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

Episode Date: July 23, 2026

In part two of Emily and Ray's walk with Sian Welby, Sian reflects on her journey into radio, the path that led her to the Capital Breakfast Show, and what it's really like waking up before dawn to host one of the UK's biggest breakfast programmes.The conversation also becomes deeply personal as Sian speaks with honesty and warmth about her father's dementia diagnosis, the challenges it has brought to her family, and the importance of talking openly about an illness that affects so many people. It's a moving and thoughtful discussion that will resonate with anyone who has experienced dementia in their own family.If you haven't already, do go back and listen to part one. It's a wonderful conversation about Sian's career, from weather presenting to breakfast radio, as well as the people, jobs and experiences that shaped her along the way.Follow Emily:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadeanX: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of Walking the Dog with the wonderful Sean Welby. Do make sure to catch her every weekday morning on Capital Breakfast from 6 to 10 a.m. And by the way, do give Walking the Dog a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Sean and Ray Weigh. So let's just go back to how you got into radio, which is basically you're working away at Newark. Yeah. Doing those filming in the fitting room because the fitting room looked like a studio, had a massive red couch. and a blurred background.

It's like, this looks like I'm on telling. It was all of that sort of here come the girls. But you know what I mean? It was all quite high glamour. It was. It was brilliant. So it was ideal for that. So I was doing all that.

And then you got, you did a new magazine ad. Yes. You were picked to do that. Yeah. This is incredible, by the way. What? I've never known someone. Like, you've got such a good memory.

And so, does so much like deep dive. It's brilliant. Yes. So I did that. Well, we're going to have to, we're going to have to tell people what you said. Because I know the words. you said in that. So you know what it is, guys, it's when you have those new, those magazines like take a break or new magazine and then you might have actors or models saying, celebrity, gossip,

makeup. And you said, Peter Andre. So Peter, if you're listening, I owe you a lot. Yeah, that was one of my main ones in it. Because Peter Andre was in it every week at that point. I like, is that along with celebrity gossip and makeup, Peter Andre is an actual theme. It's a whole segment, yeah. You're right, that should fall under celebrity, but no, Peter Andre was its own entity back then. He was his own orbit. He's part of the architecture of the magazine, Peter Andre. Absolutely.

So you did that and then you were spotted by Richard Desmond. Yes, who had just taken over Channel 5 but owned all the magazines. He owned a new magazine. He owned new and OK magazine and he just... And I worked for him years ago. I'm sure. I was at the Express, I think, years ago. And he was...

He just bought it. it. Yes, that's right. So we ended all the papers and then he bought Channel 5. And okay. Yes, yeah. That was his big one. And I didn't know this, obviously, at the time, but because Peter Andre was in every week and all these adverts were playing. No, no, it's so bad. This is what I'm saying about. Look. Music, celebrity. Peter Andre. This is what I mean, though. Life is mad because who'd have thought those two words would get me where I was? Yeah. But then I suppose even that's got its own sliding doors moment because I didn't think I was going to get used for that advert

and I was the last one of the day and I'd skipped working at New Look. I was in loads of trouble. Did you get in trouble with the manager? Yeah, because it was... Tell me what happens. I'm on the phone. Ring, ring. Sean, are you in London?

Yeah, it was. I am. London. Yeah, and I had to grovel because she was like, where are you? At this point I'm a supervisor at New Look. I'd been there five years. It was a Saturday. I'd got two girls to cover my eight till six shift in two parts and they were like where are you you just got to lock the shop up and i just went i'm so sorry

i got this you press up yeah yeah i said i've done this i've gone to london it's it's an audition at this advert i said i've got to do it and again you know i knew i had to do it she was she was she was a bit she was i think she was a bit like i'm quite disappointed vibe yeah but she sort of let it go had i not done that though honestly none of this none of the rest of it would have happened because because i did that advert and because i was used and at the end of the day I was the last person to be used. I'd watched everyone else do it and take it all quite seriously. So by the time I did it, I did it all quite hammed up and quite over the top. What they wanted big. Yeah, which meant it got used. My bit was always in an advert.

Which was on a loop playing in the office. And because you were spotted, you then became a weather presenter. Yeah, because they were looking, I think they were just looking to cast Channel 5 and give all new presenters. Everyone was getting new roles. So it was like, where does she fit in? And I just told them all the stuff I'd been doing. And then they just went um weather girl and then you do and so with weather shan do you have to how do you learn i know aren't you supposed to know what you're doing no not on chanel five there was a bit of leeway yeah i mean BBC absolute meteorologists you know they're amazing what they do yeah i would i never never said that i was anything like that i was just a weather presenter you're not pretending

to be a miscaroeroy no and i'd get briefed by the sky at the time the sky meteorologists worked as well with chanth one of the things as well i've heard you say this before you always after there are certain phrases like chance of. Looks like could be chance of. If you say all of that, you can be a weather presenter. Because you never commit. You never say it's going to rain. Sounds like every boyfriend I've ever asked if we were going to get married.

