Rex Factor

Right to Reply 11: Anglo-Saxon Nearly Monarchs

It's our first Right to Reply of the Nearly Monarch series as we go through your messages on the Anglo-Saxons (and Viking) We hear of suggestions for other Nearly Monarch

Eleanor Parker: The Last Anglo-Saxons

This week we chat to Dr Eleanor Parker about the next generation of Anglo-Saxons in 1066 - the young men and women whose lives took a very different path with the Conques

Tom Licence on 1066

This week we chat to Professor Tom Licence about 1066 - initially the question of the succession and who should have succeeded Edward the Confessor, but our timing was ex

S4.08 Edgar the Ætheling

The final Nearly Monarch of our first mini-series, Edgar the Ætheling is the forgotten figure of 1066 but the one with the best claim to the throne. The only royal Saxon

S4.07 Harald Hardrada: Review

In the second part of the Harald Hardrada podcast, we review him and decide whether his exploits in Russia, Byzantium, Norway and his invasion of England will earn him th

S4.06 Harald Hardrada: Biography

The legendary Viking ruler, Harald Hardrada, is our first two-parter of the series due to his remarkable life story. Russian exile, adventures in the Byzantine Emperor, a

S4.05 Edward the Exile

One of the least famous nearly monarchs but perhaps the most pivotal, Edward the Exile was the son of Edmund Ironside and a nephew to Edward the Confessor and his surviva

S4.04 Edith of Wilton

Our first female nearly monarch of the series, Edith of Wilton, was the daughter of Edgar the Peaceable and a potential rival to her half-brother, Æthelred the Unready. T

S4.03 Ælfweard and Edwin

It's a double-header this week with the brothers Ælfweard and Edwin - not a nearly ruling duo but both seem to have met mysteriously early ends amidst a rivalry with thei

S4.02 Æthelwold

Series 4 begins! We review our first nearly monarch, Æthelwold, a nephew to Alfred the Great (perhaps familiar to many from The Last Kingdom series) who challenged his co

Ludlow Live News 2026

Just a quick update from us to let you know that we are going to be returning to Ludlow this year for another live show. Join us at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 21

Emily Murdoch Perkins - The Queens Who Could Have Been

As an introduction to our series on the nearly monarchs, we speak to Emily Perkins about her book Regina: The Queens Who Could Have Been, which looks at the queens who co

S4.01 Series 4 Introduction

It's time for a new series of Rex Factor! In this introductory episode, we explain the concept of the series (what is a 'nearly monarch'?), who the nearly monarchs are (i

Offa of Mercia

This week, after an introduction to the podcast, we review Offa, the eighth century king of an early English kingdom called Mercia. We learn about why he was not the firs

David Woodman - Athelstan: First King of England

We chat to the historian David Woodman about his book The First King of England: Athelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom. He tells us about why Athelstan (not Alfred) should

Messages & Previews 11

We respond to some of your messages about all elements of the podcast, as well as share some previews of our bonus content. Sign up for lots of bonus content, including

Battle of the Champions (Live at Ludlow 2025)

Available for all to listen, the recording of our live show at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 15 August 2025 in which we pit the champions of the first three series

Queen James (Gareth Russell)

We welcome Gareth Russell back onto the podcast, this time to talk about his latest book Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain's First King, looking at the life and

Right to Reply 10: Grand Final Results Comments

We go through the comments from the public vote in the Grand Finals of the play-offs, talking through the perspectives on the Nearly Rexy Consorts, Round One and Semi-Fin

S3.88 Grand Final Results Analysis

Following the Grand Final Results, we take an in-depth look at how the public voted and just how close some of the results were. Graham explains all the stats and ranked