The Following Through Podcast

In the finale of the third season, Alex and Siobhan present the Pride Special. They are joined by Peter Abraham, a professional BSL interpreter, and comedian Madge Hooks.   Peter and Madge discuss their own experiences of being gay, coming out, how attitudes have changed throughout the decades, and the worrying political signs ahead.   In Sh*t or Miss, Madge shares a story about suffering the ill-...

Rising comedian Gabby Rolls joins Alex and Siobhan in this extended episode that is all about the challenges of becoming a champion in the sport of boccia and doing comedy. Aged 22, she is also the youngest guest so far to appear on the Following Through Podcast.   Gabby has cerebral palsy after being deprived of oxygen at birth and is a wheelchair-user. But that hasn't stopped her from launching...

Journalism is a difficult profession to break into, but not so for Alex, who stumbled into it by chance and somehow built a career he still does alongside comedy.   In this episode, Siobhan speaks to Alex about his 18 years of journalism and editorial experience, starting out at a local paper aged 23 with no training or experience, learning on the job in a rural setting under a brutal editor. He r...

In this episode, Alex and Siobhan discuss their very different routes to becoming property owners in opposite parts of London.   Alex also recalls some of his house share horror stories and only wanting to buy a flat to avoid living with strangers again with their weird habits.   Siobhan explains how she arranged viewings for the majority of properties on sale in Morden, bringing her family and a...

Many dream of turning a hobby into a business, but hesitate to take the leap. In this episode, Alex and Siobhan are joined by Keir Boxshall, founder of Wild and Cultured, who turned his hobby into a thriving business. Keir, who makes organic fermented sauces and condiments, met Siobhan at a food festival in London after his stall caught the attention of her husband.   Keir had a high-level role fo...

Pro-wrestler and comedian Jerry Bakewell joins Alex and Siobhan in this episode. As a lifelong wrestling fan, Alex is delighted.    Jerry talks about how he got into wrestling almost 20 years ago, his time training, his first match, why he started wearing a mask, and the clips online that he really wishes weren't available.    He also discusses his infamous Britain's Got Talent audition, what went...

After doing nothing fitness-related since 2011, Siobhan has acquired a gym membership after her brother-in-law won it in a raffle and passed it on. She tells Alex all about the programme a trainer has designed for her and the double struggles of fitness and boredom from cardio.    Her initial goal was to not be out of breathe after dancing enthusiastically to Footloose, but Siobhan has now set her...

Autism is the theme for this episode as Alex and Siobhan are joined by comedian Mark Nicholas, who is autistic.   The conversation covers when Mark was first diagnosed, his difficulties at school, and how much drama lessons helped him grow in confidence.   Mark later started doing stand-up comedy, which has boosted his confidence further, allowing him to meet like-minded people on the circuit and...

Writing new comedy material is the theme for this episode, where Alex and Siobhan discuss how they write – or at least try to.    They chat about the inspiration behind established material and other ideas that have not yet quite clicked on stage. Unsurprisingly, Alex talks about squid. And will Siobhan understand what a punchline is by the end of the episode?   Plus in Sh*t or Miss, Ben Summers f...

The anti-lifestyle podcast is back for its third season as comedians Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd catch up about what they've been up to in the last two months.   Siobhan has joined a gym, while Alex developed a full-body rash after an allergic reaction to some shampoo. Both poo in some capacity. They discuss their plans for the year ahead, with Edinburgh Fringe featuring prominently for both. Alex...

Christmas is the theme for the finale of Season 2 of Following Through and the last episode of 2025.   To celebrate, Alex and Siobhan are having a Christmas party and recording together in person for the first time. There is also very strong language from the start.   This episode is a bit experimental. The tech isn’t quite as smooth as previous episodes. There is some background noise as they’re...

Farting is the theme of this episode, as the guest has written a book all about it.   Alex and Siobhan are joined by actor, comedian, and now children’s author, Toby Williams. Toby has written and illustrated a children’s book about the beloved bodily function.   Titled Fart, Fart, Fart, Fart, FART, Toby explains how his book highlights the objections some parents have to their children using the...