Could be, it looks like, chance of. If you remember those three, yeah, because that's what you say, chance of rain, chance of sunny spells, could be temperatures of and you just never commit. You're covering yourself. Yeah, because otherwise if you say something and you go, oh, there's going to be fog tomorrow morning, you're notting and whatever and there's not, you will hear about it from a lot. of angry people. But what's fascinating is and there are certain clothes you can't wear on green screen. Similarly you have to have a certain wardrobe. Because I also thought, why do whether

the girls tend to favour they, you know those sort of body con dresses in primary colours? Is that because the silhouette is easier against the green screen and you don't want anything too fussy basically? Yeah, you can't wear patterns. There's about three different, you can't really wear white, yellow, anything that's got green in it, really, it looks wrong. And then you want body con because anything you know I actually live in oversized I love baggy stuff but actually that looks a gany girl yeah yeah but it looks terrible on screen so you actually you know they do say like the the whole thing was like the camera adds 10 pounds that's about 10 stone it just makes you look you have to create the silhouette because otherwise it is not there

whether whether it's lighting I don't know what it is and obviously a lot of the time you shop mid up so you can't have anything baggy or big because it just You just look weird. It's not the, I'm not actually that self-conscious about stuff like that, but I hate looking bad. And I was like, you want to look the best you can look. You do. And so actually the most simple thing is a block colour that fits nice, tailored. I don't know how else to really describe it.

A lot of just very plain but nice tailored, high neck. Because you don't want anything too low cut either. All this stuff. It's a bit of a minefield. And you ended up, I think, the thing that you turned that job, which I think is really interesting, I always think it's fascinating when someone brings something, their unique selling point to something. So because you did something a little bit odd, which is you sort of made it funny, which I've never really seen a weather presenter do that before, where you sort of, that became

your schick, where you were like, how many Star Wars puns can I say into the weather forecast? Yes. How many did you fit in? 23, in a 40-second forecast. Give me an example of one. Can you remember? Yeah, like there will be a layer of cloud like Princess Leia layer of clouds you'll see some sunshine if you're wookie and I would say under my breath really quick so you just so you did she say wookie oh too late it's gone so I did it all very casual and very quiet and this was sort of a challenge by what was then Twitter and what's if you Luke father West was my favourite Luke I am your father if you look father West you'll see

and it did loads like that that really just when you worried about getting in trouble um no weirdly no I obviously didn't want to get in trouble but I thought to myself as long as what I'm saying is accurate a lot of it's going to go over everyone's heads but if you're lucky well if you're lucky if you're lucky just say it like I just did it but I was like 40 seconds just do it I did eventually have to confess because I used to do these dares all the time and never tell the bosses but because there were so many I did actually flag it I said look I've seen in the news that Star Wars it was something like it might 23 years since the original. I don't know. It was something like that.

It was one of the May the 4th. Yes, it was a May the 4th. That's right. And it was and it was the first new batch of movies since the originals. So people were going mental for it. So I just said, I think this will do really well. It'd be a bit of fun. And are they okay with that? And they said go on then just just for your lunchtime bulletin. You can do it in that one. And I just did it in that one. And it really went viral right, didn't it? I knew it. I knew in my soul as long as I put it out and put the right hashtags. And I was luckily, I was very. good on social media and I was really into it. I thought as long as I do this right, it will do well, but then I woke up the next morning and it had gone global. It had gone Australian TV's ringing me, good morning, America's ringing me and it was mad. So that's fascinating because that tells me that you understood, I suppose you understood the essence of what makes viral moments, even if that wasn't what you set out to do, because there was an authenticity and a naturalness to that, but it wasn't, it was a lot of risk yes that's what's interesting is that it makes you realize the things

that make you cringe you know people always say the things that make you cringe that's kind of what you should post and that could have been a bit oh my god you could have gotten trouble with your bosses it could have come across as oh my god why she's doing what she's saying this is yeah this is awful what's this weather report yeah I just knew I can't explain it I knew and I'm very when I get I can get quite suddenly very precise about I know what time I need to do it why how it needs to come out I knew I how it needs to come out I knew I how I And this is the thing as well, I knew I couldn't trust Channel 5 to upload it right.

And they didn't. I told them about this clip. I said, you need to clip this up. I need to have the footage. And they posted it as a link to Facebook on Twitter. And I nearly had a meltdown. I was like, what are you doing? No.

And they didn't use the hashtags and they didn't mention Star Wars. And I went and I begged. And by this point, I'd been there a while. They didn't embed the video, you mean? No, no, they didn't embed the video. They don't understand. I mean, I barely understand. But even I know that, they don't get to know that.

Oh, it was just that would have killed it. It's like an old lady named Brenda, Brenda, go, hello? In bed? Yeah. I don't know. And so I was so adamant and I was almost possessed with, give me this footage.

And luckily, I'd been there. Did you post it yourself? Yeah, I'd been there five years. And so I said, I said, please let me post this. And I got the footage and I put it up with the hashtags. And I, and I also put how many Star Wars puns? On Twitter. Yeah, X now.

Yeah, how many Star Wars puns? can you spot in this 40 second forecast. I was a clear title the hashtag had Star Wars in it which was the official hashtag so I knew people were searching for that stuff and I just this is why we need young people. But it's true because you understood that you were literate in how to sell that you didn't even have to think about it and we should say you since went on that weather presenting gig was huge for you. Yeah. And as a result it led to all sorts of things. It ultimately led to you ending up at heart. Yep.

And I'm interested, let's go back, before we talk about Capital, I want to go back to how you felt when you got that, because that was a huge gig. And I know you've done other things before, but that feels like the nerves that you felt. Getting a heart job. Yeah. Yeah. Because that's a very high profile broadcasting gig, right?

