The Worst Time Podcast

A star studded line up for the 100th episode of the podcast as radio titans Greg James and Shaun Keaveny join Chris for a brilliant and hilarious look back at some of their worst times! Greg recounts the badly behaved listeners who have almost got him sacked as well as the trousers incident on the train that left him in a sticky situation and Shaun remembers the booze induced incidents which resulted in him freezing up live at the Edinburgh Fringe and forgetting a famous pop star's name on live TV. Plus, there is an inordinate amount of talk regarding the idiosyncratic American rapper and singer Pitbull. But this episode is also tinged with sadness as it's the final ever Worst Time Podcast episode. After releasing weekly episodes for 100 weeks on the trot now, Chris has decided to wrap up the show and embrace life as a new father (fresh with Shaun's brilliant parental advice of course). Bit of a content warning for this one - there are some swear words, including perhaps the worst swear word of them all! But hey - we're going out with a bang so we've left the bleeper button at the door! So - thank you to all the guests and thank you to all the listeners. It's been brilliant fun. So long everyone, and thanks for all the worst times!

An extremely high energy episode this week as the powerhouse that is Benji Webbe, frontman of the reggae/metal band Skindred, hops on for episode 99 of the Worst Time Podcast! Benji tells Chris about his early days in Dubwar before starting up Skindred, what it was like being "a black guy in South Wales who loved the Sex Pistols", appearing on Jools Holland alongside Take That and dropping Slade at Download Festival in the middle of summer. Plus - the time that his vest got ripped off during the first song of a show, the DJ set where there were more people on stage than in the crowd and the radio interview in which he hung up on! Skindred are touring and playing all over the place in 2025 and they are working on new music as well - check out their website for all details! Note - there's lots of swearing on this episode!

The fantastic DJ and producer WBBL chats to Chris for episode 98 of the Worst Time Podcast, and yes this episode does feature some mild existential dread! WBBL reminisces on a chaotic DJ set and an even more chaotic wedding experience, plus the special little gift he left for the Attic Bar in Bristol. Also - do we ever find out how you pronounce WBBL!? Go follow WBBL on the socials to hear some more of his existential dread remixes and find out when he's DJing next!

A very funny episode this week as the wonderful stand up comedian Ed Night shares his worst times with Chris on the pod! Ed recounts an awkward corporate zoom gig with the west coast of the USA, the time he had a chicken costume head thrown at him, the Tiki Bar experience which resulted in him getting a whole load of free tequila shots and the various jobs that he would rather forget about. Ed is about to tour his show the Plunge which he claims has a higher jpm (jokes per minute) than any other show on the circuit. To go buy your tickets head to his Linktree!

Roll up, roll up - it's time for episode 96 of the Worst Time Podcast! And what a wild ride this one is - DJ, singer and chattyman extraordinaire Ronnie Joice joins Chris for a trip down memory lane worst time style! Ronnie recounts life on the road with Pete Docherty, picking up nits, getting spiked whilst DJing, getting pulled over by the police and losing himself at festivals with Calvin Harris! Ronnie can be found DJing all over the place - go find him on the socials. Also be warned, there's lots of swearing (and also bleeping) in this episode!

The BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, DJ and podcaster Chris Hawkins chats to fellow presenter, DJ and podcaster Chris Arnold and the pair have a grand old time in the process! The Hawk recounts a whole heap of fantastic stories including meeting Prince Charles & Brian May, losing all his friends at The Big Chill Festival and having to fill in front of a massive festival crowd as he awaited Daniel Beddingfield. Plus - what do you do when you're sharing a two man tent at V Festival with ITV's Kate Garraway & an additional camper tries to get in with you both at 4 'o' clock in the morning?! You can listen to Chris on the radio every weekday and he has his own podcast which is called How To DJ. Go check that out on the podcast platforms!

The fantastic comedian & writer Lauren Pattison shares some of her worst times on the podcast for episode 94! She chats to Chris about starting stand up as a teenager, receiving questionable gifts from her nana, a hellish journey up to Scotland and the burger restaurant customer she'd wanted to chuck in the bin! Lauren is out on tour with her show Big Girl Pants - check out her socials and website for more details!

Stepping up to share their worst times this week is the king of the assembly bangers himself - Mr. James Partridge! Recorded from inside an Airbnb during a three show Christmas Assembly Bangers sellout run at the Hen & Chicken in Bristol, James shares with Chris how the idea begun and the journey it's gone on to get to where it is today. Plus - when DJ requests go wrong, when weddings in America go wrong and when assemblies themselves go wrong! James is on tour all over the UK in 2025, include a massive Christmas tour which is already on sale! Go check out his website for more details!

The brilliant DJ & producer Jimi Needles invites Chris into his home studio for episode 92 of the Worst Time Podcast! Jimi's worst times include trying to DJ when your hands are covered in soap, attempting to play drums with a leg injury and what happens when you get stuck in Edinburgh overnight with no phone, no wallet and no way of getting home! Jimi's new album is out now and available to stream or buy on vinyl. Go check it out!

Happy new year everyone! It's a brand new year and a brand new chance to look back at some of the great guests we had on the Worst Time Podcast in 2024! In this bumper episode you'll hear worst times from the likes of Fatboy Slim, Jon Ronson, Sooz Kempner, Hacker T Dog, Jo Caulfield, Jeremy Flynn, Sonic Boom Six and Amy Mason! Thanks to all the fantastic guests who came on the show over the last 12 months and of course thank you to YOU for listening!

