Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Sara Barron (Part One)

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

This week Emily and Ray take a North London stroll with the brilliant comedian Sara Barron, joined by her exuberant Bedlington Whippet puppy, Wednesday.Sara chats to Emily about her fascinating life, from a teenage appearance on The Jerry Springer Show, to dating a clown, to her years working as a waitress and the many strange encounters that came with it. They also talk about how she found her way into stand-up, inspired in part by meeting her husband, broadcaster Geoff Lloyd, with whom she now co-hosts the joyful TV podcast They Like to Watch.Sara also shares more about her latest project, the podcast MotherSl_ts with comedian Jessie Cave, which you can watch on YouTube and see live at the Top Secret Comedy Club. Tickets are available at https://thetopsecretcomedyclub.co.uk.It’s a funny, (slightly) chaotic and heartwarming walk, with Wednesday bringing Ibiza-hen-do-level puppy energy and Ray doing his best to keep up. Emily and Ray absolutely loved their time with Sara, and it’s easy to see why she’s one of the most engaging voices in comedy today.Follow Emily:InstagramXWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your father and I, on the path near the lake, we got a bench. It says, and I want when we're dead, I want you to go to the bench, I want you to sit with your brother and my grandchildren. I want you remember me and I want some of my ashes there. It's so funny. This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I went for a North London stroll with the brilliant comedian Sarah Barron and her adorable Bedlington Whippet Puppy Wednesday.

So Sarah had left me a voice note saying, Is it okay to bring my puppy? Because she's crazy. And I love this because this is peak, considerate dog owner. She's basically saying, My puppy is bringing the energy of an Ibiza hen night. Your dog is a little more retirement village. Is that going to be okay?

And I can exclusively reveal it was more than okay. It was one of the most delightful walks Ray and I have ever had. Sarah, you'll probably know from her acclaimed live comedy shows, along with her TV appearances on shows like Would I Lie to You, live at the Apollo, and eight out of ten cats, but she's also had a really fascinating life, and we talked about all of it, from the appearance she had as a teenager on the Jerry Springer show, to her experiences dating a clown, to her years as a waitress when she had some really

interesting encounters with celebrities. She also talked to me about her decision to become a stand-up and how that was partly inspired by meeting her husband, the Virgin Radio DJ, an exceptional human being, Jeff Lloyd, who she currently, presents a TV review-themed podcast with called They Like to Watch. It's genuinely a thing of total joy, so do give that a listen now. She's also started a new podcast with the comedian Jesse Cave called Mother Sluts, which you can watch on YouTube, and you can also go and see them in their first ever live show on April the 21st. For tickets, go to the topsecretcomedyclub.com.com. Sarah is, quite honestly, just an endlessly funny, endlessly warm, joyous person to spend

time with and she's also suitably enough got one of the most exuberant hilarious dogs in the entire world and i like to think that wednesday allowed ray to get in touch with his slightly more high-energy youthful side even if he did look a bit baffled when wednesday did a weird thing called running i really hope you enjoy our walk this week here's sarah and wednesday and ray ray what's happened baby Give me a cuddle. Oh, she wants the chocolate. She's only a baby and she can't communicate properly. Well, she's, yeah.

Oh, my God. She's, I also, I'm not sure I, my child behaves. I have a kind of well-behaved child. I know that's an obnoxious thing to say, but he kind of is. Yeah. And I think I wasn't ready to feel so out of my depth trying to create a well-behaved animal. Because she needs an amount of attention I'm not giving him. her and I'm really worried about what the repercussions will be.

Well, let's talk about this because she is, what kind of dog is Wednesday? She's a bedlington with it. She is about 16 weeks old and she's peeing and pooping just everywhere. Really the toilet training is failing and when we were due to meet today, you message me beforehand. And you sent me a voice note just saying, look, do I really have to meet? bring her. I'm going to full disclosure, Sarah. You're a big believer in honesty. You said, look, do I really have to bring her? I'm just worried she's a nightmare. Yeah, yeah. That's not a great attitude, but it was where I was at today. And then I messaged and was like, actually, what if

I do bring her? Because I think she's like, I created her for a little. And then I was like, oh, actually, by two o'clock, which is when we're meeting, she's going to be like ready for life. So can I bring her? And then I just, can you hear it my, I don't, I don't, this. This person, this. So wait, what if we do that? What do you think? This person? I've been doing so much work at myself to not be that person.

