Worst Foot Forward

Well friends, this is the end. The final episode of Worst Foot Forward sees Barry and Ben talking about the World's Worst Ending. There are welcome returns from old pals (hey there, Pliny) as the boys explore everything from swansongs to TV finales, sporting calamity to literary disaster. It's a grab-bag befitting the grab-bag nature of the podcast. Thanks to everyone for listening over the years, all the guests who have appeared on the show, the donors on Patreon and our spouses for bearing with our trivia addictions. We'll see you on another podcast somewhere soon. B&B

It's nearly the end of the road for the podcast and so we have returned to familiar faces - one of our earliest guests, Bec Hill, joins us for her 3rd appearance to discuss the hermetically-sealed, closely-appraised, eBay-listed turds that make up the World's Worst Merchandise. Bec finds out what condoms Bono recommended in the 80s, Barry examines saintly body parts and Ben lies down in a Kiss Casket. Follow us on Instagram: @barrymcstay @vanderlaugh @bechillcomedian

A bit of news... we will be winding up the podcast after a couple more episodes. After 300+ regular shows, countless bonus episodes, four live recordings, numerous nuggest of Patreon silliness and god knows what else, we think the show has run its course. That being said, we are grateful to you all for having stuck with us through 8 years of terrible trivia, and there are future projects afoot! Ben has a solo podcast he's been planning for years based on classic pub jokes. AND he and Barry are plotting a new history podcast which they would co-host so chances are you'll hear us together in your ears again before too long. In the meantime, there is a whole back catalogue to enjoy - and keep an eye out for our final two episodes in the next few weeks. All the best, and worst, Barry and Ben

It's time for our annual roundup of the best moments from the podcast's last twelve months. We've had the great good fortune to enjoy the company of many guests - thank you to all of them. Most especially, thanks to those who appear on this episode discussing everything from horse gyms to Pizza Rat, Charles Dickens's raven to spouse cannibalism: Dr. Anna Ploszjaski, Victoria Melody, Andrew McMillan, Tom Price, Amy Mason, John Henry Falle, Ken Cheng, Mara Joy, Harry Stachini, Meredith Hackman, Sharon Wanjohi and Paul Duncan McGarrity.   Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

We're joined this week for an insidious hour of sneaky, underhand plotting and planning with returning friend of the pod Paul Duncan McGarrity. We discover bungling Quebecois terrorists and security guards, batshit crazy Japanese anarchists, a blow-by-blow account of everything wrong with the Gunpowder Plot and the stupidest double-agent of all-time. Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @vanderlaugh @barrymcstay  Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Ben takes us back to a curious figure from history who we once mentioned in passing and who now receives his moment in the spotlight: The Count of St. Germain claimed to be centuries old while wowing the great and the good of Europe during the late 18th century with his many talents and tall tales. A huckster? Probably. And certainly deserving of a place in the Worst Foot Hall of Heroes. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

We are verging on December and the end of the year, so with cold weather and long nights we bring you some positivity. It's one of our intermittent episodes where we revisit old topics and find the best in those categories rather than the worst. In this show, we look at the World's Best Host, Assassin, Banker, Apology and Chat-Up Line. Featuring David Frost, the Assassins and a rather belated apology from an Italian city to one of its most famous sons. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

This week we're erecting our episode quicker than a team of Amish farmers can erect a barn. With returning guest Dr Anna Ploszajski we discuss the absolute worst materials you could ever use in building your dream home. From the banal damage to concrete, to the lost dream of Lego and a particularly grisly offering from Ben, you'll never look at Grand Designs the same way again. Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @vanderlaugh @barrymcstay @annaploszajski Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Happy Hallowe'en kids! Join Barry and Ben for some trick, treating, spells and sweets as they gorge themselves on a collection of spooky daft trivia. Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @vanderlaugh @barrymcstay  Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