Yeah, and that's the one where I said, for the first time ever, I wondered if I actually wasn't capable. I thought that's, this is, because I had to drive the desk. It was me as a one woman show and it was alien. And a bit like with weather where I had to get the lingo, you realise that in a lot of jobs, you need some basic dialect almost to get you through. You do.

You know what I mean? I didn't know to time check and mention the station and say my name. You need to be literate. You do. It's a bit like when you're talking to someone, which I love during the World Cup, for example, who doesn't watch football throughout the rest of. of the year.

Yeah, that's me. I was talking to my friend Connie, who's lovely, but I was, I, I, what, I, Connie Hook. Yeah. Oh, I love Connie too. Yeah. Oh, we'll have to take a picture. Oh, yeah.

Everyone loves Connie, didn't they? I've literally seen her recently, like a film award. She's brilliant. Well, she, I've started, I've decided I really like football. And I'm like, oh, that's great. So I'm chatting to her and she'll go, when he scores the goal and he's standing in front of the net, it's so sweet. But it's a different language, isn't it?

You're spot on. That's a really good way of describing. it. I called the crowd the audience the other day in the football and the lads groaned they were like, oh God. Well my mum who was an actress used to say when I would watch football she'd go, darling, when's the interval? I said mum it's not an interval.

But yeah I had to learn that language. I had to almost get the structure which was in and out. How do I get in and out of a conversation? But I'd been employed to actually bring personality to a station that actually originally was what they would call

maybe hot joccing or it was a It was quick. It was in and out. This is this song, coming up to this song. And there wasn't really personas as such other than breakfast show and drive. But outside of that, you were just, you didn't even have a name in a sweeper. You know, you didn't have, it wasn't the Sean Welby show. And I really thought for a lot of those things as I progressed to get presenters name checked and say, well, how can I become someone that someone wants to listen to? if they don't really know who they're listening to. Just not the feeling person who's, you know. Yeah, and I changed the music. Because the music as well was 80s and even older,

mixed in with some current music. And they always, at the time, they were very like, oh, what do you think of the music? I said, well, I love it. I said, but my only reference to this 80s song is if it's been in a movie or, you know, you know what I mean? Like, because I didn't grow up necessarily with it. There'd be some on you.

Oh, I think, Ian, you see, I think the thing, because of your parents, though, I've noticed something about you, which is people who have one older parent or both older parents, they tend to be sort of oddly well-informed about, do you know what I mean? I know what you mean. Your cultural reference points are unusual for your age.

Yes, yes. So I heard you on the Capitol show the other day. Someone mentioned Les Dawson. Yes. You went, of course I know who Les Dawson is. Most people of age wouldn't have a fucking clue who Les Dawson was. Yes. But that's because of Ian, I'm thanking.

I grew up watching Les Dawson and all his sketches. So I find that interesting. and it's interesting with the music though that you probably knew more music than most people of your age but you're still able to say well okay even though I'm probably more familiar with some of this stuff

I think we could have spread you know I couldn't what I couldn't do is elaborate I knew I might have known the song but it wouldn't maybe take me to a clubbing night out or a girl's holiday and what I really wanted was to say well look if I'm going to really sell this music I really want to connect to it and say

oh this song I listen I wanted to have a story. So they took out 80s from my show, which was so interesting. And what did they put on instead? They just filled it with, what would it have been? It would have, it would still have 90s, but they filled it with more 2000s, which was the era of when I really would have been listening to music. So it's more authentic to you.

Yeah. And they were brilliant like that. And then it helped me, like you say, about finding your voice and it helped me become Sean on air. Less, I'm a presenter hosting a music show, so I will do my best. and I used to always do as much research. But the biggest problem I used to have, I did loads of sport, I did loads of other things. The passion wasn't always genuinely there for it outside of the job. So I thought, well, if I can really actually talk about music I do like mixing in real stories and some of my funny stories and whatever,

then this could actually be amazing. I always wanted to do radio, thought I had to be a DJ, because I wasn't a DJ either. I'm not a DJ, I can't DJ. So yeah, it was the steepest learning curve. I had to learn to stop shouting. I had to learn to stop putting on almost a projected voice and just bring it all down. And gradually and gradually you get almost the most shahn you could get

is capital. Because it's the closest, bar swearing or going a bit too much into detail about something you can't say on a school run, you're getting the most authentic. Well, you just get used to that, don't you? We used to have a rule. obviously it was absolutely but it was still we had sort of a rule that the minute we set step foot in the studio even off during the ad breaks we or the music breaks we still didn't swear

there's no swearing rule in that space good idea because then you just don't think about it ever think about it do you no you're right and and what happened with capital then do you remember when was it a dramatic phone call to your agent how did you or did you have to always audition or when you first joined it because it was Roman Kemp you did it with originally. Yeah and I remember wanting to work with Roman. Maybe again it was me trying to find my lads. I was wanting still wanting that banter. You want Anten Deck. I was still looking for my Anton Deck and I was thinking who where do I find that? Because although I was a great learning curve on heart, I didn't enjoy being a solo show. I really wanted to bounce off someone. I was

desperate to be a double act or something and I remember Roman getting the capital breakfast job with Vic Hope and thinking, oh, I wish I'd known about that. I wish I could have auditioned for that. I'd love to work with him. I remember really thinking it vividly. And then I was at heart at this point and I didn't think you could really go from heart to capital because capital's seen as the younger station. Heart's a little bit older. And they're both global by the way. Both global. Yeah. So in the same building and we'd see each other and I'd quite often go to the capital floor and I just wanted to be part of that gang. Didn't really think anything of it though. I didn't think there was any opportunity. And then a load of stuff happened all at once. I

