The 5 Star Podcast

This week we're getting into Lush - the one with the soapy smell that drags you in off the high street like a cartoon character chasing a pie on a windowsill. Charlie's a fan. Jon is not. And someone on Glassdoor called it the most toxic, soul-crushing job they'd ever had. Fun times! We read the reviews - including a five-star that listed "I smell too good now" as the only co...

This week we're looking at what it's like to work at this notorious and very high traffic website via the medium of employee reviews from Glassdoor. Some of employee feedback is from people claiming job titles we cannot verify. And yes, one of them lists "edging is strictly forbidden" as a workplace con. The site turns out to be owned by a company called MindGeek, which was acqui...

Charlie's first proper job was at Halifax - back when banks had branches, customers had passbooks, and one regular had a disgusting weekly habit she'd rather forget. This week we're reviewing the Glassdoor reviews, discovering why you shouldn't drink and review, and debating whether customer service should be mandatory national service. In the Bowls: someone's boyfriend wants t...

A former buyer spent ten years at Poundstretcher and left a Glassdoor review so beautifully written we think it might be the best one-star review of all time. "Single ply lavatory paper that dissolved at the touch of hope." Dickensian prose about discount retail misery, funereal carpet tiles, and loyalty rewarded with... an insulting gift, basically. The full, glorious review is here: ht...

The fluffy green energy company has a 2.6 star rating on Glassdoor. Ouch. Jon and Charlie dissect OVO Energy's reviews, including a one-star review that's somehow praise, a software engineer with extremely specific grievances about "craft managers," and discover that the office slide injured three people on day one. Plus: staff vs workforce, gifting in the Philippines, and knowing when your compan...

Money Expert Charlie and Sales Guy Jon dig into Imperial Brands (formerly Imperial Tobacco) — the Bristol-based tobacco giant with a 3.3 star Glassdoor rating and an actual toxicologist on payroll. In this episode:🔥 Why Imperial Brands needs 500 words to justify selling cigarettes💼 A senior toxicologist gives 5 stars (and we have questions)📉 An SDR with grammar so bad we question everything🤖 J...

🎸 Gigs, Chaos & Questionable Odours: The 5 Star Podcast Hits O2 Academy Bristol 🎸This week, The 5 Star Podcast heads to the legendary O2 Academy Bristol — where the amps are loud, the crowd's rowdy, and the reviews smell a little... fishy. Expect:A LOT of gig chat (borderline obsessive, really).Pure, unfiltered Bristol anarchy. An unexpected detour into the world of prostate examinations...

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🚢 Posh Boats & Bad Reviews: The 5 Star Podcast Takes on Celebrity Cruises 🚢This week, The 5 Star Podcast sets sail into the world of Celebrity Cruises, where luxury meets absolute chaos—both onboard and in the reviews. Expect:Some lovely big portholes (size matters).Some extremely unverified Trustpilot reviews. The ongoing investigation into whether Charlie is an AI-generated Swede, half bea...

📦 Lost & Damned: The 5 Star Podcast Takes on Evri 📦 This week, The 5 Star Podcast braves the abyss that is Evri, the courier service where your parcel’s fate is as mysterious as Jon’s search history. Expect: Some serious camera troubles—get used to Charlie staring into the middle distance. Chicken chat that never actually happens (they tried, they failed). One of Jon’s deeply concerning sexu...

✈️ Chaos & Carnage: The 5 Star Podcast Takes on Heraklion Airport ✈️This week, The 5 Star Podcast endures the true Greek tragedy that is Heraklion Airport—where the only thing worse than the queues are the reviews. Expect:Snobby lounge chat that firmly separates the elites from the peasants. Charlie testing the boundaries of her undiagnosed dyslexia (with mixed results).Some unexpected balloon...

⚡ Shocks & Stocks: The 5 Star Podcast Takes on Tesla ⚡ This week, The 5 Star Podcast goes full throttle into the world of Tesla—the cars, the controversies, and the reviews that make you question everything. Expect: Heavy headphones and even heavier opinions. Electric car chat that’s almost insightful. Some truly sketchy investment advice (not legally binding). A very sexy website that distr...

🏰 Mouse Ears & Mayhem: The 5 Star Podcast Does Disneyland Paris 🏰 This week, The 5 Star Podcast takes on the magic of Disneyland Paris, diving into its stonking 300,000 reviews to uncover the best, the worst, and the downright bizarre. You can expect:Cute Mickey ears. A Shirley Winters anecdote that may or may not be relevant. Some uncharacteristically accurate Sector Facts (don’t get used t...

