Walking The Dog with Emily Dean is an interview podcast with an unusual format. Instead of sitting with guests in a recording studio, Emily Dean brings them on a walk. She records their conversation while each walks their dogs alongside the other.

Past guests include comedian Katherine Ryan and her dogs, Dolly, Megan, and Manny. Other podcast episodes feature Jimmy Carr and his Yorkshire Terrier, as well as Russell Howard and his dog Archie. Thanks to the inviting setting, guests reveal intimate details about their lives. They talk about their upbringing, childhood pets, and how they chose their career. The conversations are warm, vulnerable, and funny.

The host of Walking The Dog with Emily Dean spent her entire adult career as a writer and broadcaster. Dean spent eight years as an editor on InStyle. She's also written articles for You Magazine, Evening Standard, and The Times. In addition, she is the cohost of the Absolute Radio show.

Dean never had a dog growing up, even though she was desperate for one. But after her sister and parents died, the journalist decided it was time for a pet. Dean wrote a book about this painful process called Everybody Died, So I Got A Dog. She believes in the healing power of a four-legged companion and shares that philosophy on the podcast.

The host believes that walking a dog with guests allows them to open up more than usual. The outside distractions could make the person wander into new ideas. It might also be that they're side by side instead of face to face, which makes the conversation less awkward.

Either way, Dean makes her guests comfortable with sharing their fears and insecurities. For instance, in an episode with Sarah Millican, she talks about her imaginary dog growing up. In another episode with Tom Allen, he talks about getting set up on dates by friends.

New episodes of Walking The Dog with Emily Dean come out twice a week.