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PODCAST

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

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

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All Episodes

47:43

Royal Sex: Elizabeth I

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/07/25

Was Elizabeth I really a virgin? When we talk about queens being remembered for their sex lives, we absolutely have to mention the woman so often remembered for her lack of one.Kate is joined by Professor Anna Whitelock, author of ‘Elizabeth’s Bedfellows: An Intimate History of the Queen’s Court’ and, more recently, ‘The Sun Rising: James I and the Dawn of a Global Britain’.This episode was edited by Tomos Delargy. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for

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46:44

Victorian Sex Work Scandal: The Prince And The...

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/07/22

In the summer of 1889, a London police officer stopped and searched a telegraph boy, suspecting him of stealing from the Post Office he worked for. What he uncovered was not theft, but instead a network of male sex workers being frequented by some of the most respectable gentlemen in the country.Kate is joined by John Scott to discuss the scandal that ensued. John is Head of School in the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology.This episode was edited by Tomos Delargy. It was

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45:48

Sex Lives of the Roman Legion

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/07/15

As the Roman Empire grew, so did the importance of its army - the Roman Legion.But what was life on the march like? What happened on the encampments after dark? And why couldn't eunuchs join the Roman legion?!Joining Kate today to tell her all about this battle-hardened rabble, is Rome-based historian and tour guide Alex Meddings. Find out more about his work here: https://alexandermeddings.com/Episode edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.Sign

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54:21

Royal Sex: Marie Antoinette

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/07/11

Behind the wild accusations of extra-marital affairs and a lavish lifestyle, who was the real Marie Antoinette? Why did her marriage to King Louis XVI go unconsummated for 7 years? And why did her life of luxury end in tragedy amidst the French Revolution?Joining Kate today for the second episode in our Royal Sex mini-series, is Professor of French literature, Catriona Seth, to help us get to know this remarkable woman.This episode was edited by Tomos Delargy. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior

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47:34

Royal Sex: Queen Victoria

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/07/04

With NINE children, it can probably be assumed that Queen Victoria was no stranger to the sheets, but what do we actually know about her love (and sex) life?To examine Victoria's diaries, her passionate relationship and her society's attitude to sex, Kate is joined for this special episode by Royal Historian Kate Williams and journalist Robert Hardman. Kate and Robert are cohosts of 'Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things', a podcast from the Daily Mail.Listen to find out why bicycle porn was all the

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52:10

Sex Work in Victorian London

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/06/27

What were the lives of women like who sold sex in the Victorian era? How did the law makers and moral crusaders of the time try to control it? How did sex workers create community in the 19th century?In the final part of our mini-series on sex work throughout history, Kate's joined by Dr. Julia Laite, historian, professor of history at Birkbeck University, to take us back to the Victorian era.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte

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45:56

Sex Work in the Renaissance

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/06/20

Early Modern Italy birthed artistic giants like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, saw architectural marvels like Florence's dome and St. Peter's Basilica, and pushed scientific frontiers in astronomy. This same vibrant era was also home to Bologna's uniquely regulated sex work industry.So what was life like for the sex workers of Renaissance Italy? Kate is joined in this episode by Dr Vanessa McCarthy, historian of gender, sex, and sexuality in the early modern world at the University of

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44:11

Inside America's Famous Sex Study

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/06/17

How could recording people having sex be 'for science'? Same question for sleeping with your colleagues? Well, these were just two of the practices embraced by the subject of today's conversation.Donna Drucker is returning to the podcast to discuss pioneering sexologist, Alfred Kinsey. Donna, from Colombia University, is author of The Classification of Sex.This episode was edited by Nick Thomson. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds

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43:53

Sex Work in Ancient Rome

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/06/06

What did it look like inside a Roman brothel? Who was the sex worker involved in a murder plot to kill an Emperor? And why was the Pope getting sex workers to race chariots?!In this first episode of our brand new limited-series on sex work through history, Kate is joined by Professor Anise Strong, who takes us back to meet some of the amazing sex workers from Ancient Rome, including one who was involved in a murder plot to kill Emperor Commodus.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer

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38:11

The Dandy: Dressing in Defiance

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/05/13

He cuts a fine figure, walking down the street. Whether it's a bow tie and a sharp suit, perfectly curated clashing colours, or a moustache with every hair strictly held in place - this is a person who spends hours on their look. But why?In this episode of Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined by Peter K. Andersson, author of ‘The Dandy” A People’s History of Sartorial Splendour’. Together they discuss the motivations for the dapper dress of the dandy.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The

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44:35

What Made You Ugly In Medieval Times?