It's who both my parents are. And I'm trying to become different. What do you mean, calmer? Just like a chill lady. Just like easy, like Sunday morning, like reliable, honest, not overly positive, not overly positive, but just a little chill. Like, it's all cool, man. that's who I'm trying to be.

And then I feel that becoming a dog parent, back to the beginning, just turbocharged with the anxiety, 24 hours a day. Yeah. Really? Yeah. Well, I want to talk about your history with dogs because you've got, I'm going to say a fairly hilarious history with dogs,

which I know a bit about it. I mean, maybe you're overselling it, but I'm pretty proud of my dog history. So let's go back to the, beginning. Wednesday. Actually, you know, before we do that, let's talk about how Wednesday came into your life, because you're married to the wonderful Jeff Lloyd, and Jeff, I feel like Jeff was definitely more of a dog person than you, wasn't he? He is a dog person. So did he put the pressure on and say your son would like it, et cetera, et cetera? Yeah. And what broke you finally? You just thought, you know what? I'm not anti-dog. I don't tell you. I don't know how wide your American

listenership is here. But we have a few. and the pod, my mother and my best friend. It's Lynn. Is it Lynn? It's Lynn. That's my mother's name, very good. And I won't name check my bestie. But she has what I would call a dog phobia. I think she's sort of quite phobic. And so I have people in my life who really dislike dogs,

which is different from being like, oh, I don't know if I'm going to get one, oh my god, your dog is so cute and I'd like to say hi. And I think something about that has inched me pro dog. I see what you mean. And I do, I do like them. As a kid, I was like, mom and dad, why can't we have a dog? And if I went over to a friend's house with a dog, I would just hang up.

Like I was, there's something in me naturally that was very, very dog. But then as I grew up, I kind of thought it was a bit funny to be part of this family that was like, oh, oh, I'm sorry, are you an animal person? How cool and interesting of you. Like we're actually the cool ones. We're not into dogs and our family. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then, oh, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry. I'm so you're in charge right now. Wednesday. Wednesday, you just jumped up. She's jumping and she's biting. I have some treats. Do you want a treat? You know what?

I'm going to finish my coffee and then give her my. She's teething. This is not about me not training kind of well. Ray, look at this. Wednesday's going to get a treat. Do you want to? Does that feel fun for you? That's a nice game for her.

And we should say it's absolutely pissing down as rain. Thank you so much for coming, sir. And we're in Clissol Park, but it means normally she'd be walking it off as well. Yeah. But she can't get to do that. So we're outdoors in the cafe. Oh, she's a bit jelly bags of Ray. Because you've got Ray on her.

Oh, so that's not how I read that. I think she just wants to play with Ray. Oh, do you think so? Yeah. Oh, I'm always reading darkness into people's motives, aren't I, even dogs? I'm not defensive about it. It might be, you know dogs better than I do, so maybe she is jealous.

But based on what I knew of her, I can see Ray's feeling very smug. Ray wants to play. I mean, sorry. Ray definitely doesn't want to play. He's a bumper. What do you make it? What's your first?

Because I don't think Ray's like a lot of dogs. What my sweet? Attention, movement. I'll give you a cuckle. What do you make of Ray, Sarah? Can I pick him up? There you go. He's less.

dog like isn't he the Wednesday he's um he's sort of like a Zen master he has a very Zen energy he's never barked he's not what this is going to be triggering for me you deserve it you've been through some things someone's gonna get a perfect dog give me something let's give it to Emily D's he's very zen he's never burned he was just so I I had Graham Hall on my podcast, Anne, who does dogs behaving badly. Ray didn't behave badly at all, just FYI. But he was saying to me that because Ray came into a household,

which was, I suppose, you know, a single person household, let's be honest, going through grief or something. It's a different dynamic, and dogs will adjust to that. I'm not saying you get the dog you deserve. No, but I think probably you do, right? I imagine that you do get the dog that you deserve. And I'm worried. I'm the mother of an only child.

