Worst Foot Forward

All aboard! Join us along with former submariner Eric (of Eric's Tales of the Sea fame) for a deep dive as we plumb the salty depths in search of the World's Worst Admiral. There's trips to Nebraska and Hungary, tales of Nelson and a polar bear, and Eric gives us maybe the most well-researched argument we've ever had in dissecting the career of World War One's Admiral David Beatty. Follow us on Tw...

Spooking time is upon us, with Hallowe'en looming over us, and it's   also time for our regular monthly bonus episode. For this time of year, Ben delves into the back catalogue of one of the most famous spooky authors of all time - Bram Stoker. But, being Worst Foot Forward, we wander off the beaten path away from Dracula and examine Stoker's lesser known works. We learn about his penchant for rom...

Boo! What's that hiding under the bed? Why, it's a Hallowe'eny episode from Worst Foot Forward as comedian, actor and writer Eleanor Morton joins us to go on the World's Worst Witch Hunt. Eleanor takes us through some of the darker times in her own native Scotland, Ben talks about witch's marks and third nipples, and Barry journeys to Salem for not one but two witch trials! Follow us on Twitter: @...

This week's episode is a chip off the old block as, inspired by a Patreon supporter, we look for the worst offspring in the world. Joined by comedian, ex-pro wrestler and glorious idiot Lee Kyle, we encounter papal bastards, Soviet disappointments and the gruesomeness of Mother Nature Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot   @bazmcstay   @benvandervelde   @ImLeeKyle Visit  www.worstfootforwardpodcast.co...

From Aardman Studios to ZZ Top, we are carousing through a wordy wonderland this week in the urbane company of actor, author and lexicographer Terry Victor. With his help, we hope to thumb through some well-worn books in search of the World's Worst Dictionary. Terry indulges us with a few definitions from his charming Chambers, Barry teaches us exactly how to mount a weasel and Ben brings an encyc...

We're clowning around this week, acting the giddy goat and generally just fooling as we are joined by one half of The Loremen podcast, James Shakeshaft, to uncover the World's Worst Village Idiot. James brings tales of moon-raking and church-fertilising, Ben scours the continent in search of holy fools, and Barry outlines why geese get a particularly hard deal from idiots. Follow us on Twitter: @w...

Another month brings another dose of bonus Worst Foot Forward content, as paid for by our kind supporters on Patreon. With Ben having taken on Columbus last month, Barry looks at the weirder side of the life of another of history's big names: Napoleon Bonaparte. We learn about his Twilight fan fiction, his incredible ability to piss off popes and what exactly the price of his penis is. Follow us o...

And Lo, Barry and Ben grew long sagacious beards and set themselves to the hubristic task of marking the most doleful characters from the Good Book. And there was much smiting, gnashing of teeth and light blasphemy (mostly from Barry, as Ben likes to hedge his bets.) They are joined by comic, writer and much greater authority on the Torah than either of them, Rachel Creeger, as they explore human-...

We've been tinkering and twatting about in the lab this week, and we've come up with all sorts of weird gadgets and gizmos aplenty in our pursuit of the World's Worst Inventor. Joined by comic, writer and antisocial behaviour officer Nick Pettigrew, we delve deep into the minds of the likes of Dr Sir Nakamats - the man of many patents; Richard Pockrich - someone with too many ideas; and John McAfe...

Lift, clean and jerk with us this week as we are joined by comedian and former weightlifter Aaron Simmonds to talk about the World's Worst Weightlifter. There are appearances by all sorts of strongmen and strongwomen, from The Mountain to Geoff Capes's budgies, alongside mishaps with urine and performances with horses, plus a whole lot more besides. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @ben...

Get ready for the cinematic equivalent of a kick in the shins as we head to the cinema wearing three jockstraps, a backwards headguard and fetching lacrosse skirts as we watch all the most terrible sports movies, so that you don't have to. Joined by comedian Ignacio Lopez we discuss how to ruin a cult classic, the haphazard launch of The Mighty Ducks and report on some very strange astrological go...

Hello, bonjour and willkommen to this linguistically laden episode of Worst Foot Forward. Actor and student of languages Rich Watkins brings his talented tongue to bear on the World's Worst Language, with demonstrations of back slang and a very controversial candidate. Barry uncovers the secrets of the Rosetta Stone, and Ben doesn't disappoint long-time listeners with a discussion all about Klingo...

