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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

42:32

Why Were Nazis Obsessed With Birth Rate?

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

2026/10/06

Why were the Nazis so fixated on birth rates? How did they encourage larger families? And what was their surprising angle on extramarital pregnancies?In essence, what was the Lebensborn policy?Taking us through Nazi family policy today is Lisa Pine. Lisa is Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy

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50:47

Is Rasputin's Willy in a Jar?

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

2026/10/02

Was Rasputin really Russia’s greatest love machine? Did he have any healing powers? And why might his penis be pickling in a jar?We're in the middle of some willy related episodes at the moment, and it would be wrong not to include the man, the myth, the 'mad monk'. In this episode from the early days of Betwixt, we are drawing Rasputin out of his cloud of green smoke to find out which of the things we know about him might actually be true.Kate is joined by Douglas Smith, historian,

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1:02:49

The Execution of England's Teenage Queen

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

2026/09/29

To many she's known as Lady Jane Grey, but history should remember her as Queen Jane I.She was only queen for 9 days in 1553, but this made her the first ever queen of England when she was just 16.What happened in her short life that made her suddenly the most powerful woman in England? How did 'Bloody Mary' Tudor react? And how did it all go so wrong?Joining Kate is the wonderful historian Kate Williams, author of Regina: A New History of Women and Power. This episode was edited by

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44:12

What Happened To Napoleon's "Boner Part"?

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

2026/09/25

Small. Shrivelled. Separated from its owner. What has been said about Napoleon Bonaparte's penis? And how much of it is true?Dr Zack White joins Kate for this episode to discuss these rumours, and what kind of lover and partner Napoleon really was (hint: not great).Zack is a research fellow at the University of Portsmouth, Chair of the Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity, and host of 'The Napoleonic Wars Podcast'.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie

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1:03:44

Get Ready With Marie Antoinette

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

2026/09/22

Marie Antoinette famously spent quite a lot of money and time on her outfits and make-up. But what would it feel like to actually wear it?Joining Kate in this episode is the amazing Casta Hex, historical drag queen, embroiderer and textiles artist for film and TV. Casta creates all her costumes using period accurate fabrics and techniques.Layer by layer, they explore how to get ready like Marie Antoinette.This episode was edited by Natasha Hughes. It was produced by Sophie Gee, McKenna Fernandez and

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53:27

History's Deadliest Women: The Blood Countess

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

2026/08/28

Elizabeth Bathory was a fabulously wealthy Noblewoman accused of torturing and killing some 600 women in the 16th century.Her story is popularly spoken about as one of history's deadliest women... but is it true? And if it isn't, why has it stuck?Helping us get to the bottom of these questions is Shelley Puhak, author of The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal and the Making of a Monster, to talk through her new findings on Elizabeth Báthory.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was

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42:28

History's Deadliest Women: The Evil Stepmother

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

2026/08/21

In 1909, the third and final woman hanged in Western Australia was executed. She had murdered three of her step children.What drove Martha Rendall to kill these children? Why did others in their neighbourhood stand by and not raise the alarm sooner? And how do our understandings of women who kill factor into the evil stepmother figure factor?This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of

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46:21

The Mad Monk & The Witch Hunts

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

2026/08/18

Malleus Maleficarum may sound like a spell but it is actually almost the opposite. This book was nicknamed the Hammer of Witches, and today we're finding out if it really started the European witch hunts.Kate is joined by the wonderful Eleanor Janega to talk all things Heinrich Kramer, the monk who wrote the Malleus. Where did his obsession come from? And did his colleagues in the Catholic church support his views?This episode was edited by Natasha Hughes. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior

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46:35

The Mystic Nun Killed By Henry VIII

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

2026/08/07

As if the Tudor world wasn't mad enough, in 1528 a mystic nun showed up demanding an audience with Henry VIII.Elizabeth Barton stood in front of him and told him that his controversial marriage to Anne Boleyn would make God strike him down.Did Barton survive this? Well, what do you think. As the only nun executed in English history, what was her origin story? How did she become so famous? And if her visions weren't real, why would she be faking them?Joining Kate today is author and historian Hayley

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55:07

Supersluts of History: First World War Spy Mata Hari

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

2026/06/19

Mata Hari was a dancer and courtesan who was executed in 1917 for being a spy during the First World War.How did she get involved in such dangerous business? Was she really a mastermind spy who used her sexuality to gain intelligence? Or a scapegoat whose sexuality was used against her?In our new mini-series, Supersluts of History, we're exploring and celebrating women whose sexuality was used to define them.Joining Kate today is Professor Julie Wheelwright, author of The Fatal Lover: Mata Hari and

