Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Shona McGarty (Part One)

Episode Date: January 21, 2025

This week, Emily and Ray are in North London with the fabulous actress and singer Shona McGarty, and her adorable chihuahua Cici! Shona is well known for having played Whitney Dean in EastEnders - first landing the role when she was just 16 years old. She tells us all about growing up in Borehamwood, a stone’s throw from where EastEnders is filmed - and what led her to joining one of the UK’s most popular soaps. She also tells us about the advice she received from Barbara Windsor that she’ll never forget, her drum-and-bass dancing granny and her hatred of plastic shoes. Follow @shonabmx on Instagram Follow @shona.mcgarty_shoniqua on TikTok 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.

You can't talk to me like that. You're not my mum. Well, not my real mum, anyway. Sorry, just when he passes by. Shona is not saying that to me. This week on Walking the Dog, Raymond and I took a stroll in North London's Sunny Hill Park in Hendon with actress and singer Shona Magarty

and her beautiful little chihuahua, Sisi. Shona is of course best known for her role as Whitney Dean in EastEnders, who she played for 16 years ever since she was a teenager until leaving last year, so I was really interested to find out a bit more about the person behind that character she played and discover what it was like growing up under that level of focus. And I won't lie, Ray tends to have quite a soft spot for two hours, so I was also hoping we might be able to find him a new friend. Shona is quite honestly delightful.

She's got so many brilliant stories about her days on EastEnders, including the moment when she got a bit of tough love advice from Barbara Windsor about being late but she also comes across as a very thoughtful, emotionally intelligent person who's really comfortable talking honestly about her feelings but best of all she is clearly absolutely obsessed with dogs so much so that she treated Ray to a burst of her beautiful voice and sung Ray's favourite song to him at the end of our walk and he officially entered a trance-like state of bliss

I loved our walk with Shona and Cece and I really hope you do too I'll stop talking now and hand over to the fabulous woman herself here's Shona and Cece and Ray Ray Ray. Right have you got Cece? I've got Cece if you got Raimondo. Do you know what? Shona? I love that you've already gone straight in with the Raimondo. I know, all Ray Ray, Ray. Come on. Oh she hates that jacket. Cece absolutely hates that jacket. I should say

Cece the Chihuahua is sporting a beautiful pink puffer. I'm calling it it's a bit little mix on a day off. It is actually. Recently she's been really snappy. Like when she was younger I used to dress her up a lot and she was used to it.

And now, as you can see, she's just got the right arm with me. Raymond has just done a poo. Nice. Oh, no, it's still... It's still attached to him, so I do apologise.

It's not the best stop to the podcast. That's all right. He's got beautiful hair, that's why. Raymond, your poo's hanging off. Oh, my God. This is so embarrassing in front of Shona, who's so glamorous. I've never been so ashamed.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but, oh, Raymond, you're all right? Shona, do you want to describe what's happened? So basically, Roman's got, it's really made me laugh. Raven's got really beautiful locks, sort of down to the ankles.

He's really, you can tell he looks after it. He's her suit. And he's done a poo, and unfortunately it's got stuck. It's just sort of hanging on the back of his. It's beautiful. So embarrassing. Oh my gosh, are you laughing at my dog? I'm so sorry.

Oh, Raymond, are you okay? That's it. Nobody saw, don't worry. Style it out. There we go. Well, that was an embarrassing start. Raymond, you've already disgraced yourself. I'm going to put this poo in the bin and we'll say no more of it.

Brilliant. So I am so thrilled and excited to have you on walking the dog. Oh, thanks for having me. I am, of course, with the fabulous Shona McGarty. And we are with, have I said that right? Yes. How would you say it? What, my name?

Well, do you say it slightly accented? Because you're London Irish, aren't you? Yeah. No, I just say Shona Mugarty. I'm good, I can. But I suppose Irish people would probably say Shona McGarty. But...

Shona McGarty. And then my mum's name is McNamara, which is even, like, more Irish. But yeah. Yeah, because I always want to make the effort. Do you know what I mean? But then I don't want to be rude. It's one of those things where...

Oh no, not at all. Come along. I've been called a lot of things in my time, obviously. But accidentally people call me Maggety, McCartney, yeah, McCarthy. So I'm used to it, but you smashed that. I'm really pleased with myself. And you've come here today with your beautiful Chihuahua, C.C. Yep.

And your fiancé, may I say, who's with us, who's with us. She's walking ahead discreetly with your fabulous rep. Yep. Laura. Yep. I have to say, I've really fallen in love with Cece at first sight. Oh.

