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
25 snips
May 8, 2026 • 28min
Renaissance Medicine (Radio Edit)
Ria Lina, comedian and PhD virologist, brings science-savvy humour. Alana Skuse, early modern literature and medicine scholar, maps 16th–18th century medical culture. They explore physicians, barber-surgeons and apothecaries. They discuss bizarre cures, midwifery and women healers. They cover William Harvey’s blood discoveries, quacks, public spectacles and the rise of medical professionalism.
19 snips
May 1, 2026 • 28min
Emperor Nero (Radio Edit)
Mary Beard, renowned classicist and author, gives expert analysis of Nero’s life and legacy. Patton Oswalt, Emmy- and Grammy-winning comedian and actor, adds lively humorous reactions. They unpack sources and myths about Nero, his rise and family intrigues, theatrical antics and Greek tour, the Great Fire controversy, plots and downfall, and how stories shaped his reputation.
15 snips
Apr 24, 2026 • 28min
The Terracotta Army (Radio Edit)
Phil Wang, comedian known for Taskmaster and Netflix specials, provides comedic curiosity and questions. Professor Julia Lovell, expert in modern Chinese history, gives authoritative context on Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Army. They explore the 1974 discovery, the huge mausoleum complex, the army’s scale and manufacture, funerary beliefs, and the emperor’s quest for immortality.
20 snips
Apr 17, 2026 • 28min
Medieval Irish Folklore (Radio Edit)
Seán Burke, comedian and sketch performer, brings playful riffs. Dr Gillian Kenny, historian of medieval Ireland and folklore expert, explains ancient beliefs. They explore Gaelic society, magic as word-acts, myth cycles and the Tuatha Dé Danann. Fairies, banshees, fairy darts, changelings, evil eye cures, butter witches and protective rituals feature in a lively, humor-tinged tour of old Irish lore.
17 snips
Apr 10, 2026 • 58min
El Cid: the life and legend of a medieval Spanish warrior
Nora Behrend, Cambridge medievalist and author on El Cid, and Toussaint Douglass, award-winning comedian, explore Rodrigo Díaz’s shifting loyalties and rise from noble warrior to ruler of Valencia. They trace how medieval romances, a macabre corpse legend, Napoleonic tomb dramas and Francoist appropriation turned a pragmatic mercenary into a politically charged legend.
32 snips
Apr 3, 2026 • 58min
Empress Dowager Cixi: from concubine to ruler of China
Sophie Duker, award-winning comedian, brings sharp humor and quiz antics. Professor Yangwen Zheng, a Manchester expert on Ming-Qing politics, provides historical context. They trace Cixi’s rise from a low-ranked concubine to de facto ruler, palace life and power plays, regencies and succession intrigue, reforms amid wars, the Boxer crisis, and how she shaped late Qing China.
59 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.
74 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.
85 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.
45 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.
