Worst Foot Forward

This week we are jazz-handing, kicklining and tumbling sideways off a swirling staircase into a pile of soggy Busby Berkeley girls. It's time for us to explore the World's Worst Musical Films with a show-stopping guest in the form of acclaimed comedy writer Joel Morris. If you think you've seen bad musicals well, you ain't heard nothing yet folks. Barry plots his way through a plotless film starri...

Bite down hard and prepare to feel some unusual pain as we inflict the world's worst tattoos on you. Joined by the charming stand-up comic Aidan Goatley we return to the terrifying world of Russian prisons, uncover some creepy Cold War secret, Japanese pelts, the mysterious Edith and why early 20th century royalty were absolutely covered in ink. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvand...

This week we enter one of the creepiest world's imaginable: the nightmarish dimension of terrible toys. With award-winning children's radio host Bex Lindsay as our guide we uncover the dark truth about the Beanie Babies, a darker truth about how certain people like to make babies and quite a lot of toys that you absolutely must keep away from babies. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @be...

Let your imaginations run wild - this week we are reading the World's Worst Fan Fiction. Our guest is Andrew Shaffer, New York Times best-selling author and fan fiction parody writer extraordinaire. He tells us about the genesis of 50 Shades Of Grey among thousands of other Twilight fan fiction tales, while Ben talks about sex and Barry dives back in time to some of the earliest fan fiction storie...

Having already determined the worst monarch and emperors of all time we return to what can best be described as History's Marianna Trench of awful leaders to uncover the Worst President. And no, it's not who you think it is - but only because he's not had enough time to do that much damage. Joined by BBC Radio 4 and Guardian writer Jack Bernhardt examine likely candidates from the IOC, the Hall of...

The Church of the Holy Worst Foot holds the secret to eternal satisfaction you've been looking for all your life. Available for a low low lifetime subscription fee of several million pounds! This week, we are joined by host of That's A Cult?, Helen McCarthy, to discuss the World's Worst Cults. There are Japanese foot-readers, Indian bike-worshippers, Quebecois masochists, militant nudists and The...

Slashed down in a shower, melted by a girl and her little dog too or just squashed by an ACME anvil - it's time for this podcast to die in the World's Worst Death Scene possible. Taking on this topic suggested by Patreon supporter Catherine Pugh is comedian Matthew Highton who revisits the third instalment in the legendary Basket Case trilogy. Remember guys? Remember Basket Case? Ah you do. No? Re...

In this episode we line up some of the stickiest, naughtiest, most badly behaved and obnoxiously prodigious children ever created by authors and line them up for six of the best. We're joined by literary agent Molly Ker Hawn, someone who is steeped in children's literature as National Programs Director at the Children's Book Council and a past board member of the United States Board on Books for Y...

Gumshoes on, private dicks at the ready, it's time to crack the case of the World's Worst Detective. With us is the multi-talented Taylor Glenn, host of the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast and she sweeps her magnifying glass across the questionable tactics of on-screen detectives. Meanwhile, Ben looks into the weird and wild biography of the father of modern detection, and Barry journeys to Cabo...

Hop in the time machine! Ben and Barry are jumping back to episodes 6-10 as they revisit those subjects - but in a positive light! 76 episodes ago we uncovered the worst British Day Out, Architect, Astronaut, Heist Movie and General. This time, the very best of these include burning Viking longboats in the Shetland Islands, a classic film oozing Cool Britannia and a buccaneering French aristocrat....

Listen to the sound of those really long trumpets with carpets dangling off them - it can only mean one thing, it's time for our episode about the worst emperors of all time. We're joined by the master of the Knightmare dungeon Lord Fear, in heavy disguise as actor and comedian Tom Bell as we discover tales of incest, concubines, whoopee cushions, penguins, ghost-killing ceremonies, Ming the Merci...

Pull up a chair and prepare for some world class arguments, trivia and brutal no-holds-barred capitalism as Ben and Barry present their first ever Patreon exclusive. We promised that when we got to 10 Patreon donors we'd do special episode and here it is. We revisited the world's worst board game - Monopoly - with former guest Paul Flannery and played a game so you guys never have to again. On the...

This week we are stepping down, shaking golden handshakes and leaving with our heads held high. Theatre director Oscar Toeman will guide Ben and Barry through the awkward history of the world's worst resignations. Ben explores Ferdinand Marcos' attempts to cling to power, Barry tells of a British peer who revealed his affairs a bit prematurely and Oscar sticks his head under the toilet cubicle doo...

