The Following Through Podcast

The Following Through Podcast

By Siobhan Dodd & Alex LoveComedySociety & CultureEducationSelf-ImprovementComedy InterviewsPersonal Journals
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The Following Through Podcast episodes

  • Taking a Show to Edinburgh Fringe

    Comedians Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd return for series four, with this episode recorded at the very end of Edinburgh Fringe in August.


    The episode is all about the challenges of taking a show to Edinburgh Fringe and surviving the endurance event, the highs and lows, as well as the downright bizarre.


    Siobhan has taken a show to Edinburgh for the first time ever and did a week of shows. It is also her first time visiting Edinburgh Fringe since 2015. While Alex is a jaded fringe veteran who had been there for a month when this was recorded and has done a total of 12 full months at Edinburgh Fringe over the years.


    Plus in Sh*t or Miss, Siobhan tells a tale about a mad rush to find a toilet in Edinburgh before her show started. But did she make it to her venue? Or was it a disaster on the cobbled streets?


    Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 17 min
  • The Pride Special with Peter Abraham and Madge Hooks
    In the finale of the third season, Alex and Siobhan present the Pride Special.They are joined by Peter Abraham, a professional BSL interpreter, and comedian Madge Hooks. Peter and Madge discuss their own experiences of being gay, coming out, how attitudes have changed throughout the decades, and the worrying political signs ahead. In Sh*t or Miss, Madge shares a story about suffering the ill-effects of eating some spicy nuts the night before, only find the bathroom door locked as a housemate is in there and not responding to knocks on the wood.  Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 28 min
  • Becoming a Boccia Champion and Comedian with Gabby Rolls
    Rising comedian Gabby Rolls joins Alex and Siobhan in this extended episode that is all about the challenges of becoming a champion in the sport of boccia and doing comedy. Aged 22, she is also the youngest guest so far to appear on the Following Through Podcast. Gabby has cerebral palsy after being deprived of oxygen at birth and is a wheelchair-user. But that hasn't stopped her from launching successful careers in sport and as a comedian.  She describes how watching the London 2012 Paralympic Games inspired her as an eight-year-old, then took up the sport of boccia soon after the Rio games four years later when recovering from hip surgery. Gabby won a bronze medal in her first-ever competition and made her debut for the England boccia team a year later, aged 15.  Winner of Disabled Comedian of the Year 2026, She talks about her experiences as a comedian and wheelchair-user, and how dark humour has helped get her through some difficult times.  In Sh*t or Miss, Gabby tells a story from her experiences in hospital when having an operation aged 12 years after being pumped full of bowel-loosening medication. After having an enema, she thought the worst was over when she was having her meal. But was it?  Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 20 min
  • A Career in Journalism

    Journalism is a difficult profession to break into, but not so for Alex, who stumbled into it by chance and somehow built a career he still does alongside comedy.  

    In this episode, Siobhan speaks to Alex about his 18 years of journalism and editorial experience, starting out at a local paper aged 23 with no training or experience, learning on the job in a rural setting under a brutal editor. He recalls some of the articles he wrote, from the trivial about a pigeon to a big national story, as well as attending three or four parish council meetings every month. 

    Lasting just over a year in the role and burnt out, he decided to quit and move to London to pursue comedy, but ended up working regular shifts for a national publication for a couple of years. So, how does Noel Edmonds fit into this? 

    In Sh*t or Miss, Siobhan uses her growing reporter skills to extract another tale. The story involves someone on a coach trip in India with a weakened stomach, saved by a stop in a rural village and the urgent hunt for a toilet. 

    Music is by Rich Shillitoe. 