We make up for last month's lack of a bonus episode - blame "life" - with a bumper episode all about Earth's favourite sidepiece: the moon! Ben takes Barry to Selene and back with a bit of blue, stories from Apollo 12 (the difficult second album) and why the Americans thought the Moon, if indeed made of cheese, could have benefitted from the addition of a bit of mushroom (cloud). Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Behold! An episode full of underwhelming serpents, winsome wyrms and dull dragons. We're joined by returning guest John Henry Falle aka The Storybeast to discuss the worst examples of draconis is all of literature, folklore and (cypto)zoology.  Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @vanderlaugh @barrymcstay @thestorybeast Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

This is an episode overflowing with flavours, covered in toppings and oozing cheese - if by flavours, toppings and cheese we mean trivia - as we talk about the World's Worst Pizza in the company of comedian and improviser Meredith Hackman. There's Pizzagate, pizza rat, shame pizza, Pentagon pizza and much more besides! Check out Meredith and Barry playing games most weeks on Noobs on the Gooftower! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @Big_Mer Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

With Barry absent in Ireland for a funeral, we had to cancel our recordings this month. Apologies! But it allows us to revisit episode 230 which was about the Worst Funerals! We both agreed it was a belter when we recorded it, so - like all the best funerals - it deserves an encore. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @petedonaldson Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

This week Ben and Barry welcome back returning guest Simon Watt. Simon is an expert biologist and science communicator who is going to help them answer one of the biggest questions: out of all of Mother Nature's creations, which is the worst? We meet tragic endlings, furry crabs and come face to proboscis with man's greatest enemy... Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @SimonDWatt Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @amymasoncomedy Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Sit down and tell us a bit about yourselves, as we gather for this bonus episode on job interviews. Barry takes Ben through the resumé of hiring processes, ranging from Thomas Edison taking you out for soup to modern day practitioners making you moo like cows. There are also quizzes, famous apprentices and a cluster of US vice-presidential nominees being vetted - or not, as the case may be. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

It's August, all potential guests are at the Edinburgh Fringe this month, so it's a Ben and Barry duo show, as they look back at the topics covered in episodes 116-120 and find the BEST in those categories rather than the worst. There are princes (and Prince), scientific frauds (and cats), mascots (and giants), allergies (and exercise) and Dungeons and Dragons (and a whole lot of berserking). Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

It's time to flush out the worst do-gooders in the world. Joining Ben and Barry is current stand-up comic and former Oxfam charity shop employee Amy Mason. Together they discover how Justin Bieber, height, a hedgehog, a kindly old man and erotica have been used to raise money for good causes. And also a health spa. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @AmyCMason Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @amymasoncomedy Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Inspired by the timeless glory of the sporting jamboree going on in Paris right now, have another lesson to this classic episode where Ben and Barry dive head first (with a triple twist and a confused pike) into the more leftfield history of the Olympic Games. They take a short look at the international alternatives to the great games before turning their attention to the idiosyncratic, drunken and farcical antecedents of the modern Olympiad. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde  And Instagram: @worstfoot Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing… https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

This podcast finds a way...to ruin your favourite prehistoric lizards for you! Barry and Ben are going fossil-hunting in the company of comedian and podcaster Harry Stachini to pick over the bones of the World's Worst Dinosaur. There are brains in bums, T-Rex's called Sue and dinosaur erotica. Yep. You heard us. You won't want to miss this one. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Join our two regular birdbrains as they talk to comedian, writer and wondrous performance artist Victoria Melody as they scan history - both human and natural - for the world's worst bird. We meet Charles Dickens' aggressive pet, some heroic and haphazard pigeons, Ben invents a new meal and relays the horrors of an infamous French delicacy. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @victoriamelody Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @victoriamelody_ Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

