

You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past.History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium for Joan of Arc to become a saint? And was Catherine the Great really all that great? Whether you want to explore ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, dance through the history of Broadway and Bollywood, or find out how the Tudors rose to power, Greg and his guests promise to teach you something new that you won’t have heard in history lessons.Previous episodes of You’re Dead To Me have covered everything from royals to revolutionaries, actors to activists and divas to dictators. Take a stroll through the history of high-heeled shoes or get the scoop on the history of ice cream. Maybe you’d like to paint like the cave artists of the Palaeolithic era, work out like a Victorian bodybuilder, or fight like a Spartan? We’ve even hosted a special, live episode with the BBC Concert Orchestra to explore the dramatic life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.Whatever your historical interests, Greg and his guests make even the trickiest topics easy to follow. Join them for a history lesson that’s as entertaining as it is enlightening - with no homework required.
Episodes
Mentioned books

12 snips
Oct 23, 2026 • 28min
The Iliad and Odyssey (Radio Edit)
Emily Hauser, a classicist specializing in Homer and women in antiquity, explores the Iliad and Odyssey alongside Kiell Smith-Bynoe. They investigate whether Homer existed, how oral tales became texts, and whether Troy was real. From Achilles’ rage and the true story behind his heel to Odysseus’ cunning, Penelope’s intelligence, heroic glory, gods, monsters, and troubled homecomings, this is a lively journey through epic myth.

18 snips
Oct 16, 2026 • 29min
The History of Fandom, 1700-1900 (Radio Edit)
Dr Corin Throsby, a Cambridge scholar of Romantic literature and early celebrity culture, joins comedian Stuart Goldsmith to uncover fandom before Beatlemania. They explore fan letters to Rousseau and Byron, pilgrimages to Shakespeare and Brontë sites, celebrity merchandise, Dickens clubs, parasocial obsession, and commonplace books as an early form of social media. Recorded live at the 2022 Hay Festival.

14 snips
Oct 13, 2026 • 10min
New: The Hitler Diaries Scandal (from The History Podcast)
A sensational discovery appears to rewrite the history of Hitler’s final days, but the truth is far more explosive. Explore the 1945 crash that sparked the legend, the postwar trade in Nazi memorabilia, and the rise of a master forger. Along the way: Hermann Göring’s yacht, Nazi-themed honeymoons, and an astonishing publishing scandal.

44 snips
Oct 9, 2026 • 58min
Scottish Supernatural Beliefs: witches, ghosts and fairies in the early modern period
Historian Martha McGill, author of Ghosts in Enlightenment Scotland, and Shetland comedian Marjolein Robertson explore Scotland’s witches, ghosts and fairies. Discover King James’s witch obsession, devil’s marks, fairy abductions, second sight and a suspicious ghostly marriage scheme. They also examine how ministers used supernatural tales, and how Sir Walter Scott reshaped Scotland’s folklore.

47 snips
Oct 2, 2026 • 1h 2min
Special Episode: 1066 and the Battle of Hastings
Comedian and podcaster Alison Spittle joins medieval Scandinavia scholar Dr Erin Goeres to unpack the explosive succession crisis of 1066. Meet Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada and the troublesome Tostig. From Fulford and Stamford Bridge to Hastings, discover invasions, political betrayals, medieval family drama and the mystery behind Harold’s legendary arrow wound.

55 snips
Sep 25, 2026 • 1h 1min
Medieval Korea: from the Goryeo to Joseon periods
Historian John Lee, a Durham scholar of East Asian history, and comedian Erika Ehler, an Emmy-nominated writer and performer, explore medieval Korea. Discover a garlic-eating bear ancestor, Goryeo’s struggles with military rule and Mongol conquest, and Joseon’s palace coups. They examine slavery, women’s lives, dazzling architecture, Sejong’s creation of Hangul, and the devastation of Japan’s 1590s invasions.

26 snips
Sep 18, 2026 • 60min
Henry Cyril Paget: the dancing marquess of Anglesey
Morgan Rees, a Welsh comedian and writer, joins Professor Viv Gardner, a scholar of gender and performance, to explore Henry Cyril Paget’s dazzling life. Discover his aristocratic upbringing, scandalous marriage, queer legacy, extravagant costumes, butterfly dance, and theatrical experiments. From Anglesey Castle’s glittering spectacles to ruinous auctions, this is a wild tale of fame, fortune, and fabulous excess.

100 snips
Sep 11, 2026 • 55min
History of Tea: Britain’s stolen brew
Professor Yangwen Zheng, a Chinese history specialist focused on trade and global connections, joins comedian and actor Hugh Dennis to uncover tea’s turbulent journey from China to Britain. Explore Mongol conflicts, royal introductions, smuggling, the Opium Wars, and Robert Fortune’s daring botanical theft. Discover how colonial plantations, sugar, caffeine, and industrialization transformed tea into Britain’s national drink.

46 snips
Sep 4, 2026 • 59min
Emperor Constantine the Great: Christianity and the Roman Empire
Professor Lucy Grig, a historian of Late Antiquity, and comedian Ivo Graham explore Constantine the Great’s turbulent rise from Balkan prince to Roman emperor. Expect civil wars, a dramatic battlefield conversion, the Council of Nicaea, and the founding of Constantinople. They also unpack Helena’s holy pilgrimage, Constantine’s brutal family politics, and his controversial legacy as Christianity reshaped Rome.

50 snips
Aug 28, 2026 • 1h 1min
History of Underwear: from shirts and stays to bras and briefs
Dr Serena Dyer, fashion historian and curator, and Vic Michaelis, comedian and improviser, guide a playful tour of underwear through the ages. They cover shirts and shifts as universal base layers, the rise of drawers, codpieces and corsets, the birth of bras and briefs, laundries and menstrual solutions, and quirky garments like union suits and panniers. Short, curious and often funny.


