Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Sian Welby (Part One)

Episode Date: July 21, 2026

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll through Regent's Park with TV and radio presenter and co-host of the Capital Breakfast Show Sian Welby.Fresh from finishing another morning show, Sian somehow arrives full of energy, and over the course of the walk she chats to Emily about growing up in Nottingham, the work ethic her parents instilled in her, and the years she spent juggling a job at New Look alongside the early stages of her broadcasting career.Sian also shares the story of how Peter Andre unexpectedly played a part in changing her life, her first break as a TV weather presenter, and the mischievous Star Wars references she used to sneak into her forecasts before eventually landing her dream job on the Capital Breakfast Show.The conversation also takes a more personal turn as Sian opens up about her dad's dementia diagnosis and how she and her family have learned to navigate it together. It's an honest and moving discussion that will resonate with anyone whose family has been affected by dementia.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That was my life. Everyone was like, London, you're going to live there. You can't live on Oxford Street. Well, where do you park? Where do you do the big shop? What? On Regent Street? And I had to explain, no, no, there are towns down here and there are supermarkets and a D.K. Max. This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I went for a stroll with TV and radio presenter and host of the Capital Radio Breakfast Show, Sean Welby. Sean arrived to meet us in Regents Park shortly after she just finished her early morning stint on Capitol and I have to say whatever she's doing to look that fresh and energetic having been up since 4 o'clock in the morning please give me some of it immediately the woman makes daisies look stale and we had the loveliest walk chatting about Sean's early years growing up in Nottingham

and the work ethic instilled in her by her parents from a very young age which is why at one point she found herself still juggling a job in New Look with a TV presenting career and how Peter Andre ended up changing her life. We also chatted about her first break in TV as a weather presenter and the Star Wars references she'd sneak into her forecasts before earning her stripes as a radio presenter and finally landing her dream job on the Capital Breakfast Show. Sean also talked very movingly about her dad's dementia diagnosis

and how she and her family navigate that. And as someone who's been through that myself with my own dad, it felt very comforting hearing her share her own experiences of that with such honesty and openness. Ray and I absolutely loved our walk with Sean. She's just a very genuine, warm, joyful person to spend time with, and I promise I'm not just saying that because she offered to carry Ray all the way back.

But let's just say, it hasn't exactly harmed her chances are becoming my all-time favourite human being. Really hope you enjoy our walk. Here's Sean and Ray Ray. Come on, Sean. Do you like that I'm talking to you like your Raymond, the dog? Come on, Sean. Yeah, I think it just gets me in the mood.

Come on. Let's go this way. Can you see all the no dog signs? Oh, surely. It's a bit strict. Why? It's a park. Can't ban dogs from a park.

So what do you think of Raymond? I think he's. I can already tell he's sort of hilarious. It's that little judgy little face, very sweet. Yeah, but he has got the face of someone that's like seen things, been there, done that. He is very judgy. I don't lie. Yeah.

So, I'm getting the feeling, are you a dog person? Because I think your daughter, Ruby, would absolutely love Ray. Oh, I'm such a dog person. I've actually never owned one myself. Have you not? No, but I did this thing. There was a thing called Borrow My Doggy where when I moved to London, yeah, you can and borrow like people's dogs and take them for walks and it's all for free but you do it because you want the company of a dog and they do it because they're getting a free dog walker

and i loved it and i walked a little um boston i think it's a boston terrier for years did you yeah i loved it which way sorry let's go let's go this way i'll keep there i love that you did borrow my dog yeah i loved it yeah and it's at the moment so well we'll go at the moment that you don't have pets is it just because of your lifestyle and early mornings doing the breakfast show yeah so it breaks my heart exactly and that's why because i do care so much and i would i'm such a softy i would be worrying all day about how lonely they were or can i take the dog on the shoot or can it come with me and a lot of the times it can't you know it's just not realistic so i would feel too bad doing it but i always have in the back of my mind well there'll be a day when i'm not

quite as busy and that will be when i go for it and get a dog oh i really want you to yeah i would love to have What sort of dog do you think you'd get? I won't be offended if you don't say an imperial shih Tzu. I mean, shitsos are amazing and I like the cross, you know, when you get like a multi-pooh, like, or a shit. What's the one with a cock-a-poo? There's a cockapoo, not a cock-a-poo. What's the one that I love? The, it's the curly head, the almost anti-allergy, the tiny little, cute little fluffy things.

Maybe it is a multi-pooh. Yeah, multi-pooh. Yeah, I think that's the one I like. Yeah, but I do love dogs. I would always go for a small dog. actually my sister's got a Labrador and I love it a bit but you know you it's harder I suppose in a way because they just need so much more room and they want all your attention just the same they're so reliable the lab yeah oh yeah I mean the gorgeous dogs do you know what

I mean yeah I just find them very reliable dogs but yeah I'm so glad you like Raymond I thought you'd like him yeah well he just looks like such a character he looks like a movie star doesn't he don't you I can imagine having like a little bow tie on almost, like, or monocle. Do you know what? He's quite snobby. Is he? Which I quite like. Yeah, nice. He's a bit snooty. Is he funny about what he eats and stuff?