Come, shake us by the hand. BUZZZZZZ! Smell the flower in my lapel. SPLAAAASSSHHHH! Sit on this comfy cushion. FAAARRTTTT! Sorry guys, but this week we are full of mischief and trickery as we try out some of the World's Worst Pranks. With us is Italian comedian and former host of a radio prank show Francesco De Carlo who tells us about the time he lost a classmate in a Viennese museum. Barry explo...

One two three, step two three, one two three, I'm so sorry, I've crushed your toes. Swing your partners round and round this week, it's time for us to chassis our way into the World's Worst Dance. Grabbing us round the waist and clinging on for dear life is our guest, the comedian, writer and actress Abigail Burdess, who has a few choice words for Morris dancers everywhere. Meanwhile, Ben takes us...

Many a good band has fallen by the wayside for want of a decent name. Then again, some have prospered despite really pisspoor monikers - take a bow, Coldplay. Radio presenter and producer Dani Charlton is with us skim our record collections in search of the World's Worst Band Names. There are endless death metal and witch house groups, some Martians who named themselves in French binary, a couple...

Knock back a raw egg, fetch another pail of Bloody Mary and get ready to talk to Ralph on the big white telephone as we uncover the history of the worst hangovers of all time. We're joined by actress, comedian and disability campaigner Georgie Morrell as we disclose our worst indignities - involving Red Setters, hiking boots and Scottish tramps - as well as PG Wodehouse's classification system for...

We're not saying you HAVE to listen to this week's episode all about the World's Worst Housemate with comedian John Robertson. We're just leaving you a gentle reminder comprised of several Post-It notes written in Sharpie with lots of CAPITALS and underlined words. Consider this a suggestion rather than a requirement. But if you DO listen, you'll discover that some Byzantine kings liked to bite th...

Holding patterns everyone! Ben and Barry are joined by no one but themselves in this special one-off episode. Together they go back through the first five subjects they talked about 76 episodes ago - worst psychological treatment, superhero, Beatles song, console game and protest - and uncover the stories of some of the best examples of each. As ever, they end up covering the globe and the history...

This week, we invite you to tell us about your feelings. Yes, it's a proper therapy session as Barry and Ben lie on the couch with Lily Sloane, therapist and host of the 'A Therapist Walks Into A Bar' podcast. Lily answers all our questions with questions, Ben is on tenterhooks awaiting his new baby and Barry is ready to unload 18 months worth of feelings. We indulge in some glasses of urine, disc...

Warning guys. This week's episode is SERIOUSLY SEXY. Stick on some mood music, dim the lights, burn some incense and relax as we lather on the baby-oil in the company of playwright Tristan Bernays. This week's orgy of awful is all about the World's Worst Sex Scene and there are some - literal - bangers in here for you. There are appearances by the Marquis de Sade and Morrissey, we take a trip to t...

Arise, ye noble listeners of Worst Foot Forward - sorry about accidentally slicing your heads off. Never mind, be of good cheer as Squires McStay and Van der Velde are joined by Sir Paul Duncan McGarrity, erstwhile archaeologist and comedian. Their quest: to venture forth in search of the World's Worst Knight. Along the way they may face such dangers as Communist dictators with knighthoods, Queen...

A podcast featuring a champion of the BBC's hardest quiz talking to two idiots about the World's Worst Quiz Contestant. Buzz! What is Worst Foot Forward's 73rd Episode? Correct, and well done for putting your answer in the form of a question. We have Lydia Mizon as our guest, captain of the Escapologists, the winners of series 13 of 'Only Connect'. We interrogate loveable losers from shows as dive...

Pop on your camera, get in line and prepare your finest gawking faces as we show you around our episode about the worst tourist attractions in the world. We're joined by playwright Camilla Whitehill to share stories of Japanese hemorrhoid shrines, islands full of snakes and dead bodies and the strange modern fetishisation of sugar-covered chocolate. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @ben...

Things are getting political at Worst Foot Forward as we all struggle to be Last Past The Post with our candidates for the World's Worst Elected Head of Government. Our guest is comedian Nat Tapley whose comedic characters include the dreadful Conservative MP Sir Ian Bowler, so he'll know a thing or two about dodgy elections and questionable leadership. Our worldwide tour takes us to far-flung Sam...