Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Tammy Beaumont (Part Two)

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

We’re in Epping Forest with the legendary England cricket player, Tammy Beaumont (aka Little Mitts) - and her black Labrador, Indy!In this part of our chat, we discuss some of the barriers faced by young women getting into sport - and what is being done to overcome them. Tammy tells us about some of the incredible places cricket has taken her - including getting her MBE after helping England win the Cricket World Cup in 2017. We have so much brilliant cricket ahead of us - including the India series this summer and the Women’s World Cup next year - so it’s the perfect time to get obsessed with cricket, which thanks to Tammy - we absolutely are! If you want to catch Tammy in action this summer you can get tickets to see her play here - or you can watch all the action on Sky Sports!IT20 & ODI India SeriesThe HundredFollow @tammybeau on Instagram Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of Walking the Dog with cricketer Tammy Beaumont and her Labrador indie. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already. And if you want to catch Tammy in action this summer, the England women's team will be taking on the West Indies in India in two international series so you can watch all the action on Sky Sports and the 100 will also be kicking off in August. You can find ticket links to all these events in the podcast description. And do, by the way, give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Tammy and Indy.

Anne Rey-Ray. What an extraordinarily impressive career you've had and are still having. I guess one thing that interests me is when you were going through, let's call it the doldrums, you know, most of us have those moments in our career. But for people like us who aren't sports women, we can say, well, I've got this degree, maybe I'll do this. I've done a bit of training in this, I can do this. It strikes me that with your career, sport, since you're a kid, has been so all-encompassing, that that's quite tough, isn't it? Getting to think, when you are faced with that choice, if you're thinking, I don't know if this is for me,

oh my God, what do I do? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, my first dream was to be an Olympic gymnast, because, as I said, I did gymnastics first, but that didn't quite work out because I wasn't good enough. But by that time, I'd already kind of fall in love with cricket. and, you know, I remember doing GCSE's, like, French oral exam, and it's like, when I grow up, I want to be, and I had to ask the French teacher what a cricketer was,

and she was like, there's no such thing in France. So I had to, like, He said no word for cricket in French. Le cricket. Like, yeah, so they didn't quite understand it. And I remember people laughing in the class when I was saying this, and they were like, just say physiotherapist. And I was like, I don't want to be a physiotherapist.

So, you know, since the age of 10, 11, 12, it's all I've ever wanted to be. So I think that's why I'm, potentially didn't walk away from it because at that time there was nothing I was remotely passionate about or interested in which was probably another reason why I struggled somewhat was because my entire identity was Tammy Beaumont the cricketer as opposed to daughter sister now wife dogma I'm interested in all sorts of other things and but nowadays I've got a bit better balance I think but you're right it's so wrapped up in your identity and in turn that can lead to that intense pressure can't it as well if I'm not there if I'm not Tammy

Beaumont international cricketer who am I yeah well I'm so glad that you did persevere and not just persevered but went on to improve your game and just completely dominate the sport and I'm interested to know how you think things are changing for you just being a female cricketer I read something really worrying the other day and it was about how so many girls drop out of sport at the age of about 14 and this is because it's entirely related to the kit

that because kits are so, and I've never thought about that, Tammy, that sports kits are designed around male's bodies and so I guess women are developing curves, your body's changing and you think, well, I don't want to wear this. Does that trouble you and do you think stuff is being done to address that?

Yeah, I think it's eventually getting there. We still have our troubles. I think also when you kind of get your sports kit, it is designed for what they believe athletic fit is, and that's tall and skinny. And actually the minute... And what's athletic? Is that Cara Delevin, basically?

Well, exactly. It's not actually what real athletes often look. Like, yes, you know, your long distance runners and whatnot, maybe your netballers that are tall and rowers or whatever, but actually I'm pretty much as far from your stereotypical athletic look as you can get really. You know, I've got hips and thighs and I'm short so it doesn't help. So yeah, I've had some pretty average fitting kits over the years. But I think they're starting to listen and starting to realise that it's not a one size fits all or a one shape fits all.