He's very funny about what he eats, but he's also a bit funny about parks. Oh. Like he doesn't like it if there's any litter on the ground. And you know those dogs that go sort of running through the field? He won't do that. He sticks to the path like a gentleman. So I want to go back. I'm so thrilled you're doing this by the way. Oh, thank you for having me. And particularly as I know you've been up.

super early this morning doing the Capital Radio Breakfast show. Yes. And how are you feeling I should ask? What time do you get up for that? 410. And you know what? I love that you answered that immediately. Because if I looked at your phone.

Yeah, it would be the exact alarm. It would be 410. I bet you've got a 412. I have and a 415. I do. Yeah. I've got a 4, which is the soft launch of waking up. And then I've got the 410, which is the get out of bed and the 412 or something like that.

I've got like an odd number one which is like hello why you snoozing and the 415 is last minute like get out that is your last chance yeah so when I'm very very tired 415 is a lion oh really yeah which is quite mad when you actually say it out loud and I understand that it's absolutely ridiculous and bonkers but you've done early morning breakfast shows before when I did absolute radio with frank Skinner yeah we did that for 15 years but bear in mind that was only Saturday and it wasn't as bad as yours I now feel did it take over your Friday night and then I didn't go out on a Friday for 15 years. Which you know what? I quite love. It gave me such a good excuse Sean. I don't know if you find that. Yes. What was great was that I could tell I'm really sorry I can't come to that horrible party on the side of London because I've got to get her up for the radio show. I do find it has genuinely helped me like you say say no to things that I genuinely didn't want to do anyway.

But you can't really have much of a social life in the week. and sleep becomes such a currency I can't switch off from how many minutes I'm lacking. I'll panic if I'm starting to I'll look at something say if I'm doing an event in the week and I think oh it's 10 o'clock now so that's six hours 11 o'clock five hours 12 o'clock where I've got four hours sleep now and I can't switch that off you've become a sleep obsessive yes yeah yeah yeah but you must also do you know what I had a friend who once presented an early morning show and he decided to get a t-shirt and printed saying 5am, yes I am, which was the questions you got asked, which is what time do you get up?

Because you got it 20 times a day and aren't you always tired? Yes, I am. So it's like the two top answers. I could do with that. Yeah, 410 and yes I am absolutely shattered. I'm knuckered. It's hard though because really you still have to operate in a normal working day because stuff still, you know, in this industry, you normally have a couple of jobs on the go because you never know which one's going to go. At any point in your career, you can just suddenly get, oh, we're not doing this show anymore or that's coming to an end. So I think it's a curse of like the freelancer that you always have other work on just to hedge your bets. And then you're still maybe answering emails in a normal work environment. Well, by 5pm, I've been doing 13 hours. That's true. And then I'm

doing mum mode and at 5 o'clock, it's pick up from nursery and that can, you know, that's the whole evening routine then. Yeah. I think in a way it's good at least you're getting up early. Yes. Which is I think preferable to doing a night shift. I totally agree. I actually I've done I used to it wasn't even that late but when I started on heart radio I did 7pm till 10 and I sort of waiting all day to start work and didn't really know what to do with myself and so I started coming into work earlier and earlier and giving them more and more hours of my time for free almost because I just didn't I was just hanging around. Sean I'm really sorry.

Go on where do you want to go? I've just noticed the noisy men. Oh yeah. I just want to find a shady bench for us. Maybe we'll have to cross into the other park. Shall we? Yeah. Maybe we um, oh I'll just give you for a second.

Unless we just walk back the way we went and went on those benches that were in the shade up there. Yeah, there were a couple up there. We could go there. The only, those three looked a bit in the sun, didn't they? There was some on the right. that we're a bit shaded more shaded wouldn't it yeah it's gonna have a look and then we'll yeah that's a good idea go on oh bless you look i like you your problem solver yeah oh yeah we've got to no no

i'll never not find a solution for something i love that about you yeah yeah you've just got to crack on haven't you it's like right we'll find somewhere and i did i did spot there were some on more of the right side when we were in we should just explain in case you didn't pick up on that we're trying to find we're in regents park today which hopefully was quite relatively convenient for Sean because it's not too far from capital from global no because that's in Leicester Square yeah which is in Leicester square where she does a breakfast show that way does look very sunny but I think we go back up this hill and we're trying to find a little bench in the

shade that Ray Ray can sit on because it doesn't get too hot Ray Ray will be fuming if we get this wrong oh Ray Ray's never going to forgive us no no and I'm not gonna lie carrying him around in the sun well he's already judging us he's like why we circling back now he's like you too also I'm starting to feel bit like I'm on SAS are you tough enough? I have to carry those backpacks up the hill in the blistering suns on the bench as I spotted. Look it was in the shade look oh they might be getting up. They might be leaving. Let's see. We could ask. Are you guys moving or say oh oh oh oh I'm thank you we just might. We just want you. Oh oh oh oh oh

oh no! Okay it's rats or shade. Daro. Tell her that there's a bank here in here, there's a bank, if you just go up that, here, here. Yeah. We're leaving. We're leaving.