went on holiday and I got a phone call from the boss when I came back and I actually thought I was getting in trouble for posting like drunken karaoke or something you know what I mean because I was all over Instagram like filming my karaoke yeah and I thought I'm getting in trouble here for oversharing on Instagram and he said oh could I have a word I thought oh god not a word no goes back to me like dreading this is like getting told off by headmaster like oh no and he said look confidentially capital looking for a presenter and they've they've at the time I think seen like 20 people or something and no one was right and they said they floated your name and it's going to cause upset because your wrong heart that would mean messing up the heart schedule and I was quite a safe pair of hands that did every shift under the sun you know and I'd do Christmas cover and everything so they said but they want to see you and I genuinely remember sitting in with sunny and Roman and just going yep that's it this is it this is this what I've been waiting for. So it was almost a chemistry test that you did. Yeah, yes.

So we went in and did like a yes, chemistry test demo and they were doing a number of these all the time and I left going well that's the show I should be on and I then heard later that they had the exact same feeling. So how long do they take to let you know? Was it pretty easy? It wasn't long. Yeah, it wasn't long. I can't remember but it was a few weeks and I joined almost immediately after that it was. Did you? Because I remember really once that you bought a bottle of champagne when you younger and you kept it and you said I'm only going to open this when I've made it. Yeah. Did you finally open the champagne? When did you open it? You honestly, you've done a deeper dive than my own brain can remember. You're so right. I did do that. I actually opened that one

when I got the weather job. I thought you'd go that you'd open it when you got New Look Supervisor on. I mean, that was also an absolute highlight. Getting the keys to the tills. Thank you. But everyone should do. I worked in the gap. Yeah, great. Oh, I wanted to work there because didn't you get headsets? We had a lot going on. I wanted all that. The best was when you got to do greasing. What's greasing? Hi, welcome to Gat. I thought he said greasing.

I was like, what's the greasing? Greeting. Hi, welcome to Gap. Yes, I would have loved that. That's what I would have wanted to do. In fact, genuinely, I'm not just saying this. Gap and Topshop were like an ambition. There was a load of back of my mind.

If I don't make it, what do I do? And some of it would have, again, would have probably tried to go to a bigger, I'd have either tried to go to Nottingham or London and gone to a bigger shop and gone, I want it now. But you know what? I think everyone should work in some sort of job like that. I do. Whether it's retail or the service industry or just because I think it just, I know this sounds, I think it sort of completes you as a human being.

It does. Well, it makes you have to deal with all different people. You have a humility. You have a compassion for people that work in that. You're going to get complaints. You're going to be put on the spot. I agree. I would always recommend someone get a part-time job somewhere in retail or like in a supermarket.

Just do it. Yeah. So you get the job. Yes. And you and Roman got on fantastically well. You must have been a bit devastated when he left, but obviously totally understood why. I was scared I'd never get that chemistry again.

That was the biggest fear. I thought, why are you doing this? Why are you leaving? Because we've got... And also, I never felt like the show had gotten started because I joined and then we got COVID. As in... It was March 2020 when I joined.

And we went into lockdown. And so all the things that... capital were known for summertime balls and doing events and being on location. We didn't do any of it. And I kept thinking, oh, I was really annoyed with him almost. I was like, give it a bit longer. We haven't had our heyday yet. We haven't done what I think we can do yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I kept saying to me, sure. I was like, sure you want to leave? And he was like, yeah, he's like, I'm done. And he'd done two years before that. So he'd done five years, I think. Yeah. And he was saying to me, I've done five years. And I was thinking, that's just getting started.

You know, to me, I was like, I want this to be legacy. Like, I want to, I want people to say, I grew up listening to him on the school run. So I had a very different, I was like, come on, we've got something really special here. We all have a laugh. We've got loads in common. But, in fairness, the show had changed as well at that point. And Sunny had left and then Chris came in. And we'd all probably admit the dynamic was still wrong. It wasn't quite right.

It was four of us. Then it went to three of us. And it was all a bit of a mess. I've had experience of that. You sometimes just have to keep trying to get the fit right. And you can't explain it. There's no sort of logic to it. You just feel it, don't you?

Yeah, there was nothing bad or horrible. It just wasn't quite jelling. It was suddenly became hard works. And everyone would have said that. And then when Jordan replaced Roman. She's Jordan North. Yeah. And then with Chris Stark,

from both originally from Radio One both had amazing reputations Chris from doing daytimes on Radio One and Jordan was doing the drive show and then suddenly these two, now the dynamic was right again and it's hard to explain what it was.

It's a different dynamic. So how interesting you become well I suppose Chris had work but you become really the legacy presenter don't you? You're the link to the past. Yes because I had been on capital breakfast the longest and I I'd seen a lot of different, even producers and stuff come and go. And you're desperately trying to find your Avengers, like your absolute A team of people.

Because it is so hard, it's so early, you're in a box for four hours. And there's a trust thing, I always think, that you always have that, can I guarantee that you're going to go with this? You're going to pick this up. You're not going to say no. I don't know what you're talking about. It's that sort of yes and improvisation thing, isn't it? Totally.