🏡 Property Chaos: The 5 Star Podcast Takes on Foxtons 🏡This week, The 5 Star Podcast dives into the wild world of London’s most beloved estate agents—Foxtons. With sky-high fees, dodgy deals, and customer reviews that read like horror stories, Jon and Charlie are here to investigate. Expect:Charlie passing immediate judgment without a shred of evidence. Terrible reviews that somehow still don’t...

⚽ Red Devils & Chaos: The 5 Star Podcast Tackles Old Trafford ⚽This week, The 5 Star Podcast heads to the Theatre of Dreams—aka Old Trafford—for a deep dive into football, pies, and plenty of Manc madness. You can expect:Sexy footballers and Jon trying to remain professional (he fails),Pep Guardiola’s divorce,The great waterfall of the North... inside the stadium,Manc stereotypes,Why Old Tra...

🍀 Pints & Chaos: The 5 Star Podcast Hits an Irish Bar in the Azores 🍀This week, The 5 Star Podcast finds itself in an Irish bar in the middle of the Azores, where the pints are flowing, the facts are questionable, and the vibes... well, let’s just say they take a turn. Expect: Charlie serving up some Pele facts (because why not?). Breastfeeding anecdotes you never asked for. Genius podcast s...

🛁 Spa Day Shenanigans: The 5 Star Podcast 🛁 This week, The 5 Star Podcast visits a Glasgow spa, where relaxation meets bad Scottish accents. Prepare for soothing treatments, Scottish anecdotes, and an unnecessary roast dinner chat.  Jon and Charlie are giving The Rest is History a run for its money with some loose historical "facts", yet another problematic accent (Glasgow, we’re sorry) and a pe...

💻 Tech Troubles: The 5 Star Podcast Takes on Tucson 💻 This week, The 5 Star Podcast packs its virtual bags and heads to Tucson, Arizona, to dive deep into the world of IT support. Spoiler alert: things get glitchy as they read reviews for a Corp on the brink of collapse. Charlie has some controversial opinions on Amazon, Jon gets to carry out his favourite pastime of reading out American names,...

London Calling: The 5 Star Podcast Hits The Big Smoke! 🚍 This week, The 5 Star Podcast takes a bumpy ride through the streets of London as Jon and Charlie go head-to-head with a tour bus company that’s as dodgy as its website. Expect: Jon fuming at their website design (and maybe at all tour bus websites while he’s at it). Charlie’s spot-on impression of Jon’s Nan. A shameless and mildly desperat...

This week, The 5 Star Podcast brings you their Christmas Special! Jon and Charlie dive into their festive antics, featuring smelly jumpers, cute antlers, and a gift exchange that's more one-sided than playing Man City (this season). Brace yourself as they almost master the art of a two-sided conversation. Expect musings on religion, war, and dead parents. While Charlie stumbles into a few new word...

This week's episode of The 5 Star Podcast returns to the land of the free and the brave. Jon and Charlie discuss their favourite painkillers, plan the tracklist for their inevitable album, and delve into reviews for a Hospital with a 2.5-star batting average. This one isn't for the faint-hearted or the sane (apparently). And remember: Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're go...

Buckle up for this week's ep of The 5 Star Podcast. Jon & Charlie head to the infamous Benidorm, where cockroaches in a cooked brekkie spark a heated chat about British grub abroad. Expect Oasis singalongs, a deep dive into the curious world of goujons, and, of course, the debut of our shiny new jingle! And remember: Don’t let your brekkie crawl away before you finish it. Peace & Love, Tea...

Get your seatbelts on for this week's episode of The 5 Star Podcast. Charlie & Jon explore a Car Dealer, but don't worry they also discuss what squaddies get up to in their spare time and offer some threatening life coaching. Make sure you stay till the end to watch Charlie lose her mojo. And remember: A watched Podcast never boils. Peace & Love, Team 5 Star Pod xxx P.S if you have a busin...

Jon has something to say to people who park in "Disabled" parking spaces as he and Charlie react to reviews of a gym in Canada - They discuss the importance of cleaning the machines and the merits of overweight personal trainers. They also find out how to turn on the studio lights.

The 5 Star Podcast is back! Season 2, here we go..... From their sexy new studio, Jon & Charlie dip back into the world of hotels. This ep brings you bed bugs, hair balls, an old naan bread and the lowest batting average of any business they've uncovered so far. Don’t forget to hit the thumbs-up button and subscribe so you never miss an episode. If you've got a review we need to share, hit up...