And I think that's what's so great about a sport like cricket or even rugby to an extent. It does take all shapes and all sizes and I think that's important now that it gets a lot more media coverage and young girls that maybe aren't, you know, petite or traditional athletic fit get that opportunity to see that there's sports for them and there's, you know, people like Emily Campbell. One of my best friends was a weightlifter and Zoe Smith, but obviously I then watch a lot of weightlifting in the Olympics. but someone like Emily Campbell, I think, is an amazing role model for young girls that can show that, you know, it takes any shape and size to get, get, have a sport for you. It's interesting, though, that there's still that focus on women's bodies when they're playing sport. You know, I think back to the women's, you know, just women's football, which I enjoy a lot. And if a man, I mean, players, I've been watching men's football all my life and players have been taking their shirt off or lifting it up for, you know, and no one's. no one would even mention it and it was global headlines when a woman did that and had a

sports bra on and that I suppose that makes me realize we've still got a little bit of a way to go just that thing of just viewing the sport and not kind of you know women's bodies being looked at in that way when they're playing a sport yeah it's so I think that's the thing for me is you know unfortunately we do get get a lot of um abuse or harsh comments on social media. Do you? Yeah, I think it's just the way it is. I've changed my opinion on it as such.

Sometimes the criticism I get, I just think that it's probably someone's had a bet on it and they've lost some money and they're just frustrated. And unfortunately, that's the way it is and you just got to ignore it. But quite often, yeah, there's more in the women's game in terms of what you look like as opposed to what your body can do or what your skin. level is and it's crazy that we have to have those kind of conversations but I guess it's where it's at and in a way the more conversations about women's sport I guess in the way it's gonna promote it and and and make it grow and maybe in

five years time we'll just have a level playing field of what you're judged on I do love it though when you know say in tennis someone like Andy Murray always used to be like, would you ask a woman that? Those types of thing. I think I absolutely love it when you see male sports stars, you know, upholding equality and, yeah, particularly standing up for their women counterparts. And also, you're absolutely right.

It's just that sort of people lazily saying first ever winner and him saying male winner. Yeah. You know, he's an ally, isn't he? He's a real ally, Andy Murray, for women. Oh, he is. And I guess that's, you could try. trace that back to him having such a strong presence of his mother with Judy Murray, obviously.

I think your mum must have been a strong influence because the very fact that when you tell me that anecdote right at the beginning about you wanting to play for the under 11s, largely male cricket team, entirely male, and your mum said to your dad, she's got a point. She is better than then. Yeah, my, my mum's an amazing role model, I think. They say the women in my family don't know how strong they are until you put them in hot water. And yeah, she's certainly one of those, you know, she'd do anything for anyone, but she'll stand up for what she believes in. And if she loves someone, she'll back them no end and stand up for them. She's definitely done for me over the years. Yeah, but I also think Julie, I wouldn't want to disappoint her.

she tells this story of I think I brought my first friend home from school and as we're walking in I'm like oh you take your shoes off now and then so my mum is she's lovely but if she says no she means it and that was my advice on how to get on with my mum but that's a bit Judy Murray

I had Judy Murray on this podcast and yeah really interesting you talking about her you're right just this sense of the real disciplined, you know, firm but fair. Oh, yeah. You know? That would describe my mum for definition.

And would that describe you? Yeah, I think so. I think so. I have a bit more of my dad's temperament as well. And what's that? Sometimes a bit moody. A little bit grumpy sometimes. A bit of a perfectionist as well.

But yeah, underneath there's a lot. of caring and yeah that side of mum as well are you a bad loser or a good loser oh I think I used to be a bad loser for definite I think I've mellowed a lot now I think for me when you play in a game and you know the opposition play really well and and you know they play better than you or anything like that I've got full respect for that if they have a great day than they deserve to win. I struggle more when we as a team maybe don't play as well as we could do or yeah, I think for me it's always as long as you've tried as hard as you can and you've given everything in sort of a valiant fight. Well, I play for the Welsh fire in the

hundred and we use a Welsh word called Hoyle. I've probably butchered the pronunciation, but there's not a word for it in English, but it's like grit, determination. No wonder there's not word-printing. Yeah, like toil and all those types of things. And I think whenever you've played with with Hoyle and you can walk off, hold your head high, the result kind of is the result and there's not a lot you can do about that. And am I right in thinking, Tammy, that with cricket it's different to say football, isn't it? In that you can play for multiple teams. Yeah, I've probably ticked off a lot in my time.

