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

What do we know about the people who shared the surname Mussolini with the Italian fascist dictator?Edda Mussolini may have been Benito’s daughter, but she was also the wife of a convicted traitor, an unwilling mother and a hard-drinking socialite. To find out about Edda’s life and its connections with the Italian and German leadership, Kate spoke to Caroline Moorehead, author of the new biography ‘Edda Mussolini: The Most Dangerous Woman in Europe’.*WARNING there are adult words and themes 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. 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!

George V, Otzi the Iceman, possibly Winston Churchill and … Kate Lister. What do all these people have in common?They have tattoos. As do a fifth of the population of the United Kingdom.In this episode, Kate speaks to tattoo historian Matt Lodder about the origins of tattoos, their meanings and why certain stereotypes have become attached to them.*WARNING there are naughty words and adult themes in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Aidan Lonergan.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.

What makes a heartthrob? Is he brooding, flamboyant or a bad boy? And what qualities translate to sex symbol status in society?Which men have made the hearts of young (heterosexual) women flutter over the centuries? And why?Today, Carol Dyhouse joins Kate to talk about the history of famous men who have lit women’s hearts on fire.*WARNING There are adult themes and naughty words 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!

We might now be used to hearing about the intimate details of celebrities and world leaders, but when did this become the norm?In the lead up to the Second World War, a collection of American journalists began to report not only on world affairs - interviewing Hitler, Gandhi and Mussolini to name a few - but also private affairs, their own and those of others.Today, Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Deborah Cohen to find out about the reporters John Gunther, Frances Fineman Gunther, H. R. Knickerbocker, Vincent Sheean, and Dorothy Thompson. Deborah is the author of a new book ‘Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took On A World At War’*WARNING there are naughty words and adult themes 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.

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.