Why are you leaving? Because you saw rats. No, no, we just live. Ah! Did you see rats? No, speak English. What language is that? Portuguese.

Oh, Portuguese. Wow. I'm so sorry for the World Cup. I'm so sorry for the World Cup. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm talking about England. Don't worry, tonight I support you.

Argentina! Buh! Really gone off here. We're going to get it. It's today, right, today, today. Oh, great, yeah, tonight, yeah, yeah. Oh, thank you. Hey, mate, I mean, if you send somebody out to scouts,

you might get a nicer, so you keep this one so nobody takes it. Yeah. And there might be something like that. And there's a nicer one just turn... Yeah. Right. Oh yeah, okay, we'll see if it's free. Go ahead and have a look.

Oh, nice. Okay, well that could be good. Lovely to meet you. Thank you. Yeah, thanks so much. Yeah, beware the rats. Sean, we don't want rats. The drama of London, you're always like five meters away from a rat at any point.

He's a bit in the sun, but not too bad. You'd think he'd be okay or do you want him to come? Or if he goes that side? I could put him on his cooling mat and he'll be fine. Oh, and you've got a little cooling mat. Come on, maybe. fabulous. So on your cooling mat and I've got his water as well. Look at this. Is this your favourite little mat? Oh God. Oh yes now you're comfy. He's fine Sean. I think this is a

great spot you aren't you? So talk me through the pet scenario. I want to know about young Sean because I'm quite obsessed by young Sean. I like the sound like because you grew up in is it Nottingham? Yeah nottingham shows but it was really villagey like Not really like a town. Cheers! Should we stay here? I'm happy here. I'm happy here.

So sorry. Yeah, so I was a small little village. Neighbours were cows. Oh, that's no way to talk about women. Literally, honestly, like the most rural upbringing. I was such a tomboy, climbing trees, making dens, very much like, so worlds away from where I live now and what I do. now yeah yeah and this is with is it your sister Marty yeah yeah and your mum and your dad mom dad yeah and what did your parents do my mom was a nursery teacher oh I love a nursery

teacher don't she's yeah well because she's so patient my mom is the most patient woman on this planet and obviously so brilliant with kids so had a lovely upbringing of she's so creative and so involved and comes up with games and all that kind of stuff and my dad was part-time drummer, like a session drummer, never did it fully professional but semi and sort of supported other bands and was like oh he did loads of, honestly he's had every job but he was a jack of all trades my dad like an engineer and built our house mended all our cars yeah that kind of a very handyman so he was a drummer yeah was he in a band yeah he was in lots of different bands yeah loads he's got loads of photos

And he met my mum because my mum was also, again, never professional, but was a singer. So she auditioned to be in his band and that's how they met. So this is how interesting. So this is where the sort of queer, you know, the sort of performing thing comes from maybe, do you think? Definitely. And we grew up with drums in the living room and a microphone set up on a stand. I bet your neighbours loved you. No neighbours, the cows.

So it's fine. I could be loud. Because I grew up in London. Every time you call your neighbour's cows, we probably would have done. that about two women living together that we didn't like. So that's so interesting. And so your sister, how many years are there between you? Is it just the two of you? Yeah, just the two of us, year and a half and she, she's a teacher, she's a secondary school teacher, science teacher. Yeah. And what was your sort of home atmosphere like? I'm thinking if your parents had sort of

had experience, you know, with performing and bands and quite a sort of love. lively extravert house maybe yes it was quite lively I would say we're not and it doesn't help that my mum's half deaf and my dad's pretty deaf so when I go home my voice goes up to this level and when I come back after remember to acclimatize and stop shouting so I was always my nickname was HD because I was talking in HD wherever I was like people I'd work in a clothes shop and I'd be in the fitting room and the people at the front would go Sean I can hear everything you're saying and I'm the other end of the shop I've always projected and being quiet and it was all like doing little shows for grandma and doing little drama clubs and I was always attracted to entertainment.

I wasn't sure what direction I would go but yeah always found that really exciting. And were you the person in the class who was like, you know there's that person in the class who's sort of a bit noisy with the greatest respect. Yes, yes. You know, I was that person as well. It's like a bit noisy, a bit, I call it a look at me, Jean. Yes, I probably wasn't as extra. introvert in terms of didn't necessarily want all the attention but but I would have been I was normally sat with a boy always had ladmates and and would always be told off for talking yes maybe less so performing more chatting laughing just wanting to enjoy yes enjoy the moment but then where I did sort of come to life a bit more was when we when I got to secondary school and you started doing drama and I realized I loved doing that

you could channel all that. I'm not going to call it mania. It is kind of mania, isn't it? We're all a bit mad. But anyone who does that, yeah, but I think that's what's really interesting is that I think I can always tell someone who's not, I don't want to say frustrated performer,

but I think it's more that some people, yeah, I call it the look at me, Gene. Yeah. And I noticed when I started doing that breakfast show with Frank, I think I sort of became a bit easier to be around in the rest of my life because I had a channel, for that. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. I wasn't just like going into pubs going, you know what I mean? I could just chat. I had an off switch. I could dial it down of it.