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39:46

Supersluts of History: Roman Empress Theodora

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

2026/06/05

In this new mini-series, we're exploring and celebrating women whose sexuality was used to define them.First up is Roman Empress Theodora. How did "Theodora from the brothels", as she was known, rise to be the most powerful woman across the Roman Empire?Joining Kate today is author Stella Duffy, to take us back to the 6th century and help us get to know Theodora's incredible story.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to

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31:01

The Most Feared Sex Act In History

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

2026/05/26

It’s got many names: giving head, going down, eating out, dining at the Y, muff diving.Why has cunnilingus been stigmatised and feared so consistently throughout history?! When the Kama Sutra is turning its back on it, you know something is up.Today is a special solo episode where Kate takes you through the history of cunnilingus, to find out why this sex act has been so insulting, demonised and feared.This episode a special celebration of Kate's new book, Flick: The Story of Female Pleasure, which

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47:56

A History of Homophobia

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

2026/05/12

Has there ever been a time when homophobia did not exist? And what causes it to rise and fall?Kate is joined by Dr. Harry Tanner, author of 'The Queer Thing About Sin: Why the West Came to Hate Queer Love'. Harry has been exploring ancient and biblical sources to find out where homophobia began, and why it seems to intensify in times of inequality.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of

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49:25

How to Get Cancelled in Ancient Judea

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

2026/05/08

What do we know about Jesus? Kate is joined for this episode by Professor of Christian Origins, Helen Bond, to find out more about the historical record for the events of the New Testament, why Jesus was persecuted, and who by.Helen is Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh, and co-hosts the Biblical Time Machine Podcast.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

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50:05

The Fake Princess Who Fooled Georgian England

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

2026/05/05

What you'll hear in today's episode is a story that strikes to the dark heart of the British Empire.Despite being set in the time of Jane Austen's early 19th century polite society, Princess Caraboo's strange tale makes her an instant celebrity.But how much of it, if any, is true? Where does it lead? And what happens when the truth is a lot darker than the lie?Joining Kate today is the wonderful Dr. Maddy Pelling, co-host of After Dark and author of Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment,

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52:14

Sex Work in Colonial India

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

2026/05/01

When the British Empire colonised India, how did it treat their different ideas about sex? How did they treat sex workers like the Devadasi, meaning 'slave of God'? And did the Victorians fetishise Indian sexuality?Joining Kate today is the magnificent Anjali Arondekar, Professor of Feminist Studies at the University of California, and author of For the Record: On Sexuality and the Colonial Archive in India.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior

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44:36

How Scandalous Were Masquerade Balls?

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

2026/04/28

Faces covered, identities unknown - masquerade balls sound like a place of anonymity and, therefore, SCANDAL.But how true is this in the 18th Century? Could people sneak in unrecognised like they do in Bridgerton? And how much would people be misbehaving inside?Kate is joined for this particular dance by Dr Meghan Kobza, author of 'Masquerade: Unmasking Georgian London'.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up

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46:25

The Brothels of Imperial Russia

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

2026/04/24

In today's episode we're taking you back to the brothels of 19th century St. Petersburg.Sex work was legalised under the Emperor Nicholas I, but what was life like for sex workers? Why did they have to carry yellow tickets? And why did sex work there differ to the rest of Europe?Joining Kate today is Dr. Colleen Lucey, Associate Professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at the University of Arizona, to take us back to Imperial Russia to find out.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer

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41:39

Who was the first 'Lesbian'?

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

2026/04/21

Was Sappho queer? Or was this Ancient Greek poet just really really good friends with women?Today on Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined by Katherine Horgan to find out how Sappho's poetry has lasted through the centuries, what we can really know about her life, and why she is important in the modern world?Katherine is researching classical reception in Early Modern English Literature at Harvard, and will be taking on a professorship at Sarah Lawrence later this year.This episode was edited by Hannah

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41:23

Sex Work in the American Revolution

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

2026/04/17

Where the American War of Independence raged, the camp followers...followed.Among them were sex workers, for both the American and British troops. What was life like inside army camps where sex workers mixed with wives, soldiers and generals? How did race and slavery factor into sex and sexuality in this time? And how did each side view queerness in the camps?Joining Kate today is the wonderful historian and author, Professor John McCurdy, to take us back to this time.This episode was edited by Tim

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