Yeah, yeah. And so how many teams are you playing for at the moment? Not too many at the moment. So I'm playing for the blaze in the county tournament. That's the Welsh one. No, so that's based with Nottingham. Oh, that's Nottingham, that's it. Yeah, so that's our domestic cricket that's now fully professional. Then the 100 takes place in August, July and August, and that's like the big franchise tournament

where the men and the women both play together on the same day. Fun tournament to be a part of and people can't watch? I'll have seen that. Maybe I'll... Yeah, you should. Cardiff's a great place, but we do play all over. So yeah, I play for the Welsh Fire and captain them in the 100. And then, yeah, obviously England. And that would probably be it for teams at the moment.

Have you met any royals as a result of your crifting career? Quite a few, actually. Go on then. Give us the roll call. Well, so as you said, I've got an MBE. Who did you get? It's like the Spice Girls. Which one did you get? I got Prince William, so I was really happy with that.

Oh my God. You really, that really makes me sick because you've got, that's the one everyone wants. Well, the Queen was still alive then, so I'd have like, I'd have cried if it was the Queen. Unfortunately, I've never met the Queen, which, yeah, unfortunately, that obviously won't happen. But I met Prince Philip a few times. And what was William Light? I bet he was lovely. He was absolutely lovely.

I've actually met him twice now. So the first time, they line you up when you get your MBE, you go to the palace, you get separated from your friends and family that you've brought along. They get taken to the ballroom and told to sit and watch the whole thing. You go for a lovely drinks reception and you get told what to do. While they look on from behind the road. Well, mine was during the beast from the east, so it was freezing. We couldn't get a taxi because everyone was snowed off. So my dad never offers to drive, particularly in a city.

But no, no, no, we're driving into Buckingham Palace today. Dad's driving. So it's not national lampines. You can't drive in the parking at Pat. You can if you get an MBE. You park in the courtyard and everything. So Dad decided to drive. So we're driving.

I hope he cleaned the car, Tammy. Oh, I think it was my car, so it was probably not clean. So you get told what to do. And you get told you go up, you shake Prince William's hand, you curtsy, you have a conversation. They present you at the MBE. And then when he gives you his hand again, That's the sign, shake hands, give another curtsy, and then leave to the right.

Right. The woman in front of me, also going to get an MBE was ridiculous, because you walk into the room, and I've got it for services for cricket winning a World Cup, and you stand there, and what everyone else has done to me was unbelievable. You know, services to women's abuse, to deaf and blind children, to all of these things, setting up all these charities. I was like, wow, how am I in this room? but the woman in front of me

had set up a charity for deaf and blind people and she had her guide dog with her and she was deaf so she clearly hadn't heard when he takes your hand you then leave so she forgot

Indy where's he gone he's coming so he shook hands and then he turned around to get my medal because she was the one in front of me and she didn't leave now it could have been a bit of a scene

where security came and told her it could have been like a thing instead he just took the time tapped her on the shoulder and was like if you'd just like to move out of the door and like helped her out which I just thought was so kind and like out of

you don't have to do that yes he didn't do he didn't call for an aide to come and deal with this he just took he just dealt with it in a very discreet generous way yeah quite literally other than myself and the staff around him

you'd have no idea and I just think that's just shows the kind of person is. I mean, I'm a massive royal fan. I always have been, but I just, I don't know, I feel like he seems like a real genuinely nice person. He does. He seems like a really nice bloke. And also just very dedicated, you know. Yeah, well, the second time I met him was at Lords a couple of years ago. Does he like cricket, William? Well, when I got my MBA, he actually said he didn't really follow cricket. He wasn't very good at school. But he was obviously president of the FA and really involved with the women's side of things.

