This week Mark continues his conversation with Susie Mccabe In part two, Susie McCabe talks openly about growing up gay in Glasgow, coming out in the 90s and the realities of working-class family life in Britain. Alongside deeply personal stories about being thrown out after coming out and living with her gran, Susie and Mark also tear into David Cameron, class politics, Scottish identity and the absurdity of Westminster attitudes towards Scotland. Funny, raw and brilliantly honest. Want to get ...
Jun 29, 2026•53 min
Mark is joined by brilliant Glaswegian comic Susie McCabe for a hilarious and heartfelt conversation about Glasgow pubs, estate boozers, working-class culture and the strange beauty of chaos. From naked men singing Dexys Midnight Runners in Birkenhead pubs to old women confronting police officers outside Glasgow bars, this episode is packed with incredible stories, brilliant observations and a huge amount of affection for the people and places that shaped them. We're currently sponsored by BT - ...
Jun 22, 2026•46 min
This week Mark continues his conversation with Nick Hancock. In part two, Mark Steel and Nick Hancock continue their brilliant conversation about football, corruption and the strange way sport reflects society itself. From FIFA’s greed to Simon Cowell manufacturing pop stars, the pair explore what happens when money takes over the things people genuinely love. There’s also chat about podcasts, nostalgia, modern sport becoming spectacle over substance and Nick’s gloriously furious thoughts on Gia...
Jun 15, 2026•43 min
Mark is joined by legendary broadcaster and comedy icon Nick Hancock for a furious, funny and gloriously nostalgic deep dive into the World Cup. From crying over England’s defeat in 1970 to the magic of crackly late-night commentary, Nick and Mark relive the tournaments that shaped their lives before turning their attention to what modern football has become. FIFA, Trump, halftime shows, dynamic pricing, water breaks for adverts and football losing its soul – nothing escapes Hancock’s wrath in a...
Jun 08, 2026•53 min
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! Searc...
Jun 01, 2026•50 min
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 stran...
May 25, 2026•51 min
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! S...
May 18, 2026•50 min
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 whet...
May 13, 2026•54 min
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 ...
May 04, 2026•1 hr 13 min
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@carouse...
Apr 27, 2026•1 hr
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...
Apr 20, 2026•49 min
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@carous...
Apr 13, 2026•48 min
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 inte...
Apr 06, 2026•46 min
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 &am...
Mar 30, 2026•1 hr
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, ...
Mar 27, 2026•1 hr 14 min
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@carouselstud...
Mar 23, 2026•50 min
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...
Mar 16, 2026•59 min
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@carouselstud...
Mar 09, 2026•43 min
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, ...
Mar 02, 2026•39 min
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@carouselstudi...
Feb 23, 2026•42 min
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 nex...
Feb 16, 2026•41 min
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@carouselstud...
Feb 09, 2026•1 hr 5 min
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...
Feb 02, 2026•56 min
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@carouselstudi...
Jan 26, 2026•55 min
Mark is joined by comedian, impressionist and political podcaster Matt Forde as they discuss surviving cancer together, how impressions really work, the psychology of politicians, Labour from Blair to Starmer, door-knocking and grassroots politics, media interviews that shut people down, and why humanising political opponents matters more than shouting at them. For tickets to Matt's upcoming shows go to www.mattforde.com You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but ...
Jan 19, 2026•1 hr
This week Mark continues his conversation with Johann. 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. If you enjoyed the subjects doscussed today why not purchase “Stolen Focus” and “Lost connections” at www.Johannhari.com 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 ...
Jan 12, 2026•53 min
Mark is joined by writer and broadcaster Nick Revell as they discuss the US kidnapping of Venezuela’s president, Trump’s brazen use of power, Britain’s silence, the collapse of international law, historical imperialism from Latin America to Greenland, and what it means when the most powerful country in the world decides it can do whatever it wants. For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgo...
Jan 09, 2026•1 hr 13 min
Mark is joined by journalist and author Johann Hari as they discuss loneliness and disconnection, why depression and addiction are rising, the limits of individual self-help, how social media and modern capitalism shape our mental health, the politics of attention, rebuilding community, and what it would actually take to fix what the fuck is going on in our heads. If you enjoyed the subjects doscussed today why not purchase “Stolen Focus” and “Lost connections” at www.Johannhari.com You can hear...
Jan 05, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Mark is joined by historian and author Caroline Biggs as they discuss Cambridge University’s forgotten history of imprisoning women, the extraordinary story behind The Spinning House , class privilege and power, how suspicion became guilt, and why the legacy of control and misogyny still echoes today. Order your copy of “The Spinning House” here: https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-spinning-house/ You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't w...
Dec 15, 2025•1 hr 7 min
This week Mark continues his conversation with Marcus Brigstocke. 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@...
Dec 08, 2025•1 hr 7 min