Maybe that's it. Do you think that? Yes, maybe that's it. You do need an outlet because you're right. Otherwise, you're probably just come across annoying. Like, well, you know, you're just, everything becomes a thing or I'd be on nights out trying to do a comedy sketch or when I worked in, I worked in Waitrose for a while on the tills and to make myself entertained, I'd change accents every time someone came. And I used to do nights out as well, pretend I couldn't speak English or speak French. Yeah, we saw a rat, by the way.

Are you joking? There is a rat. How do you feel? I'm not bothered. Genuinely not bothered either. You grew up in the country, so I think you're... Nothing really freaks me out. No, not bothered.

You're not a pathetic Southerner. Do you know what I mean? Well, I definitely think Southerners are more scared of animals in general. And actually, the lads are. A lot of lads I meet, are really freaked out by birds, pigeons. the idea of rats and mice, I'm really not as bothered. I'm a bit like you, you know.

Like not bothered. No. Unless it was running at me. I sort of think we've started to get, it's really interesting where people see any sort of wildlife or, you know, it's like an affront. Yeah. And it's like, well, you know we're sort of sharing this space. Yes. It's not ours.

I feel very much like that. I would never squish a fly or a spider. I'm actually actively very. Don't kill it, don't kill it. I'll grab, you know, quick let it out, just let it out. Or like move it or I've chased mice down three flights of stairs when I've lived in like Battersea and places in London where you do get mice and all sorts, don't you?

But yeah, I'll never kill anything. I think that and I sometimes think whenever I, because I grew up in Australia. Oh, I didn't know that. Well, I find people being scared of spiders, I've got no time for it. Because I'm like, you don't know what you're dealing with some tiny little spider. We would literally look at spiders and go, that's all right. right won't kill us.

Yeah, won't eat the dog. Yeah, because they're so big, aren't they? I felt relief when I saw a massive huntsman spider

because I thought, at least I'll live. Yeah, it'll be fine. Yeah, that one won't do. Yeah. This is it. I suppose you become no nonsense if you're like

used to it. Well, that's like you. Because you didn't grow up. Do you know what I mean? In London, you grew up. So Nottinghamshire, is that technically

the Midlands? Yeah, it is. East Midlands, yeah. Yeah. And I was in a quite a no-nonsense household. Like my dad would,

he really, I look back and think I'm so glad he did but at the time you were a bit like, come on, it's on fair. But he would make us work it out. Like, will you work out how to do that? Really? Well, how are you going to get to London if you need an audition? He wouldn't just go, I'll drive you darling. It was, well, you better get a train then, better look at the time.

It was all very much you work it out yourself. And that would even go to, he'd get as involved in, you know, any sort of DIY or, well, if you want to do that, you better get a part-time job to save for it. and everything was work, work ethic, yeah, work hard. Do you know what? I'm obsessed with that kind of parenting because I just think there's a, it's about teaching children how to meet life.

It's not saying life will meet you. It's saying you've got to learn how to meet life. So that kind of, I think that's really interesting. And your dad is from a slightly older generation. Am I right in thinking that? Yes, he's a lot older. He's like 20 years older than my mum. So my dad's in his 80s, my mum's in her 60s.

but yeah because of that actually and my dad had the lesser paid job so he actually was the stay-at-home dad and my mum went back to work so it is interesting I have a lot of influence from my dad who was I suppose in some ways quite a wiser older person who had life experience life experience and had had crazy times but had the patience now to be a dad because he'd sort of done a lot of the mad stuff and he was still drumming even when I was a kid but he wasn't doing it to the extent he used to So yeah, I felt like he had a lot of time for us and invested a lot of time in letting us try things. And this is something that I've learnt since being a parent and you see the difference in how people react to stuff. I was just never felt to be made to be felt stupid for getting stuff wrong.

So I'm never scared to try stuff. That's so interesting. And I wonder if also it fascinates me that he, like I say, because he was from that older generation, how that work effort you talk about, which it sounds like he instilled in you. And I, it seems like you had almost an unusual drive and, were you always kind of aware of that when you were growing up, that you were sort of, because when did you decide, when did it occur to you, I think I want to be some sort of performer or was it a plan to go be an actress or to be a presenter or?

Yeah, probably more actress, but do you know what it was? It was this such disconnect being from a tiny village, And I grew up watching things like live and kicking or CDUK and it was all live fun exciting television and or you'd watch kids TV and the whole audience would be a load of school kids and I used to I'd look at it and go well how have they got there and I couldn't compute I was so removed from that I was like how are these kids in this audience and how are they on fun house how did they end up on that go car and I was so fascinated by going well how come I can't do that I remember getting smashing Hits magazine. I used to love it because it had all the stickers in it and top of the pops magazine. And in one of them, I think it was Smash Hits, the free gift was an autograph book. And as a kid from like this tiny village in the Midlands, I was like, well how am I ever going to fill this? Yeah. And that annoyed me. I was like, I've got this autograph book to this day if I still had it would be empty because I just didn't understand who's that for them.

