In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Laura Aikman, Laura delves into her role in the acclaimed BBC drama This City Is Ours and gives us a tantalising tease about what we can expect from her in the new series of Line of Duty.

Laura also talks about a very different side of her life away from acting: her work as a volunteer for the mental health support service Shout. Since 2022, she’s taken hundreds of conversations with people experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and she explains why the work has become so important to her.

If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. And if you want to see Laura on stage, she stars alongside Michelle Dockery in Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, opening at Stratford East on September 3rd and running until October 10th. Tickets are available at https://www.stratfordeast.com.

Follow Emily:

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Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

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

This week Emily and Ray take a stroll with the wonderful Laura Aikman and her brilliantly named French bulldog, Eric Cantona.

Laura is perhaps best known to millions of Gavin & Stacey fans as Smithy’s formidable girlfriend Sonia, but her acting career stretches back much further. She chats to Emily about growing up in Hertfordshire with an actress mum and stuntman dad, becoming a child actor herself, and playing Anthony Hopkins’ daughter in Surviving Picasso.

They also talk about Laura’s career in shows including Archie and the acclaimed BBC drama This City Is Ours, before getting into that unforgettable return to Gavin & Stacey. Laura reveals the extraordinary lengths she went to in order to keep her appearance in the Christmas finale secret, even from her own parents, and the hilarious reaction video that subsequently went viral.

Laura also talks about her new play, Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy, a contemporary reimagining of the Helen of Troy myth in which she stars alongside Michelle Dockery. It runs at Stratford East from September 3rd to October 10th, and tickets are available at https://www.stratfordeast.com.

It’s a wonderfully relaxed conversation with an actress who is thankfully absolutely nothing like Sonia. Plus, the simple joy of repeatedly hearing someone shout things like “Eric Cantona, stop licking me” throughout a dog walk.

Follow Emily:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean

X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

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

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the wonderful Gaby Roslin, Gaby looks back on the extraordinary success of The Big Breakfast and the whirlwind of suddenly becoming one of the most recognisable faces on television.

She also talks warmly about her friendship with Chris Evans, what made their partnership work, and the memories they still share from one of the most exciting and unpredictable periods of her career.

The conversation then turns to Gaby’s new ITV series, The Joy of Pets, and why a programme celebrating animals and the people who love them feels like such a perfect fit. Alongside Dr Bolu Eso, Gaby travels around the country meeting remarkable pets and hearing the stories behind the bonds they share with their owners.

If you haven’t already, do go back and listen to part one. The Joy of Pets begins on Sunday 23rd August on ITV, and you can also hear Gaby every Saturday morning on Magic Radio.

Follow Emily:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrebeccadean

X: https://twitter.com/divine_miss_em

Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols

Music: Rich Jarman

Artwork: Alice Ludlam

Photography: Karla Gowlett

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