To celebrate our 300th episode, we're celebrating the most famous 300 men in history - the Spartan warriors who died valiently fighting the Persians. Except there werent' 300 of them. And not everyone they fought was strictly Persian. And they ended up in this pickle thanks to the weasely behaviour of a shepherd. For this and more historical tomfoolery, whack this month's Third Foot in your ears. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Some said it couldn't be done. Some said it SHOULDN'T be done. But here we are - the podcast has reached 300 episodes! So the proud parents are taking out the photo album to show off some of their big strong pod-child's embarrassing snaps from its youth. In the time-honoured style of one of those TV retrospective shows, Barry and Ben each share 3 of their favourite facts from the show, 5 of their favourite moments and their favourite episode. Enjoy some classic Worst Foot Forward clips such as Lisztomania, Morrissey's appalling sex scenes, live audience sound FX, George Sitwell's wasp gun and the lifespan of astatine.  The show features the following guests, in order of appearance: Bethany Black, Moxie Labouche, Georgie Morrell (now Georgie Wyatt), Joshua Tonks, Seb Falk, Helen Arnie, Professor Elemental, Tristan Bernays, Tulip Siddiq MP, Alexander Bennett, Paul Duncan McGarrity, Dr Kit Chapman, Robyn Perkins, Joel Morris, Bec Hill, Jay Foreman, Ria Lina, Johnny Chiodini, Ellie Gibson, Will Seaward and Dr Keir Shiels. Thanks to all our guests over the past 8 years and 300 episodes, to all our listeners and to all our Patreon donors. It's been quite the wild ride. We hope you enjoy this chance to glance back at our skidmarks. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show going forward! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com  

Join us as we tee off across history to discover the definitive worst golfer in history. Accompanied by actor, comedian, radio host and golf obsessive Tom Price, Ben and Barry encounter Presidents, prison officers and the infamous Phantom of the Open. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @thepricetom Take a butcher's at Ben's Substack here: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Join us in the WFF dark room as we search through the negatives of the worst ever photographs in the company of master comedian and photographer Steve Best. We talk mundanity, plagiarism and a very talented and opportunistic ape. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @SteveBestComic Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Check out this episode, mate! This week's gambit involves Romanian stand-up comedian and chess enthusiast Radu Isac joining us to discuss the world's worst chess grandmaster. We blitz our way through various aspects of the game's history, from its multiple weird adaptations to those players who cheated using everything from phones to sleight-of-hand, and there is even an appearance by our old friend The Mechanical Turk. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @raduisac Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Read Ben's new Substack here, including articles about Obsession and The Beatles, prehistoric shananigans and a short story about a very sinister bookmakers: https://vanderlaugh.substack.com/ Sit up straight, eyes front, pens at the ready and don't even think of aiming your peashooter at the back of our heads. It's time for your detention project: listening to us discover the world's worst teacher. This week we meet philanderers, pranksters and dictators. So no different to any other faculty... Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @SharonWanjohi_ Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

With the Snooker World Championship in full swing, Ben takes us for a break around the table with a potted history of snoooker, with some billiards and pool thrown in. There are tales of deathly dull games, the day inclement weather halted a match and the story of one snooker referee's brush with musical superstardom. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

DONATE TO THE HARDEST GEEZER!  Try and see our lips move on this week's episode as Angus Dunican returns to talk to us about the World's Worst Ventriloquist. From puppets on the beat to those who faced down the Nazis and lived to tell the tale, there's something for everyone in here. Assuming everyone has at least one type of creepy puppet they're kind of into... Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @AngusDunican Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Barry's play BREEDING runs from March 21st to April 14th 2024 at the King's Head Theatre in London - get tickets here! https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding With a hey nonny no, a slap of the thigh and some deeply questionable lyrics we're joined this week by accordionist, folk singer and comedian David Eagle to root out the world's worst folk song. There's bizarre cover versions, flutes made of human bones, creaking extended metaphors and a roast of Henry VIII. Grab your mandolin and get stuck in! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @thedavideagle Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Barry's play BREEDING runs from March 21st to April 14th 2024 at the King's Head Theatre in London - get tickets here! https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding In no way connected to the opening of his new play, Barry leads us on a quick whip through some of the most infamous theatrical superstitions and myths, including broken legs, Scottish plays and peacock feathers. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

