You're Dead to Me cover art
Podcast · 78 episodes

You're Dead to Me

by BBC Radio 4 · English

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.

Latest episodes

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Medieval Korea: from the Goryeo to Joseon periodsMedieval Korea from the Goryeo to Joseon dynasties (roughly 918–1590s), covering origins myths, political power shifts, Mongol rule, Joseon Confucian reforms, slavery and gender norms,…25 Sep 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 28 chapters
Henry Cyril Paget: the dancing marquess of AngleseyHenry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey, a flamboyant Welsh aristocrat known as “the Dancing Marquess,” whose life blended multilingual upbringing, scandal, theatrical innovation, and extravagant…18 Sep 2026 · 1 h · 25 chapters
History of Tea: Britain’s stolen brewThe episode traces tea’s origins in China, its spread to Britain, and how British demand shaped global trade and conflict, including the Opium Wars and Robert Fortune’s theft of tea plants.11 Sep 2026 · 55 min · 20 chapters
Emperor Constantine the Great: Christianity and the Roman EmpireConstantine the Great’s rise during the late Roman “crisis of the third century,” his consolidation of power after civil wars, and how his (contested) conversion to Christianity reshaped imperial…4 Sep 2026 · 59 min · 21 chapters
History of Underwear: from shirts and stays to bras and briefsThe history of underwear in Western Europe and the US, from medieval linen “shirts/shifts” (16th–19th centuries) to women’s drawers/knickers, men’s codpieces and stockings, corsets and their myths,…28 Aug 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 28 chapters
Akhenaten and Nefertiti: religious revolution in ancient EgyptAkhenaten and Nefertiti’s brief religious revolution in 14th-century BCE Egypt, centered on worship of the Aten (the sun disk), the creation of the new capital Akhetaten/Amarna, and the later…21 Aug 2026 · 58 min · 18 chapters
Anne Bonny and Mary Read: real-life pirates of the CaribbeanThe “real-life Pirates of the Caribbean” story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, framed through the late-17th/early-18th-century Atlantic world, piracy’s economics, and what’s known (and uncertain) about…14 Aug 2026 · 1 h · 22 chapters
Medieval Saints: miracles, relics and pilgrimageThe medieval Christian cult of saints—how people became saints, why relics were venerated, how miracles were authenticated, and how pilgrimage shaped religion and local economies (including relic…7 Aug 2026 · 56 min · 16 chapters
Francis Galton: Victorian scientist and pioneer of eugenicsThe life and scientific legacy of Francis Galton, focusing on how his statistics and measurement culture fed into Victorian eugenics, scientific racism, and later ideas about intelligence and…31 Jul 2026 · 59 min · 27 chapters
The Iliad and Odyssey: heroic epics from ancient GreeceAncient Greek epic poetry—how the Iliad and Odyssey were formed, what they reveal about Greek culture, and how later myths and modern pop culture reshape them.24 Jul 2026 · 59 min · 27 chapters
El Cid (Radio Edit)The 11th-century warrior Rodrigo Díaz (“El Cid”), how his name and legend formed, his shifting alliances in medieval Spain, his rule over Valencia, and how later Christian and political groups used…10 Jul 2026 · 28 min · 12 chapters
Empress Dowager Cixi (Radio Edit)Empress Dowager Cixi (spelled C-I-X-I), focusing on how she rose from imperial concubine to near-absolute ruler of Qing China, maintained power through multiple child emperors, and used political…3 Jul 2026 · 28 min · 10 chapters
History of the Telephone (Radio Edit)The episode traces the invention and early adoption of the telephone (with a “rewind” to 150 years before 1876), covering pre-telephone long-distance communication (especially the electric…26 Jun 2026 · 28 min · 18 chapters
Announcing Series 12Announcing Series 12 of BBC podcast “You’re Dead to Me,” launching with new episodes.24 Jun 2026 · 2 min · 4 chapters
Why do British people love tea? (from Here For The History)How tea became central to British identity, from early introduction by royalty to mass adoption during industrialization, plus darker imperial and military episodes (opium wars, tea heist) and later…19 Jun 2026 · 33 min · 20 chapters
History of Spices (Radio Edit)The global history of spices and the spice trade, from early definitions and origins (Moluccas/“Spice Islands”) through Mediterranean and European expansion, to Portuguese/Dutch/English monopolies,…19 Jun 2026 · 28 min · 18 chapters
Epic of Gilgamesh (Radio Edit)The Epic of Gilgamesh—its Mesopotamian origins, plot (tyrannical king, Enkidu, quests, divine punishment, flood-immortality search), and modern rediscovery/translation; ending with a “nuance window”…12 Jun 2026 · 28 min · 18 chapters
Hypatia of Alexandria (Radio Edit)Hypatia of Alexandria’s life and legacy—what sources say about her, what she taught (Neoplatonist philosophy plus Euclidean math, optics, astronomy), her likely role in Alexandria’s intellectual…5 Jun 2026 · 28 min · 17 chapters
Geoffrey Chaucer (Radio Edit)Geoffrey Chaucer’s life and literary impact, framed through his career, historical events (Black Death, Hundred Years’ War, Peasants’ Revolt), and the Canterbury Tales’ storytelling structure and…29 May 2026 · 28 min · 18 chapters
Lena Horne (Radio Edit)Lena Horne’s life and career, from early family life and breakthrough performances to MGM racism, political activism, exile during the Red Scare, and later icon status (including The Wiz and…22 May 2026 · 28 min · 18 chapters
Philippe, Duc d’Orléans (Radio Edit)The episode of “You’re Dead to Me” is about Philippe, Duc d’Orléans (Louis XIV’s younger brother), focusing on how a “spare” prince was raised, constrained, and eventually carved out independence.15 May 2026 · 28 min · 12 chapters
Renaissance Medicine (Radio Edit)Renaissance-era medicine in 16th–17th century England, including humoral theory, medical professions (physicians, barber-surgeons, apothecaries), quackery, women’s roles in healthcare, childbirth…8 May 2026 · 28 min · 16 chapters
Emperor Nero (Radio Edit)Emperor Nero in first-century Rome—his rise to power, alleged crimes, cultural image, the Great Fire of Rome, Christian persecution claims, conspiracies, and his death; the hosts also discuss how…1 May 2026 · 28 min · 12 chapters
The Terracotta Army (Radio Edit)Qin Shi Huangdi’s (China’s first emperor) vast funerary complex and the discovery and meaning of the Terracotta Army—who built it, why, what’s inside the pits, and what it reveals about Qin society…24 Apr 2026 · 28 min · 12 chapters