Right. Right. And I have very mixed feelings about that. But I felt like I had to look at the world around me, Emily, and go, I always wanted to. But I've learned this about myself. And it's not going to be right for this unit. It's not, I don't think I can parent too well. There are too many, didn't it?

I could go on, right? Yeah. And I think, like, I think I respond very badly to being overstretched. Okay. Right? Yeah. I don't like to push myself. And I think she is, I just didn't understand what I was in for.

I've never had a puppy before. I just didn't know. And she's making me feel overstretched. And I need to just wrap. my head around the fact that she's what's happening now. I thought what was happening now was going to be okay I want to be working on this thing I want to this and this and it's like nope she's what's happening now yeah because I think like kids again I know I feel like I know a little bit about the children women because I've had

one for nine and a half years it's like you gotta gotta meet them where they are this is what people say and if you don't meet them where they are they're gonna be weirdos. You know what I mean? Not in a good way weirdo. Like a you're gonna have like a weirdo. So I need to want like a weirdo. So I think I need to just be I need to like be there for her in a bigger better way so that she's not a weirdo. You were there for Ray. Yes I was. And Ray was there for you. This is part of why your dog doesn't bark and feels very chill. So I am do you see I'm finding myself as after I'm settling now. Finding it and finding it.

But I think it's hopeful because I actually think most times when you speak to dog trainers and dog behaviorists, you know, when people say, oh, this one's just wild, this one's spirited. Generally, it's, you know, he always says, Graham, he says, I'm going to talk to train the dog, but it's always about training the owner. It's never about the dog.

Great. So that's helpful. But of course. Because it means that what will happen is sometimes you're reinforcing behaviors without realizing it or something. So you know dogs that jump up? It's like a page one thing. You're grimacing.

Well, she jumped. What should I be doing? But I go to anxiety so quickly that I'm convinced she will always be jumping up. So what happens with jumping up as an example of how it gets really? is that the dog jumps up when people arrive. Okay.

And the human reaction, often, because it's a normal human reaction, is to go, stop it, what are you doing? You raise your voice slightly, there's activity. Maybe you and Jeff, and your son are saying it at the same time. What the dog reads that as is huge reaction from the crowd. You're a comic, you understand this, reward. That's the dog equivalent of applause. So they do it more.

So what you have to do, it's so counterintuitive. You have to ghost her when she does that. about your own human shame as well. Because when we do that, it's a little bit of a performance for whoever they've jumped up on. To be like, I'm really, really good. Yes. But if you just were like, you can judge, if you silently press all that down. You can judge me.

You can judge my dog. I'm a long game this. Ignore them. Totally ignore them. Don't look at them. No eye contact. Should I be doing that now? Yeah.

Treat it like the worst ex that you never want to speak to again. Just blank them, blank the shit out of them. And then as soon as she stops, she sits down. Look, I'm going to stroke her now because she's doing so well. Good girl. There you go. This is what you're going to do, Seth, from now on. I think it's going to be really work out with you in this dog.

I think it could. I can kind of see what it will become. Like, I like, you're going to judge this, which this I'm comfortable with, but she's in bed with us at night. Oh, yeah. Ray's always in bed with me. And there's a way she stands at my chest where she's just like full weight. on my, I feel like as a flat-tested woman, it was like,

and I mean, I breastfed for very long time. So they have been put to use. But I just felt like, oh, this is what I was meant with this flat tableau to just have these cute little paws on me at midnight. This is what it was all for. So I'm just speaking about Jack. she has so many comedy instincts as well i want to go back to your childhood i know quite a bit about

your childhood i'm fascinated by it because you've written a couple of brilliant books they're not brilliant but i feel deep shame about my books i don't this is what this podcast is it's like dogs what's inside the trojan horse therapy session i happen to love those books thank you thank you for being nice and sorry it's not being nice exhausting about it you know what i'm going to say something which I said to Alistair Campbell. It didn't land very well. I don't think he liked it or me, to be honest, but that's another story.