*Barry's play BREEDING runs from March 21st to April 14th 2024 at the King's Head Theatre in London - get tickets here! https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding * It's one of our occasional trips down memory lane, and we are revisiting episodes 111 to 115 to discuss not the worst but the World's Best Smell, Algorithm, Manager, Design Flaw and Saint. This episode sees Barry try to convince Ben that he is scientifically disposed to vanilla and Ben trying to convince Barry that Portuguese nonuplet renegades are better than Oscar Wilde's favourite sexy martyr. So, more of the same guff then. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

We're saying "Yes And..." to everything this week as we're joined by tremendous Scottish improviser Mara Joy to discover quite how bad things can get when you start making things up. John Cage goes on for centuries, B-movie mistakes get creepy and Ben finds an unlikely nadir from the jazz world. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @Marajoyloves| Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

We're jumping for joy as it's a leap year, and no better time to examine all things calendrical and February 29th-ical. Ben dips into a grab-bag of facts including famous people born on that most uncommon of days, the difficulty of switching from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, and why a positivist calendar from post-Revolutionary France could really be more trouble than it's worth. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

This week we do a double take at doppelgangers everywhere as we reveal the worst cases of mistaken identity in history. Joined by award-winning comedy double act Shelf, we reveal the stories of the wrongfully imprisoned, the wrongfully buried and the wrongfully genderpigeon-holed. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @shelfcomedy Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward  

This week we're lifting, cleaning and jerking, squatting, pressing, pushing, sweating and gaining as we discuss the World's Worst Exercise with acclaimed queer poet and fitness fan Andrew McMillan. Andrew gives us an insight into why gyms feature so much in his writing, Ben talks about the world's strongest men and their various stones, and Barry goes to yoga with a Noah's Ark-worth of animals. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @AMcMillanPoet Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

We're facing the facts in this January's bonus episode which is all about Janus and double-faced things. You have so many glorious bits of trivia to look forward (and backward) to as Barry turns his many eyes to things as varied as Cerberus's brother, grumpy cats, scientific studies into whether two heads are better than one and the history of two-headed coins. Oh, and there's also a bit about why genes have weird names! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

We're heading to factories full of gross ingredients and heavy munitions this week as we talk to Steven Healer, an old school friend of Ben's, with experience in the MoD about the world's worst industries. Ben reveals the repellent world of beauty, the horrific world of the military-industrial complex and the claustrophobic world of mining. Find out more about Steven's NPO supporting artists in conflict zones here: https://conflictcomics.org/ Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh  Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show, and especially as we work on our book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

Happy new year folks, and we're starting it off with our eyes on the prize hoping for big money at long odds - it's the World's Worst Bet. Comedian and professional poker player Ken Cheng is with us to cast his eye over the runners and riders as he brings stories of the bets professional gamblers place when away from the cosy environs of a casino. Barry has stories of Russian authors, English rakes and tasers, while Ben walks around Blackheath, dodging geese and brothels every step of the way. What a normal, Worst Foot Forward way to start 2024! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @kenchengcomedy Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show, and especially as we work on our book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Merry Crimbletide folks. To celebrate this festive time of year we're diving into a cauldron of piping hot mulled wine to discuss all things Mull. The little island that could off the coast of Scotland is a surprising nexus for a few favourite characters from the show's vaults, plus a few other bits of entertaining historical daftness. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Christmas Day is here, and it's not just under your tree that you'll find delightful gifts. Here too, at Worst Foot Forward, we come laden with treats in the form of our annual round-up of our favourite moments from the past 12 months. Join us for a jaunt through highlights such as our two live shows which featured sibling rivalry and Adventure Bombs, Ben's wife teaching us about taxes, Caimh O'Donnell barely scratching the surface of Florida Man's insanity, Rosie Holt's fear of dancing, Ivan “from The Traitors” critiquing actual traitors from history, and Ed Byrne wishing to say farewell to “an Irish Goodbye”. Merry Christmas to all our listeners, and here's to a wonderful 2024. This episode features: Ed Byrne, Sam See, Carrie Quinlan, Silvana Van der Velde, Matt Kirshen, Rosie Holt, Caimh O'Donnell, Lexx Education, Jon Gracey, Matt Green, Joshua Tonks, Daisy Earl, Rob Manuel, Chris Grace, Ivan Brett, Johnny Chiodini and Ellie Gibson. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show - especially at this time of year, if you can help us out, it makes all the difference as we look forward to another 12 months of podcasting! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

