Could we throw him ahead and when we catch up just pick him up and throw him like an American football?

He's about that size.

I think you've got a really gross love Ray.

This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I headed to Buckinghamshire to take a walk with comedian, podcaster and writer John Robbins.

Now, I won't lie, John's initial response when I asked him if he'd come

on walking the dog was, oh Lord, that will put my anti-dog agenda to the test. But he seemed

very reassured once I pointed out that Raymond isn't actually a dog. He's basically a very

strange, silent e-wop. So John is obviously best known for his work as an award-winning comedian and his long-running

partnership with fellow comic Ellis James across radio and podcasting, and who can forget his

fabulously over-competitive stint on Taskmaster.

But he's also had a really interesting life, which I couldn't wait to chat

to him about, from his childhood growing up near Bristol to his experiences at Oxford University,

where he briefly entertained the idea of being a poet, to his move into stand-up comedy,

which at one point saw him sharing a flat for John Richardson and Russell Howard.

We also chatted about John's new memoir, Thirst, 12 drinks that changed my life, which tells

the story of his addiction to alcohol and the journey he's taken into recovery and sobriety.

It's one of those books you genuinely won't be able to put down, mainly because it's so compelling and beautifully written, but it's also brilliantly funny.

So I cannot recommend it enough. It's out on May the 7th, so do make sure to pre-order your copy now.

Ray and I had a lovely time with John walking through the Buckinghamshire countryside,

and even though John was slightly horrified by some of the tasks involved in dog ownership,

he literally had to avert his eyes when he saw me picking up one of Raymond's poos.

I'd like to think that Raymond worked his magic,

...