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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

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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41:49

The Truth About the Mitford Sisters

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

2025/11/25

The Mitfords could rank as the strangest family of the 20th century.Unity and Diana were passionate fascists who became obsessed with Adolf Hitler, while Jessica became a communist. Unity even became mates with Hitler and was in Germany as the war broke out.How did these aristocrats move in such controversial circles? What happened when the Second World War broke out? How did their stories end?Joining Kate today is the author and cartoonist, Mimi Pond, who has written a new book about the Mitford

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38:50

Did Henry VIII Have An Affair With Anne Boleyn's Sister?

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

2025/11/21

She was 'the Other Boleyn Girl' - Anne's sister, Mary, who supposedly had an affair with King Henry VIII. Such drama!What evidence is there that the two got betwixt the sheets together? How likely was it?!Joining Kate today is the historian and author, Estelle Paranque, to get to the heart of the these rumours.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. 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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53:49

Sex and Scandal of Medieval Royals

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

2025/11/14

What did Queen Isabella of France do to deserve the nickanem She-Wolf? What sex scandals happened in the 14th century? And why did the Black Death improve peoples' sex lives?!Joining Kate today is the fantastic author and historian, Helen Carr, to take us back to this time to find out.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and

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56:02

The Truth About Vincent Van Gogh

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

2025/11/11

However you pronounce his name, one thing is for certain: Van Gogh made made his mark on the world.But how did he interact with the world around him? From his relationship with a sex worker in the Hague to his time at the asylum in the south of France.Joining Kate today is Teio Meedendorp, Senior Researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, to help us get to know this complex man better.*TW: This episode contains references to self harm and suicide.*This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by

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1:01:30

The Truth About Mary Shelley

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

2025/11/04

Frankenstein and his monster are household names - even if one is often confused for the other. But what of their creator?In this episode we are meeting Mary Shelley. Did she really lose her virginity on her mother's grave? Did she keep her husband's heart after his death? And where did the gothic novel 'Frankenstein' come from?Kate is joined by poet Fiona Sampson to explore Mary and her life. Fiona's biography of Mary Shelley is entitled ‘In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote

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38:43

How Bloody Was 'Bloody Mary'?

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

2025/10/28

Before Mary I was Queen, no other woman had worn the crown of England.This made her a Tudor trailblazer, and a target.During her short reign she burned some 300+ people, earning her the nickname 'Bloody Mary'. Was this nickname justified or was it a case of bad press?Joining Kate today is the fantastic Anna Whitelock, historian and author of books including Mary Tudor: England’s First Queen, to help us get to know this woman.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The

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41:43

How To Fake Virginity

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

2025/10/24

Why, just why, would one put a leech up their .. you know where? It's all in the name of virginity, or the faking of it.Kate is joined by Dr Julia Martins to find out why virginity was so necessary to Early Modern people, and how they went about faking it.Julia can be found at juliamartins.co.ukThis episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week

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45:06

Inside Concentration Camp Brothels

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

2025/10/21

Even among Holocaust researchers, this subject is taboo. Starting in 1942, the Nazis set up brothels inside some of the camps, not for the guards, but for the prisoners.What was the point of these brothels? Who were the women forced to work there? And who were the prisoners who visited them?In this episode we find out from Robert Sommer, author of 'The Concentration Camp Brothel: Forced Sexual Labor under Nazi Rule'. Over 10 years, Robert scoured 70 archives and spoke with 30 survivors to bridge

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42:19

Inside a Wild West Brothel

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

2025/10/14

Shoot outs, hard drinking and gambling. The Wild West is remembered for it's general lawlessness, but what might life have been like for the first women to join the American settlers as they moved west?**TW: This episode contains mentions of suicide**In this episode, we are investigating the lives of sex workers on the American frontier. Who were they? What were their living conditions like? And how were they treated by their contemporaries?Kate is joined for this episode by Hollie Marquess, Dr Leo

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50:34

Inside Imperial Japan's Brothels

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

2025/10/07

After the first licensed brothel opened in the 17th century, how was sex work thought of in Japan throughout the following centuries?From the brothels in the pleasure quarters, to the rise and popularity of male sex workers and where geishas fit into the picture, Kate is joined by Elizabeth Lublin to explore this world.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries,

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