She's adorable, isn't she? She is, although right now, just to describe what's happening, she's decided that she doesn't want to continue. She's looking ahead into the future. Do you know what? She takes her time like Raymond. I like dogs like this. Sometimes I get dogs on this podcast and they're lovely, but they're a bit,

S-A-S-R you tough enough. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And Raymond's a bit more of a, he's more like something in an Oscar Wilde play. He's one of those gents from there. Yeah. I mean, not when he's shitting everywhere, but you know what I mean. So C-C, when did C-C come into your life?

C-C came into my life when she was eight weeks old and I had another Chihuahua. before her called Coco and Cocoa died last Christmas right in the middle of Panto which was really horrific she had heart failure she was only 10 heart-breaking oh it was and it was I think it was harder for Cece actually and I think that's probably why her behaviours changed because she's you know Coco was like her mum. Did you get a sense of Cecee kind of mourning Coco. Yeah, she was, it was horrible. I remember I'd come back from the vets and obviously Coco had to be put to sleep and

Cece just kept looking around the house for her. It was really horrible and she cried for quite a while. It was so sorry you went through that, Shana. It's heartbreaking, isn't it? It was. The day you've dread, you know? People have said to me that when they've lost the dog, the whole, The hardest thing is the empty food bowl and the presence of a dog in the house.

Whereas I wonder if at least if you have another kind of little canine companion, there's a sense at least of life going on in some way. Yeah. Or is it just shit and nothing helps? No, I think it kind of made me stop thinking about how I felt. and I kind of just naturally, instinctively tried to look after Cece and her well-being because she was really sad.

You know, she just didn't know where Coco went. She's a lot better now, but it's just, oh, I don't know, there's lots of pictures in my house of Coco and I've got her ashes in a little box in my front room. Yeah, it was hard. Especially, I was right in the middle of Panto which was a really happy and exciting time. Well, you can't go on stage and say, sorry kids.

I'm having some mental health issues tonight because I've lost my dog. Oh, no, you don't. Yeah, oh no, you didn't. Yes, I did, yeah. So I want to go back to your childhood. Yeah. Because you're one of those people who,

I imagine everyone thinks they knows very well, because you grew up on screen, and you were, in EastEnders, it feels like, for the best part of your life, really. Yeah, 16 years. Yeah, 16 years you're in EastEnders. And we should say, by the way, we're sort of hendon barnet way today. Yeah.

You grew up not too far from here, am I right? Yeah, I grew up in Boreenwood. I was born in Edgraw. Right, near where EastEnders is filmed? Literally on the doorstep. So growing up, I watched EastEnders with the family. We watched Emma Dale and Corrie. It was like, you know, every evening we'd do the soap run.

Tell me a bit about your parents because your sister Camilla? Yep. And tell me about your parents what sort of, what were they like and what do they do? So my sister and I are really, really close. We're only 10 and a half months apart

which they call that Irish twins. What does that mean? It means when you're less than 11 months apart or 11 months, yeah. Look at Ray's refusing. I know, they've both given up. Oh my God, guess what happened?

Just as he did that, my bra pinned. No way. That's the weird as thing. Shoney, you're going to have to hold my coffee. That's fine. You know that part, you've worked with Barbara Windsor. Maybe she's watching over us in spirit today. I know.

Because that's her dangerous moment. It is actually. Carry on camping. That's true. You're going to have to do it. I can't ask my producer to do. Oh, my hands are so cold. I do apologise, listeners.

This is the first time on what. walking the dog. I love that. But my bra, it pinned like on that carry-on camping thing, with Barbara Windsor. For naturess. You're out here in the forest. I'm really proud of my boobs. I didn't know they still had it in them. That's brilliant. Still got it, Shona. That's great. Come on. Thank you Barbara Windsor up there somewhere. She's with us today. Babs got your backs out. So tell us, go on about your folks. Yeah. So, So mum is Jennifer and dad is Patrick and they both are from London, Paddington, grew up in Kilburn, Cricklewood, round that way. And they've been together for years and years and years.

