What The F Is Going On? with Mark Steel

Episod

• Ep 184 with Alan Davies Pt 2: I Spent Years Pretending I Was Fine 01.06.2026 49min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Alan Davies. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  We're currently sponsored by BT - behind brilliant things!  Search 'Why BT' to find out more or click on the following link: https://www.bt.com/broadband/why-bt For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Alan @alandaviescomic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 184 with Alan Davies Pt 1: Comedy Became My Family 25.05.2026 50min

  This week Mark is joined by comedian, actor, cricket obsessive and national treasure Alan Davies for a conversation that covers childhood trauma, football VAR, council bureaucracy, working-class warehouses, stand-up comedy in the 80s, Peter Snow in a BBC toilet, and why comedians instinctively know when someone is “not really a comic”. Alan talks candidly about the deeply personal experiences behind his memoirs Just Ignore Him and White Male Stand-Up, including grief, abuse, anger and the strange way comedy became both an escape and a substitute family. Along the way there are stories about Barry Manilow on the motorway, being buried under coat hangers in a van, fights in comedy clubs, the glory days of the circuit, and why every workplace secretly survives because everyone is covering for each other. We're currently sponsored by BT - behind brilliant things!  Search 'Why BT' to find out more or click on the following link: https://www.bt.com/broadband/why-bt You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Instagram @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Alan @alandaviescomic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 183 with Rachel Millward Pt 2: We Are Sleepwalking Into Disaster! 18.05.2026 49min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Rachel Millward. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  We're currently sponsored by BT - behind brilliant things!  Search 'Why BT' to find out more or click on the following link: https://www.bt.com/broadband/why-bt For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Rachel @millward_rachel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 183 with Rachel Millward Pt 1: Labour Came FOURTH! 13.05.2026 54min

  The morning after the local elections, Mark is joined by Green Party deputy leader Rachel Millward to ask the only question anyone in British politics can answer right now: what the f**k is going on? As Labour and the Conservatives collapse into third and fourth place, Rachel explains why the Greens believe they’re becoming the real opposition — and why the political establishment seems terrified of it. From housing developers and billionaire wealth to Reform, immigration, rent controls and whether Keir Starmer has completely lost the plot, this is a conversation about a country that feels like it’s breaking apart in real time. We're currently sponsored by BT - behind brilliant things!  Search 'Why BT' to find out more or click on the following link: https://www.bt.com/broadband/why-bt You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Instagram @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Rachel @millward_rachel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 182: What The F Is Going On With Peter Mandelson? 04.05.2026 1j 12min

  Mark is joined by journalist and columnist Matthew Norman as they discuss the rise and influence of Peter Mandelson, New Labour’s ruthless relationship with the media, how political standards have collapsed over the past 30 years, Mandelson’s reputation for power, spin and survival, the blurred lines between journalism and politics, and why modern British politics now feels closer to oligarchy than democracy. They also get into the psychology of political operators, media manipulation, Reform’s growing influence, and why things may still get worse before they get better. Also we are pleased to announce the return of George Galloway, Nigel Boulevard and the phone in woman.  For Ad-free episodes, Extended cuts, Early access & bonus content go to: ⁠www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠ For media, press & guest enquiries please email ⁠mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk⁠ Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 181 with Mothin Ali (Part 2): We’re Here to Replace Labour 27.04.2026 59min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Mothin Ali. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Mothin @mothin.ali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 181 with Mothin Ali (Part 1): They Tried To Brand Me A Terrorist 20.04.2026 49min

  Mark is joined by Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali as they discuss the Greens’ breakthrough in Gorton and Denton, Labour’s increasingly desperate attacks, anti-war politics, media smears, why Reform voters aren’t the enemy, the case for rent caps and public ownership, and whether the Green Party can genuinely replace Labour as Britain’s main opposition. They also get into Mothin’s political roots, community organising, and why politics only works when people feel hope again. You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Mothin @mothin.ali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 180 with Emma Warren (Part 2): We've Abandoned A Whole Generation! 13.04.2026 48min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Emma Warren. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Emma @_emmalwarren_  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 180 with Emma Warren Pt 1: This is what happens when you take away youth services! 06.04.2026 46min

