The Podcast

Dive head first into a pic’n’mix of hilarious (and occasionally sinister) mediocrity.

Browse our archives to search for specific guests, topics and stories.

If you want to browse by category – click here.


There are currently 419 episodes in our WFF archive, browse through them all here, subscribe to our RSS feed here , or have a search...


Ep 132: Steve Gribbin – World’s Worst Railway Monday, September 9th, 2019

All aboard! Anyone who has ever used public transport in the UK knows that one of our favourite past times is complaining about our unbelievably sub-standard rail network, so it's about time we found out where it comes in the global and historical standing of terrible railways Joined by musical comedy legend and self-confessed maverick trainspotter Steve Gribbin, Ben and Barry chug along on a journey from the Corinthian in Ancient Greece to the Vatican City via New Zealand, Burma and a very creepy Victorian rail system Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @mrstevegribbin Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 132: Steve Gribbin – World’s Worst Railway

Episode 131c – A Variety Pack of Schadenfreude Sunday, September 1st, 2019

Ben's still decompressing from Edinburgh and Barry's away galivanting for his wedding anniversary, so we've thrown together a quick Worst Foot trifle of some of our favourite bits that didn't quite make the final cut over the past couple of years  We cover all the bases: Hamlet set in LA, the group dynamics of Alvin and the Chipmunks, Vladimir Putin's short-lived ice hockey career and a witch doctor pro-wrestler going ten-pin bowling Guest featured in this episode are Thom Tuck, Christian Tablot, Helen Arney, Tez Ilyas and Jim Smallman  Enjoy and we'll be back with a full episode next week! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde  Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Miscellaneous, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Episode 131c – A Variety Pack of Schadenfreude

The Third Foot – Madame Tussauds (Bonus Episode) Friday, August 30th, 2019

Come listeners! Join us in the snaking queue into the uncanny valley! Ben and Barry are a bit glassy-eyed in this month's bonus Patreon episode, as we venture into Madame Tussauds Yes, there's no apostrophe No, we're not happy about it either Voted the World's Worst Tourist Attraction in our episode with playwright Camilla Whitehill, we're back for more torture in this chamber of horrors We take a look at the real woman behind the name, learn how the models are actually made and examine the dubious presence of Hitler among the smiling famous faces Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, History & Politics, Podcast, Third Foot, Worst Foot Forward

The Third Foot – Madame Tussauds (Bonus Episode)

Ep 131b: Best of the Worst of the Best 6 Monday, August 26th, 2019

It's a Ben-and-Barry duo episode, another chance to delve back into the archives and revisit past shows This week we flip the record on episodes 26 to 30, finding the very BEST in the subjects we covered back then And boy, does that prove tricky when picking the Best Serial Killer alongside that, we also look at drivers, musical duos, horror films and aliens The whole thing has a bit of an aquatic feel, with appearances by both Jaws and space whales, while there are also chats on stunt drivers, the iconic sitcom 'Alf' and Lennon and McCartney Yes, Ben's at it again with his Beatles agenda! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Best of the Worst of the Best, Miscellaneous, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 131b: Best of the Worst of the Best 6

Ep 131: The Ultimate Predator – World’s Worst Disguise Monday, August 19th, 2019

This week we don masks, fake moustaches and thick glasses and try to avoid detection as we seek out the World’s Worst Disguise We are joined by a real masked man, luchadore wrestler and mascot for NHL team The Nashville Predators, THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR! Ulti shares tales from inside the ring and bad wrestling gimmicks, while there is also our usual smattering of silly tactics from the World Wars, inept robberies and celebrities being ridiculous Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @IAmUltimatePred Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Miscellaneous, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 131: The Ultimate Predator – World’s Worst Disguise

Ep 130: Alexander Fox – World’s Worst Drummer Monday, August 12th, 2019

And a one, and a two, and a one, two, four, three, five, seven, pi, ampersand, poop emoji! Join us on the beat this week as we are joined by comedian and drummer Alexander Fox who helps us take a stick to the World's Worst Drummer We peruse wartime drummer boys and Bing and Bowie's Little Drummer Boy We admire animals who drum and Animal who drums There are 17th century pranksters and 21st century bakers And there's the tale of the greatest drummer of all time who was just plain nasty Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @AlexanderFoxEtc Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Music, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 130: Alexander Fox – World’s Worst Drummer

Ep 129: Will Duggan – World’s Worst Commute Monday, August 5th, 2019

Straighten your tie, pop on your bicycle clips and get ready to join the rat race this week as we head out on the journey to find the world's worst commute Alongside Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Will Duggan we discover the perils of third hand cable cars, The Great Horse Manure Crisis of the 1890s and the Bolivian Road of Death  If you managed to make it this far, well done, the employee of the week award is firmly in your grasp Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @WillDuggan Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon to help us make extra content, live shows, research a book and keep us afloat! https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Miscellaneous, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 129: Will Duggan – World’s Worst Commute

Ep 128: Jacob Hawley – World’s Worst Narcotic Monday, July 29th, 2019

Open your doors of perception and take a long toke of this week's mind-bending episode With guest Jacob Hawley - comedian and host of BBC podcast, Jacob Hawley: On Drugs - we snort, sniff and soft-boil any substance we can in search of the World's Worst Narcotic Barry hangs around the sewage pipes of Zambia, Ben feeds hallucinogenic lichen to goats and Jacob introduces us to the cutest-sounding drug popular among Noughties New Ravers Plus we finally figure out what every character in Winnie The Pooh is smoking Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @hawleyjacob Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon to help us make extra content, live shows, research a book and keep us afloat! https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 128: Jacob Hawley – World’s Worst Narcotic

