How did the people of Ancient China think about sex?From sexual vampirism to unrealistic representations of courtesan culture, from wife lending to avoiding *ahem* finishing: in this episode Kate and Paul R. Goldin from the University of Pennsylvania delve into the beds and sexual beliefs of Ancient China.*WARNING there are adult themes and mentions of rape in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Anisha Deva.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

It can happen on a bus, in a park, in your home, at the school gates. An estimated one in every ten women in England and Wales have reported it happening to them.So why do people flash? And when did it become criminalised?Indecent exposure is when someone deliberately exposes their genitals in order to frighten or upset someone else. It is difficult to prove, and has been prosecuted under a number of different laws during our history.In this episode, Kate speaks to Professor of Psychology Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic from John Jay College of Criminal Justice to find out why people commit indecent exposure. Then, she speaks to Professor Kim Stevenson from the University of Plymouth about how indecent exposure and other sexual offences have been policed in the UK.*WARNING there is discussion of sexual assault, rape and child abuse in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Sophie Gee.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.To download, go to Android or Apple store.https://www.btp.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/indecent-exposure-flashing-offending-public-decency/

From Dracula, to Frankenstein, to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to Twilight’s Edward Cullen…when did our fascination with gothic fiction begin?In today’s episode Kate is joined by Abby Boucher & Daniel Jenkin-Smith to talk about the origins of gothic fiction, how we define it, and the gender dynamics in the books and films throughout the centuries.You can hear Abby and Daniel’s podcast, Save Me From My Shelf, here. Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.

Everybody hold hands! We're going for a seance!How long have we've been trying to talk to dead people for? And have we ever actually been speaking to the dead or just to somebody’s clicky toe joints?In today's episode Kate is joined by Lisa Morton, author of 'Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances', to talk about the long history of spiritualism, its believers and its fraudsters!Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.

How long have people believed in ghosts?Eleanor Janega is back Betwixt the Sheets with Kate to tell us why you should always stand up to ghosts and why you might be visited by a woman with frogs sucking on her body.From improper burials to resentful visitors, they delve into people’s beliefs in ghosts and how they have changed through history.*WARNING there are naughty words and adult topics in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Sophie Gee.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Did Henry VIII really have syphilis? Who died from a red hot poker up the bum? And which king was taken down by a school of fish?To learn about the often gruesome ways that our royals have met their doom, Kate gets Betwixt the Sheets with Suzie Edge, TikTok historian and author of ‘Mortal Monarchs: 1000 Years of Royal Deaths’.*WARNING there are naughty words and gory discussions of death in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit. For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Who were Ignatius Sancho, Dido Elizabeth Belle and Francis Barber?Between 10,000 and 30,000 black people lived in Britain during the Georgian period. Despite this, some people have remained convinced that black British history doesn't start until after the Second World War.In this episode, Kate speaks to Gretchen Gerzina about some of the individuals who lived in Georgian Britain, their lives and their livelihoods.*WARNING there are naughty words and discussions of slavery and racism in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Edited by Sophie Gee and Thomas Ntinas.For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

What does it take to get the reputation as one of the least popular queens in history?Should we remember Henrietta Maria as the wife of the King executed by his subjects, the Catholic influencer and a serial adulterer? Or as a prankster, a patron of the arts and a mother of two Kings?Henrietta Maria became Queen Consort of England, Scotland and Ireland aged 15. A quarter of a century and a civil war later she was widowed when her husband, Charles I, was executed. By the end of her life she was restored to court on a generous pension.Her life, therefore, was a busy one, and in this episode of Betwixt the Sheets Kate is joined by Leanda de Lisle to bring Henrietta Maria out of the shadows. We look into her marriage, her motherhood and her life after the death of her husband.*WARNING there are naughty words and adult themes in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Edited by Joseph Knight.For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.For your chance to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books (including a signed copy of Dan Snow's On This Day in History), please fill out this short survey.

What is it with our culture’s fascination with serial killers? Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Peter Sutclifffe, Jack the Ripper….these violent people are as well known as our national treasures, but we only know them for their horrific crimes.What role does misogyny play in how these serial killers are portrayed on our screens and in our newspapers? And how does it affect court cases? Today Kate is joined by historian Hallie Rubenhold, who wrote the bestselling book The Five, which looked into the lives of Jack the Ripper’s victims, and highlighted the sexism in our society’s obsession with the case.The new series of Hallie's podcast, Bad Women, investigates the lives of the victims of the Blackout Ripper, a serial killer who hunted down women during the Blitz of World War Two.*WARNING there are naughty words and adult themes in this episode*Senior Producer: Charlotte Long. Producer: Sophie Gee. Edited and mixed by Anisha Deva.For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.For your chance to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books (including a signed copy of Dan Snow's On This Day in History), please fill out this short survey.

What did Salvador Dali, Elizabeth I and Sigmund Freud have in common? They all had phobias, and it's possible you do too.As ‘normal’ as you might consider yourself to be, it is highly likely that you have an irrational streak. Phobias and manias are very common, and we have a lot of names for them.In this episode of Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined by Kate Summerscale. Find out when we started naming our fears and compulsions, why kleptomania is mainly associated with affluent women, and what Founding Father of the United States of America, Benjamin Rush, has to do with all this.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Anisha Deva.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!