How do you get access to that world? Yes. Where am I going to meet anyone like that? And so I think probably from a very young age I was fascinated and I grew up in a house that loved comedy and I watched a lot of French and Saunders and women being very funny Victoria Wood and things like that and I was like that's cool I love how they are people are enjoying what they're doing because they're funny and I liked that um getting almost getting praise but because you've done something good yeah not just for the sake of it yeah I really was attracted to that kind of like oh wow they've got a real like they're so engaging to be around I would love to be like that well it's the different my dad actually worked in telly so you're going to hate me because I was

one of those kids in the background of those things because of contact yeah because we'd say can we go to in my day I'm older than you so it was but it was the equivalent of Saturday superstore we called it back there so we'd be like oh dad can we go down there and you know that's not cool it's not cool it's terrible that we've got to abuse the system like that and these horrible NEPO children assisting in the audience. Yeah, but it would be worse if you didn't because you'd be thinking,

well, you had the opportunity and you didn't do it. So I don't, I genuinely mean this, don't begrudge it because I would have been that kid. If I'd have had that access, I'd have been like, oh my God, can I be in the audience? Can pick me, pick me, can I do it?

But then here's the thing, because you didn't have it, you were very driven, you know? It took me, if I'm really honest, it took me a while to sort of work out what I want to do. And it can be a bit when it's there and it's like, I actually think,

you knew it had to come from you. No one else was going to give you a leg up in that industry. That's true maybe, yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, maybe to an extent that was true, I thought I've only got myself here to make this happen. So it's on me if I don't. And so I was very driven like, this has to work.

Once I'd set my mind on it, I was like, well, there's no plan B because I don't want to do anything else now. And I was literally blinded. I was like, I don't want to do any other job. And I won't be as happy in any other job. and so I really did go, well, you've just got to make it work then. And didn't someone say to you, you reminded them of Cat Dealey? Yeah, it's six form.

Because again, she would have been on CDUK. Yeah. And it was just maybe it was more in, I was doing silly sketches and making funny videos and doing all that kind of stuff at school. Even though it was sort of pre-all like TikToks and Instagrams, but you were still, you were doing stuff. There was camcorders. We were constantly trying to make fun entertainment stuff. even just to show the class or whatever. So yeah, someone just flippantly said it.

But it sparked the idea of, oh, I hadn't thought about being a presenter. How on earth do you do that? I just thought. Because Kat was always, I think that's really interesting. Because she felt to me like one of those presenters where she was, she sort of looked apart in terms of, you know, but she also, there was a playfulness and a kind of mischievousness about her. And she, crucially, I think, always laughed to herself and still,

Yes, yes. So maybe that's also what appeal to you? Definitely and again it's that I also knew and it did go back from early in school always had lad mates. I saw her, she'd be with Anton Dek and it was like I want that setup of being one of the boys but one of the girls you can you can take the piss out of me but I'll give as good as I get and yeah I was always like that but I thought oh that is the job that's the dream job something like that. Isn't it funny that you look back to what she was doing on CD UK now what you're doing on the breakfast show with Jordan and Chris that's fascinating isn't it it is sort of got that set up it's like I found my Antone deck which no you're so right and that's why I really really wanted capital as well and I thought because I started off at heart

and that was even just fluke that I got that really I thought I've missed my boat talented people always say that untalented people always say I deserve that I find that they always say, oh, I was just lucky. Oh, it was just a fluke. Well, I suppose it still, you know, it still blows my mind. I mean, I focused. There was a lot of things that got me, I suppose, to the opportunity, but I still think, oh, God, I was so lucky to get a show. I might have got a bit of, you know, a bit of experience or an hour here or sitting in or doing the teas or whatever. I felt very lucky.

And just to go back to a childhood briefly, I'm seeing, I'm liking the, I'm liking the, picture of your mom and dad I think it sounds like Martine it sounds like a fun household it was Martin and Shana interesting names are quite sort of exotic cool names where did how did they come up with those Martin's like a French name I think and we always joke because even though Shahn is a Welsh name yes it is my dad's called Ian and I'm like did you just put an S on it you did it's your mom called RT Artine sticking them on that yeah I quite often laugh about that because I always also you see your sister would have grown up in the mccutcheon years yes she did everyone

always said all right what was she called tiffany tiffany yeah martin mccuch she did i think she did get nickname like martini or martin mccutche and i on the other hand was the kid that never got the name in the gift shop it was hard of course you didn't because in wales you would have but in england not but it was quite 45 year old welsham yeah yeah so i literally i never got cups never got key rings, you know, Alton Towers and all those places, like, well, I'm going to think of Royal Shakespeare Company actress. Do you know what I mean? But it's a beautiful name. Oh, thank you. I've grown to love it, but I, for a long time, hated my name. And with the parents growing up, I'm thinking, I'm seeing you as sort of extroverted and quite driven,