The Third Foot – The Futurist Cookbook (Bonus Episode) Saturday, July 27th, 2019

In this month's bonus episode (paid for by our kind donors on Patreon), we revisit our episode about the World's Worst Cook with Fiona Sagar and specifically, the deliciously daft Futurist Cookbook We learn about the origins of the Futurist movement and its nasty nationalistic side, we discover why arch-Futurist Filippo Marinetti thought pasta was the root of all Italy's evils and we taste a variety of dishes from chicken with ball bearings inside to caramel with meat inside Mmmmm Tasty Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and if you'd like to help us make more extra content like this, or even help us host a Futurist dinner for some of our listeners, you can donate to us on Patreon: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Food & Drink, Podcast, Third Foot, Worst Foot Forward

The Third Foot – The Futurist Cookbook (Bonus Episode)

Ep 127: Alex Kealy – World’s Worst Musical Instrument Monday, July 22nd, 2019

This week we have our tuning forks and ear trumpets out as we play the world's worst musical instruments We are joined by comedian, writer, tutor and former recorder-enthusiast Alex Kealy, who regales us with tales of the vuvuzela's bio-hazardous capabilities Ben looks at one-man-bandsone-men-bandone-mans-band those guys And Barry blows on the most terrifying whistle in history, courtesy of our old friends, the Aztecs Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @alexkealy Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Music, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 127: Alex Kealy – World’s Worst Musical Instrument

Ep 126: Cally Beaton – World’s Worst Parents Monday, July 15th, 2019

Straighten your tie, sit up straight, eat up your greens and don't even think about listening to this podcast dressed in that short skirt as this week we're talking about the world's worst parents We're joined by stand-up comedian (and former senior vice-president) Cally Beaton who shares with us tales of Hollywood amorality, dolphin-led birthing and spitting on babies to keep the devil away Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @CallyBeaton Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, History & Politics, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 126: Cally Beaton – World’s Worst Parents

Ep 125: Juliette Burton – World’s Worst Chat-Up Line Monday, July 8th, 2019

Well hey there good looking, let's say you and me head back to my place, hop on the good foot and do the bad thing  That's right, listen to a podcast all about terrible chat-up lines (whilst rutting) We're joined by comedian Juliette Burton this week to talk about the worst wooing imaginable: why Casanova is more than just a charmer, how to pick up a partner in Ancient Rome, the horror of hack and one man's terrible moustache and even worse self-publishing empire Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde  @JulietteBurton Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Miscellaneous, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 125: Juliette Burton – World’s Worst Chat-Up Line

Ep 124: Angus Dunican – World’s Worst Apology Sunday, June 30th, 2019

For what you are about to hear, we are truly sorry Which is appropriate, as we are all about the World’s Worst Apology this week in the company of the sorry excuse for a human that is Angus Dunican and with guest judge, Patreon supporter and friend of the show, the unforgivable Dr Keir Shiels We have big hitters like Galileo and the US government, Barry goes round the board of the game Sorry!, Ben joins a Japanese measles cult and we all try to cast the stage adaptation of The Muppets Christmas Carol Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @keirshiels @AngusDunican Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support Ben’s baby and Barry’s crippling trivia addiction: https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 124: Angus Dunican – World’s Worst Apology

The Third Foot – Emperor Norton I (Bonus Episode) Saturday, June 29th, 2019

It's the hottest day of the year in the UK as this episode drops, so perfect weather to sprawl on a beach or under a tree and get a bit of extra knowledge about one of our favourite people We chose Emperor Norton I of the United States as our world's worst monarch so in this bonus episode, paid for by our Patreon donors, Barry and Ben take a longer, even more loving look at our glorious leader A San Francisco eccentric with a penchant for proclamations, excellent uniforms and a benevolent outlook on life, if you've never heard of him before then you're in for a treat All hail the emperor! Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can now donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support bonus episodes like this and other future endeavours! https://wwwpatreoncom/WorstFootForward Worst Foot Forward is part of Podnose:...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, History & Politics, Podcast, Third Foot, Worst Foot Forward

The Third Foot – Emperor Norton I (Bonus Episode)

Ep 123: Eshaan Akbaar – World’s Worst Banker Sunday, June 23rd, 2019

As we still feel the ugly reverberations of the 2008 crash it's about time 2 1/2 decent minds got together and drilled to the bottom of it  Barry and Ben are joined by ex-wealth management expert and current stand-up comic Eshaan Akbar to talk about the world's worst banker We find out who the worst scoundrel in the City of London is and whether they can compete with bent Vatican Financiers, a Scotsman who invented an entire South American country to commit fraud or the man who is really to blame for the American War of Independence Follow us on Twitter: @worstfoot @bazmcstay @benvandervelde @EshaanAkbar Visit wwwworstfootforwardpodcastcom for all previous episodes and you can donate to us on Patreon if you’d like to support us so we can continue bringing extra content JUST LIKE THIS to...


Filed Under: Barry McStay, Ben Van Der Velde, History & Politics, Podcast, Worst Foot Forward

Ep 123: Eshaan Akbaar – World’s Worst Banker