This podcast always rings twice, then knocks three times, then peers through the window, then climbs over a gate to check around the back before just shoving the parcel through the cat-flap. It's an episode with comedian and postal worker Tom Toal all about the World's Worst Messenger, in which Tom charges into the Valley of Death with the Light Brigade after a miscommunication. Meanwhile, Barry explains how shooting the messenger can have global ramifications and Ben enlightens us as to why his package seems to be crying. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @tomtoalcomedy Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

Allons-y, companions! This week we are jumping into our TARDIS and exploring the Whoniverse, as Barry takes Ben on an adventure through space and time to talk all things Doctor Who. With the iconic BBC show's 60th anniversary being marked, we whizz through everything from Hartnell to Gatwa. There are the show's humble beginnings and how it was nearly ruined by Lee Harvey Oswald. There are mishaps galore, from flooded studios to visible tattoos, lost episodes to bootleg erotica. And there are the tales of the weird and wonderful design choices, from the Daleks' near-miss with Hollywood royalty to K9's near-miss with a cheap dog costume. All this and more in this bonus episode which is definitely bigger on the inside. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

We're drinking from the half full part of the podcast this week as we revisit episodes 106-110 - and look for the positive stories on show. Ben and Barry sooth you with the finest lullabies, bamboozle you with puzzles, salute the finest military tactics (and, with less enthusiasm evil geniuses) and end with the finest experiments ever concocted. In between there's the usual mix of Beatles chat, oddball trivia and, for a change, very little harm to dogs. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

We love a live show here at Worst Foot Forward and this one was no different! We were joined by the team from Lexx Education - Laura Lexx and her brother Ron - for an episode about the World's Worst Sibling as part of the Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival in London. Brothers-in-arms Ben and Barry presented a combination of Hollywood and Washington high-flyers, while Laura went back to Ancient Egypt and Rob discovered a third, less-good Attenborough brother down the back of the genealogical sofa. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @LexxEducation Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan more live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

* BUY TICKETS FOR OUR NEXT LIVE SHOW!   WHAT: Worst Foot Forward Live - World's Worst Sibling with guests Laura Lexx & Ron WHEN: 5th November 2023 @ 12.00pm WHERE: Bedford Pub, London SW12 9HD TIX: https://www.cheerfulearful.co.uk/ We're howling at the moon, growing our hair and nails, and gaining American citizenship before travelling to London and then Paris as we transform into the World's Worst Werewolf. We are joined by comedian, gamer and master of Werewolf Live, Jon Gracey, for this monstrous Hallowe'en special, where Barry journeys through the south of France, Jon shares his favourite Thai film with us and Ben teaches us why tomatoes are not to be trusted. Oh, and to enjoy the scary werewolf transformation Jon references in the episode, watch it here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H3PRSg8ReM To join Jon and a bunch of other nerds (including past WFF guests like Ivan Brett and Grubby Little Mitts) playing social deduction game BLOOD ON THE CLOCKTOWER in a country house this November, check out this link!  Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @JonGracey Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing… https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

* BUY TICKETS FOR OUR NEXT LIVE SHOW!  WHAT: Worst Foot Forward Live - World's Worst Sibling with guests Laura Lexx & Ron WHEN: 5th November 2023 @ 12.00pm WHERE: Bedford Pub, London SW12 9HD TIX: https://www.cheerfulearful.co.uk/ To celebrate our returning guest Laura Lexx we're going back to the topic she talked about when she first appeared on the show: tea! We uncover a colonial hero/villain from the Twining dynasty, why teapots are an essential component in computing and one of the stupdiest scientific experiments ever carried out. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @LauraLexx Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @Vanderlaugh @LexxLaura @LexxEducation Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan more live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

