Listen to a sample
Both Sides Now
- Author
- Tiggy Walker
- Narrator
- Tiggy Walker
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 11 September 2025
- Run Time
- 8 hours 35 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
The story of a national treasure we won't soon forget – by the woman who knew him best.
I mention you’ve been smoking. ‘He mustn’t!’ she says, alarmed. ‘There’s so much oxygen in your house he’d explode.’ There is a funny side to this — a cartoonish end: Johnnie Walker DJ Explodes!
Just try not to take the house with you.
In Johnnie Walker – Both Sides Now, his devoted wife Tiggy shares the final chapter of their life together: the slow, painful goodbye to the man she adored. She reflects on the soaring highs of Johnnie’s legendary Radio 2 career, as they navigate the heartbreak, frustration, and strange intimacy of anticipatory grief.
This is an honest, deeply personal portrait of love and loss — a raw, life-affirming tribute to a remarkable life well-lived. With wit and unflinching clarity, Tiggy lays bare the emotional toll of caring for someone at the end of life, and the impossible task of letting go while still holding on.
Not just for those who loved Johnnie Walker — this is for anyone who’s known the tangled, messy grace of caring, grieving and loving, all the way to the final breath.
Critics Review
-
"An endearing tribute to a remarkable man we’ll never hear the like of again.” – Peter Kay
-
"A triumph of true love and a loving memoir of one of the best DJ’s ever." – Mark Knopfler
-
"The highs and lows of two lives bound together by the most profound love. A truly inspirational story of loving and carding." – Ken Bruce
-
"A beautiful memoir, a beautiful tribute to love. Tiggy writes with wit, searing honesty (of course she does!) and irrepressible spirit about her private love for a man who was known by a nation. Funny, painful, always life affirming, this is a must read." – Rachel Joyce
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
"Honest, unflinching, hilarious, profound and deeply personal, a true love story in every sense. an invitation into the extraordinary life of a broadcasting legend but also the journey his wife, lover, best friend, carer and most important person in that life has been on." – Michael Ball
-
"Beautifully written, searingly honest about the brutal reality of caring for someone you love. Their passion to do everything they could as patrons of Carers UK to make life better for carers shines through in this quite extraordinary story written with raw emotion, humour and love." – Helen Walker, Chief Executive Carers UK
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Tiggy Walker
- Narrator
- Tiggy Walker
- Duration
- 8 hours 35 minutes
- Release Date
- 11 September 2025
- ISBN
- 9780008770051
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Biography: arts and entertainment, Coping with / advice about personal, social and health topics, Home nursing and caring / Advice for caregivers, Radio / podcasts, Memoirs
Synopsis
The story of a national treasure we won't soon forget – by the woman who knew him best. I mention you’ve been smoking. ‘He mustn’t!’ she says, alarmed. ‘There’s so much oxygen in your house he’d explode.’ There is a funny side to this — a cartoonish end: Johnnie Walker DJ Explodes! Just try not to take the house with you. In Johnnie Walker – Both Sides Now, his devoted wife Tiggy shares the final chapter of their life together: the slow, painful goodbye to the man she adored. She reflects on the soaring highs of Johnnie’s legendary Radio 2 career, as they navigate the heartbreak, frustration, and strange intimacy of anticipatory grief. This is an honest, deeply personal portrait of love and loss — a raw, life-affirming tribute to a remarkable life well-lived. With wit and unflinching clarity, Tiggy lays bare the emotional toll of caring for someone at the end of life, and the impossible task of letting go while still holding on. Not just for those who loved Johnnie Walker — this is for anyone who’s known the tangled, messy grace of caring, grieving and loving, all the way to the final breath.
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.