Allow yourself to be loved. Wow. I really think you're a brilliant writer, and I won't hear any different. I loved your books. You've written two. Kind of you to say. People are unappealing.

Yep. It's the first one. And that's really about your sort of childhood. Well, there's elements of when you get older as well, but it's kind of memoir and I felt I got such an insight into your family from that and your dad this is in Chicago, isn't it? And your dad, who's kind of weirdly not gay. Yeah.

Because he called himself bookish. Yeah. But you say he's so into musicals. Oh, that was all kind. That was dialed up. Right. So that was like written mostly between like 2006 and 2009. Yeah.

So now we would just call him he's extremely beta. That's really, that's really what, like, you know, never watched a sporting event. Absolutely at sea, faced with like a man's man. Yeah. You know, that kind of, that sort of. I get, I hear you. And he, and your mom's a, is she a therapist? Mm-hmm.

Yeah. So what's it like having a therapist as a mom? Does that put you off therapy? No, I have this theory. that it's it has allowed my dad to be put off therapy. Like my dad probably could have really done

with some really good Freudian old school. This is like a genius professor. Right. Shit. Which I'm not sure that's what my mother offers and she's, I think, very good at what she does and, you know, she's...

But my town, like, none of the moms worked or if they did work, they were not providing a lifestyle. You see what I'm saying? Right. And like my mom 100% did. And I think that's very cool of her. I do. Right?

And your dad, he wrote dictionary definitions. Is that true? Is that a joke? I think that is true. Like, I thought that was a joke. No, I think that's real. There was like a phase where he, I think he did like help write dictionaries. And then he, he wanted to be a poet and a writer.

And then I think worked out. And I kind of wish I had had this realization. I think realized how that would fit with having like a stable life and regimen and routine and went, no, that's not for me. Yeah. And then he wrote like textbooks and, you know, like, okay, if you're in high school in Chicago, you can have a textbook like this, but if you're in high school in Texas, you're not actually allowed to say this about the dinosaurs and that.

I think that kind of had eaten it for a while as well. And to my father's both my parents' credit, and I really, we're both showbiz and showbiz adjacent, you know, I just didn't really know or care what they were up to particularly. And I really think it's good if your kids don't know what you're up to. Interesting. And when my son has an awareness of what I do or anything like that, it makes me incredible. Not that I just I don't want him to care. I don't want him to like to define himself by that Exactly I think if you have very main character energy as a child

It prevents main character energy in adulthood and vice versa. This is my is one of my many theories But of course I consider myself to be completely right about So I just like they didn't occur to me my brother no one occurred to me I was just like I don't know what he does he goes and they just then he comes home and then he's like with me every day from 5 o'clock That's all I know about my Yeah, that is probably quite healthy in some. I think that's right.

Yeah. And I don't think that's how it is as, I don't think that's how it is now. No. Well, I certainly think it's less like that in kind of entertainment-y households. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Because you are more exposed to it. And it was you and your brother that you grew up with, who I kind of get the feeling

you really didn't get along with at all when you were younger. And then you get on brilliantly. Yeah, he's my... Why did you not get on? What would you... I just... I remember like... hating him. And I had this friend who had like three brothers or something and I sort of looking at her the way you would look at someone like eating an onion as though it was an apple.

And be like, wait, what are you, what are you doing? And she just sort of seemed to like her brothers. And I was like there's no, there is no more intense source of misery in my life. I hated him. I think he was the favorite. I think, I mean, I don't even know. He annoyed, he got in my, I just despised him. I really, really, and I have these diary entries that it looks like someone has taken like a, like a knife and been like, hate. I write the word hate over, like, hate, hate, hate, hate. I know you are supposed to love family, but with someone like this, how can you feel anything? But hey, like really intense.

I would run away all the time. I just despised him. And I'm just thinking about that now for the first time in a while. I think like I will. You're very good. I love you. I love you, baby. I give you a cuddle.

Love you. I really love her, so. Maybe you'll. No, I'm going to, maybe you're going to get, I mean, I have some, I could ask. some questions of you about how you think about Ray and age in your future. Do you think about? Yes, I do.

And people do say, do you think you should get another one? Because it will be so sad when he dies. And I say, your husband's older than you. Do you think you should get another one now? Because it'll be so sad when he dies. And there is some seriousness in that, in that my relationship with Ray isn't, partly because it's quite an intense relationship because he was sort of I got him when I was going through you know you know about the time I was going through he's a

grief dog basically so it would feel really old to me to just get another dog in now to make to avoid that process yeah which experience tells me he sort of can't scare yeah and I so what I'm saying is I do think about it really regularly I sometimes cry about it mm-hmm but then I think that enables me I've never done that with friends or relatives I've never thought or one day they won't be with me that doesn't hit me in the same way well but is is it about in defense of an insensitive question is it about like what feels suit like like yeah it's more imminent thing about the dog right you walk around with this dog

yeah I said to Jeff I was holding her the other day and she was like cradled and looking at me and I was like Oh, and Jeff, I said someone like, I know this stuff with the puppy's really hard, but like, you are going to miss it. If you can believe it, you're going to really miss it. And I was like, oh, God, that, like, really pains me. There's, like, a little cute baby over there. And I remember having, like, I love babies. And I remember finally having one and being like, I can't believe I'm so miserable.

I can't believe I've been, like, longing for this. And I am so unhappy and so overwhelmed. And I completely understand why. And now I look at it again, and I'm like, oh, what I would. this process, right? I was looking at her little face, and I was like, oh, this is, I was like, this is how you'll look at me when we have to put you down. Like this, it'll be this angle, and I'll hold you, and I'll be 60.

And I will have remembered this time. And that's the thing about the dog is that, you know, Jeff could die tomorrow. And maybe, you know, or whatever, but you're like, It doesn't feel, and I'm such a catastrophizer. I'm not, I'm ready for, like, hit me, what's the next? What do you want to do next? Hit me. I'm, you think I think I'm a special God?

I don't. Come on, what's you got for me? I'm ready for, I don't think I'm a special girl. But just the inevitability of this stuff with the dog. You're like, that's, we all know that's the journey. No, they have built an obsolescence. And when you build, well, you know, I think the difference is that you enter into relationships or have friends or whatever, and you can,

live in denial about the T's and Cs, which are still there. The chances are, you know, I mean, you might, certainly if you've got older friends, it's likely that they will go before you, all that kind of stuff. But I think the difference with dogs, because you're absolutely right, there's an imminence about it, I think that's probably why we go the extra mile for them in a way that we maybe don't with humans. So I've accepted that I'll pick up his shit every day for his entire life.

I know that I can't skip a walk. You know how I think, oh, I won't bother to text back that friend. I think I'm present for him in a way. Yeah. And maybe it's because of that. I love the sound of you as a kid because, well, one of the things I love about you as a kid is the fact that I think it was so clear that you were destined to kind of perform. Right, because you would do, you would have a lot of time in the bathroom,

wouldn't you, like, interviewing yourself? Yeah. Which I love. Yeah. But I feel it was a part of you that was kind of, not in denial about it. But maybe I can ask you, were you embarrassed to admit that? Were you comfortable saying when you were a kid that I'm an extrovert and I love performing? I think I, I don't even think I thought that I loved performing, although I did.

I just thought like there's, I don't understand how anyone could want anything out of life. other than standing on a Broadway stage. Like, I don't, there's nothing else to do that would be satisfying. I still kind of feel that way. I feel like, what life is there? Other than you live in New York on the Upper West Side and you do eight shows a week and you are a star.

And if not that, then we have all failed. we've all failed because we're not living on the Upper West Side and walking down to Midtown and getting on stage at the whatever, you know, I don't know the names, the Niederlander. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is the only kind of success. Right. That's all, that's all there is being a Broadway star and the beginning of a chorus line. I don't know if you know that film.