* BUY TICKETS FOR OUR NEXT LIVE SHOW!  WHAT: Worst Foot Forward Live - World's Worst Sibling with guests Laura Lexx & Ron WHEN: 5th November 2023 @ 12.00pm WHERE: Bedford Pub, London SW12 9HD TIX: https://www.cheerfulearful.co.uk/ Hallowe'en is coming fast and, for that one night, trick-or-treating will be everyone's nocturnal activity of choice. So we are joined by actor and writer Josh Tonks to talk about what's going in those bags and pumpkin-head buckets as we chew through the World's Worst Candy. There is WW2 military chocolate which was designed NOT to be too tasty, there are origin stories for names from Milk Duds to lollipops, and Josh has even created a candy-themed playlist for you all to enjoy - check it out! JOSH'S CANDY PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD_CqeUh0-5jie6Vn8b-AhF_fYiWa8ID1 JOSH'S CANDY PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY: https://spotify.link/Nt2EA7dfRDb Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @JoshuaTonks Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan more live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

* TICKETS HERE: https://www.designmynight.com/london/pubs/balham/the-bedford/cheerful-earful-podcast-festival-day-6?t=tickets * WHAT: Worst Foot Forward Live - World's Worst Sibling with guests Laura Lexx & Ron WHEN: 5th November 2023 @ 12.00pm WHERE: Bedford Pub, London SW12 9HD We love a live show here at Worst Foot Forward and, with winter drawing on, we have one coming along to brighten these chilly days! On November 5th at midday, as part of the Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival in London, you can join us for a show about the World's Worst Siblings! Our guests will be real-life siblings and hosts of the Lexx Education podcast, comedian Laura Lexx and her cleverer brother Ron. Relationships will be challenged, scores will be settled. So whether you're a middle-child, an only-child or a problem-child, all are welcome. Tickets are available at the link above, or through the festival website: https://www.cheerfulearful.co.uk/ Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh @LexxEducation Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan more live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com  

BUY TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW ON NOVEMBER 5TH HERE: https://www.designmynight.com/london/pubs/balham/the-bedford/cheerful-earful-podcast-festival-day-6?t=tickets Join us as we pump out a pint of the worst brews on the planet in the company of comic, author and beer impresario James Dowdeswell. We discover the rickety secret of Churchill's wartime grog, Roald Dahl's most disgusting secret and what makes Carlsberg Special Brew not that special after all. Buy James' Lazy EyePA: https://www.lazyeyepa.co.uk/ Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @jamesdowdeswell Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot @dowdeswell_drinks_well Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward

From the doghouse to the White House, we've got a menagerie of prime ministerial wannabes, woofing would-be world leaders and purring political animals. Yes, in this bonus episode we explore the curious history of animals running for elected office. On the ballot are the likes of Pigasus The Immortal, Limberbutt McCubbins and Crawfish T. Crawfish, with a special guest appearance by half-squid elder horror, Cthulu himself. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com

It's time for some sunshine, even as the year moves into its autumn - at least nominally, in the Northern Hemisphere anyway. So Ben and Barry revisit old episodes - episodes 101-105 - and revisit those topics but with a positive attitude. They debate the World's Best Diva, Advert, Escape, Guest and Voiceover, with appearances from the likes of Freddie Mercury, the Honda Accord and the Voice Of God. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Instagram: @worstfoot  Join us on our Discord server! https://discord.gg/9buWKthgfx Visit www.worstfootforwardpodcast.com for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you'd like to support the show during this whole pandemic thing, and especially as we work on our first book and plan some live shows! https://www.patreon.com/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose: www.podnose.com