You know that the people you're working with. It's collaboration, you know. Oh, you're absolutely spot on. And that's what I thought was unique because I could read Roman's mind and I knew when he was gearing up for a punchline and he would sometimes do a hand movement to me seconds before we went live

and I just knew what it meant. And even afterwards, sometimes he'd laugh and go, I don't know how you knew what I wanted you to do there. And I was like, well, I just knew where your train of thought was going. Exactly. And that's rare, isn't it? You don't always get that. And so that's why I was so worried.

Do you know where I think you get it? And I wonder, that's really interesting, because I have that with Frank a bit, that sometimes he'll go, what's that woman? That's actually all he'll say. What's that woman? Honestly. And you just know where he's heading.

It's quite odd. People are freaked out why because he'll go, oh, what's that woman? Or he'll say something like red hair. I'll say Jessica Chastain or whatever. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? I just, I don't know how I know.

How did you know he meant that woman? But it can get complicated, because if I don't happen to guess, from what's that woman. But what's interesting about that is when you talked earlier about being someone, you know, the people pleasing thing, we say, the agreeing thing,

or what, there's a downside to that, but the upside of it is that you're incredibly sensitive to atmosphere. Yes, so because what's happening is you're in a room and you think, how's Will, is he doing? Hey, that's Bill my producer. How's Shoshana, my publicist?

Is she okay? Is she happy? Do you know what I mean? You're constantly juggling everyone else's emotions and emotional temperament. Yes. So it can make life quite stressful, but it means in situations like that, I would say you're uniquely qualified for a job like that because your instinct is spot on. Does that sound, does that make sense?

Yeah, and it's really cool hearing you make sense of it because it does what you're saying, I'm going yes, you've put into words what I can't, which is, yes, it's that. It's almost going, I'm so engaged and listening and interested. that I've watched the person opposite me go on the journey in their head so by the time they start a sentence I know where we're going with it oh right we're going to talk about the football here

but he's going to start by comparing it to last night's Love Island and I'm trying to and then I'm going where would I go with this punchline and sometimes I you know I would happily give someone the better line if it's funnier coming from a lad or I'm very much here for the comedy or here for the, did the whole thing sound better?

And I will quite often go, oh, it's funnier if you say this than me. Yeah, you've got to, and I think it's, I don't want to get too football nerd for you, but I always think you've got to say, it's fine to be Saka sometimes. You know Saka, don't you? Good.

Assisting the goal. Very good, very good. All right, Connie Hark. For the audience. I love that assist of the goal. Assisting the goal for the audience at the, yeah, You know what I mean? Yes, yeah.

So how are you finding, I mean, we've talked about the early mornings, obviously, I'm not going to be that person who just goes, what's it like getting off at 5. Well, obviously people are endlessly fascinated. But now, how long have you been doing this show with Jordan and Chris now? With Jordan and Chris, I've been doing it for two and a half years. Right. And in total, six years because I've joined in 2020.

Six years. Yeah. And in that time, you've had a baby. Yeah. You've got, are you married? You're engaged. Engaged. Oh, I love that.

Yeah, because there's no time now. Well, I had a lovely girl on my podcast recently called Sophie Garrott, who's like an online. She's sort of an influencer. Yes. And she said, oh, I got married recently. She said, but I still call my husband, my boyfriend, because husband's a bit cringe. Yes. I kind of know what she means.

Like, I don't ever say my fianc. No, we said it's a bit kind of like, my husband, Excuse me. So, and you met Jake when you were... Working at Heart, he was one of the producers. And sometimes we did shows together, not always, but he was just a good friend for a long time. And I didn't really see...

Late nights listening to the Jennifer Rush, The Power of Love. Yeah. And that's what did it. But yeah, we just got on and again, he was just someone that was easy and fun and quite so charismatic. He's got a very magnetic personality that he, he does change an environment and again because maybe we do soak up energy and like atmosphere and stuff I like to be in the room with him yeah that's so nice I like

you too I think you're a good couple thank you and you had your daughter Ruby is she three now two just in two yeah and but she she is like I mean such a talker and very much in terms of language very ahead like so it's quite funny because people do think she's a bit older but because she can say full she's got a full chat for you. Really? She's the granddaughter of Ian. Yeah, that's it.

She'll be saying, Les Dawson. Yeah, she will. Yeah, she's very much plugged into humour. We notice that really young life. She knows to do something just because it's funny. And I think kids do, I think in general they do, but it's so fascinating to watch

that she will do something just to wait for my reaction, put something on her head or just stand there waiting until I've seen it. It's so weird when kids get a lot. lot and you just see the pride when they think, oh my God, everybody loves me. I'm amazing. It's like watching a comedian. Oh, it's gorgeous. It's the best. The ego of the comedian. Yes. Yeah, you see the smile. It's the little corners going up. They're trying to suppress the smile. I know. I actually can't bear it when they do. I hate the smile. It's like that horrible

self-awareness of like, I look, I've got an audience. I nailed that. Tell me, because we've talked about your dad and I love the sound of your dad and if you're comfortable talking about this Sean I know your dad's been diagnosed with dementia is that right yeah yeah and I know my dad had Alzheimer's so it well yeah he's got I still do it vascular dementia yeah so it's all kind of you get you know Alzheimer's one leads to the other doesn't it almost they're all intertwined Alzheimer's and dementia and it kind of one leads to the other thing but yeah it's just the worst isn't it it's just I find it the cruelest thing to exist I because the one thing that again it goes back to what I like is someone's personality.

