Hamish & Andy break Guinness world record in their boldest stunt yet

On this week’s episode of LiSTNR’s Hamish & Andy podcast, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee attempt one of their most audacious stunts yet – breaking the record for the World’s Tallest Hat.

The towering creation measured six metres high, weighed 3.8kgs and – after plenty of mishaps – Hamish managed to walk 10 metres while wearing it.

Hamish & Andy concocted the idea after a comment made by Hamish in passing on the podcast months ago.

At the time, Hamish said “Everyone has had a crack at a Guinness World Record,  every single radio show in the world, and we’ve always viewed it – with all due respect to our brothers and sisters in radio – kind of easy, low-hanging fruit.”

And yet, the comment inspired a influx of emails from listeners of the show, imploring Hamish & Andy to fulfil their destiny and become world record holders.

It prompted one of their most elaborate stunts to date.

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In true Hamish & Andy style, the attempt was equal parts ambitious and ridiculous. After drawing a name from the “World’s Smallest Tallest Hat,” Hamish was selected as the official hat-wearer.

There was just one small (or very, very large) problem … Hamish’s head was too big for the hat.

With the help of “hat tamers” Andy and Jack Post (wearing helmets for safety, obviously), an hour and a half of failed attempts and a lot of laughter, Hamish finally steadied the enormous hat and secured the “People’s Officials’” approval: World record achieved.

The record attempt was a massive logistical effort, taking over an entire warehouse thanks to long-time friend of the show Horgs, complete with an 8-metre-high launch platform and an 8-metre-long red curtain – the curtain for dramatic effect only; utterly unnecessary in practice!

Jack: “He’s still got hands holding the hat but he’s leaning against the tower. He’s trying to work out how to balance [the hat]. What we’re finding out is it’s going to be way harder than what we thought for Hamish to balance the hat… if he makes the smallest movement, it goes haywire at the top. It’s going to be so hard.”

Hamish: “Oh no, it’s going forwards.  Here’s the problem …”

Andy: “… It’s a big hat? (laughs) …”

Hamish: “It’s a big ole hat and it doesn’t fit on my head; it’s too shallow. My head is too big for it. It’s a real Cinderella moment, isn’t it? I’m an ugly sister and it just doesn’t fit! (laughs)”

Andy: “We’ve made a giant hat, and it doesn’t fit (laughs).”

Hamish: “Have we done it? Did we get it?!”

And later …

Hamish: “SO SMOOTH, SO CONTROLLED!”

People’s Official: “RECORD ACHIEVED! (cheers)”

Hamish: “I guess we’ve got to have a Guinness. A Guinness and a world record!”

Hamish & Andy is available to stream on LiSTNR. Find the record-breaking hat episode here.