Yeah, my mum's just like the most bubbly woman. Were they in the business? No. And what did they do? So mum was a school secretary. like a business manager at school and dad is in construction and works in the studios. Not EastEnders but other like films and stuff he does. Yes, I see him in construction. Yeah, really? I don't know. I see him as quite sort of solid and

reliable. Really? Yeah. How could you tell that? I don't know. Are you close to your dad? Yeah, very. Yeah, you seem like, I don't know, I think people who have, a good relationship I mean with both parents but I always feel particularly women with dads yeah I think that's your first relationship essentially yeah you know with someone of the opposite sex in terms of a platonic relationship or just like an emotional or your first emotional relationship yeah when that relationship feels unsafe I think that has an impact on you as a woman and I think I can usually tell when someone's had felt safe.

Yeah, I know what you mean. You know. Oh, he's cute. Oh, little kid. Yeah, I mean, I've always been a daddy's girl. I always have. I've always been like, I don't know, I was always the tomboy. Like me and my sister were very, you know, we were always kicking a ball.

We'd much prefer to, you know, play a game of football with the boys rather than walking around in those little plastic heels that you get as kids and things like that. I hate those, like the Disney ones. Yeah, the Disney ones with the jewels on. Don't get me wrong, I'd wear them now,

but... I remember my niece trying them on in it was when Woolworth still existed you know, she was younger and my sister was going, oh for God's sake me, I want them! And they were just gross kind of like, and she was clacking

around in these awful plastic shoes she can even walk in. And they're always see-through and they always make your feet sweat, right? I mean, and those, I don't, I've got a bit of a pet peeve about those see-through heels, like that are plastic-y looking, if you know what I mean? Like, they were all the rage at one time a couple of years ago. It's like, oh, a nude shoe, no, why not wear a completely see-through sandal? And you're like, oh, great. and your toes get all like sweaty.

You can see where you're like perspiring in the shoe. Yeah. It's disgusting. Your parents were sort of, had they both been born and raised in Ireland? Oh. See you then, Cece. Do you all explain what's happened, Shona? Okay.

So basically Cece's pulled backwards and she's completely disappeared out of her jacket, which means she's now... Well, I'll take right... She's walking as if she's still in her jacket, though. Well, she's come out of... I don't know what's happened. Cici, are you okay? What was the energy like in your house?

Because often people that become performers... Yeah. You can sort of find a clue as to how that happened if you look at their family experience. Was it an extrovert household? Was it noisy? It was full of music. It was always full of music.

And it was always full of music. and it was always full of laughter and very Irish stories because my granny, my mum's mother, used to stay with us all the time. I mean, she'd come over and she would say she was staying for a week and she'd leave like four months later, which I loved and my sister loved and my mum was a bit like, okay, but honestly she was the life and soul of our house growing up. I remember there was a time my sister and I had like a house party and we were in the upstairs front room and we were listening to drum and bass which was all the rage at the time and my granny came up the stairs and she

started Irish dancing to this drum and bass in front of all my friends and my friends loved it we were just up Irish dancing and she didn't care she was up till four or five in the morning with us yeah she was brilliant and what were you like as a kid? kid shown her. Oh. I was always cutting my hair off. Always cut my hair off to the point where my first day at school all the kids asked me if I was a girl or a boy. Why do you think that was? I don't know. I think because I had such short hair and when you're that age I think you just associate girls with long hair and boys with short. Were you shy or were you confident? I was weird. I think I was weird. I wasn't shy. My sister was really shy and I was kind of my sister's mouth so my sister would hide behind me and

someone would ask my sister would you like a drink or whatever and I'd say Camilla would you like a drink and she'd only answer me. It was like odd. But I was the weird one, so I was the one in the playground who was picking up the worms and putting them on my tongue to make all the boys go, oh. We're just going over some ice now. Sorry. I'm going to click on once at you. Yeah, go on.

You're all right? Shona and I are just navigating some ice. I've got you. So we're going to go really slowly over this ice. Oh, Shona, this is good training if you ever do, don't feel nice. Do you know what? It's true. It is true. I mean, I know it was only a tiny patch of ice in Hendon.

Yeah. But, you know, we've got to start somewhere. It's true. And look, Riemondo smashed that. Ray handled it like a pro. He did. So, yeah, so growing up, were you someone who did sort of, you know, hi, everybody come into the living room and watch the show and a Mugati show?

You know how there are some kids that is very evident from an early age, that they've got that. Yeah, I think we were never. Me and my sister would never really, like only to my mum and dad would we perform. But we wouldn't necessarily put on shows. We would be asked to sing at every family event. I find it interesting though. It's very sweet how often I'll ask you questions about you and you always say we. Oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I've been told that before. I just feel like wherever I am my sister is. That's the way it was and that's the way it still is. Even, you know, if I'm far away from her, it's like we've got this twin thing. I generally feel like we are twins. I know we're not, but I feel that close to her and I'm so protective of her. And I just feel that when, I don't know, it's like we're the same person. It's like we're the same.

