Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
History Hit
Join sex historian Dr Kate Lister on Betwixt the Sheets as she gets intimate with the stories that would make your history teacher blush.What were the Victorians really like behind closed (bedroom) doors? How did the Black Death favour women in medieval England? And what was Caesar like in the sack? Join Kate as she bed-hops around different time periods; from ancient civilisations, to the middle ages, to renaissance and early modern...right up to now.You’ll laugh, you’ll wince, and you’ll ask yourself how much has actually changed.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society - a podcast from History Hit.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 14, 2026 • 45min
The Depravity of the Marquis De Sade
Joel Warner, journalist and author of The Curse of the Marquis de Sade, explores the life and notoriety of the Marquis. He traces aristocratic roots, escalating violence and scandals, the infamous 39-foot scroll, survival through revolutionary turmoil, and the tangled legacy of art, power and modern parallels. Short, sharp and unsettling stories from history.
Apr 10, 2026 • 37min
Inside the Moulin Rouge
Mike Rapport, historian and author of City of Light, City of Shadows, offers a vivid mini-bio as a Belle Époque specialist. He explores why Paris became a cultural hub, the wild origins of the Moulin Rouge, its windmill symbol, elephant and donkey spectacles, the birth of the can-can, and how the venue shifted from raucous dancehall to commercial spectacle.
7 snips
Apr 7, 2026 • 43min
The Truth About the Little Mermaid
Diane Purkiss, Oxford Fellow and Renaissance literature specialist, traces mermaid lore from Andersen to global water spirits. She compares Disney’s Ariel with the darker original, explores sirens, selkies and Mamawata, and explains why mer-creatures recur across cultures. Short, intriguing dives into myth origins, transformations and sailors’ sightings.
Apr 3, 2026 • 51min
Inside the Brothels of New Orleans
Dr. Alecia P. Long, historian at LSU who studies New Orleans and the history of sexuality, guides a vivid tour of Storyville. She describes how the city zoned and regulated vice, the district's compact layout, and the racial segregation and mixing within its boundaries. You also hear about famous madams, brothel life and fashion, promotional blue books and Storyville's role in jazz and its eventual decline.
45 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 47min
The Victorian Sex Trafficking Panic
Dr Julia Laite, historian at Birkbeck and author of The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey, explores Victorian 'white slavery' panics. She traces how migration, male anxiety and sensational investigations shaped moral scares. Conversations cover rescue homes, racialized stereotypes, real trafficking methods like isolation and grooming, police responses, and links between past reforms and modern laws.
Mar 27, 2026 • 43min
The Truth about Charlie Chaplin
Dr Lisa Steinhaven, Professor of English and Charlie Chaplin scholar, provides scholarly context on Chaplin's rise from Victorian poverty to Hollywood fame. The conversation covers his music-hall roots, creation of the Tramp persona, scandalous marriages and legal battles, political backlash and exile, and the bizarre posthumous coffin theft.
76 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 1h 6min
Did Fashion Kill Marie Antoinette?
Sarah Grant, curator at the V&A who organized the 'Marie Antoinette: Style' exhibition, discusses the queen’s wardrobes, jewellery and cultural afterlife. Hear about Versailles at the brink, why fashion mattered to court politics, towering hairstyles and muslin scandal, the Diamond Necklace affair, surviving relics like tiny shoes, and how Marie Antoinette became both reviled and endlessly admired.
Mar 20, 2026 • 49min
Hollywood's Shocking First Sex Symbols
Mick LaSalle, journalist and author known for film criticism and books on early Hollywood, shares stories about pre-code stars like Norma Shearer. He explores how early films felt unexpectedly sexual and why empowered women provoked censorship. He traces the rise of the Hayes Code and how it erased bold portrayals of female sexuality from mainstream screens.
Mar 17, 2026 • 46min
Tiberius and his Island of Depravity
Alexander Meddings, a Rome-based historian and tour guide, gives a concise bio and expertise in Roman history. He traces Tiberius from family politics and military rule to his retreat on Capri. Short, vivid scenes cover rumors of depravity, source problems, and how isolation and scandal shaped a lasting, ambiguous reputation.
Mar 13, 2026 • 40min
The Murder That Shocked Hollywood
William Mann, historian and author known for his books on Hollywood history, including the Black Dahlia, explores Elizabeth Short and post-war Los Angeles. He traces her wanderlust, survival in Hollywood, the grisly discovery and forensic clues suggesting surgical skill. He examines sensational tabloid coverage, the tangled investigation with false leads, and how myth reshaped her story.