We actually spoke about women's football, which was cool, because at least it's women's sport. It doesn't matter which sport he's into. He's supporting men and women's sport, which is great. But no, so he came to Lords, and he brought Prince George, and I happened to be in the ECB box

at the time. Oh, that's good, George. George is the very regal one. Not Louis. I love Louis. Louis is absolutely crazy. I love Louis. Louis's like that guy on a stag night. He's like, yeah, I love. Come here, mate. Did you see the one recently where he was taking the Mickey out of George's hair? I found that hilarious. Such a little brother thing to do. Lily is like the office prankster. He is. Isn't he? He's going to have so many memorable moments over the years. But yeah, so he brought George. I think it sounds like George is into his cricket at school. And I had taken my friend, one of my best friends from uni. And it was the week after I'd scored the double hundred in the test match. And we were watching the England men's Ashes test match. And we were watching the England men's Ashes test. And we over here George say, oh, the Australians have got quite a lot. Someone's going to have to get a lot of runs.

And my friend being my friend just went, oh, you mean like Tammy here? And just like turned around. And I was like, I was like, very, so you can't say that. Sorry, your highness. Sorry. Like obviously I was like, you can't just announce yourself to the future king of England. Anyway, I like that you're having to call a child, your highness. Well, yeah.

And, well, Stephen Frye was also there, which is where this story's getting even more... Does he like cricket? Yeah, he was the president of the MCC at the time. So he'd come and sat next to William and was sort of hosting him. So then Stephen Fry recognised me and was like, oh, it's Tammy Beaumont. She just scored a double century in the ashes. So next minute, I'm talking cricket with the future king, well, the next two future kings. How amazing.

Yeah, I mean, that's possibly one of the most surreal moments of my life. But that's, you know, presumably that's... part of the job. It's obviously not why you do the job. It's a lovely addition to what you do. But you are, you do strike me, Tammy as quite an oddly, if you don't let me say quite an oddly ego-free zone for a sports person. I think I've learnt to hide it. I think when I was kind of 18 to 21, I probably did have quite a big chip on my shoulder and a bit of an ego. and yeah thought something on myself but I think cricket's a sport that you know it's very much a team game and no one's bigger than a team and do you think being in a team there's a different mentality to someone who plays on a team than there is the lone sports person the swimmer or the tennis player oh absolutely I think you know cricket particularly me being only kind of batting now I have got to rely on at least five bowlers and a load of fielders as well. So I think you've got to rely on each other.

And once you realise that you can't win a game on your own, which in cricket you definitely cannot, it can't all be about you. I had Gabby Logan on this podcast, and she obviously comes from a sporting family. And I got the impression you wouldn't want to be around their house when they were playing Trivial Pursuit. Are you very competitive?

Oh, yeah. For like board games and... Yes. Yes. My sister and Orr actually a couple of Christmases ago we played Monopoly Yeah and she she works in the Met Police but I think she was a bit horrified at how Competitive Callum and I got Indy come some people genuinely get upset during games Indy Indy where have you gone?

Indy's gone in the woods I'll just get Ray where you're doing very well keeping up with us Indy Where have you been Indy you ran away You frightened me He's found some mud Were you quite calm

When that happened I didn't used to be So he actually You were on about his recall He used to be quite Bad Particularly if he found another dog And then we got him

The contraceptive Implant So then And it just took the edge Of his like boisterousness Is that right? Yeah. A contraception for a boy dog. Maybe they should make one in humans, but...

My producer was looking at me in a meaningful way because I did a campaign with them. And I hadn't used it. Sadly, Raymond's ship has sailed. So things were dealt with on that front many years ago. No, my husband was really anti-getting him done. But it got to the point that our walks were stressful because it would be like any dog he saw. he just wouldn't come back. He wouldn't do anything, but it would just be like he'd be gone

because he wants to play with them or be slightly dominant or whatever. He's gone again though. Come on you. There's Indy. Indy, there you are. There you are. He just loves it.

