An audience with Di Johnson (FULL)

For the first time ever we publish An audience with Di Johnson free to watch online.
The late star of the second ever 'audience with' in 2011 tells her story, and she later became a constant presence in front of our cameras for our Around the Dog World television series.
Di Johnson, one of the most knowledgeable and respected breeder-judges dogdom has seen, talks with Andrew Brace about her sometimes turbulent life.
Di recalls an unhappy childhood, one where she was initially led to believe her mother was her sister. She tells us about a chance meeting with a bookmaker with whom she shared the rest of her life.
She discusses in details her time as a leading Great Dane breeder, remembers some of her greatest dogs, and speaks about the wonderful partnership she and her husband developed – her as the breeder and her husband Carl the showman handler. Her story takes us on to her time as a world-renowned judge. She has her fair share of stories to tell, some good, some bad and with complete candour Di talks about two of the most traumatic times in her life.
After overcoming these major ordeals Di’s world was put into a spin when she was hit with a seven year Kennel Club ban, forcing her to give up the thing she loved the most – the world of dogs.
Never one to pull her punches, Di is frank and open about mistakes that led to her ban and tells us what she thinks about those who banned her.
She considers the state of dogdom and modern Great Danes, and muses on whether the world of pedigree dogs has already seen its best days.
With thanks to Keith Young and City of Birmingham Dog Show.
WARNING: ADULT CONTENT AND STRONG LANGUAGE