That's really lovely. Not everyone has that relationship with a sibling. No. And I had that relationship with my sister, and she's sadly not with us any longer. But I remember, you know what, it was only as I got old. Yeah, but I'm so grateful for having had that. Yeah. Because it's very unique that.

And it was only as I got older, I thought everyone had that. I thought everyone spoke five times a day and finished each other sentences and said we. Yeah. And it was only when I got older that, I realized, no, some people have these brothers and sisters. And they go, all right, mate, how's it going? Yeah, it's all right. Yeah. Yeah.

See you later. Yeah. I mean, I'm not saying they talk like that. But that's okay because that works for them, but yeah. Yeah, or sometimes people say, no, I haven't seen him in years. And you think, God, I just can't. You know, I know things happen and everybody's different

and every family is different and, you know, we're all humans and we're all individuals. Shona, I can't imagine. When you just said, God, I haven't seen him in years, I so felt like I was watching you standards and I'm going to have to make you certain. to make you certain again. God, I ain't seen him in years.

Who, Dave? Nah, I ain't seen him in years. Difficult. Having been in EastEnders for so long, when, for example, you're having an argument, because everyone has a dispute with their partner. Yeah. I mean, has he ever been tempted to do the doffs after the argument?

And you say, I want you to get out of this house now. do do do do do yeah I mean he does laugh at me sometimes and he goes this isn't he stenders and that just shuts me up because one I'm just like fair enough and two I'm like that's really embarrassing actually for me he says things like you know all right Whitney he's like calm down I don't know I don't mean to but when you get a little bit fiery Whitney comes out a little bit are you quite fiery When I'm pushed to it, yeah, but not generally, no. I'm pretty patient and quite calm.

But if it came to... Sorry. Oh, sorry. He's definitely going to slip. And I kind of hope he does. That was a quite a... I described him as quite a forceful walker. This gentleman who just walked from.

Well, I wouldn't call him a walker. I'd call him something else. You're all right, Cici. I mean, our dogs were roadkill, you know, briefly. Mm-hmm. He looked like he was going to trample on the Moshana. See, this is what I mean. Like, Whitney would come out.

If Cici got her there or even brushed past Ramondo's earlobe, things would kick right off. No, they wouldn't. Have you got that in you to get a bit aggie? Um, no. I would, for instance, I think if somebody tried to hurt my sister or my, you know, my friends or obviously I would protect them, but I wouldn't ever start anything. I'm not like, oh, that makes me sound so aggressive and horrible.

No, I'm really not an aggressive person, but I can protect myself. I think when you've been a child actor, which you were, and you've been in a show like EastEnders, which is so huge for such a long part of your life, I imagine you do have to build up some defences. Oh, yeah. Because you presumably, your whole life that's been a part of it is people... Sorry. Another male joker there. Yep, lovely.

You've had people coming up to you, sort of thinking they know you. Yep. You've had to deal with a different level of scrutiny. Yeah. There's been quite a few times over the years where things have happened that have made me realise, oh God, people really do think they know me. You know, and I understand I've been in their front rooms for years, but people think they can be quite rude and maybe a bit too honest.

So people will say things like, God, you look skinnier on the celly, or you've put a bit of weight on. you know or oh you're going out with so and so in you know you know very like a bit aggressive and just I just wouldn't say that to anyone even if something was in my head but people just say what they want because they feel like they can do you think there's a sense also of people a bit like when the social media thing that I think it fame can be dehumanising yeah and I think that people stop seeing you as a human being at that point.

Because you would never walk up to anyone else and say that. No way. No. I definitely realised how much my life changed overnight. I felt like my freedom was gone, especially in the first year. And they told me, you know, the bosses at EastEnders said, look, things are going to change overnight. you will be recognised and you have to expect that now. You have to, we just want to tell you that this is how it's going to be.

So you have to be more careful. And I was obviously so young and, you know, I couldn't just, if I wanted to go out on a night out and dance on the table because someone will film me. It's so hard at 16, isn't it? Because that's all I did was get drunk and, you know, experiment in all sorts of ways. You see? Yeah, yeah.

