Join Emily, Mabel, Isla, Luna, Inca and Nala for the second part of our walk with James Middleton in Berkshire!

James tells us about how his dog Ella helped him in the hardest time of his life and how she also led him to meet his wife Alizée.

We also chat about that time which we all dread - losing a pet. James tells us how he coped with losing his beloved Ella and the gifts that she gave him throughout her life.

… and we got to meet James’ tractor! To be honest, we never wanted to leave the farm!

As a content warning, this podcast contains discussion of suicidal feelings. If you need support with you mental heath you can find support and resources with Samaritans and Mind.

Follow James on Instagram @jmidy

James' brilliant new book about the dog who changed his life is out now. Buy your copy of Meet Ella here!

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re in Berkshire this week with the brilliant James Middleton and five of his dogs: Mabel, Isla, Luna, Inca and Nala.

James *actually* has six dogs - but Zulu is currently staying with James’ parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, because Mabel is in season. But we had a lovely time with the fabulous five!

We met on Bucklebury Farm - which is run by James’ family - and it was animal heaven. We met sheep, ginea pigs and even a friendly beehive at one point!

James tells us about his lifelong pining for a dog - and then his unconventional decision to get a cocker spaniel called Ella while he was studying at Edinburgh University - and then how she went on to change his life immessurably.

He also tells us the story of doing a reading at his sister Catherine’s wedding to Prince William - and how Ella helped him to overcome his anxiety.

Follow James on Instagram @jmidy

James' brilliant new book about the dog who changed his life is out now. Buy your copy of Meet Ella here!

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yorkshire’s Pontefract Racecourse is the backdrop today for Emily and Ray’s walk with the brilliant Ed Balls.

Ed tells us about how his wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, encouraged him to go on Strictly Come Dancing - and the piece of advice that changed his atttiude towards the show.

We also find out how he came to host a podast with his former political opponent George Osborne - we discover if they are friends, and whether or not George would be invited over to the Balls-Cooper household for lasagne.

Political Currency is availble on all podcast platforms!

Follow Ed on instagram @edballs

You can buy your copy of Ed’s brilliant book Appetite: a memoir in recipes of family and food here!

Thank you to Handpicked Hotels for hosting us at their dog friendly hotel Wood Hall during our trip to Yorkshire. Raymond was throughly spoiled and he loved his mini break!

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve taken a trip to West Yorkshire this week to meet broadcaster and former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls for a stroll around the beautiful Pontefract Racecourse.

Ed doesn't have a dog at the moment - but he's very much a dog person. He tells us how he was replaced by a dog when he went to university, and a dog has helped his family cope with his mother’s dementia.

We also find out about Ed’s experience at Harvard (once he had worked out where it was located on a map) and whether he cried when he lost his seat in the 2015 General Election.

Political Currency is availble on all podcast platforms!

Follow Ed on instagram @edballs

You can buy your copy of Ed’s brilliant book Appetite: a memoir in recipes of family and food here!

Thank you to Handpicked Hotels for hosting us at their dog friendly hotel Wood Hall during our trip to Yorkshire. Raymond was throughly spoiled and he loved his mini break!

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re in Buckinghamshire with Gabby Logan and her dogs Milo, Maggie and Maverick!

In this part of the chat, Gabby tells us about her career as a rhythmic gymnast, reluctantly competing in the Rose of Tralee - and she reminds us of some of her pre-Kenny romances.

Gabby also tells us about her brilliant podcast The Midpoint - and how the podcast has helped her to navigate this point in her life, and some of the lessons she has learned from her guests.

Listen to Emily and Ray's first walk with Gabby from April 2017

Follow Gabby on Instagram @gabbylogan

Gabby’s podcasts The Midpoint and The Sports Agents are available wherever you get your podcasts!

You can get your copy Gabby's autobiography of The First Half here!

You can get your copy of The Midpoint Plan here

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us on our dog walk this week is legendary broadcaster Gabby Logan!

We met Gabby at home in Buckinghamshire and we then took a lovely walk around the woods with her three dogs Milo, Maggie and Maverick. Maverick is a new addition to the Logan household since Gabby was last on the podcast - he’s an absolutely delightful standard poodle, who is VERY enthusiastic about catching tennis balls.

Gabby tells us about growing up in a family whose love language was sport and how being the daughter of a professional footballer in the 1980s wasn’t as glamorous as it might be today.

We also chat about how Gabby has dealt with tragedies in her life and how she stays calm when life is chaotic. She also tells us a rather brilliant story about an incident with George Clooney and a moth-eaten coat…

Listen to Emily and Ray's first walk with Gabby from April 2017

Follow Gabby on Instagram @gabbylogan

Gabby’s podcasts The Midpoint and The Sports Agents are available wherever you get your podcasts!

You can get your copy Gabby's autobiography of The First Half here!

You can get your copy of The Midpoint Plan here

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Raymond, Emily, Janette and Lyra for the second part of our walk around London’s Burgess Park!

Janette tells us about some of the challenges of Strictly Come Dancing and how devastated she felt about being voted out on her first series. She also reveals what happened when she got the call to present It Takes Two…

We also chat about Janette’s brilliant new book Tiny Dancer, Big World. Janette tells us about how Covid gave her a passion for wellbeing - and how writing the book with her sister helped her to share some of the lessons she has learned in life with the world.

Tiny Dancer, Big World: How to find fulfilment from the inside out - is out now. You can buy your copy here!

Follow Janette on Instagram @JManara

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re in South London’s Burgess Park with television presenter, choreographer and professional dancer Janette Manrara - and we have a very special bonus guest - her daughter Lyra!

Janette is best known for appearing as a professional dance on Strictly Come Dancing - and since 2021 she has co-hosted Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two! Janette is married to her Strictly co-star Aljaž Škorjanec and their daughter Lyra was born in July 2023 - we think she was pretty taken by Raymond (and the geese!)

Janette has a history with dogs back at home in Miami - but life as a performing family means that she doesn’t have a dog at the moment… but there may be one in the future!

After her family immigrated from Cuba to Miami, Janette tells us about being a happy child in a happy household and how that gave her a positive outlook on life. She tells the story of how she went from working in a bank to becoming a professional dancer - and what happened when she met Aljaž for the first time… was it love at first sight?!

Tiny Dancer, Big World: How to Find Fulfilment from the Inside Out is out on Thursday 12th September - you can buy your copy here

Follow Janette on Instagram @JManara

Follow Emily:

Instagram - @emilyrebeccadean

X - @divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Faye Lawrence

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.