Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Is Rasputin's Willy in a Jar?

Was Rasputin really Russia’s greatest love machine? Did he have any healing powers? And why might his penis be pickling in a jar? We're in the middle of some willy relat

The Execution of England's Teenage Queen

To many she's known as Lady Jane Grey, but history should remember her as Queen Jane I. She was only queen for 9 days in 1553, but this made her the first ever queen of

What Happened To Napoleon's "Boner Part"?

Small. Shrivelled. Separated from its owner. What has been said about Napoleon Bonaparte's penis? And how much of it is true? Dr Zack White joins Kate for this episode t

Get Ready With Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette famously spent quite a lot of money and time on her outfits and make-up. But what would it feel like to actually wear it? Joining Kate in this episode i

Lesbian Love Affair of 16th Century Scotland

In the midst of the most hostile period in Scottish history, comes a passionate lesbian love story. Set against post-Reformation Scotland, with Mary Queen of Scots on th

How Debauched Were Roman Orgies?

The Romans have gone down as some of the greatest perverts of all time. But what really went on inside a Roman orgy? Joining Kate to get behind the bacchanalia is fan-fav

The Paris Showgirl Who Fought The Nazis

Josephine Baker went from poverty and segregation in St. Louis to becoming Paris’s most sensational showgirl, captivating Europe with her dancing, sexuality and scandalou

Mary Queen of Scots & Her Sh*thead Husband

Mary Queen of Scots has gone down in history for her power struggle with her cousin, Elizabeth I. But this was just one of the challenges she faced. Another was that Mar

How Many Penises Are There On The Bayeux Tapestry?

The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most famous works of medieval art in the world, but what do we actually know about it? Who made it? Where? Why? And are those actually h

Slavery in the Roman Empire

Behind the impressive relics the Romans left behind lurks a much darker story: that most of Rome was built on the back of enslaved people. It's shocking to know that up

History's Deadliest Women: The Blood Countess

Elizabeth Bathory was a fabulously wealthy Noblewoman accused of torturing and killing some 600 women in the 16th century. Her story is popularly spoken about as one of

Sex and Scandal on the Titanic

It's the most famous sunken ship in history, but its story is surrounded by a lot of myth. Were the working classes locked below deck and doomed to drown? Could the Tita

History's Deadliest Women: The Evil Stepmother

In 1909, the third and final woman hanged in Western Australia was executed. She had murdered three of her step children. What drove Martha Rendall to kill these childre

The Mad Monk & The Witch Hunts

Malleus Maleficarum may sound like a spell but it is actually almost the opposite. This book was nicknamed the Hammer of Witches, and today we're finding out if it really

History's Deadliest Women: The Husband Killer

Until the 19th century in Britain, a woman killing her husband was guilty of worse than murder, she was guilty of petty treason. So what is petty treason? What is its ve

The Scandalous Affair of Lord Nelson & Emma Hamilton

Lord Nelson is remembered as one of history's greatest military commanders. His victories at the Battle of the Nile, the Battle of Copenhagen and the Battle of Trafalgar

The Mystic Nun Killed By Henry VIII

As if the Tudor world wasn't mad enough, in 1528 a mystic nun showed up demanding an audience with Henry VIII. Elizabeth Barton stood in front of him and told him that h

Sex Lives of the Samurai

The samurai are some of the most mythologised people in history, so let's do some myth busting! Kate is joined by Joe Nickols, who co-curated the British Museum's samura

Medieval Europe's Biggest Sex Scandal

This is the wild story of a 12th century French philosopher, Abelard, who fell in love with his student, Heloise. There are a lot of problematic issues going on. Not lea

The Truth About Coco Chanel

You know her from the perfume, the little black dress, the double C bag clasp, but who was the woman, Coco Chanel? What even was her real name? From her origin story, th