  Mark is joined by writer and youth worker Emma Warren as they discuss the importance of youth clubs in shaping communities, growing up around grassroots music and culture, how youth services have been systematically dismantled, what happens to young people when those spaces disappear, and why rebuilding youth infrastructure is essential to fixing deeper social problems – and you can buy Emma’s book Up The Youth Club online here: https://amzn.eu/d/0i1SmgQ9 You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Emma @_emmalwarren_  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 179 with Dr Julia Grace Patterson 30.03.2026 59min

  Mark is joined by Dr Julia Grace Patterson as they discuss the collapse of NHS working conditions, corridor care and patients dying in hospital hallways, the government’s handling of staffing and funding, the role of privatisation in reshaping the health service, why politicians pit patients against doctors, and how growing public anger could reshape British politics. For Ad-free episodes, Extended cuts, Early access & bonus content go to: www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Julia @everydoctor_UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• What the F is going on in Iran? 🇮🇷 With Ali Milani 27.03.2026 1j 14min

  Mark is joined by writer and political commentator Ali Milani as they break down the war in Iran, Trump’s lack of a clear strategy, whether the conflict is really about nuclear weapons, the role of Israel in shaping US policy, the history of Western intervention in Iran, why regime change from the air doesn’t work, and how this war could actually strengthen the very regime it claims to weaken. For ad-free episodes, early access and bonus content go to: www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Ali  @Alimilani_UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 178 with Miles Jupp (Part 2): We haven’t mentioned the news once 23.03.2026 50min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Miles. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Miles @MilesJuppOfficially Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 178 with Miles Jupp (Part 1): This was without a doubt my worst gig! 16.03.2026 59min

  Mark is joined by comedian Miles Jupp as they discuss the weird thrill of shoplifting supermarket bags and charity-auction bidding, the rise and collapse of the Scottish Socialist Party, Tommy Sheridan’s extraordinary charisma, bombing at Glastonbury and in West Belfast, the old circuit’s strangest characters, awkward encounters with heroes from Paul Weller to John Gordon Sinclair, and why comedians never quite stop reliving the gigs that went catastrophically wrong. You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Miles @Milesjuppofficially Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 177 with Laura Smyth (Part 2) : We're Being Told To Hate Each other 09.03.2026 42min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Laura. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Laura @thatlaurasmyth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 177 with Laura Smyth (Part 1) : Gigging is so real, we are very lucky 02.03.2026 38min

  Mark is joined by comedian Laura Smyth as they discuss surviving cancer, stoicism and hypnotherapy, body neutrality after mastectomy, social media outrage and “narrative construction”, the loss of real-world connection in the age of smartphones, stand-up as communal therapy, raising daughters and sons differently, and why facing your mortality can make you finally stop carrying the shit you don’t need. You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Laura @thatlaurasmyth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 176 with Dawn Butler (Part 2) : Now Is The Time For A Revolution 23.02.2026 42min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Dawn. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Dawn @dawnbutlerbrent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 176 with Dawn Butler (Part 1) : I Got Kicked Out Of Parliament For Telling The Truth 16.02.2026 41min

  Mark is joined by Labour MP Dawn Butler as they discuss being thrown out of Parliament for calling Boris Johnson a liar, racism inside Westminster, the rise of the far right, the Epstein files and political accountability, Peter Mandelson and Labour’s direction under Keir Starmer, wealth and power in British politics, trade union roots, growing up in East London, and why she refuses to walk on the other side of the road when something’s wrong. You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Dawn @dawnbutlerbrent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 175 with Robin Ince (Part 2) 09.02.2026 1j 5min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Robin. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Robin @Robinince1969 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 175 with Robin Ince (Part 1) 02.02.2026 55min

  Mark is joined by comedian, writer and broadcaster Robin Ince as they discuss neurodivergence, anxiety and ADHD, feeling weird in a world built for “normal” people, how shame and admin can become overwhelming, why school and work systems fail so many minds, the value of kindness and curiosity, and learning to stop fighting how your brain actually works. You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on the higher tier of Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen or watch the whole interview straight away. For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Robin @Robinince1969 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Ep 174 with Matt Forde (Part 2) 26.01.2026 55min

  This week Mark continues his conversation with Matt. If you haven't heard the first part then do go back and listen now but for the rest of you here is the second half of the interview. Want to get access to the full video interview before anyone else? why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod⁠  For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Matt @Mattfordecomedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices