You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
28 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 55min
History of the Telephone: 150th anniversary special
Catherine Bohart, comedian and writer, brings sharp humour and reflections. Professor Iwan Morus, Victorian science historian, explains early telephone tech and culture. They discuss the 1876 patent race, how telephones worked, Bell’s promotional tours, wire-crossing and eavesdropping, rise of female switchboard operators, and Victorian anxieties about etiquette and privacy.
54 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 58min
History of Spices: commerce, colonialism and culinary innovation
Dr David Veevers, an early modern historian of the British Empire and East India Company, guides a romp through the global journey of spices. He traces ancient Asian origins and trade routes, empire-era transfers into Europe, and the violent colonial fights for monopoly. Short, surprising stories spotlight pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and chilli.
54 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 59min
Epic of Gilgamesh: myths and heroes in ancient Mesopotamia
Marjolein Robertson, a sharp-witted comedian and storyteller, and Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid, an Oxford historian of cuneiform and Mesopotamia, unpack the Epic of Gilgamesh. They trace the poem’s origins, debate whether Gilgamesh was real, follow his quests and friendships, and explore themes like companionship, mortality and environmental care. Lively banter meets deep historical decoding.
30 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 55min
Hypatia of Alexandria: mathematician, martyr and feminist icon
Olga Koch, comedian and quickfire wit. Professor Edith Hall, classics scholar and ancient history expert. They discuss Hypatia’s life in late antique Alexandria. They cover her education, mathematical and astronomical work, the tense politics with Cyril and Orestes, her brutal murder, and her long afterlife as a symbol and feminist icon.
23 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 59min
Geoffrey Chaucer: the medieval father of English literature
Mike Wozniak, comedian and actor, brings comic performances and a Middle English reading. Professor Marion Turner, Chaucer specialist at Oxford, provides expert historical and literary context. They explore Chaucer’s life amid the Black Death and Hundred Years’ War. They trace his royal service, European travels, influences from Dante and Boccaccio, and the framing and variety of the Canterbury Tales.
17 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 1h
Lena Horne: racism and resilience in the Golden Age of Hollywood
Desiree Burch, comedian and commentator, offers sharp, funny takes on Lena Horne. Dr Hannah Thuraisingam-Robbins, Black Studies scholar, provides historical analysis of Horne’s life. They explore her rise from the Cotton Club to MGM, Hollywood’s racial limits, WWII performances, interracial marriage fallout, exile to Europe and nightclub triumphs, and her turn to civil rights activism and late-career Broadway success.
11 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 58min
Philippe, Duc d’Orléans: in the shadow of the Sun King
Tom Allen, comedian and witty commentator, riffs on court gossip. Dr Jonathan Spangler, historian of early modern French aristocracy, maps Philippe d’Orléans’ life. They explore Philippe’s cross‑dressing and theatrical provocation. They unpack his fraught role as the spare and near‑successor. They discuss his affairs, ménage dynamics with Liselotte and the Chevalier de Lorraine, military triumph at Cassel, and his financial and artistic patronage.
38 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 57min
Renaissance Medicine: healthcare and disease in early modern England
Dr Ria Lina, comedian with a PhD in virology, brings humor and scientific flair. Dr Alanna Skuse, historian of medicine in 16th–18th century England, explains practitioners and practices. They explore humoral theory, bleeding and purges, plague-era social distancing, William Harvey’s circulation experiments, barber-surgeons and apothecaries, quacks and popular cures, and midwifery and gendered medical control.
26 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 58min
Emperor Nero: ancient Rome’s most infamous ruler
Mary Beard, celebrated classicist and author, and Patton Oswalt, Emmy- and Grammy-winning comedian, dive into Emperor Nero’s life. They probe his rise to power, theatrical obsessions, familial murders and scandals. The conversation also covers the Great Fire, plots against him, Boudica’s revolt, and the theatrical spectacle of his rule — with sharp humour throughout.
24 snips
Jan 23, 2026 • 28min
Marie Antoinette (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in the 18th century by historian Professor Katherine Astbury and comedian Jen Brister to learn about French queen Marie Antoinette.Born an Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette went on to be the last queen of France before the Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy. She is famous now for saying "let them eat cake", for her love of fashion, and her supposedly extravagant spending at a time when ordinary people in France were going hungry. But how true are any of these stories, and where did these myths about her originate?In this episode, we look at Marie Antoinette’s Austrian childhood and overbearing mother, her marriage to Louis XVI and time as queen of France, and the hatred directed at her by the revolutionaries. Along the way we take in her involvement in politics, her love of the theatre, and her possible Swedish sweetheart.This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed.Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Charlotte Emily Edgeshaw
Written by: Charlotte Emily Edgeshaw, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars
