Scroobius Pip released the first episode of Distraction Pieces back in October 2014 and has since never missed a Wednesday release, with guests including Mary J Blige, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Adam Buxton, Kano, Luis Theroux and many more.

To celebrate reaching 500 episodes Pip sat down with Pod Bible Editor, Adam Richardson, to discuss the early days of the podcast, moving to zoom recordings during the pandemic, the recent boom in podcasting and so much more.

– Listen to Distraction Pieces Podcast here!

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Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

My name is Alan Hudson and I was a professional footballer in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties with Chelsea, Stoke City, Arsenal and Seattle Sounders. I’m regarded as something of a Maverick Footballer. I also won two caps for England. The Alan Hudson Podcast is all about retro football. The chat is casual, informal and unscripted and takes listeners and viewers back to a time when the only diving taking place was down to the pub at the final whistle. We think our slogan ‘Proper Football, Proper Talk’ sums it up.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I got the idea to start a podcast when I saw my good friend and former Chelsea team-mate Johnny Boyle in one. Johnny delivered some great anecdotes from his time as a player and I decided to approach another good friend of mine, Tony Jimenez, about starting my own podcast. Tony is an experienced sports journalist and I thought he would be a good choice to anchor the podcast.

What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?

Johnny Boyle’s podcast was the first one I saw. It was not really a genre I was familiar with but I immediately liked the format and thought the world of retro football was something of an untapped market. I have a host of contacts from the world of football and seem to have little trouble enticing some of the game’s great names on to our show. Among our guests have been Harry Redknapp, Bryan Robson, Steve Perryman and Tony Currie.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I can’t say I watch or listen to many podcasts although I like former England striker Peter Crouch’s BBC podcast. I particularly enjoy the relaxed format of that one and, again, Peter seems to have a wealth of good stories from his career as a much-travelled footballer who played for several elite clubs and also enjoyed a highly successful England career.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

I’ve been trying to entice Frank Lampard to come on to my podcast for almost a year now, ever since he was sacked as manager of Chelsea. Frank is a near neighbour of mine in Chelsea and an old acquaintance. I played a sizeable role in him joining Chelsea from West Ham in 2001. I know his father Frank Senior well. He consulted me when Frank was about to leave West Ham and I told his dad that Stamford Bridge would be the ideal club for his son. It turned out to be good advice!

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

I particularly like the podcast we did with former Tottenham Hotspur captain Steve Perryman. I know Steve from way back – we played together in the same midfield for the England Under-21 team – and I’ve always admired him as a footballer and as a person. We don’t agree on all footballing matters but we have a great connection and total respect for one another’s opinions.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

When we began our podcasts, I felt something of an obligation, as host, to try and lead the discussion with our guests. But now that we have produced 30 or 40 of them, I can see it works much better when we allow our guests full licence to go where they want when they are talking, without unnecessarily stopping the flow of conversation.

Where can your audience find out more about you?

Our podcast is available in audio form from all the main podcast suppliers and we also feature video clips from our shows on YouTube. One of our first podcasts was an ‘introduction to Alan Hudson’ type show where I gave listeners and viewers an insight to my football career and my rollercoaster life away from the pitch.

Listen to The Alan Hudson Podcast now on ACAST, SPOTIFY or your favourite podcast app.

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Blake Harrison (credit: Joseph Gordon Sinclair)

He may be best known for his roles in shows such as The Inbetweeners and A Very English Scandal, but Blake Harrison is also a massive fan of mixed martial arts – a sport that’s popularity has grown exponentially over the past few years. As with any sport, there are of course a never ending pool of podcasts offering reviews, reactions and interviews with athletes. So which ones are worth checking out? Blake is here to let you know the shows he couldn’t live without…

MMA FIGHTING
Mike Heck and Alexander Lee are some of the best journalists involved in the sport. Their show offers a variety of breaking news and insight into the latest MMA developments. They’re currently releasing four shows a week so there’s plenty to get through! LISTEN NOW

SEVERE MMA
I’ve only recently began listening to this but Sean Sheehan has some fantastic knowledge of areas of the sport that are often overlooked by others, like judging & scoring criteria. Sean is a brilliant host who breaks things down in an easily digestible way. LISTEN NOW

DC & HELWANI
A weekly show featuring UFC legend Daniel Cormier and ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, with Ariel also releasing a bonus show on the feed every Wednesday. The dynamic between these two makes me laugh every week and they also get some of the best interviews out there. LISTEN NOW

THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE
As a huge MMA advocate and a UFC commentator Joe is always fascinating when talking about the sport. His interviews are always in depth and he also does fun fight companion episodes. There’s also a wide range of fantastic non MMA content with everyone from comedians to scientists and politicians. LISTEN NOW

THE MMA FAN PODCAST
Do I look like a narcissist saying I can’t live without my own podcast? Probably. But doing it does bring me a lot of joy. We’re a brand new show & we’ve already been able to secure great interviews with top fighters. We also have fun getting recognisable non MMA fans to watch a fight as we try to convince them to jump on the MMA bandwagon. Stu & I are two UBER fans and this is our laid back and lighthearted take on the sport we love. LISTEN NOW

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