Worst Foot Forward

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...

We now go to Worst Foot Forward for a broadcast finding the dumbest political broadcasts on Earth. In the company of sharp-shooting satirical comic Matt Green we globetrot from New Zealand to Brazil to China, with a short break to tip our hats a Josef Goebbels messing up royally as we discover the dregs of political communication. Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot   @bazmcstay @mattgreencomedy Fol...

With India landing its Chandrayaan-3 on the moon's south pole, the sun's understudy is back in the public eye after far too long. Ben and Barry welcome the little rock's return with an exploration of past moon landings. Tales include Diogenes' ideas of an early moon mission, what songs harmonise with the moon and what to find in "The Toss Zone". Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcstay @Vander...

Eyes forward, shoulders back, respectful tear in your eye and bellowing basso profundo at the ready. In the company of American comedian and actor Chris Grace we head on a whistlestop tour of the daftest, most blood-thirsty and incongruous anthems on Earth.  Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot   @bazmcstay   @VanderLaugh   Follow us on Instagram:  @worstfoot @chrisgracecomedy Join us on our Discord...

It's a blockbuster episode this week with Indian comedian, triathlete, director, writer and all-round talent Anu Vaidyanathan joining us on set to call cut on the World's Worst Director. Anu shares her secrets for running an efficient set while not angering the powerful men of Bollywood, Ben looks at the death rate of famous auteurs and Barry goes toe-to-toe with Norman Mailer. Follow us on Twitte...

We're checking in to Worst Foot Towers today, the World's Worst Hotel. Our special guest is Daisy Earl, comedian and writer, who brings personal tales of creepy car parks and spooky night-time pacing. Serving Daisy is chambermaid Barry who has an axe to grind with the Borden House, while head waiter Ben plates up a dish of bear faeces. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follo...

With the Open Championship golf underway, it's about time Barry led us through the biography of the so-called Phantom Of The Open, aka Maurice Flitcroft. Immortalised in the film starring Mark Rylance, Flitcroft tried to fool the powers-that-be by entering the Open in 1976, a mere two years after taking up the game. In doing so, he set a record for the worst ever score posted in the event and ente...

Armed with nothing but a dictionary of aphorisms and a big red cliche detector, Ben and Barry are joined this wek by Irish comedy legend Ed Byrne. Together they get to the bottom of all sorts of linguistic conundra, including what a moral compass looks like, quite how much anti-Irish prejudice is baked into the English language and why you should be careful which South American country you openly...

It's summer, and one of the great summer sporting events is The Ashes, the roughly-every-two-years cricketing clash between in England and Australia. Ben decides to sit Barry down and tell him the untold story of this event, thus making it now the told story. We learn about cremation, Welsh druids and what this all has to do with Robert Downey Jr anyway. Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcsta...

We're firing up our operating systems this week as we search for the worst computer in history. By our side we've got host of the Probably Science podcast, finalist of Last Comic Standing and award-winning writer for The Jim Jeffries Show: it's Matt Kirshen! We head back 2000 years to chat about the Antikythera, dip our toes into the art-prank world to meet the Persistence of Chaos and welcome bac...

Alright listeners, time to confess: Are you a Faithful or a Traitor? We are hunting down the World's Worst Traitor in the company of one of the stars of the UK's first season of the hit TV show, The Traitors: Ivan Brett. A brilliant author and gamer, Ivan reveals the true identity of the mysterious John Johnson. Meanwhile Ben unveils the many faces of Lord Haw-Haw and Barry explains why the word q...

Loosen your collars and lick your lips, it's getting hot in here as we flirt with the World's Worst Romantic Hero. Making up a very saucy threesome with Barry and Ben on the show this week is comedian, actor and viral sensation Rosie Holt who bats her eyes at one of the biggest names in poetry. Meanwhile, Barry introduces the team to Mr Mills and Mr Boon, and Ben meets his alter-ego, Alexander Bra...

"For we're two jolly good fellows!" Indeed, both Barry and Ben's birthday's fall in the month of May, so for this month's bonus episode, Barry presents a goody-bag full of weird and wonderful birthday facts. There is "the birthday problem", the Canadian tradition of nose-greasing and the reason why everyone in Korea is about to de-age. Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Foll...