And that's sort of what your teens are for, so you're not the least. loser doing it when you're 50. Absolutely. Well, no. I mean, you can still do. No, what I mean is that that's tough being young, isn't it? You know, when you've got everyone looking at you like that. Yeah, I kind of feel like, especially in my, like when I hit 18, I really did try to kind of do both. Like, you know, go out and then go to work the next morning. and that work out for you.

I was late and I got suspended. This is from EastEnders? Yeah. You know, and it was hard. I thought, oh God, everything you do is just going to be in the paper or for everyone to see. You must be so frightened when that happened. I would have been.

I was. I was frightened and I was, I was humiliated. I was, I was humiliated. And I was told that I couldn't go to certain awards as a punishment. things like that. I got fined. Did they just call you in and say you've been late on set every day or something? Yeah, I had to write an apology letter to the whole like cast.

Well, is it just because you were a young kid going out and bit all over the places you are and you're a teenager, your frontal lobe's not developed? Well, yeah, me front on lobe is all over the shop. And I mean, it taught me a lesson, a massive lesson and I was never late again and... Did Barbara Windsor say something to you? to you as well. She did. Did she get a shocking?

Oh yeah. She called me into the green room. She was like, she was like, can I have a word with you, darling? I said, yeah. She went, listen, she went, right, this is a really good opportunity for you. I said, okay. She went now, you've been late on a couple of times, and I just want to make sure you're okay.

And she was lovely. And then she went, but if you want this job, you're going to have to sort your act out, my darling, okay? because life's short and all this and she was so lovely about it but I did feel like I was getting to hold off I would have cried yeah I probably

I probably was holding back tears but I was so embarrassed because I thought oh my gosh Barbara Windsor is telling me off and it's such a simple thing like don't be late but you know what Barbara Windsor tells you off you don't forget it exactly and I didn't

I've never forgotten it and she was a massive influence on me. Can I say Shona Maggiati, Barbara, if you're up there listening to this, Shona McGarty was, I mean, I think she was so on time today. I think she was there on I arrive. So your lesson, your work is done. Let's just wait for Raymond. Come on, Raymond.

We've talked about EastEnders. That happened because you were going to drama school. That's how you got EastEnders, wasn't it? Was it just a sort of casual thing you were doing like classes? that your parents had signed you up to. Yeah, it wasn't anything like, it wasn't a serious drama school, if you know what I mean. It wasn't what we would call a posh one.

It was a Saturday thing. You did an hour of singing, an hour of drama, an hour of dancing, and it was like, I don't know, 10 pound every session or something. It was really good, and it kept me out of trouble. And it kept my sister out of trouble growing up in Boreenwood. Does you need to be kept out of trouble then? I think when I was younger, I mean, my sister's so different.

My sister is so sensible. She's always been really sensible and not easily influenced. Like she was always the one who would tell me, you know, no, Shona, don't go with them or don't do that. You know, you have to come home now because it's 8 o'clock and mum says you have to be home. And I'd always push the boundaries. I was just, I don't know, I was just more,

I kept taking risk. when I was little and I just wanted to be liked so badly. Did you? Yeah, I don't know why. Do you think that's why you became a performer? Some people say all performers have that in them a bit. Yeah, I think I just wanted, like, I wanted friends, I wanted to be popular. But popular for like, for the right reasons, not for anything weird or, you know, I don't want to be, like, really hard or anything.

like really hard or anything like that. Well, listen to this chap, he's been quite loud, isn't she? I love dipping into people's conversations. Yes, so do I. Oh, he went silent on. Well, he gave you a nice smile of recognition, which I liked. It was like he knew you. He smiled and he nodded at you as if to say,

yep, everything's in order here. Shona McGarcy's in my park, that's good. Like he recognised you, but that's quite a weird response to being recognised. He didn't go, oh my God, I just want to want to say I love you he went yep I'm worried that was a look of that's crazy hair because when I left the house this morning my mum said you look like King Charles and I was like what she said a King Charles Spaniel and I thought well that's perfect Shona King Charles isn't it any better I'd rather been called a King Charles

Spaniel than King Charles oh God honestly so your hair looks beautiful by the way thanks I do look a bit like Sideshow Bob no you're like it's a very Boticelli Angel. Oh, I'll tell you what it's a bit like. You know, there's Lady of Charlott? Have you ever seen any of those paintings? I'm going to show you. I know.

I don't know. Lady in the lake. No, did she drown? Yeah, but don't let that put you off. It's still better than King Charles. Oh, God. The acting feels like it was a hobby that then... What happened?

