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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

history

All Episodes

42:42

The Truth About the Little Mermaid

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

2026/04/07

What is a mermaid? Do sirens, selkies and Aquaman fit into this category? And how far back in history do they go?Kate is joined by Diane Purkiss to discuss the Little Mermaid, both the Disney and Hans Christian Anderson versions, and more!Professor Diane Purkiss is a Fellow and Tutor of English at Keble College, Oxford. She specialises in Renaissance and women's literature, witchcraft and the English Civil War.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer

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46:54

The Victorian Sex Trafficking Panic

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

2026/03/31

Was there really a boom in sex trafficking at the end of the 19th century? What was 'white slavery'? And how often did the traffickers get caught?Kate is joined by Dr Julia Laite for this episode. Julia is a historian at Birkbeck, University of London, and the author of 'The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey'.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new

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1:05:33

Did Fashion Kill Marie Antoinette?

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

2026/03/24

Marie Antoinette went to her death as one of the most hated people in the world, but in recent years she has inspired millions with her style. How did she become such a contradiction?For this episode, Kate and the Betwixt team went out and about, specifically to the V&A Museum in London. There, Kate met Dr Sarah Grant, curator of the exhibition 'Marie Antoinette Style', about the life of Marie Antoinette, just how much she spent on her clothes and jewelry, and how this may have led to her death.This

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49:16

Hollywood's Shocking First Sex Symbols

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

2026/03/20

Nearly 100 years ago, films in Hollywood were so much sexier and shocking than you might think they were.One of the most shocking things was how empowered and sexual women were in those films.Who were these women? And what are the scandalous reasons behind the censorship that came in?Joining Kate to tell her about these incredible women is journalist and author Mick LaSalle.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to

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45:48

Tiberius and his Island of Depravity

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

2026/03/17

The Roman Emperor Tiberius has a harrowing reputation based on stories surrounding his latter years on the island of Capri. Stories of debauchery and abuse of the worst kind. But who was Tiberius and where does the truth lie?Kate Lister is joined by is Rome-based historian and tour guide Alex Meddings.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release

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40:01

The Murder That Shocked Hollywood

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

2026/03/13

In post-war Hollywood, the film industry had a reputation for its dark side as much as anything happening on the big screen.So when Elizabeth Short was dramatically - and cinematically - murdered in Hollywood, the press called her the Black Dahlia and made a sensation out of her.Who was the real woman behind the terrifying headlines? What did she have to do with the film industry? And why was no one ever caught?Joining Kate today is the fantastic historian and author William Mann, to take us back to

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59:18

Shag, Marry, Kill: Kings Edition (Live Show Recording)

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

2026/03/10

Henry VIII, Charles II and Richard the Lionheart. What do all of these men have in common?They're incredibly eligible bachelors! Well, if not that then they are all former kings of England.At this live show in London we asked our audience which of these men they would shag, marry or avoid, keeping in mind style, syphilis and sex appeal.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original

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40:40

Sex & Scandal in Hollywood’s Golden Age

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

2026/03/06

Over 100 years ago the Hollywood film industry was shiny, new and sexy.Sex and sexuality was present on screen, but as the 1920s drew to a close, scandals and censorship crept in.Why did films begin to be made out in Hollywood? How raunchy was it? And what was the impact of such extreme censorship?Joining Kate today is the fantastic historian and author William Mann, to take us back to Hollywood's Golden Age.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior

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40:45

Who Was The Witch Queen of Scotland?

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

2026/03/03

The 17th century witch trials in Scotland were many and they were brutal.Amongst the many people tried for being a witch, one woman's confessions stood out for being the most scandalous across all of Europe: Isobel Gowdie.What made Isobel confess to having sex with the devil? What are the details of what she said? And what was happening in Scotland to create such a fear of witches?Joining Kate today is author and witch historian Mary Craig, to help Kate find out more about this woman.This episode

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57:53

The Most Scandalous Author in 19th-Century France

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

2026/02/27

By the age of 30, George Sand's literary career was soaring. She was internationally renowned, outselling Victor Hugo in English. So why is she now better known for wearing mens clothes and having a relationship with Chopin?In this episode, Kate is joined once again by Fiona Sampson to meet the woman behind the name. Who was Aurore Dupin? Why did she dress in men's clothes? And why have her literary achievements been overwritten in the history books by her personal life?Fiona's book on this is