and were you popular at school? Yeah, but I think of you as a bit sweet value high. I always joke, because it's, because you, end up doing something that's quite extrovert as well. You presume that I was probably popular mean girl and I really wasn't like we almost were the in between us but the girls and the boy version. Interesting. We were a mixture of people. So you weren't the plastics? No, no we weren't the plastics. We were somewhere in between where really everyone was welcome and I had a lot of pockets of because different classes I had different people that I like hung out with and actually in the drama classes it was a lot more of a varied mix of kids like all different types of people people that you would say were more

geeky or whatever but we all just had a common thread so i've somewhere always sat in the middle of i just like people and i know who i don't like and i we had we did have mean girls in our school and i but i kept on the good side of them as well i try not to have any enemies or any drama um but i stuck with my core people that i just found genuine and we all had the same thing we just lighthearted, didn't take herself too seriously. I probably was more on the goody-goody side of did my homework, wanted to impress teachers. I still wanted all that.

But I would still have a laugh and sometimes, you know, enjoy being a bit more of a class clown, even though I wouldn't be doing it every time. Were you sort of an emotional kid? You know what I mean? You know those kids who are a bit sunshine and showers. So one minute, everything's great and then they're, you know, Or were you quite consistent in your moods? I'm quite consistent, but I'm definitely sensitive.

And I'm not very good with any sort of conflict. My household was so positive. Your family household, yeah. So relentless. My mum is relentlessly optimistic and positive. And I am so grateful for it. But at times, because that isn't always the real world, I did find it hard if I was told off

or if someone didn't fell out with me or something because I didn't really know how to handle that and it's made me quite a people pleaser but you do grow up and learn you don't have to always put everyone first. How do you deal with that now? People pleasing. How do you cope with it? I still struggle with it. Yeah, I still do it because I really do want other people to be enjoying my company or feeling comfortable. So I will always think about if the other person's having a good time. But I've learned to not channel that energy into the wrong people or people that are using you a bit or just not really genuine friends and I've learnt to let go a little bit I'm

able to say no or to go or to stand up for myself a bit better because I think to myself well this lot know me so they know my genuine where I'm coming from so if today I'm able to not fall out with it I never fall out with somebody but I'm able to stand up for myself a bit more or go I don't want to do that actually or well that's the key it's those things I used to be too terrified if someone and say, oh my God, I love this film. Have you seen it? And I'd go, oh yeah, I love it. Oh, I'm still like that. I'm terrible for that because I don't want to put them out. I haven't seen it, which is bonkers, isn't it? Why do we do, Sean? I don't know. I don't know. And I lie about liking things I don't like.

Yes, I still do that. Do you do that? Yeah, I will be, I will, especially in a relationship, I will be the more going along with whatever they're into, the band, the, the, the, the, the, whatever. Oh, I don't care what it. It's Kung Fu Panda, best film I've ever seen. Yeah. I just can't. You can't. I feel I'm ruining the atmosphere. Yes. I don't want to kill either a conversation. I don't want to stop it dead in the water.

So I'm trying to desperately find a common thread. And if I see someone's passionate, I'm very easily passionate if someone else is. If someone starts telling me that this certain type of cheese is the best cheese I've ever had, I'm invested. I'm telling them, well, where do we get this cheese and how do I get it? But crucially, if you'd have had that cheese and it was the most disgusting thing you'd ever had, I don't think you'd admit that. I would never.

You're so right, because I wouldn't want to ruin it for that person who was so into it. I think we're nice, but other people would say we're pathetic. Yes. And it's true. There is an element of being so pathetic because you think, oh, just be honest. I think that's something I've learned as well. It doesn't always hurt someone's feelings to just be quite real and go, oh, I actually haven't seen that. Is it good?

You know, or, oh, I've never tried that. Do you know what I do? I lie. If someone says, have you seen this show and I've seen it. seen it and I really didn't like it. I go, no, I must watch that. And then they start telling me the whole plot. And I know I saw it and I absolutely hated it. But I cannot harsh their mellow. I feel too mean. That's it. It comes from that place of I like other people's happiness and I don't want to, I never want to stop dead enthusiasm. Because I love it. I love someone being enthusiastic. And that's why I can get sucked into conspiracies. I can get anyone that speaks passionately about something. I'll, I'll, And sometimes as well, me and my other half have got really crossed wires because our energy is so different. So if he's saying something bad that's happened, let's say he goes, oh, and then at work they hadn't even saved the file. I'm activated now and I'm going, well, why wouldn't they save the file?

I can't believe that. Wasn't there a backup? And then he now thinks I'm having to go, here he'll go, he'll go, well, I don't know. I don't know why they didn't have a backup. And then I have to say to him, no, no, no, I'm agreeing with you. I'm just really passionate. your behalf. I'm annoyed on your behalf. And that's a weird curse of mine where people sometimes think because I've now got animated, I'm putting them on the spot, asking them, well, why wasn't that

done? But people that have the same personality get. Yeah. They get it. I'd get it. You'd get it. You'd get it. And you go, I know, I couldn't believe it. But someone who doesn't think you have a go to. No, I'd have friends. If I'd advise friends and I say, I can't believe they did that to you. And they'll go, don't be quite angry at me. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at them. And my absolute sense of injustice, on your behalf? Oh, in justice. We've got justice sensitivity. Massively.