This is part two of the chat with comedian Lizzy Lenco, who has had to adapt to using a wheelchair after suffering life-changing injuries in a road traffic collision almost six years ago.   Alex and Siobhan hear about the challenges of getting around the cobbled, hilly streets of Edinburgh in a wheelchair, booked to perform in inaccessible venues, and the sheer frustrations of trying to get to gig...

Comedians Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd are joined by fellow comic Lizzy Lenco in this episode, which explores the challenges of rebuilding your life after experiencing life-changing injuries.   Early one Sunday evening, Lizzy’s life changed forever when she was involved in a serious car crash. After living a fully active life up to this point, she suffered serious injury. Ultimately, she had to adap...

This topic in this episode is one that affects everyone in some way, and we appreciate that it is a rather sensitive one. We are talking about surviving cancer.  Our guest is comedian Geoff Alderman, who made a cameo appearance in the previous episode.   In 2020, Geoff found a golf-ball-sized lump in his neck that turned out to be cancerous. Known for his dark one-liners, Geoff, understandably, do...

This episode takes a nostalgic look at the global pandemic of 2020, with Alex and Siobhan reminiscing about how they spent their respective lockdowns after lifestyles changed overnight. And yes, Tiger King does get mentioned a couple of times.    They start by travelling back in time to March 2020. When it all kicked off, Siobhan was hit by anxiety of the unknown, while Alex was trying to find his...

Alex and Siobhan are back after taking August off for very different reasons. Alex was performing every day at Edinburgh Fringe, while Siobhan had to cope with the school holidays and two young children. Expect very strong language from the start.   Edinburgh Fringe was a tough one this year, with Oasis looming over the festival. Before the fringe began, Alex was concerned about his low ticket sal...

Edinburgh Fringe is the ultimate challenge for any comedian, where agony and ecstasy are intertwined (and not just because of drugs). Once you’ve escaped the clutches of Edinburgh Fringe, why would you go back? Well, that is exactly what the guest in this episode is doing this year – and Alex did last year. Alex and Siobhan speak with comedian Catie Wilkins, who is returning with a show to the Edi...

The route to becoming a professional British Sign Language interpreter is a long one with many challenges on the way. It can take more than a decade to get enough experience to turn pro, making it an ideal topic for an episode of Following Through. Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd welcome Hayley Brown to the show. Hayley is a podcaster (her series is called Inadequate Mother) and creates video content t...

Homelessness affects hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and many millions worldwide. And this is the subject of this episode. Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd speak with comedian David Ferguson from the Believe podcast. He tells the story of how he ended up homeless for more than seven months and shares his experiences. David also explains how, thanks to the support he received, he's turned his l...

Learning languages is the topic for this episode, and it certainly gets harder with age.  Alex and Siobhan discuss their experiences of learning languages at school and later as an adult. They cover learning Spanish, German, and French, as well as how Duolingo can give you a false sense of security with your language abilities.  Warning: This episode will feature very bad pronunciations of words a...

University is the theme of this episode, with Alex and Siobhan travelling back in time to reminisce about their student days.  Although anyone expecting a constructive discussion about academia will be sorely disappointed, as Alex and Siobhan talk at length about undergraduate bowel movements. They also cover their experiences of campus life, moving away from home for the first time, stupid diets,...

The podcast about poo and perseverance returns. Comedians Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd discuss travelling in this first episode of season number two. Siobhan is back from her holiday in Hong Kong and has stories to share, with a particularly disappointing flight that involved navigating the awkwardness of plane toilets. In fact, the subject of toilets comes up a few times – unsurprisingly. They also...

Dating is the theme for this season finale, and the experience doesn’t get any better in your 30s and 40s. Alex and Siobhan are joined by Irish rising comedy star, Aideen McQueen. They discuss awkward dating stories, the issues with apps, sober dates, and the more philosophical aspects of this necessary evil of modern life. Plus Siobhan sets Alex a speed-dating challenge. Will he accept? (I mean,...

They say you never forget how to ride a bike, but what if you get to adulthood having never learned? Siobhan is one such adult, who never learned to ride a bike as a child and had to do so when she was in her 20s. Before they get to the cycling discussion, there are about 18 minutes of preamble chat where they discuss comedy gong shows, actual Shakespeare, and listener numbers. Later on, Alex tell...