election. Yeah. And now the election has been called July the 4th. So my publishers were so on it. As soon as Rishi Sunak called the election, they're, they're meaning of going, we're talking now, We're talking about it, changing the date.

Your heart wants one thing, but your head probably wants another in terms of the election result. Yes. And I was actually having that conversation with actually a kind of journalist who was saying the same thing. He was saying, yeah, we're worried about

when Labor get in about what we'll do to our viewing figures. Because, I mean, don't give me why, I really want a Labor government in, But you do think, God, is people not going to want satire? Because everyone will be going, come on, we've just got rid of the Tories. Give them a chance. I know.

Did you watch any of the election debate last night? Yes, I did. So did I. My friend watched it. What did you think? We thought, I mean, they were both very touchy with each other, weren't they? And I liked how my friend who was watching it with, she went, he's going to bring up and his dad's a toolmaker.

And he did. She was like, what, she's going to do it now. They were so bitchy. I mean, that was one thing I couldn't quite get over. I thought this is so, this is so bitchy. They were just sniping at each other. So you've always had been interested in politics as well? Well, I, not, you know what?

Not massively until, until Brexit happened. And then I was really appalled by Brexit. it. And then I was sort of paying a lot more attention to what was going on. And then now I'm quite obsessed with it. I think, but yeah, it definitely wasn't something I was always interested in. Very sweet. Is that Shih Tzu? Oh, lovely. Yeah, Raymond's a Shih Tzu. He's an imperial Shih Tzu. Yeah, he's pretty posh. Yeah. What's she called? Goldie. Goldie. Goldie, you're ever so sweet. It was lovely to meet you.

What a lovely family you are. Oh, what a nice people. Come on. Also, he did a little tail wag there. Have you found encountered, you know, women always talk about encountering some kind of low level even as sexism or misogyny or is that something you've experienced, Rosie? Yes. It depends kind of what form, but do you know what's difficult?

Sometimes, isn't it? Because sometimes certain things are said or written about you and you go, it's harder to pinpoint and you kind of go, I feel that that is, I feel that's kind of misogynistic and sexist, but not in a way that you can easily label. And then obviously there's the obvious ones of some guy sending you his dick. Have you had that? Yeah, I had this one guy who, um,

who he did it over Instagram and then I wrote a tweet about it because it was quite funny because he was sort of going he was going he someone going you're not funny bitch and then he was like look at my penis or whatever and um it sounds like a lot of dates like you know it made me laugh so I sort of wrote a tweet about it about how it was kind of him to try and make me laugh with his small penis and um he and i blocked him then he set up a new account and he put and he changed the name he was called something like ricky and then his new one was said put Ricky big penis and then he put saying how dare you tell people my penis is small and then he said it's not small look and then he sent a picture and it was him sort of naked but him sort of falling down and then he

spent another one going that one was sent by accident and then he sent another one oh he's a sort of chaotic Yeah, it was a sort of chaotic. His game is rubbish. He's not, his game is rubbish. Do you want an ice cream? Oh my God, I'm quite tempted. Shall we? Do you want an ice cream?

Why don't I get us one? Let's get one, come on. Lovely. I'd like a 99. 99? Yeah. I'd like what she's got. Oh, all right, Meg Ryan.

So let's get an ice cream to 99. 99. Are you going to get sauce? No. Me neither. I don't. I don't want sauce. Don't want it.

I don't want. What is this, Rose doing it? I mean, I've already made it unpure look, because I've had, I got, at the last minute, I got the fancy cone. We got our ice cream. I love 99. I've never one ages.

Come on, Rosie. So do you think you would ever get a dog, Rosie? Um, I always thought I would, because I always loved them so much. And there just wasn't possible flats and things like that. And now, I have two cats. Well, my boyfriend has two cats, which I've decided on my heart.

and I kind of adore them. But it's just so difficult because if we're travelling on tour and stuff, mind you, I think the good thing about Ray is you can kind of pick them up and take him with you. He's kind of perfect dog on the go dog as well as the perfect dog. What dog would you get? I don't know, so I always thought I'd want a really big dog, but that's not compatible with London life at all. My brother's just got a little pug, which I thought I didn't like pugs,

but it's a really sweet little pup. Oh, I mean, do you know what? They're all such good boys and girls. There's nothing not to love about a dog. We've got to say goodbye to Rosie now, Ray. Where's your bike parked? Oh, it's round the other... We'll go here.

There it is. It's over there. Oh, Rosie, here's your bike. It's very behind the bike sheds here, isn't it? Come on, Ray. I'm almost embarrassed to show you behind the bike sheds. I love it. You've managed to keep it real, even in Battersea Park.

Yeah, that's right. Can I just say we've had the loveliest walk with you. Me too. Rosie, we're going to love you and leave you now. Thank you so much for coming on our podcast. Have you enjoyed it? I really enjoyed it. Thank you.

And I really recommend everyone buys your brilliant book. I think you can say everyone buys an imperial shih Tzu. Really recommend everyone get one of these. Rosie, it's been an absolute pleasure. I get the impression you've really bonded with Ray. He's amazing. He's like a little Ewok. Do you want to say goodbye to Rosie?

Bye, Ray. Rosie, why are you laughing at him? He's so silly. He's such a silly dog. I know it's not his fault. He doesn't choose to be a silly dog. He's so silly. Goodbye, Rosie.

Goodbye, Ray. 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.