Don't care what they look like. I don't care if they've got some weird hobby. I just like people and I think my dad is such a character that I'm scared. I'm scared to lose that because otherwise who is he? He's just a guy and that's what I think is sad that you you lose the person without them dying. I know what you mean. It's just horrible but I'm very like... And it's funny how you, I don't know if you experienced

this but it's weird how I felt guilt for not realising sooner because there were times when I'd sort of be a bit dismissive and said what are you talking about? Because he'd get a word wrong or yeah same experience that. Yeah he would do my head in I'm like dad I've actually five times or why didn't you get that thing and as time went on he got he almost became annoying I was like god I've asked dad like three times to get that thing and the issue that makes it worse my dad is the deafness as well that is he always there well he's just very hard because it's just very hard only from drumming because he never wore earplugs. He was too rock and roll.

And I'm like, now I am obsessive about people not having the headphones too loud. I'm like, you do not want to be hard of hearing because it is so debilitating. Oh no, I'm really, speakers, things like that. I go into where we film. Do you want to turn it all down? We sometimes, we record our podcast in a place called Spiritland in Kings Cross, the studio. And the speakers are so loud. And I don't care that I'm that sort of high synth bouquet, Coronation Street,

pensioning, and going, excuse me, where do you turn that noise down? Because I think my ears are ringing when I come out of here. Yeah. And I now value how precious it is because actually you can stay way more with it if you can hear and stay in the conversation. So that combined with the Alzheimer's, it's hard work because you're having to get visually look at him. Make sure he's almost lip reading, looking at you. You have to give context to every conversation. You can't start mid-sentence.

And with his particular form of dementia, is it, is it, is it, it? Is his short-term versus long-term memory, or is it just all of his memory is a little bit short? No, you're right. Long-term's amazing, actually. And you just trigger that a lot of the time. And weirdly... Music, oddly, is quite helpful, isn't it?

Music's amazing. And if I... I can easily trigger a very present conversation if I know he'll be able to talk about it. Yeah. But it's weird. Sometimes I test it. Literally the other day, I went home,

and I said to him, oh, can you make me a paper airplane? Because I just wondered if that muscle memory was there. he did, he just knew exactly how to make it. Yet you can ask him to make a cup of tea and he could come back with gravy. It's mad, isn't it? Yeah, it's mad. But I find it interesting in the music thing as well because that's an emotional connection.

So what you were saying earlier about songs, reminding you of the girl's not out or something like that. I wonder if that's, you know, to do with that, it's music is kind of the tapestry of your life, I always think, isn't it? It is. And so even if that tapestry, you know, that tapestry. has faded and hard for him to sort of remember all of it, those elements maybe stand out to him. He might hear, I want to hold your hand or the Beatles, you know, and he might think, oh, that reminds me of that. It's a trigger, isn't it, for a memory? It is. And if I do want to get him on a conversation where I know it will make him happy,

I'd just ask him about when he was banding and I just talked to him about drums or talked to him about rock and roll was very much his era. I think you were either a Beatles fan, which is more mod, wasn't it? And then he was he more Rolling Stones type? Yes, he would be more even... Gessero Tully probably liked it. Yeah, he liked all, yeah, even earlier, like Buddy Holly. Like, I'm talking 50s. Yeah, Buddy Holly and all that.

Isn't it rock around the clock? Oh, Rock around the clock is his... You know when you say you've got a song that activates you? Like, mine would be like Britney Spears toxic or something. His is rock around the clock is his song. And if I hear it, weirdly, I can get emotional. What's mine? That's interesting. It's got to be George Michael.

That's my ear. Oh, I love George Michael, though. It's got to be a bit of George. Yeah. Oh, I mean... I think it might be a Freedom 90. Oh, yes. Freedom.

What a song. I mean, music literally gives me so much joy. And I don't really have a genre that I gravitate to. I just love a good song. So, yeah, whether it's George Michael, rock around the clock, or Britney Spears, I will embrace it. But yeah, my dad is very musically. And have you done, I know you work with, you know, charities and stuff like that, don't you? Because it's one of those, it's the most hideous disease.

and it takes its toll on the family, as again, I know that from personal experience. How is your mum still with us and is she coping? Yeah, I feel for my mum, again, like that she's always been the hype woman because she's the glass half full and my dad's always been the more pessimistic one. So now she's doing that but on such a relentless scale, you know, because now she's thinking for two. I always think it's exhausting because you're now thinking for two. All those things that you might have taken for granted.

even just taking the bins out, she'll take them out and he drags them back in. Things have been out there for weeks. Small things like that. But he still remember, he knows who you are and who Martinez. Yes, but he can have. And in general, yes. And especially if he ever jokes, who are you then? I know that he's actually asking me that.

