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You’re Dead to Me — History
You’re Dead to Me

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.

Copyright: © (C) BBC 2025

Latest Episodes:

Victorian Bodybuilding (Radio Edit) Sep 30, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Vanessa Heggie and comedian Darren Harriott to learn about the bodybuilding boom of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The latter part of the 19th century saw the beginning of a fitness craze where the seeds of the modern-day gym and fitness culture were sown. But physical fitness also tapped into other parts of the psyche of British society at the time. From concerns over the fighting fitness of the British army to the racist pseudoscience of eugenics, this novel leisure activity tells us a surprising amount about the societal and intellectual currents that existed in this period.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Research by Caitlín Rankin-McCabe Written by Emma Nagouse, Caitlín Rankin-McCabe and Greg Jenner Produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Project Management: Isla Matthews Audio Producer: Steve Hankey

You’re Dead To Me is a production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Ivan The Terrible (Radio Edit) Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner and his guests discuss the life, times and crimes of Russia's first tsar, the infamous Ivan the Terrible.

Joining Greg are Prof Peter Frankopan from the University of Oxford and Russian-born comedian Olga Koch, whose BBC appearances include OK Computer, Human Error, Fight, QI and The Now Show.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Agrippina the Younger (Radio Edit) Sep 16, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Emma Southon and comedian Cariad Lloyd in first-century Rome to meet Agrippina the Younger.

Empress, overbearing mother of the Emperor Nero and murderess, but how much of what has been written about this extraordinary woman is true? What does it really take to survive as a woman at the top of the Roman Empire?

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.

P.T. Barnum (Radio Edit) Sep 09, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Prof Benjamin Reiss and comedian Desiree Burch in 19th-century America to meet the self-proclaimed showman, P.T. Barnum. He was a man famous for his museums and shows as well as "curiosities" such as General Tom Thumb, Bearded Ladies and The Fiji Mermaid. But look beyond Barnum’s infamous spin and you’ll find that contrary to his pop culture image this showman was far from the greatest.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Produced by Cornelius Mendez Script by Greg Jenner and Emma Nagouse Research by Charlotte Potter

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Hatshepsut (Radio Edit) Sep 02, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner is joined by special guests Kemah Bob and Dr Campbell Price as they head back to Ancient Egypt to meet the unique and powerful ruler, Hatshepsut. She reigned for over 20 years, built a temple which is still admired today, had a ‘special’ relationship with statues and was one of the first rulers to focus on divinity rather than gender norms. So why did history try to erase her?

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Research by Genevieve Johnson Written and produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Project Management: Siefe Miyo Audio Producer: Abi Paterson

You’re Dead To Me is a production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Leonardo da Vinci - Live (Radio Edit) Aug 26, 2023

Show notes

In this special, live episode of You’re Dead To Me, Greg Jenner is joined by Prof Catherine Fletcher and comedian Dara Ó Briain to learn about Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo lived from 1452 to 1519 during an era of plague and warfare across Western Europe. It was also the height of the Italian Renaissance.

From mathematics to military maps, and some paintings which you may have heard of, Leonardo da Vinci did it all. But was he a generational genius or an "ideas man" who had a chronic inability to finish what he started?

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Research by Anna Nadine-Pike Written by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Project Management: Isla Matthews Audio Producer: Steve Hankey The You're Dead To Me theme tune was performed by Charles Mutter and the BBC Concert Orchestra

You’re Dead To Me is a production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Atlantis (Radio Edit) Aug 19, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Stephen Kershaw and comedian Sophie Duker to dive into the myth of Atlantis.

The Atlantean story has its origins in the writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. And literally nowhere else. Yet the enduring appeal of this mythical city and a sophisticated civilisation lost beneath the waves has lasted for thousands of years. It has inspired a huge number of stories and some very ropey documentaries. The myth also has a darker side, as the allegory of Atlantis has been used to try and justify racist philosophies and policies during some of the darkest events in history.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Medieval Science (Radio Edit) Aug 12, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner and his guests look at a range of scientific discoveries spanning 1000 years of history, widely known as the medieval period. How were knowledge and scientific findings shared across a world with its countless languages and regions before the internet?

Greg is joined by Dr Seb Falk and comedian Josie Long to look at some of the weird and wonderful advancements of the period which we still use today.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Research by Rosanna Evans Script by Emma Nagouse, Rosanna Evans and Greg Jenner Project manager: Siefe Miyo Edit producer: Cornelius Mendez

Nell Gwyn (Radio Edit) Aug 05, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner and his guests travel back to 17th-century England to meet a celebrity of the Restoration era. As was one of the first actresses in comedy and a mistress to King Charles II, Nell Gwyn's life was as eventful as her turns on the stage.

Greg is joined by associate professor and writer, Diana Solomon and by comedian, actor and writer, Jess Knappett.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Script by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Research by William Clayton Produced by Cornelius Mendez

Ancient Athenian Democracy (Radio Edit) Jul 29, 2023

Show notes

Greg Jenner is joined in Ancient Greece by special guests Prof Michael Scott and comedian Alice Fraser as they examine the start of democracy with the Athenians. Aside from it obviously being a system that only benefited men, we will take a closer look at the fundamental issues that still apply today, why you’d want to avoid red ropes and broken pots, and just why the Romans disliked the very idea of it.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Research by Rosie Rich Written and produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Project Management: Siefe Miyo and Isla Matthews Audio Producer: Abi Paterson

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

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