Oh, I mean, my mother's- The Michael's like this one are we talking about. I mean, as it turns out, a horrible film. That's why we love it. But I didn't know it was horrible until like somewhat recently. We didn't watch it for ironic purposes. No, no, I was just like, this is the story. And when it opens, da-da-da-da-da-da, and the camera is going.

And we're in minutes. Five, six, seven, eight. Finn, fan woman is rushing in her lime green, sea green, two-piece, leit, or whatever. I was like, this is. Who gives a shit? Sorry. You know, like, can you, can you pirouette?

Can you do that open routine? You see, I'm not even clear in my mind what the fantasy is. What's the fantasy, Sarah? Is it that you're a dancer or that you're, is this Shakespeare? What are we doing? Yeah.

Either you can do either. That's all that there is. It just vaguely involved the chorus. It had to involve a chorus line at some stage. Yeah. And your dad, did he sort of encourage you with this? Because he was into shows and stuff. So, come on.

But not very good. You know? But not a natural singer or dancer. I mean, I'm a great... You're a good dancer, aren't you? I can move. I know about coyote, I can... Yeah, I can...

Yes, because you seem quite... I don't... I think this isn't a weird thing, but you seem quite flexible or supple. Yeah, thank you, Emily, I am. Yeah, I can see that in you. Like, you know, if I take any exercise class, especially if it's Pilates, before Pilates, forget about it.

It's like, set the timer until the teacher comes over, and it's like, have you, um, I was gonna... Have you dance? Yeah, I can tell. Like, I'm a, you know, but I can't really, you know, I was always like pursuing these things that I was just never quite good enough for. And were you popular at school?

No, no, I wasn't. But I think I, by the time I was like, you know, in the States, it's like you have elementary school, which is sort of primary school, but then there's a middle school or junior high, which is sort of an 11 to 14, and then you're a high schooler. And by the time I hit high school, I was like, do you ever find yourself talking about yourself and then go,

how close is my version to what someone else would say? And my version is like, I could kind of talk, like, you know, be like, oh, but I kind of talk to any, like, I could kind of do this with the popular kids. Right. And do this. You could shape shift a bit. Yeah, I think so.

And it's a really, I'm from like a really, um, I'm from a really wealthy. like all the John Hughes films like... This is in Chicago. Home alone. And were you guys wealthy? No. Well, as it turns out, yes, we were, but I didn't know it because we were poor considering.

So we lived down this like not a nice street. What is it kind of Ferris Bueller type street? Yes, no. So I don't live on a Ferris Bueller street. But everyone else, quote unquote, lives on a Ferris Bueller street. So I thought we were kind of like impoverished. And then I got to university and I was like, and my parents were extremely cheap. So I got to.

That's the trailer. Yeah, that's it. Like you can't even, like I think we've got a few listeners in Chicago. So let's put that out in that territory. So if they know the barons of Pilot Park, Illinois. So, yeah, we don't live on a street like that. But every house I went to play in was a house like that. Right.

And why did I just mention that? Your mom's a was a he described her as a hypochondriac. Is that sort of again sort of camping it up or do you know she's meant she's it frustrates because she's mentally it's a mental illness like hypochondria Yeah, when you're not just you know people with OCD will talk about someone saying like I'm like a little bit OCD and you're like I've been hospitalized in a psych ward like here's what OCD is yeah really my mother is Really is it a hypochondriac Right like you know She's very, she sees multiple doctors every week.

Right. There is a phase where she was getting an MRI easily once a month. It's very extreme. So does that mean you were quite neurotic about your health, or were you, did you go the opposite way, really? Neither. I'm a bit neurotic about my health, but I'm, I have a, have you had any metaphobes on your podcast? Do you know about a metaphobia? That's not vomitphobia.

Yes, it is. because Kath has it, of course. So I have a very bad version of that. And what I worked out in my 30s is that's an anxiety disorder. Right. So I think all my moms, like neither of my parents are metaphobic, but I think the way it filtered through me was that. And my husband is fond of my brother is.

