Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Sex Work in Ancient Rome
What did it look like inside a Roman brothel? Who was the sex worker involved in a murder plot to kill an Emperor? And why was the Pope getting sex wo...
Could You Survive Medieval Childbirth?
Childbirth isn't for the faint-hearted at the best of times, let alone in the medieval period. What was a birthing room like at this time in history...
The Truth About The Minotaur
Deep in an Ancient Greek labyrinth lurks the half bull half man monster: the Minotaur. What did this wild myth about a woman having a baby with a bul...
The Murderous Affairs of King James
Against the paranoid backdrop of the Scottish witch trials, a murder plot involving King James and some of his lovers took place. To make matters mor...
Victorian Beauty Standards
Why did Victorians value pale skin so highly? And how were black bodies viewed by Victorian society? In this episode Kate is joined by author and his...
The Pill: Sexual Liberation?
At least 160 million people worldwide take some form of the contraceptive pill. So where did it come from? Who invented it and why? And how has it ch...
What Made You Ugly In Tudor Times?
Why did royalty have worse teeth than commoners? How would the Tudor court have smelt? And when even the Queen of England can be accused of being a wi...
The Dandy: Dressing in Defiance
He cuts a fine figure, walking down the street. Whether it's a bow tie and a sharp suit, perfectly curated clashing colours, or a moustache with every...
What Made You Ugly In Medieval Times?
Beauty fads come and go - remember super low-rise jeans in the 90s? IYKYK. What was considered cool and beautiful in the medieval period? What skinca...
The Hangwoman of 18th Century Ireland
Imagine an executioner. Are they big, strong, cloaked and masked? Are they male? Probably - because most executioners in history have been. Today, tho...