Massively. If something feels really mean or unfair or it wasn't the outcome that should have happened, I am activated, I'm annoyed for them. We don't do it about worthwhile causes like legal things or political things. We do it about someone annoying a friend of ours at work. It could be an ex that did something to someone three years ago and I'm still feeling about it. Imagine if we actually applied this justice sensitivity to some people. sensitivity to some worthwhile calls.

That's, some of my guilt is that when I actually, because I get quite passionate, I will be upset about actual political things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But my knowledge isn't deep enough to be able to get, to do a strong enough argument. Or like, you know, maybe in another world, I should have been a barrister or should have been like a defending someone for their innocence and getting people out of jail that were wrongly convicted. Because I'm so passionate. Yeah. But you're right.

My thing will be about, you know, the wrong flavoured watsits that got turned up at a buffet and it really. ruined a little kid's day or whatever. Exactly. Yeah. I want to know about that move into show business because you'd sort of decided from what I know that university wasn't for you. I get the sense of you being absolutely impatient and I want to do this now. I haven't got time to piss about with university. Yes. No time. Could not waste three years at Nottingham University. almost very much in my head I've always been quite realistic and I've gone well that's just a waste of time I need to get to London that was very clear to me it was like don't fanny around it's like that Coronation Street meme have you seen it

London London you're not going to London are you that was my life everyone was like London you're going to live there you can't live on Oxford Street well where do you park where do the big shop what on Regent Street and I had to explain no no there are you know there are towns down here and there are supermarkets It's in a D.K. Max. Is there really that sense that's fascinating, but it's like, why are you going to London?

I suppose it's like going to Manhattan or something, isn't it? In their mind, you are literally living in Times Square, New York. It's the most ridiculous. You're going to work on an open-top double-decker bus, and Mary Poppins is greeting you, and you're crossing the room. Well, do you know, I've got the sweetest it. Frank Skinner, who, as you know, is a work colleague of mine, and I'm always fascinated when Frank tells me about,

because he was from, I've got to get this right, the black country. Yes. You're not allowed to say Birmingham. you have to say the rat country, Duke Bellingham country. And he said when he first came to London, he didn't, oh, I find it so sweet this. He drove to Collendale because he didn't realise you're allowed to drive any further than that.

He thought London was kind of like Dick Washington's London with Cobbled Street. I don't know what he thought. We thought, you can't possibly have cars in London. So he drove, he looked at the tube. map and thought that's the end of the tube that's obviously where London ends I'll drive to Condale and also the idea that London ends of Collendale so he parked his car there I can relate they can so relate to that and my friends you know when I had a baby they were like but how where is it going to go in London a baby but where where'd you put it and it's the visual is that we're constantly on the central line

or something and commuting and everything's crazy and obviously it is to an extent I mean I was going to say rats running around but we have literally got rats running around we're in a gorgeous part right now and there is even just explained to there's greenery there's parks there's coffee shops it there's normal life down here um but yeah tell me you sort of um did you train at did you do any drama school training because I want to I know that you my favorite thing about you is your years at you look new look yes the new look work work work We're iconic.

And did you do that when you came to London? Yeah. Yeah, because... Which branch was it? In Newark, which is... People might have heard of Newark Northgate, which is one of the stops on the big LN.EAR. I mean, I know Newark in New York, but... There's a whole new...

There's a whole of the world of Newark in the East Midlands. It's a great place, actually. I work with some brilliant girls. So this isn't in London. This is in... This is back up... Back home. Basically, I'd made this executive decision.

I did six form. I actually got really good grades. A's and B's. And my dad was like, well, what are you doing now then? I was like, I think I'm going to do drama school. Did a few auditions. This is the other thing people don't tell you. You're like, I couldn't really afford to do more than three auditions.

Because I had to get a train to London. I had to stay somewhere because sometimes these were first thing in the morning. So there would be no train early enough. Or I couldn't afford the peak train. So I'd come down like 11 p.m. on the cheapest 20 pound train. stay at a mate's uni floor somewhere totally in the wrong direction

but close enough like Golders Green or something Yeah Colin Dale Now I recommend Colin Dale Colin Dale And then I would go in the morning Find my way to this audition or whatever And yeah I did three auditions for drama school

Got in the waiting list for Mountview Didn't get in Very good drama school Yeah and I don't want to rub it in No I know I'd love to have gone And who knows where that would have taken me But my audition I knew it wasn't the strongest I just, I really didn't have enough time or money to put into it.

So I thought, do you know what? Scrap this, I'm going to revisit this in a year and do it properly. But in that year, a bit like I said, my dad was like, well, you better get a job then. So you work at New Look? Yeah, he was like, get a job. I love him for that. Yeah, he was like, well, what are you going to do, sign on the doll. And then I was so offended.