Should we try and walk her, do you think? Shall we? I've got an umbrella. We could do so. We could just take her down there because I feel a bit bad. She's just got some energy. You've got some energy to walk off, haven't you? Shall I take her, and you could take Ray?

If you're happy with that. Do I carry Ray? Yeah, you can carry him. It might be easier because he'll get awfully wet otherwise. Ray. Raymond. We need one of these body harnesses. Oh, yeah.

I prefer harnesses. I tell you why. They're not training on the neck, right? They're gentle on their neck. You're so tiny. I was reminded of it. You're just the tiniest little lady of all time. Look at these tiny little...

I love me, a tiny little backcaster. Come on you. Let's go, my sweet. Careful. Let's go. Oh, you're right, sir. This is quite nice. This is doable.

Come this way. Come on, my love. It's very doable. There you go. Good girl. My husband, Jeff, the aforementioned, really likes talking about my brother and me and like, he likes playing my brother the second pancake, meaning like, you know how you really mess up with this pancake?

And then like the second pancake looks more normal. My brother is second pancake. Really? So like I have these two incredibly anxious parents. And I am riddled. Yeah. I mean, I'm okay, but I'm also riddled. And then my brother is like, hey man, how's it going?

Easy, breezy. Like he's got all these kind of fun, attractive eccentricities. But he's like doing just fine. The second pancake. I wonder what that is. You say you're, so, well, I find that interesting when, siblings come out so kind of different I well this is I think this is what you know brought my brother and I together eventually it got to a point where like I don't know

maybe I was 20 I was 25 and he was 21 and I was like oh he's so funny yeah so at first that's what happened I was like oh he's very funny and then as we got a little older and older still I was like good thing yeah but in very different packages. Interesting. And then that was kind of funny and I think you know I have all these I'll just let I have a sniff sir. Do you know about sniffing? Great, we'll let her lead. How soon how much they love sniffing. Oh what's you eating sweetheart? What's that? Are they not allowed to sort of eat stuff if it isn't a chicken bone or chocolate? It just depends what it is. What's that my love?

No, no, no. Come here. Oh you little bastard. Emily, do you want me to take the umbrella? Yeah, actually, let me go. I love how concerned you are about my daughter. I'm like, I guess it's fine. It doesn't look like chocolate or chicken. What you've eaten? Let's get it out your mouth.

There's a good girl. Come on. Don't wait. What do I? So sniffing is really good for them. I sometimes just go for sniffer walks with Ray, because something like 10 or 20 minutes of sniffing is the equivalent to a two-mile walk.

I've heard this. So it's really good for them. This will tire her out more sniffing. But got it. But here's my question. Yeah. Why were you so aggressive about getting that out of her mouse when it just looked like... Because I just...

Oh, she's doing a poo. Is she? Mm-hmm. Oh, no, I think she's doing a wee. She's doing a wee. She's a wreath. She's a lady. I just worried...

Oh, she's done a wee. Well done. Good girl. I have... Oh, that's good. Should we say, well-done? Good girl. Do you want a treat?

Do you want a treat? She understands treat already, sir. She does. Do you want a treat? Do you want a treat? Wednesday. Wednesday. Come here, honey.

Oh, she knows her name. Sit. Oh, wow. Good girl. Sit down. Sit, sit. Wednesday. Sit.

No. Sit. Sit. Sit. Yeah. Good. Good girl. That was great that little interaction.

Oh, thank you. Jeff keeps saying he's been like, You're so love. Because all my friends are like watching you with the dog is the most insane thing I've ever seen. And then Jeff is like, you're very nice with her. You're really good with her. Thanks, Emily.

Come on. So you growing up in Chicago with this brilliant family, that incidentally I have this way instinct, not I would have loved that house and I don't know why. It sounds quite a warm household to me. It's interesting, I'm wondering about that. Hmm. Was it a, I think it was.

Was it a funny household? Yes, I think it was. And I like that. Yeah. Was comedy a currency in that household? I'm thinking about this, Reese. Here's what I think is, you know what I think I feel it's really important to be.