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 7 min
  • Becoming a Property Owner
    In this episode, Alex and Siobhan discuss their very different routes to becoming property owners in opposite parts of London. Alex also recalls some of his house share horror stories and only wanting to buy a flat to avoid living with strangers again with their weird habits. Siobhan explains how she arranged viewings for the majority of properties on sale in Morden, bringing her family and a ladder for second viewings.   In Sh*t or Miss, pro-wrestler Jerry Bakewell tells a tale about an incident in a German night club followed by a kebab. Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 3 min
  • Starting a Fermented and Organic Food Business with Keir Boxshall from Wild and Cultured
    Many dream of turning a hobby into a business, but hesitate to take the leap. In this episode, Alex and Siobhan are joined by Keir Boxshall, founder of Wild and Cultured, who turned his hobby into a thriving business. Keir, who makes organic fermented sauces and condiments, met Siobhan at a food festival in London after his stall caught the attention of her husband. Keir had a high-level role for an international engineering company, but the stress from work was having a negative impact on his health. He started eating more fermented foods to improve his gut health and had been making his own sauces and condiments for years. The pandemic gave him a chance to have a rethink. Encouraged by his partner, he began his company three years ago and turned his hobby into a successful business. And Wild and Cultured was born. Keir sells his unique spin on many well-known sauces and condiments, but uses fermentation techniques and organic ingredients to create live, non-ultra-processed products, which provide healthy bacteria to the gut and support the microbiome, providing positive health benefits.   He explains his business origins, challenges with perfecting recipes, and talks about the importance of a healthy microbiome. For more info, visit: https://wildandcultured.co.uk. And in Sh*t or Miss, Alex provides Keir with a choice of four options from his personal archive. Keir selects a tale entitled Norovirus in the Woods. Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 4 min
  • Being a Pro-Wrestler with Jerry Bakewell
    Pro-wrestler and comedian Jerry Bakewell joins Alex and Siobhan in this episode. As a lifelong wrestling fan, Alex is delighted.  Jerry talks about how he got into wrestling almost 20 years ago, his time training, his first match, why he started wearing a mask, and the clips online that he really wishes weren't available.  He also discusses his infamous Britain's Got Talent audition, what went on behind the scenes, and the hilarious stuff that was cut.  In Sh*t or Miss, Jerry recalls two incidents that took place in a wrestling ring. The second story took place at a wrestling event as part of a festival, where the audience was distracted by a dog show next door. Jerry took a high-impact move, but what were the consequences? Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 7 min
  • Joining a Gym
    After doing nothing fitness-related since 2011, Siobhan has acquired a gym membership after her brother-in-law won it in a raffle and passed it on. She tells Alex all about the programme a trainer has designed for her and the double struggles of fitness and boredom from cardio.  Her initial goal was to not be out of breathe after dancing enthusiastically to Footloose, but Siobhan has now set her sights on becoming a fully fledged gym w*nker. While Alex proudly explains how he has never held a gym membership in his life, but did dabble briefly in gyms as a teenager to play rugby or become a pro-wrestler. In other Alex news, he gives an update on how his flat sale is going and a potential geographical change in the pipeline.  In Sh*t or Miss, there is a tale of a camping trip in the Australian bush from a familiar contributor. What do you do when nature calls, and the nature happens to be full of scary things? Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min
  • Living with Autism with Mark Nicholas
    Autism is the theme for this episode as Alex and Siobhan are joined by comedian Mark Nicholas, who is autistic. The conversation covers when Mark was first diagnosed, his difficulties at school, and how much drama lessons helped him grow in confidence. Mark later started doing stand-up comedy, which has boosted his confidence further, allowing him to meet like-minded people on the circuit and raise awareness of autism through his material. Mark also co-hosts the UnmedOKAYted podcast, where they discuss neurodivergent experiences. Check it out on all podcast platforms.  In Sh*t or Miss, Mark shares a story about overdoing it on caffeine at work and how that and a delayed bus disrupted his afterwork poo routine. But did he make it to the toilet on time? Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
  • Writing Comedy Material

    Writing new comedy material is the theme for this episode, where Alex and Siobhan discuss how they write – or at least try to. They chat about the inspiration behind established material and other ideas that have not yet quite clicked on stage. Unsurprisingly, Alex talks about squid. And will Siobhan understand what a punchline is by the end of the episode? Plus in Sh*t or Miss, Ben Summers from the Ginger Giggle Club is back for another tale that involves trouble brewing at a quiz followed by an urgent dash to make it to a toilet before a major fall-out, only for the Rumbles of Doom to chime in his car. Music is by Rich Shillitoe.

    Come and like our stuff on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/followingthroughpod

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

About The Following Through Podcast

From the publisher's feed

A comedy podcast about keeping going when life gets complicated. Comedians Alex Love and Siobhan Dodd talk to people about the challenges, decisions and detours that changed their lives. From careers…