But he's trying, no, but he's doing it in his sarcastic way so he's not embarrassed. And so what I do is I always just go, it's Sean, you idiot. You know, but knowing that he probably is double checking, is that? Sean I think he does know and a lot of the time he does and he can be very present and go sharnie you call me sharnie but there are times of the day even when he's worse end of the day is terrible and he can be so confused he can think he doesn't realise what house he's even in or he'll be I'd anyone own the house that we're in now and we'll go it's Martines house with Martines oh yes I

know of course we are you know and it's also so the pride thing yeah it's it must be awful because it is embarrassing but but we all all just we just roll with it a bit but for my mum it's relentless because it's every day so she's craving someone to just have a conversation with where she's not repeating herself going around in a loop or giving a relentless context and backstory to every sentence so he understands it so i do i feel for her i think it i think it's starting to get really hard for her actually yeah it is really hard and it's what it's it's one of the in some ways it's one of the toughest diseases to you know to cope with for that reason in terms of on the family

where but you know I just wanted to say I think it's so great that you've spoken out about it though oh thank you because I think it's also really helpful to other people who were going through that I felt very alone my dad my sister died and it was kind of like you know you just feel very who's gonna help me with this oh I can't imagine it was tough but you know what when I hear you talking about I kind of think oh that would have really helped me you know just to hear someone else saying I don't know know this is how I'm trying to navigate this. You just feel like you're not the only person.

Well yeah and I think there's a number of things obviously again it might come across annoying but I will always try and be relentlessly optimistic and find a positive. I'm lucky I've had him this long. I'm lucky that actually we do have some good days. The things I would say if anyone is going through it actually especially if they've now gone into a care home because it more often it's grandparents or things like that and they end up in a home and everyone always visits them at the end of the day because they've been at work or whatever and it's you know 6pm and it is the worst time I find my dad is the most disorientated tired his brain's been off on all day he's the most delusional at

that time and I think you could go and see see somebody and visit them at that time a day and get the worst of them whereas if you could go at lunchtime or a morning God you might get a different person I don't think all day is and everyone gets dementia and Alzheimer's in different degrees and I get I'm quite lucky because vascular is maybe a bit slower in how it progresses and some people it just escalates very quick but I do think if you can never be put off going to visit them because even if they don't know who you are they know they've got the feeling that someone's come to see them and also the other thing I experienced funnily enough it's funny having walked this path my friends mom has it and we go

and see her and I I feel I know this sounds weird but I feel what I went through my dad is quite helpful because I've walked this journey and any small bit of help I can be. Yeah. And when we go and see her mum, I've realised something, and I must have learnt this, is just that it's actually humour. She doesn't sometimes even know why she's laughing. Yes, but at least she is. So I'll make a silly joke, or I'll take the piss out of my mate and I'll say, oh, God, listen to her voice, you know, whatever. And the mum will start really laughing. That's so nice. She doesn't quite get why she's laughing, but she knows my tone. I think she recognises I'm saying something that I think is funny and she's thinking oh Emily's making a joke with me I like that

because she's treating me I suppose it's that thing it's kind of connecting isn't it well yeah because you're right she's treating me like an adult that's still worthy of my humour and my sarcasm and I'm not pandering to her babying her treating her like are you okay Mrs so-and-so you know and that is naturally we all start doing it it is tone and she's read your tone and she's read your energy and gone this person's been really kind and funny and she's letting me in on the joke. She's got no idea I'm taking the piss out of her. No, I'm not right.

But you know, she'd find that funny because she was always quite mischievous and playful. Well, there you go. She's activated something in her, haven't you? But you know, yeah, I'm so sorry you're going through that. But like I'm sorry you did as well. It's horrible. No. Especially without your sister.

Yeah. That is hard. That is tough. Because that is the person that I will then at least, either you vent to, don't you? Or you go, what was that today or it's just an outlet? And you sort of use the humour. of like, oh God, what's the latest?

Do you know how you do that something? Like a black humour. It's just like black humour. Same. We all have a bit of a like, there's nothing's off limits with humour in our life. We can laugh at anything. You've got to, you have.

Way, way. We better get Sean back soon. Oh, it's been lovely. Have you enjoyed our walk? I've loved it. It's been our therapy. Do you think so? Yeah, because you're so easy to chat to and you just,

you know, you're amazing at what you do. You are a masterclass in how to chat to people and interview. You're actually going to make me cry. No, but I mean it. No, because, I mean it because... I'm in a pausal and for years will come. The HRT, I am on HRT, but sometimes you will make me cry. I feel like you could be a therapist in another life because I sit here and I think I could do five more hours of this chat and find out more about you and learn more about...

Shoshana, your publicist went, oh God. She's like, I'm ready to get a coffee and go home. But yeah, I've loved it and it's been just really nice to just chat. and talk about all this. Well, do you know what? I'm so happy when people like you make it. Thank you. Because I just think you are everything that's right with this industry.

I think you've got a work ethic, you seem really genuine. I love your honesty and openness. Thank you. There's not an ounce of neurosis or prickliness about you. You just, who you are. I'm glad that that's, because that, honestly, there's none of it I take that seriously. I'm just so, we're in a mad, yeah. And also, even the honesty about that.

In the honesty about your dad, I have such respect for that. Thank you. Because you know what you're doing, it's a form of generosity, I think. When it's a vulnerability, it's saying, look, this is hard to talk about and it's a private family thing. But actually, you know, if it can help people hearing about this, why not? Yeah, I was seeing that. If one thing just makes somebody else go, oh, oh, okay, I can try that. Oh, that makes me, oh, yeah, that's...

Yeah. I'm not alone or whatever the thing is. Should we go this way? Because it's a bit hidden from the sound. Do you mind going this way? It's a bit shady. No, I don't mind. I want to ask you something, which is you obviously interviewed a lot of celebrities. You do a lot of red carpet interviews you've done, obviously, as well.

