John Robins (Part One)

John Robins (Part One)

From Walking The Dog with Emily Dean by Goalhanger

April 21, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Emily and Ray walk with comedian John Robins, discussing his childhood, early comedy days, and his memoir on alcohol recovery.

This week Emily and Ray head to the Buckinghamshire countryside for a walk with comedian, podcaster and writer John Robins . John is best known for his award-winning stand-up and his long-running partnership with fellow comedian Elis James , as well as his brilliantly competitive turn on Taskmaster . On the walk, he chats to Emily about his childhood growing up near Bristol, his time at Oxford where he briefly considered becoming a poet, and his early days in comedy, including sharing a flat with Jon Richardson and Russell Howard . They also talk about John’s powerful and deeply personal new memoir Thirst: 12 Drinks That Changed My Life , which explores his relationship with alcohol and his journey into recovery and sobriety. It’s a beautifully written, funny and moving read, and is out on May 7th, available to pre-order now. It’s a thoughtful, honest and very funny conversation, with John bravely navigating both the countryside and the realities of dog ownership, while Ray does his best to win him over. Follow Emily: Instagram X Walking The Dog is produced by Will Nichols Music: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice Ludlam Photography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…

People in this episode

Host: Emily Dean

Guest: John Robins

Topics covered

  • comedy
  • memoir
  • alcohol recovery
  • childhood
  • friendship
  • dog ownership

Keywords

  • John Robins
  • comedy
  • memoir
  • alcohol
  • recovery
  • childhood
  • Oxford
  • Bristol
  • dog ownership

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Thirst: 12 Drinks That Changed My Life

Places: Buckinghamshire, Bristol, Oxford

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