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

Being single in 2026 is a major disadvantage, so what was it like as a single woman in the Medieval period?!

Joining Kate today is the always-fantastic Eleanor Janega, author and co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval.

How common was it to be single in this period? What kind of life could you hope to have? And why would both Kate and Eleanor have been looked at suspiciously in the medieval period?

This podcast was ed...

Some of the key remnants of the Roman Empire are their public baths - huge complexes, multiple different rooms, the basis of many of our modern spas. But were the Romans clean?

How regularly did they wash? Were they really using urine to wash clothes? And what's this about a communal wiping stick?

Kate is joined by the wonderful Alexander Meddings for the first episode in a series where we are trying to find out just how smel...

There's a bit of interest around Shakespeare at the minute - can we call this the Paul Mescal effect?

The Bard’s work featured many references to sex and sexuality - some more obvious than others. But what does the work reveal about the sexuality of Shakespeare himself?

Despite being married with three kids to Anne Hathaway in the sleepy suburbs of Stratford-upon-Avon, there’s much to suggest he lived a more extravagant life ...

How 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' was Lord Byron really?

We know the Romantic poet had a bit of a reputation, but how true was it? And how unusual would his behaviour have been?

In this episode from our series on the worst f*ckboys in history, we're digging into Byron's relationships with Andrew Stauffer, President of the Byron Society of America, professor and chair of the Department of English at the University of Virgin...

With Christmas around the corner and everything being oh-so wholesome, we thought we would offer an episode from the archives of something not-so wholesome: a history of porn.

What did porn look like before the internet? Who was it for? And how has it changed since?

In this episode, Kate chats to Kathleen Lubey, a professor at St. John’s University and specialist in eighteenth-century literature.

Kathleen talks us through ...

Despite virginity being a myth, why has Mary’s virginity been considered so important?

What does this tell us about the relationship between Christianity and sex? And what else do we know about this woman?

Joining Kate today to help her get to know more about Mary, her life and its influence is author and historian Sir Diarmaid Macculloch.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior...

It's the one we've all been waiting for!

The Oedipus Complex; the oral, anal and phallic stages; penis envy; psychoanalysis - we've all heard of Sigmund Freud's work. But who was he?

What did Freud really think about sex and sexuality? What was his own sex life like? And finally, why do we owe so much of today's understandings of psychology to a woman called Anna O?

Kate is joined by Carolyn Laubender, Senior Lecturer at t...

You can't move for people talking about the Roman Empire or the British Empire, but what about the Ottoman Empire?

It spanned a huge period of time and at the heart of it was the Royal harem: enslaved women who lived in closed-off servitude to the Sultan.

Peaking in the 17th century, who were these women? What were their lives like inside the palace? And why have westerners been particularly fascinated by this part of history...

Ever heard of Margaret Beaufort? Probably not. But whilst her name has been overshadowed by those of her son, grandson and great-grandchildren, her impact on history remains.

Lauren Johnson joins Kate for this episode to explain how this woman put the Tudors on the throne. Why was she married aged 12? How did she use marriage to her advantage? And was she as manipulative as she has been portrayed?

Lauren's new book is ‘Margar...

What did the Ancient Egyptians think about sex? Is there any truth to a rumoured royal sex scandal? What did they think of same-sex relationships?

In today's episode, Kate's joined by the fantastic historian and author Dr Campbell Price to go back thousands of years to the always-fascinating world of Ancient Egypt.

Find out why the Victorians sexualised the Ancient Egyptians, what an Ancient Egyptian mummy smells of, and what...

Myths are incredibly powerful, especially when it comes to creating nations.

Why are mythical women so central to how we think about our nations? When women had so little power in creating them in the first place.

Joining Kate to explore these fascinating and important ideas today is the fantastic author and historian Dr Janina Ramirez.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior prod...

Who was Aphrodite? She's often thought of as a goddess of sexuality, but there's so much more to this woman.

Which ancient civilisation was she created by? How did the early Christians react to her overt sexuality? Was she ever thought of a sex worker?

Joining Kate today is the fantastic author and historian Dr. Stephanie Budin, to introduce us to this fascinating goddess.

*TW: This episode includes references to sexual as...

The Mitfords could rank as the strangest family of the 20th century.

Unity and Diana were passionate fascists who became obsessed with Adolf Hitler, while Jessica became a communist. Unity even became mates with Hitler and was in Germany as the war broke out.

How did these aristocrats move in such controversial circles? What happened when the Second World War broke out? How did their stories end?

Joining Kate today is the ...

She was 'the Other Boleyn Girl' - Anne's sister, Mary, who supposedly had an affair with King Henry VIII. Such drama!

What evidence is there that the two got betwixt the sheets together? How likely was it?!

Joining Kate today is the historian and author, Estelle Paranque, to get to the heart of the these rumours.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

The Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda. Roald Dahl wrote some of the world's most loved children's books.

But what do we know about the man himself? Was he really a spy? Was he a good husband? And why have some editions of his books been edited?

Kate is joined by Rosie Gailor, who is on instagram as @rosieandroald.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Fre...

What did Queen Isabella of France do to deserve the nickname She-Wolf? What sex scandals happened in the 14th century? And why did the Black Death improve peoples' sex lives?!

Joining Kate today is the fantastic author and historian, Helen Carr, to take us back to this time to find out.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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However you pronounce his name, one thing is for certain: Van Gogh made made his mark on the world.

But how did he interact with the world around him? From his relationship with a sex worker in the Hague to his time at the asylum in the south of France.

Joining Kate today is Teio Meedendorp, Senior Researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, to help us get to know this complex man better.

*TW: This episode contains references to se...

Odourless, tasteless, colourless, lethal. In the mid-17th century, men were dropping like flies in Italy. And this wasn't just the plague - it was the work of the poison Aqua Tofana.

So what is Aqua Tofana? And who was its apocryphal purveyor, Giulia Tofana? In this episode we are diving back to Renaissance Italy to learn more about a circle of women poisoners, and the men they chose to murder. How did they eventually get caught...

Frankenstein and his monster are household names - even if one is often confused for the other. But what of their creator?

In this episode we are meeting Mary Shelley. Did she really lose her virginity on her mother's grave? Did she keep her husband's heart after his death? And where did the gothic novel 'Frankenstein' come from?

Kate is joined by poet Fiona Sampson to explore Mary and her life. Fiona's biography of Mary Shel...