Look at that face. Good boy. You know what I like, when Indy comes back, having run away, it's the amount of adulation Indy wants for just a simple act of returning. It's basically like a bad boyfriend

saying, see, I didn't leave. Yeah, but you were gone for four days and I didn't know where you were. Well, that's the thing. You know a man's best friend? Well, he is, my husband's, like he adores Callum more than anything. And I think he sees me as his equal in the pack. He sees Callum as the leader and then me as an equal. So there are times when he just completely ignores me.

What would Callum say? A bit of a tricky question this, but I respect you when you're a sports person, you'll rise to the challenge. what would Callum say your partner say is your the quality that he finds most difficult with relation to you? What would Callum say? I mean I can call him. I mean he's actually coming because he's taking indie somewhere else after this.

What would he say? I know he'd say what my best quality was. He says I'm very compassionate and how much I care. I think sometimes, oh, I leave things to the last minute and I'm a bit like to say if I'm currently with the blaze, all I'm thinking about is the blaze and then like the next thing happens and it's like, oh my tax returns in tomorrow I need to do it. Because I'm very tunnel visioned and I think he'd like me to be a bit more forward thinking and less. last minute because he was in the army so he's very much. Oh, he was in the army. Yeah, he was a captain in the British army. Which is sort of, we, we understood each other from the start in that the career is,

you go where the job is. Do you also think it's a slightly similar mentality in some ways? Very similar, very similar. He's actually retraining to be a sports like now. Probably because he's had one of the better case studies marrying me. He's learnt a lot from that. You're going to one of his lectures and he'll be like, and there was one woman I'm who, well, frankly, I thought I'd give up. I mean, I never thought we'd be able to work with her. How she functions on a daily basis. But, no, I think, yeah, I think we bonded over a lot of things like that.

You know, you go away for months at a time. Everyone, particularly cricket, they think it's, you know, you live the high life, but actually probably six to eight months, maybe more of a year, you live out of a suitcase and miss out on birthdays and weddings and all sorts. Had he seen you play? No, I don't think he was that into cricket. His dad loves cricket, actually, which is great. Indy!

Indy! You're going to get us thrown out. Indy just really, I'm going to say, how would you describe what Indy did? I'm going to say, Indy just made his presence felt with a handful of ducks. Tammy, I want to know, what have you got coming up this summer then? Have you got a busy old summer? Yeah, so the West Indies team are coming over. We've got three T-20s, three ODIs against them, and then a bit later on.

And those are those ones you said I should go to. I think I'd enjoy those T-20s. I think you would. I think you would. And where can I go to see those? So the ones against the Westernis are in Canterbury, in Hove and Essex. Lovely. Then when India come, there's a few more in and around London.

There's a game at Lords, so you could come. Oh, I'm going to go to Lords, Tammy. I'm a bit fancy. Do you mind? No, I don't. I think if you're going to watch a game of cricket, you can't beat. Can I hold up a banner for you? Of course you can.

What would it say? Tambo, yeah, that is my nickname. What else do they call you? Little mitts, because my hands are tiny. Little mitts. I love Little mitts. I'm going to write that on a banner and I'm going to sneak Raymond in. Can I just say, I don't advise sneaking dogs into lords.

So I won't really sneak in. There are some cricket grounds you can go to, So Indy actually has watched a test match at Bristol. He got on TV quite a lot that day. He's watched games at Worcester. Taunton. Yeah. Actually, when we're in COVID, it was...

Callum and one other partner could come into like the biosecure bubble. And Indy was allowed to come. But they had to sit in like a quarantine part of the stand. So it was quite literally two people and a dog. Do you want to see that our pointless trick that we taught him? Oh, go on. Spin. We left it too late to do roll over, so you wouldn't roll over.

So we just learned to spin instead. Spin. Oh, it's so cute. So, okay, so I'm going to definitely come and see you at Lords. You should do. One of the things I love, particularly, you know, that women's cricket is growing so much, is that I do think that was something I really bonded with my dad over sport, with football. And he tried to get me into cricket.