No, no, no, I'm going to work. And so I went and got a job in New Look because it was flexible hours. And I thought, well, if I do get an audition. Do you know why I love your dad? Because I think what's. so important. My parents were in the business. My mum was an actor and my dad worked at the BBC. And I feel because of that, they were really, what they used to say to me and my sister, they said, we would never encourage you to go into this business. In fact, we will actively

discourage you. And I said, what do you mean? And my dad said, because if you want to have any career in entertainment or showbiz, you have to absolutely want it. And he said, the trouble is, you know, he said, you can't, if you need to be pushed to go into any sort of performing, it's not the career for you. You're so right, aren't you? Because you can't be, it's spot on. He said, actively discouraged. That was his thing. But I can imagine that. Now, something that I'd probably take to my own daughter, because when you're in it, you go, well, this is tough. And it's a chain of events that might get you in or might, you know, but your dad was right. Work and you look, because then you'll know, how badly do you want this?

Yeah. Because you're having to do this in order to kind of, plan ahead for this career. Yeah. Well, if you said, I can't be bothered to work and you look, that's your answer. You don't really want this. Exactly. And I think that's probably what eventually siphons out the people that don't really want it because it is relentless.

It's very hard. It's not always that satisfying or rewarding. It's not well paid. It takes a long time before you start earning even decent money because they know that someone will do it tomorrow for half the price or cheaper. And I've literally have had those moments where they've gone, right, your wages are half now because we're doing this. You know, and you just go, okay.

I've had that. And even like writing for, you know, when I was younger with magazines and things, it's like suddenly you get a call saying, oh, by the way, you're getting half the money you used to get lost year or something. You're like, okay, it's just the way it is. Because you can't fight it because I go,

well, you don't want to do it then. There's literally a queue of 100 people waiting. Yeah, you just make a choice. And you're like, fair enough, I've made the choice. I'm comfortable with that. It's just the way it works. So at Newlook, whilst you were there, you were on various websites,

and you were getting sort of little bits and bods. You did, there was a Canadian property show. Oh my God. Which you filmed in the changing room of New Look. You self-taped essentially. They sent me out the camcorder and the equipment and the editing software. I mean, again, you think to yourself, how have I ended up on a Canadian property TV?

That's what it was called. It was when they were going, oh, website presenters are going to be the next big thing. I mean, essentially it became YouTubers, didn't it? But at the start, it was websites wanting presenters to be, as you clicked on the website, somebody was almost greeting you and it was engaging. It was really interesting then because it was when there was a formality when online sort of entertainment was basing itself more on TV. Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, you wanted someone going, hi, and welcome to so and so. Whereas now as we know that would feel weird. Yes, you're right. Now there's a different way you'd treat social to television. Yeah, it's more like when I listen to your breakfast show, which I laugh by the way. I know I'm not your demographic. No, you are. But I still love it.

Everyone's welcome on the caps of breakfast show. Yeah, do you know, I love it, I find it, but what I like about it is that I'm overhearing a conversation between three friends and I'm part of that. Great. So it's not got that formality of, hi, welcome to the Capital Breakfast Show. I'm, do you know what I mean? Yes, yes, which we didn't want. And actually, radio one does a lot of bad TV habits, which I ended up getting. Really?

Yeah, and it makes you undo you. Like what? Well, I think the first time I ever put the headphones on, I started talking, I was like, I think it was racing, commentating or whatever. I was like going, hello, it's Sean, we'll be here on Harts. How's your evening going? Like a waltzes guy. And what was it doing? Honestly, I swear I was putting on some sort of voice.

Scream, if you want, good, let's go. And you have the headphones, you never heard your voice so loud in your ears before, and you start acting different. Did anyone give you a note on that? Oh, God, radio is brutal. They used to make me listen back to my whole show, every link, and then sit in silence and go, what did you think? And when someone says, what did you think, as a self-deprecating people pleaser,

I'm now and picking every single thing I've done and deciding that I'm useless. I mean, I honestly almost had a nervous breakdown. The first I did, the first time I did radio, I actually thought, for the first time, I don't know if I can do this. It's too hard. It's like learning to drive and doing a monologue at the same time, but when you do that monologue, make sure you act natural, but make sure you time it to two minutes 37.

and it was too many things for me. Timing, moving my hands, talking, remembering what I'm saying, trying to be funny, trying to have a bunch of them. Well, do you know what it is? I realised just doing that back for Sean, absolutely it took me probably three years before I sounded like myself.

Yes, it does. And I remember Frank really reassured me and he said, oh, at first you'll sound like someone doing quite a bad impression of you. Yes. He said, but then you'll finally, and I realised, because Frank always sounded exactly the same because he's been doing it for 25 years.

So relaxed. He was so relaxed. was one of the best and so I really you realize that don't you after a while do you cringe when you listen back to early show I mean I never I've not you hear the odd things sometimes they dig out something from the archive and I do sound more northern actually because my dad's more Yorkshire and so the twang is a bit I'm less Nottingham and almost got more of a Yorkshire twang sometimes that's Ian without the S by though yes I'm without the yes I really hope you love 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.