Special. Like, real, like, I mean, it's such an ugly quality. But, like, I think the thing that I spend so much time were pressing is the extent to which I like I am defined by my sense of like I'm not like the other girls right I think that so I think we were in this like I think that's what it like I think my mother is very I mean I live in this suburb but I'm not one of these ladies I'm quite different right and she and she was she is you know so that's and my brother is like Oh, look at those, sir.

And a deer. I love these deer. Look at the deer. I, you know, one of the things that I, Hill I Will Die on is that Clisshold Park is like one of the great London parks. It's lovely, isn't it? It doesn't have the sweep of a heath, of a Hyde Park, of a Regents. Of course not.

But it's got everything you could possibly want in a very small amount of space. It's even got deer. I love those deer. So tell me about. your first was this your first TV appearance on the Jerry Springer show? Oh yes it must have been. Oh that's funny that you remember that. Yeah, I had this good friend in high school name Shale,

and we decided that we should have like a Shale and Sarah's Day Off because we were, you know, it was that part of the world. And we decided to go see Jerry Springer. And because it used to film in Chicago. And it was the average person going in to be an audience member was a bit rougher. Yeah. than these two 18-year-old suburban kids. And so I was giving such intense reactions.

And then the camera stayed on me the entire. So through that episode, it was constantly cutting to this 18-year-old girl being like, what? And then. Sort of like 1940s King Lear, like, Oh, exactly. And then they would make these like Jerry Springer too hot for TV, like VHS thing. Were you on those?

And then I was on that as well. So I think the producers couldn't believe their luck. Yeah, exactly. And that red hair? Yeah, exactly. I always try to respond, like, big for people. I like that, though, but that's generous, isn't it? Yeah.

You gave them something to work with. Yeah. Look at this bench. For a dad who enjoyed summer strolls in this park and forever in a hot. Oh, they've left some fat plows as well. I think it's nice that bench idea, don't you? I love my parents all. My parents are two people who have a living bench.

Oh, what's that? got themselves a bench for when eventually they died and my mother's like your father and I we've got a bet I know special your father and I on the path near the lake we got a bench it says and I want when we're dead I want you to go to the bench I want you to sit with your brother and my grandchildren I want you remember me and I want some of my ashes there so funny I know Did I tell you that my mother, I was going, you know, I was going through whatever I would have been going through. It was nothing dark, but I remember thinking like, my mother was driving around. She's a busy lady.

Yeah. She's got two kids. She's got a job. She's driving around. And she was like zooming the car. And I was in the front seat. My brother was in the back. And I must have been, we must have been like 10 and six.

Yeah. I was like, Mom. Come on. What would you and dad do if we both died? And she's drive. So she's like. Well, your father and I would have to sit down and talk about it, but probably we'd kill ourselves. Well, we'd have to think about it.

That's very, that's the vibe. Do you know what? That confirms I would have loved your house. Yeah, yeah, yeah. As actually, I was saying that answer. Do you know what I guess it was kind of funny, right? I like. She's not trying to be funny, but that was the...

No, but that's what's funny. I like people that aren't... I like drama. Queens on like well drama queens who don't know they're being drama queens is my fan over you know about my mother's routine as well my mother wakes up at 5 a.m. This is what my father will do he'll she'll be doing something when we're visiting and my father will come downstairs and be like I want you to watch your mother she's not seeing a client until 11 a.m. and she's up at five and she does a five and a

half hour like morning ritual to ready herself. What does she do? Yeah, she'll wake up and there'll be like a lot of like little sort of like mobility things. Right. So you'll see her and she'll just be like rolling her wrists and her. Quite Floridian. Do that kind of stuff. And then she'll start like brewing an organic tea that's going to help with inflammation. Right.

And then she's doing more exercises and then she makes herself, she like fries eggs and marinate vegetables. and then she has this very big, and she chews seeds and parsley and almonds, and on and on it goes. It's the whole operation. Come here. Oh sir, should we take a picture on this bench?

I really hope you loved part one of this week's Walking the Dog. If you want to hear the second part of our chat, it'll be out on Thursday, so whatever you do, don't miss it. And remember to subscribe so you can join us on our walks every week.