And there was a period when I was thinking, really enjoy this but I honestly feel it just felt a bit of a closed door to me. Do you know what you mean in terms of it felt so male that whole sport? Just even the spectators and the whole thing and I love now that it just feels like it's so much more inclusive you know. I do and I think I do love Lords but it is... It's old school. Steaked in tradition and actually that is obviously tradition in cricket is quite male. Whereas I think you're

see a different demographic when you watch a women's game. It's very much like women and families and children and girls obviously and actually some other different grounds maybe don't have quite the same tradition so that it feels slightly different. Yeah. But yeah, I think crowds often feel different at a women's game. I think I've been to watch a couple of Arsenal women's football games. Yeah, me too. It's very... Singers Callum lives down the road from the Embrance. Yeah. And it is so different. I'm loving. The more I hear about Callum, I'm just obsessed with Callum as much as I am you. I'm an Arsenal fan as well.

Everyone, well, he's rugby. He loves rugby, you see. He played for Saracen's Academy as a kid, so. Yeah, he loves his sport. He's great, he's great. I've done well. I'm punching. I'm the one that's punching, big time. He's done well. Yeah. Any man that ends up with you has done well, haven't they, Indy? And is it the Women's World Cup next year? Is that right, Tommy? So there's two different types of World Cup in women's cricket. So there's the 50 overworld cup, which is in India. Oh, I can play then that. I'm over 50.

Imagine if people think that's what it is. Do you know, when I said that, I just put my arm on Tammy's shoulder. And oh my God, it's rock hard. I mean, I don't know why I'm surprised. But you did go to my throne. Cricketers this country has ever produced. But I've never felt anything like it, Tammy. No wonder that, Callum snapped you are.

Wait, do you see his shoulders? Tammy Beaumont, or as I'm calling you, the Doric column, I mean, your arms, I'm obsessing over this, not as you understand, in an objectifying woman way more. Just that thing, you know, when you sit with elite athletes, it's like, I'm like, your body's not real. Is that a big part of what you do? Is your exercise schedule quite punishing?

It goes in phases really. I think cricket is quite a skill-based game, but it is very important to be fit and healthy and be able to do the job. And it is kind of power but repeated over many, many efforts. I know I've seen Ronaldo. Listen, you were telling me about something and I made a silly joke about the over-50s.

Yes, there's the 50 World Cup in India in October and then next year we've got the T20 World Cup in England with the final at Lords again which would be amazing. So yeah, so that's really exciting kind of 12 months coming for us. Wow, I just wish you continued success. Can I say what a thoroughly lovely human being you are, Tammy Bowman. Oh, thank you. Thanks. I've thoroughly enjoyed this walk. Have you? And I love Indy. Indy. I'm obsessed with Indy. What is your loss? impression of Raymond he's not he's not a real sports person's dog is he he's a bit of a he's like a fusty old gent at lords no i think he's great i think he's toddled along

he's the kind of person that's just happy to be there you just gets on with it no no fuss do you know what i love about you this shows how exactly you've got that great team spirit mentality is that we all know he's played an absolute shit game but you you you don't want to dennis confidence. No. So... Well, okay, look, Indy is now standing there moaning because we're not walking. Raymond has not made any whining noises the entire time. If Indy was a cricketer, who would Indy be? Someone who's just, like a duracelle bunny, but just really like a little puppy dog wants, like, really happy to be there. There's a guy called Glenn Phillips who plays for New Zealand, who some of the most outrageous catches but it's like he's always trying to do something new

like different in the field like real yeah yeah bouncy character okay that would be indie and Ray I don't know what you are really he'd be like who are those really old school sort of like 19th century rigorset it's isn't he'd be David Gower I think oh David Gower that's a lovely one just yeah very level gets on with it Classy. Ray or David Gower, Tammy's made it official. Tammy, we've loved our walk with you. And we're going to come and see you. Yeah. Bye-bye. Can I have a paw? Say bye. Paul. I'm not holding you a treat. Poor. 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.