Welcome to a very special festive edition of the podcast as wee've only gone and secured a chat with Father Christmas and one of his helper elves! Quite the coup on the busiest day of the year for them.Thank you for listening to the Worst Time Podcast in 2024 and Merry Christmas one and all!

A slightly different episode this week as we head back to 2019 to unearth a previously unheard chat with Olga & Nika from Russian punk band and art performance group Pussy Riot! Chris chatted to the pair in Bristol to find out more about their backstory, their history of protests and their infamous pitch invasion of the 2018 World Cup Final. Thanks so much to Pussy Riot for their time and also their patience in waiting 5 years before Chris managed to get his act together to get the interview out into the world. Back to the regular format next week with a very special Christmas Day guest!

The legends that are the DJ/producer duo Utah Saints sit down with Chris to share some of their worst times from their three decades in the music business! Tim & Jez go through the New Years Eves that didn't quite live up the hype, the technology that has let them down, the meals that didn't cut the mustard and the vehicles which were far from ideal. Plus - what's it like running your own festival and what do you do if U2 ask you to go on a stadium tour with them? Utah Saints have more music on the way and over 30 gigs in the diary for 2025 already - go follow them on the socials to find out more about what they're up to!

A rambling and somewhat chaotic chat with Ray & Sam from ska/punk/funk band Smiling Ivy recorded backstage at the Foundry music venue in Sheffield. They even brought their own handwritten 10 point list of worst times for this one! Going back over a decade - Chris, Ray & Sam have got a lot of ground to cover. They recount the time they toured the Alps, almost crashed the van in Paris and had to save the drummer from a Jimi Hendrix style ending. Plus the time that the band were due to play a festival just outside Bristol but ended up in Hebden Bridge due to an email error. Also, why have Smiling Ivy been banned from multiple places around the country, how did they end up playing a Snow Festival with no snow and does a drum kit have a volume knob? Smiling Ivy are releasing a new album soon and they have gigs coming up. Check out their socials for more details! And warning - this podcast features adult language and adult themes!

Comedian, presenter, actor and well known face of the radio & TV world - Lucy Porter joins Chris for episode 86 of the Worst Time Podcast! A perfect guest for the pod as she's in the middle of her No Regrets tour (spoiler - she has some mild regrets) and has plenty of experience to draw upon! This episode includes tales of interviewing authors, chaotic teenage birthday parties and attempting american accents for the big screen! Lucy is on tour at the moment and she has her own podcast - you can find all that on her website!

The multi talented comedian, writer, singer and social media heavyweight Sooz Kempner kicks back with Chris to share some of her worst times on the show this week. Sooz shares some great tales of masonic gigs in pubs, auditions where she didn't get the part as well the pair of jeans she simply cannot wear anymore. Plus - fresh from feeling disappointed from one recent election night, she recounts the time she spent another election night on a rolling live news channel, and why she's never been invited back! Sooz is on tour at the moment! Go check out her website for details of all shows!

A warm welcome to Krafty Kuts as he joins Chris for an inspirational episode 84 of The Worst Time Podcast! DJ, producer and so much more - Krafty shares a whole variety of some of the previous jobs he had before breaking into the music scene, including one of the greatest job titles ever - trifle taster! Plus - how Fatboy Slim helped him make his name, how he witnessed someone losing their fingers on a piece of machinery and how he got abused as a bingo caller! You can catch Krafty Kuts gigging all over the place, plus he has lots of new music on the way. Follow his socials to keep up to date with his work!

Writer, actor and social media legend Tomas Budin steps up to share his worst times with Chris on the podcast this week! Tom has a couple of frankly incredible worst times due to some baffling errors of judgment - one including a tennis match and one including a hike up a mountain in the Lake District. Plus - can Chris make it big as an actor? (Jury's out on this one but let's say "probably not") Tomas Budin regularly shares his hilarious videos on his Instagram and TikTok - go follow him and enjoy!

A bonafide musical legend joins Chris on the Worst Time Podcast this week, someone who has been releasing music and rocking it since the 1960s - the incredible PP Arnold! It's a double Arnold special as PP recounts some incredible stories including the time she toured with Roger Waters, appeared on German TV with Jimi Hendrix, worked with Mick Jagger, got told off by Ike Turner for missing the bus and performed on Top of the Pops back when it was broadcast in black & white! Huge thank you to PP for her time, she is busy touring her Soul Survivor show as well as promoting her latest release - Live in Liverpool. Check out her website for more details!

It's a deep dive into service stations with service station enthusiast The Services King this week in what is perhaps the most niche episode of the Worst Time Podcast so far! Rich Cross (AKA The Services King - a title bestowed upon him by BBC Radio 1's Scott Mills & Chris Stark) and Chris Arnold (AKA bloke who once had his honeymoon in a service station according to the fake news tabloids) chew the fat over some of the worst attributes of the humble motorway stop off. Plus the pair discuss the A1's legendary American diner & adult superstore stop offs, how to get free Greggs, Rich's fondness for Little Chef (RIP) and Chris's fondness for Gloucester Services. Rich can be found on the socials @theservicesking - go check him out if you love service stations!