It's a cosy Barry and Ben episode this week, as we host one of our intermittent "best of the worst" looks back (look-backs?) at the topics from 5 past episodes and flip our outlook from negative to positive. This week we take in episodes 96 to 100 and try to pin down the World's Best Material, God, Vending Machine, Empire and Century. There are cameos from Ronnie O'Sullivan, The Penguin, John Colt...

Come cat-burglars, cutpurses and conmen, as we assess the World's Worst Criminal this week. We are joined by comedian and author Caimh McDonnell who takes us on a hilarious tour of Florida Man's worst and best efforts. There is also a good dose of stolen hearts, lemon juice and gentlemen thieves to be found in this line-up.  Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on In...

We're getting stamped in this month's Third Foot bonus episode, as Ben takes a recent experience at Border Control and turns it into a recording all about Passports. There are wandering moose, pharoahs in transit and an ingenious forger who goes straight into the Hall of Fame alongisde other, presumablty faked, old masters. Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcstay @VanderLaugh Follow us on Ins...

*Buy tickets to Barry's upcoming play  Breeding  here:  https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding * There's only three certainties in life: death, taxes and the irresistible trundle of the neverending stream of podcasts. We bring you two of the dreaded horsemen this week, as nominated by our Patreon donor Peter Schaub and there was only ever one expert we could ask for this topic: the finest...

*Buy tickets to Barry's upcoming play  Breeding here: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding * Shhhh! Silence please in the library, lest we set the demon librarian on you! Tiptoeing around the shelves with us is children's author Ben Davis who takes us spelunking under Paris. Meanwhile Ben finds a library with no books in it and Barry takes a deep dive into the mucky literary waters of Ph...

Buy tickets to Barry's upcoming play 'Breeding' here: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding It's Third Foot time and this one is suggested by Patreon donor Maxwell Lindsay, who found a very Worst Foot figure in the shape of American entrepreneur Timothy Dexter. Learn how he became incredibly wealthy almost by accident, how he dodged his rivals various brickbats with oblivious aplomb and h...

Joined by the king of internet triviality and special Patreon guest judge John Robinson, Ben and Barry head down to the local disco in search of the world's worst pop star. Amongst the one-hit wonders and chart-bottoming no-hopers we uncover sinister goings-on in 60s suburban America, a man who torpedoed his career in favour of obscure French poetry and Syria's answer to Dolly Parton. Follow us on...

Oh come all ye faithful nerds! Gather around the bespoke baize table, polish your D20s, power up the Commodore 64 and bring your finest rules lawyers, for this episode is our World's Worst Games Night. Recorded in front of a live audience at London's VAULT Festival on 19th February 2023, we are joined by returning guests Ellie Gibson and Johnny Chiodini. There are discussions of the best games nig...

The Six Nations Rugby Championship is underway, Barry is in a good mood as Ireland currently top the table and so he takes us on a whirlwind tour of the titular six nations: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy. There are facts about hedges, baked goods and St Valentine - and a bonus Georgia fact from Ben! Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde   Follow us on I...

Bring out your dead - and mock them mercilessly. It's alright, they don't get right of reply. On this week's episode we are joined by actor, writer and comedian Carrie Quinlan to discuss the witty, catty and tricky topic of the World's Worst Obituary. We have vengeful hit-pieces, touching tributes and euphemistic eulogies. Follow us on Twitter:  @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde   Follow us on...

Click here to buy tickets to our show at VAULT Festival, Waterloo in London on 19th February 2023: https://vaultfestival.com/events/worst-foot-forward-live-recording/ This is your final countdown folks, the next Worst Foot Forward live recording is coming up on Sunday 19th February 2023 at 8.40pm at the VAULT Festival in London. Our World's Worst Games Night will feature guests Johnny Chiodini and...

*TICKETS FOR OUR LIVE SHOW AT LONDON'S VAULT FESTIVAL, 19th FEBRUARY 2023 @ 8.40pm:  https://vaultfestival.com/events/worst-foot-forward-live-recording/ * It's straight to dessert this week as we're joined by Singapore's finest comedian Sam See to delve into the sundae, the 99 flake and the whippy and find the worst among them. On our way we encounter samurai, jellyfish proteins, Father's for Just...