I always think that's the toughest gig in some ways, because you've got to be incredibly charismatic and friendly and likable and warm. You've got to be quite pushy and forthright as well. Is it tough? And what are some red carpet interviews that sort of stand out for you, either as being, that was me at my best, or that was a disaster? I remember doing the Harry Potter red carpet for the final ever movie and at this point I'd actually only ever watched three of them and there'd been ten movies and so I was so out of my depth but I said yes to the job because I was very much a yes first and then work it out later and I realized that it was really hard to work out who was just there to watch and who had actually been in it and I had a few you know awkward moments I tried to find a question that would sum it up for me so I could work out if they were in the film or just a fan of the film.

So I would say, why are you such a fan of the Harry Potter franchise to see if they answer, like, well after working on it, I would see how they answered it. If they're like, oh, I grew up watching these movies and so excited to be here, I'd go, okay, you're just a guest.

And if they said, well, you know, after the third movie and working alongside so and so, I go, okay, they're in it. You're like, oh, shit, that's Alan Rickman. Yeah, oh shit. Yeah, it was, it was, it was, It was a bit like that. That's Dame Maggie Smith. Oh dear. But yeah. So I did really...

When you interviewed... You interviewed Tom Hanks for Toy Story. Oh, that was amazing. I felt like you became mates with him. Well, it's just so nice. Well, he... You know what you find, and I'm sure you think the same? Like, some of these people that have stood the test of time, it's because they are very authentically nice and professional. And do you know what?

Always easy to work with. Always easy to work with. Never divas. Never divas. And clearly. still values remembering someone's name. You know what I mean? Those type of things like making an effort. I'd interviewed him at midday

and by 7pm that evening he made a recall and went Hey Sharon, you get in the hang of this and I thought oh my God he's remembered my name and that means that you realise how much that means. What a pro. And someone else who's like that

is Jeff Goldblum he'll remember everyone's name in the room he'll say hello to the producer the runner the lot and you notice people like that All the big stars, the real, real big ones are the nicest people. Really? Yes, I always think that. And some of the ones on the way up, you notice either if they're going to last or not based on, I think, their attitude. Because the people that are just nice people.

And I think that is why people must enjoy working with them. They've got nice teams around them that probably haven't just left. And probably still have honest people around them that say, oh, that's not a good song. Or, oh, no, don't wear that. And that's what keeps them top of their game, I think. Who out of everyone, have you embarrassed yourself, is what I was embarrassingly trying to ask, in front of a celebrity? Yes, I definitely have. I'm just trying to think. I've done things where, you know, the worst is actually a junket where you're doing the movie interview in the hotel and they're so intense.

You've got like six minutes to try and, you know, get something new out of them. It's horrible. They don't know you. They are some of the worst things ever. It's just impersonal in a hotel room, isn't it? Oh, it's awful. And they've sat there all day and chat to everyone. And you know it's going to be the same questions.

Yeah. And I have, I've done it where I've not actually, I just haven't been able to see the movie. And sometimes that is the reality of life where. Have you had to black your picture? Oh, and it's awful. And you know that they're on to you and they'll say, what did you think?

And you think, I know they know, and I know they know. But normally, I mean, that's when I. You know what you have to say. It's like, someone once told me, when you go back stage, it's comedian friends of mine tell me this, and you're going to see someone and it wasn't their best work. Yeah. You know what you say? Well, you've done it again. Ah, you've done it again. Well, you've done it again. Well, you've done it again. Hey, that's so good. I'm going to remember that. It's just, and then it means they could be shit every time. Yeah. And you're just saying,

you've done it again. You've done it again. Another shit show. That's great. That's a great. I've just occurred to me. What about if you called a sequel another shit show that's really funny shine you thought of it yeah but it's funny to turn it into a thing because it's yeah it's someone got we're walking past we're just getting to the end of this interview and we're walking past people have got deck chairs out in Regions Park is it a school or just a group yeah looks it actually does look like a school or like a sports team yes um youths no I reckon it's a sports team oh do you think so I think so it's got some sort of

I'm trying to read it. Yeah, they're on their deck, they're on deck chairs. They're doing that thing. Do you remember when you were at school and teachers would let you do the lessons outside? Well, you know what? You might be right actually, I think it's a school uniform. Oh, it is something Academy. Yeah.

I used to love that. They go, hey guys, it was all supply teachers that did that. Hey guys, my name's Dave, let's do the lessons outside. I don't mind if you smoke weed. Not that those children work and we say. By the way, do you know which way we're going? Yeah, right here. This is the entrance.

Sean, I've absolutely loved our walk. I have loved it. I've honestly loved today. It's been gorgeous, you're amazing. It's so nice to, you know, properly meet you and talk to you. And yeah, I feel like it's just been a lovely day. Well, Raymond is a bit obsessed with you. Well, I'm a bit obsessed with him.

He absolutely loves you and I, frankly, I don't blame him. It's been an absolute pleasure and delight. Oh, thank you. What a thoroughly lovely woman you are. Well, same to you, absolutely same to you. It's been such a joy, this. Well, have a wonderful rest of the day. Try and get some sleep.

No naps. No, you're right, because it just makes it worse. Yeah, you can't do that. No, I just need to have a chilled afternoon now. Right, Raymond, you're going to say goodbye to Shaan. Oh, bye, Ray, Ray. Bye, Shalmy. Love you.

Oh, I love you too. I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed, and do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.