Did a casting director just happen to pop in? You happened to audition and you were like, oh my God, I'm any senders. and I'm 16. So basically, this little Saturday thing that me and my sister went to, they said to my mum and dad, why don't you get them an agent

if that's something they want to do in the future? Like, you know, telework, theatre, whatever. And mum said, okay, and it's something we wanted to do. So we got an agent. My sister did a film. And it was called Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging. It was like a kids thing.

It was brilliant. Sorry, the producer, who is Gen Z, FW. Is losing her mind behind us. Oh, right. Is the producer's favourite film? Oh, right. Favorite film. Really?

No way. It's the producer's favourite film. It's the book. Yeah, that was the title of the book. Ah. And you? auditioned for EastEnders. Did you know you were auditioning for it when it happened or did you just? I knew I was auditioning for it but they don't tell you what part, who you were related to.

You get a secret name and all the other characters in the script have got different names. And do you do sort of improv? No, you learn a script and go in and do the audition. Look at that. You've seen a beautiful Shih Tzu. I love your Shih Tzu. What's yours called? Name. Yeah, what's the name? Snoopy. Snoopy!

Because of black and white like Snoopy. This is Raymond. Snoopy! Cecey say hello! It's the small introvert dogs club. Oh, God, it's so cute. Oh, Snoopy, it's lovely to meet you. Aw, see you later.

Bye-bye. Listen, Shona, I think Raymond and Cece are actually getting on quite well. They are. They're very chill around each other. It's nice. Oh, do you know, he doesn't get on? with many people he's a bit strange so this would be great what put you in for a playday oh um so go on so you auditioned did you go you did the little sausage dog what's your sausage

dog called yeah what's the name max oh oh no it was the name of the dog max yes oh it's called but it was some oh no it was the name of the dog max yes oh it's called Raymond, Raymond. Raymond. Yeah, Raymond. Ramondo. Raymond. Yes.

Ramondo. Raymond is a very good singer. Raymond is looking very good. Like gentlemen, look at that. Do you think so? Yeah. He's no angry now, nothing. Hey?

Going with nice ladies. Yeah. Oh, that's made my day. Thank you so much for calling us nice ladies. Yeah. very much. Bye-bye. Lovely to meet you both. Bye. What a lovely of the best character. He was amazing. He was amazing. And he believed about Romondo, which I'm really happy about. He's like,

Remondo. So go on. So you did the audition. Yeah, and there was... Do you remember what you had to say in it? I do because I rehearsed it and rehearsed it the night before with my sister. Go on. Okay, Shona, and... When you're ready? You can't talk to me like that. You're not my mum.

Well, not my real mum, anyway. What do you care? Sorry, just when he passes by. Shona is not saying that to me. That's literally what it was like. And I remember, I think I just shouted the whole way through. And they liked it. But there were so many girls in the waiting room

going for that part. Oh, I'd hate that bit. Oh, it's awful. And they all look a bit similar to you. Oh, it was awful. And I said to my mum, can we just go home? Yeah, and the other thing was, I was staying with my granny in Cricklewood sort of, when I was about 14, 15. And unfortunately, my sister and I went to Cricklewood Broadway, the station, to to go to

war on wood to meet friends and we both got attacked by a group of girls and yeah they were huge and I remember they were jumping on my sister's back and they had her on the floor and I was just this is what I mean about my protective side

I just jumped on them and was trying to get them off her and I was only like I think I was nearly 16 So it was just before the audition. And, well, they beat me up pretty badly. And I had like busted lip and nose and eyes. And they even kicked me in the privates and said that they hope I don't have kids,

which I remember so, like, so vividly as a memory. It was like so awful. And I told my sister to run and she ran to go and get my mum, who was quite far away down the road in my granny's house and I had to go to court and get the police involved and everything and they took my bag and my phone and all my money and the day of court was the day of the audition at EastEnders and I got it and the whole police station in Hertfordshire Police found out that I got the part and they all cheered and sent me a card and yeah it was really nice and

And actually, now at my age 33, I actually feel really sorry for the girls that did it because I found out that they were all in care and they'd all had really shit time. So I kind of don't... I wonder how if they recognised you as well, you know, and they would have seen you. Maybe not. Maybe people have to be faceless when you're doing something so inhumane to them. You know, but I hope they did Because I wonder if seeing that

Yeah, that's a reminder, isn't it? Every day, you can't, twice a week You're having to see that person What you did and now they They're resilience Yeah You know Look at that dog having his best life

Not our pampered princesses I know I really hope you loved part one of this 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.