Podcast · Free
You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4 / Greg Jenner
History for people who don't like history: a comedian and an expert make the past genuinely fun.
Hypatia of Alexandria (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in late antique Egypt by Professor Edith Hall and comedian Olga Koch to learn about the life of mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria.An important mathematical and astronomical thinker, Hypatia is best known today for her brutal death at the hands of Christian
Geoffrey Chaucer (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales.Since the 15th century, Chaucer has been referred to as the father of English literature. He was one of the first aut
Lena Horne (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in 20th-century America by Dr Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins and comedian Desiree Burch to learn all about singer and Hollywood actress Lena Horne.Born into a middle class Black family in New York, a young Lena Horne soon followed in the footsteps of her actres
Philippe, Duc d’Orléans (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in 17th-century France by Dr Jonathan Spangler and comedian Tom Allen to learn all about Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, Louis XIV’s younger brother.King Louis XIV is one of the most famous monarchs in French history: the man who built and presided over the glitter
Renaissance Medicine (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in the 16th century by Dr Alanna Skuse and comedian Ria Lina to learn all about medicine and medical professionals in Tudor and Stuart England.In Renaissance-era England, medicine was still based on the theory of the four humours, passed down from ancient Gr
Emperor Nero (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Rome by Professor Mary Beard and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt to learn all about Emperor Nero.Nero has gone down in history as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers – the villain in any number of films and television programmes, and the man who f
The Terracotta Army (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in Ancient China by Professor Julia Lovell and special guest Phil Wang for a close look at The Terracotta Army.In 1974, a family of farmers made arguably the greatest archaeological discovery of all time when they uncovered arrowheads and fragments of terrac
Medieval Irish Folklore (Radio Edit)
In this special live episode, recorded at the 2023 Hay Festival, Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Gillian Kenny and comedian Seán Burke to learn about medieval Irish folklore.Greg and his guests discuss the lore and stories from Gaelic Irish culture. Gaelic culture remained the domina
El Cid: the life and legend of a medieval Spanish warrior
Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Spain by historian Professor Nora Berend and comedian Toussaint Douglass to learn about the colourful life and afterlife of the warrior known as El Cid. El Cid – real name Rodrigo Díaz – was a mercenary in eleventh-century Spain who fought for bo
Empress Dowager Cixi: from concubine to ruler of China
Greg Jenner is joined in 19th-century China by historian Professor Yangwen Zheng and comedian Sophie Duker to learn about the Qing dynasty ruler Empress Dowager Cixi.A contemporary of Queen Victoria, Cixi rose from low-ranked concubine to de facto ruler of China for nearly half a
History of the Telephone: 150th anniversary special
For our 150th episode, Greg Jenner is joined by historian Professor Iwan Morus and comedian Catherine Bohart to learn about the history of the telephone on its 150th anniversary. The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, was granted the American patent for his new com
History of Spices: commerce, colonialism and culinary innovation
Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr David Veevers and comedian and quizzer Paul Sinha to learn all about the global history of spices and the spice trade. Nowadays, we take spices for granted, and our kitchen cabinets are full of ginger and cinnamon, cumin and coriander, pepper