As the famous rhyme doesn't go, 'In Twenty Twenty, Van der Velde and McStay / discovered Columbus was really from Norway'. After we were contacted by a Norwegian listener, Petter, with news from the north that there is a local legend in the tiny village of Hyen that Christopher Columbus was actually Norwegian. Not only that, there are TWO monuments in the village, to both the man himself and to 'C...

No, there isn't a typo in this episode title and we aren't visiting the glitz and glam world of Hollywood. Instead, alongside the brilliant British-Nigerian comedian Ola, we are immersing ourselves in the brilliant, irrepressible but definitely crazy world of the Nigerian and West African film industry known as Nollywood. Ola tells us tales of snakes inserting themselves into lady-parts, Ben turns...

Ladies and gentlemen, pray silence for this week's episode of Worst Foot Forward - or ideally, gales of laughter as we expound on the World's Worst Speech. We are joined by Dr Naomi Paxton, performer, feminist, academic, and far too brilliant to contain in one short intro. Naomi is full of wonderful stories about rollerskating suffragettes and backtracking misogynists, while Barry finds a 53 hour...

We are bang slap in the middle of nowhere, up a creek without a paddle and being urged violently to do a U-Turn where possible as we follow the World's Worst Map. Alongside us is historian Seb Falk who talks us through the weird and wonderful places and things to be found in the Hereford Mappa Mundi. Ben takes us wandering in the Mountains of Kong (spoiler: they don't exist) and Barry finds a map...

This week's episode has been painstakingly carved out of the finest audio marble available, erected on to a plinth only for us to discover that the head is on backwards and the shadow it casts looks indecent. Joined by comedian, writer and podcaster Athena Kugblenu we discuss monuments as diverse as a giant mouse holding some DNA, the Geordie messiah, some Georgian commandments and an enormous rev...

This month's bonus episode takes us back to our episode on the world's worst detective where we encountered a truly remarkable French icon: Eugène François Vidocq. A classic case of a 19th century man living several lives in one he was a career criminal, spy, master of disguise, fencer, paramour, soldier, policeman, private detective, novelist, businessman and self-mythologiser. Sit back, relax an...

In an age that is anything but rational, where pseuds, quacks and anti-vaxxers have way more voice than they should, it's time for a bit of perspective. Joined by expert actual scientist and founder of Science Show-Off comedy nights Steve Cross, we discover the ridiculous and awful things people have done in the name of science, without actually doing science. Brains are electrocuted, millions lef...

Listener beware, you're in for a scare. Gather round the campfire and join Barry, Ben and guest Jessica Law as we tell the World's Worst Horror Story. Ben takes on one of Bram Stoker's lesser-known works, Jess holds forth at length on the dreadfulness of Penny Dreadfuls, and Barry goes back to the Noughties and opens a can of creepypasta. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde...

Pop on your collar and leash and join us for some walkies as we talk to stand-up comic, professional dog walker and former zookeeper Ryan Dalton about the world's worst pets. We discover that the White House has also been quite the menagerie over the years, which are the most impractical animals to keep and why parrots are inarguable dickheads. Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot   @bazmcstay   @benv...

Listener beware, you're in for a scare as this week's podcast is crammed full of ghouls and ghastly apparitions. And that's just the hosts. Alongside Irish writer Susan E. Connolly, Barry and Ben attempt to bust the World's Worst Ghost. Their journey takes them to Asia to find eyeballs in arseholes, to Ireland to find daughters in bricked-up rooms, and to Theatre-Land to find butterflies in a pant...

Pack your bags, pop on a gaudy Hawaiian shirt and don't forget your toothbrush: we're off on holiday.  Joined by glamorous guest Ashraf Ejjbeir, star of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK, we head off on a whistlestop tour of the globe with stops in Peru, Japan, diseased cruise ships and the ends of the earth in search of the world's worst vacation. Follow us on Twitter: @mufseen @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvan...

It's about bloody time! Old friend of the podcast Pliny The Elder goes solo! We devote our bonus monthly episode to the man who gave us the myth about mice fearing elephants, who mastered the art of simultaneously reading and writing (clue: use two servants) and who died while getting a little too close to Mt Vesuvius.  Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde  Visit www.worstfo...

*During Pride Month, join the podcast in supporting  Black Pride UK.  by clicking the link and donating* This week is Pride Week in the UK! So on the show we are going to rain(bow) on your parade in the company of LGBT rights activist and podcaster Mufseen Miah, as we take part in the World's Worst Pride. We learn about the hanky code and the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom from Barry, Mufseen teaches us...