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/05/09

Beauty fads come and go - remember super low-rise jeans in the 90s? IYKYK.What was considered cool and beautiful in the medieval period? What skincare routines were medieval people doing? And how did the Black Death affect how people dressed and presented themselves?In this new mini-series, we'll be exploring the beauty standards - and ideas of ugliness - throughout time periods in history.In this second episode Kate is joined by historian and author Dr. Eleanor Janega, co-host of our sister podcast

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48:21

Hysterectomies: 2000 Years of Care & Coercion

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/04/08

Today, it is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. But when was the hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus, first performed? How has this procedure interacted with ideas such as femininity and eugenics? And WHY would a very brave woman perform this surgery on herself?Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets with returning guest, Dr Elinor Cleghorn. Elinor is the author of 'Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Man-Made World'.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by

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43:24

History's Worst F*ckboys: Lord Byron

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/04/04

How 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' was Lord Byron really?We know the Romantic poet had a bit of a reputation, but how true was it? And how unusual would his behaviour have been?In the first episode of our series on the worst f*ckboys in history, we're digging into Byron's relationships with Andrew Stauffer, President of the Byron Society of America, professor and chair of the Department of English at the University of Virginia, and author of 'Byron: A Life in Ten Letters'.This episode was edited

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43:00

Real Wives of Dictators | Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao's...

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/03/28

For better or (mostly) worse, Jiang Qing left her mark on the 20th century.Even before she was married to Chairman Mao, Jiang was a charismatic actor, and her passion for culture helped her spearhead the Cultural Revolution as part of the Communist Party in China, later in life.Joining Kate for this fourth and final episode of our limited series, Real Wives of Dictators, is Linda Jaivin, author of Shortest History of China and the upcoming Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in

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40:00

Real Wives of Dictators | Nadya Alliluyeva, Stalin's...

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/03/21

Nadezhda Alliluyeva was born into a revolutionary family, but was it always her fate to marry Joseph Stalin?She was independent, intelligent and highly politicised. Indeed, Stalin was a hero of hers growing up.What was it like to be so heavily involved in the Communist Party and the Soviet Union? What was Stalin like as a husband to her? And was her death as suspicious as some made out?Joining Kate for this third episode of our limited series, Real Wives of Dictators, is Sheila Fitzpatrick,

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39:27

Real Wives of Dictators | Börte, wife of Genghis Khan

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/03/07

What was life like to be married to Genghis Khan?In this new limited series, Real Wives of Dictators, we're finding out all about the women behind, or alongside, some of histories most notorious men.First up is Börte Üjin, the woman who built the Mongol empire alongside her husband, Genghis, in the 12th and 13th centuries.Were they in love? What happened when she was kidnapped by a rival tribe? And what was her relationship like with the other women in Genghis' life?Joining Kate today is historian

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46:09

The Dark History of BMI & Fatphobia

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/02/18

Dark ideas and stigma around different body sizes really took hold in the Enlightenment.Very unenlightened, if you ask us.This started all sorts of awful movements, and one result was BMI - or Body Mass Index - which is still used as a measure of health by doctors today.What even is the BMI? Why are women and people of colour particularly affected by these harmful ideas? And what's the future of fatphobia and BMI?Joining Kate is the fantastic Amy Farrell, professor of women’s, gender and sexuality

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45:17

Sex Lives of Spartans

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/02/04

When you hear the word Sparta, what do you picture?Well, put aside the images of the rippling six packs for just a moment, as there's a lot more to this workout-obsessed state of the ancient world than you might imagine.Joining Kate today to get to know the Spartans is the master of all things Ancient Greece, Helen King. You can check out Helen's book, Immaculate Forms: Uncovering the History of Women's Bodies, here.What were the Spartans views on same-sex relationships? Were they really as ripped

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39:36

How Did Dinosaurs Have Sex?

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/24

What's the dinosaur equivalent of Netflix and chill? Were they capable of flirting?In today's episode, Kate speaks with Dr. David Hone, author of Uncovering Dinosaur Behaviour: What They Did And How We Know, to find out more about how different dinosaurs might have had sex.Could the T-Rex's little arms aid their sexual performance? How did they penetrate through so much heavy protective armour? And were they monogamous?This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was

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45:38

Medieval Lesbians

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/17

How do you begin to look for examples of lesbians in the medieval period?Even though it was deeply frowned upon by the powers that be, the clues are very much there... if you know where to look.What examples do we have? How did the male-run church respond to fears that nuns were getting too close for their liking? And how did a 13th century court react when a dildo was presented in a case against a woman accused of sodomy?Joining Kate today is medieval historian Tess Wingard to help us find out

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