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47:39

The Truth about Frida Kahlo

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

2026/02/13

Frida Kahlo is an icon of art, feminism and... eyebrows.Her art and imagery has entered into the mainstream like few artists have, and her life was as colourful and challenging as her creations.She lived through revolutions, crippling accidents and illness, had a complicated marriage (to say the least) and many lovers.Who was the woman behind all of this?Joining Kate is Professor Patience Schell, Chair in Hispanic Studies at the University of Aberdeen, to help us get to know her.This episode was

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57:56

Lord Byron vs. Lady Lamb | History's Worst Breakups

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

2026/02/10

Sending a lock of hair to your lover has fallen a little out of fashion. Sending a lock of pubic hair to your ex-lover ... well, we aren't sure that was ever in fashion.This is just one of the things that Lady Caroline Lamb is alleged to have done when her heart was broken by Lord Byron.For this episode, Kate is joined by Professor Paul Douglass to discuss the affair between Byron and Lamb, how it ended, and whether Lamb has been unfairly treated in the telling of this story.Paul is Professor

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54:24

Henry VIII vs. Catherine of Aragon | History's Worst...

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

2026/02/03

Welcome to a brand new mini-series on Betwixt the Sheets, where our host, Dr Kate Lister, takes you through the most catastrophic breakups in history.We're starting with one that our guest, author and historian Gareth Russell, calls "the most important breakup in British history by a country mile."Find out the ins and outs of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon's breakup, including all the awful gossipy details.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior

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44:45

The Most Notorious Sex Worker of 18th Century Dublin

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

2026/01/27

Dublin in the 18th century was a wealthy colonial capitol, but only for a select few.Amongst this hugely divided and politically charged world was the infamous sex worker Peg Plunkett, who counted some of society's most well to-do as her clients.What was life like for most people in the Empire's 'second city' at this time? Did she really flirt with royalty? And what scandals did she get wrapped up in?Joining Kate today is historian, author and co-host of our sister podcast After Dark, Anthony

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41:58

How Filthy was the Renaissance?

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

2026/01/23

The Renaissance, a period of transformation in art, learning, philosophy and science that brought us Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello (the artists, not the turtles). This era of the Early Modern period seems to have been tinted with reds and golds, it all sounds very classy ... but how filthy was it?Kate is joined once again by Dr Julia Martins to explore how Early Modern people washed, how they got rid of their waste, and how dangerous some of their methods were.Julia can be

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39:54

The Syphilis Explosion of the American Civil War

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

2026/01/20

It's been estimated that between eight and twelve percent of soldiers in contracted a venereal disease during the American Civil War. What on earth were they up to?Kathryn Olivarius is a Professor at Stanford.She joins Kate to discuss syphilis, why it spread so far during the war and how it's impact continued after the war ended.Kathryn is the author of 'Necropolis: Disease, Power, and Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom'.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior

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41:32

How Filthy Were Medieval People?

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

2026/01/16

If there's one sure way to irritate an historian of the Medieval period, it's to ask why the people of the Middle Ages didn't wash.In this episode, we did just that with Dr Eleanor Janega. Kate and Eleanor get into whether there really was poo everywhere, how the Victorians ruined the Medieval reputation, and what they were actually up to at the public baths.Eleanor co-hosts our sister podcast Gone Medieval and is the author of 'The Once And Future Sex'.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The

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36:47

How Filthy Were The Romans?

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

2026/01/02

Some of the key remnants of the Roman Empire are their public baths - huge complexes, multiple different rooms, the basis of many of our modern spas. But were the Romans clean?How regularly did they wash? Were they really using urine to wash clothes? And what's this about a communal wiping stick?Kate is joined by the wonderful Alexander Meddings for the first episode in a series where we are trying to find out just how smelly people were in history. Alex is a Rome-based historian and tour guide

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42:10

How Hot Was Lord Byron?

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

2025/12/26

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 this episode from 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 by

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53:09

The Truth About Sigmund Freud

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

2025/12/16

It's the one we've all been waiting for!The Oedipus Complex; the oral, anal and phallic stages; penis envy; psychoanalysis - we've all heard of Sigmund Freud's work. But who was he?What did Freud really think about sex and sexuality? What was his own sex life like? And finally, why do we owe so much of today's understandings of psychology to a woman called Anna O?Kate is joined by Carolyn Laubender, Senior Lecturer at the University of Essex. Her previous book is 'The Political Clinic:

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