Bloomin' Legends with Johnny Vaughan & Gavin Woods
Join mates Johnny Vaughan and Gavin Woods as they uncover the jaw-dropping stories of history’s boldest icons and unsung heroes. From outrageous escapades to ingenious breakthroughs, every episode is packed with legendary tales you didn’t learn in school (but wish you had). With sharp wit and a shared sense of curiosity, Johnny and Gav turn history into a rollercoaster of laughs and surprises. Whether it’s daring escapes, bizarre inventions, or the quirky habits of history’s game-changers, you’ll be hooked on their unique take on the past. Perfect for history buffs, comedy lovers, and anyone who enjoys a cracking good story, Bloomin’ Legends is your new favourite podcast for unforgettable adventures through time. Get in touch with @BloominLegends on tik tok & Instagram. For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com This is a Global Original podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough. Executive Producer, Chris Janes Commissioning Editor, Chris Lander
Episodes
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods unleash the blood-and-sand saga of Spartacus, the enslaved Thracian who fought his way out of the gladiator arena, built an army of tens of thousands of rebels, and sent shockwaves through the Roman Empire.
What You’ll Hear in This Epi...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the jaw-dropping life of Charles Upham, the quiet New Zealand schoolteacher who became the only combat soldier to win the Victoria Cross twice. He took on tanks, leapt walls with a broken arm, and escaped German POW camps like i...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods explore the wildly inventive, mind-blowingly brilliant, and just a bit bizarre life of Leonardo da Vinci, the illegitimate son of a notary who went on to define the Renaissance. He painted the world’s most famous smile, dissected corpses ...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods unravel the absurd tale of Lambert Simnel, a pint-sized pretender who was plucked from obscurity and paraded across Europe as a royal heir. Backed by foreign armies and Yorkist plotters, this kitchen boy turned fake prince came this close...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the jaw-dropping life of Charlemagne, the warrior king who went from Frankish prince to Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. With a sword in one hand and scripture in the other, he conquered kingdoms, united Europe, and somehow sti...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods set sail into the astonishing life of Zheng Yi Sao, the Cantonese sex worker turned pirate empress who built the most powerful naval empire in history. She didn’t just loot ships, she ran an entire ocean like a mob boss.
What You’ll He...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
Which you can now WATCH in full, on the Radio X Youtube Channel!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods track the incredible life of Geronimo—the Apache leader whose name became a global battle cry. From daring escapes to brutal battles against Mexico and the United States, Ge...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods take us into the dark and deranged reign of Ivan the Terrible. The first Tsar of Russia whose violent outbursts, bizarre behaviour, and brutal purges made him one of history’s scariest rulers... and possibly its weirdest.
What You’ll H...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the outrageous life of Shep Gordon - the Hollywood super-agent who turned Alice Cooper into a rock god, hung out with Hendrix, cooked for the Dalai Lama, and somehow survived it all to tell the tale.
What You’ll Hear in This ...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods uncover the astonishing story of the Oversteegen Sisters - two Dutch teenagers who joined the resistance against the Nazis, lured soldiers into the woods… and never let them walk back out. Forget homework, these girls were busy saving the...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods ride through the revolutionary life of Simón Bolívar. The fiery freedom fighter who took on the Spanish Empire and liberated half a continent with sheer willpower, political cunning, and a whole lot of marching.
What You’ll Hear in Thi...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive headfirst into the fearless, full-throttle life of Steve Irwin. The khaki-clad Aussie who made wrestling crocodiles look easy, turned wildlife conservation into prime-time TV, and stole the hearts of millions while risking his own.
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods charge through the bullet-riddled life of Adrian Carton de Wiart - the aristocratic soldier who lost an eye, a hand, got shot in the face, and still begged to go back to the front lines. A real-life action hero who made war look like a ho...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods saddle up for the wild, whisky-soaked tale of Doc Holliday - the Southern gentleman-turned-gunslinger who became a legend of the Wild West with a pistol in one hand and a tubercular cough in the other.
What You’ll Hear in This Epis...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods unpack the jaw-dropping tale of Reg Spiers - the Aussie athlete who mailed himself across the world in a wooden box and somehow lived to tell the tale.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
📦 The Man Who Posted Himself Home – Why Reg ...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods charge into the fiery legacy of Boudica—the warrior queen who led a brutal rebellion against the Roman Empire and almost brought it to its knees.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
🔥 Britannia’s Badass Queen – How Boudica rose from...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods chart the epic rags-to-riches rise of Andrew Carnegie - the penniless Scottish immigrant who built an American steel empire, gave away his fortune, and helped invent the modern billionaire playbook.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the fearless and ferocious reign of Njinga of Ndongo—the warrior queen who outsmarted the Portuguese, ruled two kingdoms, and flipped gender norms on their head centuries before it was even a conversation.
What You’ll Hear in...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods explore the epic life of Christopher Lee - the horror movie icon whose real-life adventures make even Dracula look tame. From Nazi hunting to heavy metal albums, this guy did it all.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
🦇 The Pri...
Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!
In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods set sail into the outrageous life of Jack Ward—the English sailor-turned-pirate who went rogue, terrorized the Mediterranean, and pulled off one of the strangest transformations in pirate history.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
...
Popular Podcasts
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.