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PODCAST

You"re Dead to Me

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

history

All Episodes

58:16

El Cid: the life and legend of a medieval Spanish...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/04/10

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Spain by historian Professor Nora Berend and comedian Toussaint Douglass to learn about the colourful life and afterlife of the warrior known as El Cid. El Cid – real name Rodrigo Díaz – was a mercenary in eleventh-century Spain who fought for both Christian kings and Muslim rulers before setting himself up as ruler of Valencia. This episode explores his dramatic life in the period before religious divisions were key on the Iberian Peninsula, and an ambitious

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58:06

Empress Dowager Cixi: from concubine to ruler of China

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/04/03

Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century China by historian Professor Yangwen Zheng and comedian Sophie Duker to learn about the Qing dynasty ruler Empress Dowager Cixi. A contemporary of Queen Victoria, Cixi rose from low-ranked concubine to de facto ruler of China for nearly half a century, and lived through a dizzying array of events in China’s nineteenth-century history, including the Taiping Rebellion, the Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion. Ruling through her son and then her nephew,

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55:14

History of the Telephone: 150th anniversary special

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/03/27

For our 150th episode, Greg Jenner is joined by historian Professor Iwan Morus and comedian Catherine Bohart to learn about the history of the telephone on its 150th anniversary. The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, was granted the American patent for his new communication system 150 years ago, on the 7th March 1876, beating out fellow inventor Elisha Gray who had submitted his patent on the very same day. But Bell still had to convince people that this novel form of communication

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57:59

History of Spices: commerce, colonialism and culinary...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/03/20

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr David Veevers and comedian and quizzer Paul Sinha to learn all about the global history of spices and the spice trade. Nowadays, we take spices for granted, and our kitchen cabinets are full of ginger and cinnamon, cumin and coriander, pepper and nutmeg. But despite their contemporary status as a staple of diets around the world, the majority of spices are native only to Asia (barring notable exceptions like chilli peppers). In this episode, we tell the story of

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58:41

Epic of Gilgamesh: myths and heroes in ancient...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/03/13

Greg Jenner is joined in the ancient world by Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed sometime in the third millennium, and were told and retold throughout Mesopotamia until a Babylonian scholar named Sîn-leqi-unninni wrote down what has become the standard version. The tale he recorded tells of a tyrannical king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and the

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55:21

Hypatia of Alexandria: mathematician, martyr and...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/03/06

Greg Jenner is joined in late antique Egypt by Professor Edith Hall and comedian Olga Koch to learn about the life of mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria. An important mathematical and astronomical thinker, Hypatia is best known today for her brutal death at the hands of Christian fundamentalists. Born to a well-respected mathematician named Theon in fourth-century Alexandria, Hypatia received an unusually advanced education for a woman, and eventually took over her father’s school. But with the

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58:50

Geoffrey Chaucer: the medieval father of English...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/02/27

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales. Since the fifteenth century, Chaucer has been referred to as the father of English literature. He was one of the first authors to champion the use of Middle English for poetry instead of Latin, and after the invention of the printing press, his works became the foundation of the English literary canon – long before Shakespeare ever put

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60:14

Lena Horne: racism and resilience in the Golden Age...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/02/20

Greg Jenner is joined in twentieth-century America by Dr Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins and comedian Desiree Burch to learn all about singer and Hollywood actress Lena Horne. Born into a middle class Black family in New York, a young Lena Horne soon followed in the footsteps of her actress mother and made her début at the famous Cotton Club aged only 16. After making her name as a singer and performer – and following the end of her tumultuous first marriage – Horne transferred to the west coast and

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57:48

Philippe, Duc d’Orléans: in the shadow of the Sun King

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/02/13

Greg Jenner is joined in 17th-century France by Dr Jonathan Spangler and comedian Tom Allen to learn all about Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, Louis XIV’s younger brother. King Louis XIV is one of the most famous monarchs in French history: the man who built and presided over the glittering court at Versailles, established himself as an absolute ruler, and whose 72-year reign is still the longest in European history. But what about his younger brother, Philippe? Who was the man who grew up and lived in the

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57:10

Renaissance Medicine: healthcare and disease in early...

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/02/06

Greg Jenner is joined in the sixteenth century by Dr Alanna Skuse and comedian Ria Lina to learn all about medicine and medical professionals in Tudor and Stuart England. In Renaissance-era England, medicine was still based on the theory of the four humours, passed down from ancient Greek and Roman physicians like Hippocrates and Galen. But from the reign of Henry VIII, there were signs of change. The invention of the printing press led to an explosion in medical and anatomical books, and the

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58:08

Emperor Nero: ancient Rome’s most infamous ruler

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/01/30

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Rome by Professor Mary Beard and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt to learn all about Emperor Nero. Nero has gone down in history as one of Rome’s most infamous rulers – the villain in any number of films and television programmes, and the man who fiddled while the eternal city burned. He was also emperor during a number of momentous moments in the history of ancient Rome, including the revolt in Britain led by Iceni warrior queen Boudica. But does he deserve his

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28:03

Marie Antoinette (Radio Edit)

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/01/23

Greg Jenner is joined in the 18th century by historian Professor Katherine Astbury and comedian Jen Brister to learn about French queen Marie Antoinette.Born an Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette went on to be the last queen of France before the Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy. She is famous now for saying "let them eat cake", for her love of fashion, and her supposedly extravagant spending at a time when ordinary people in France were going hungry. But how true are any of these

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28:07

Hannibal of Carthage (Radio Edit)

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/01/16

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient North Africa by classicist Professor Josephine Quinn and comedian Darren Harriott to learn about Hannibal of Carthage and his war with Rome.Located in modern-day Tunisia, Carthage was once a Mediterranean superpower that rivalled Rome. In 218 BCE, the Second Punic War began between the two powers, with the Carthaginian army led by a man named Hannibal Barca. Famously, Hannibal took his forces – including a contingent of war elephants – over the Alps and into Italy,

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28:06

Alexandria (Radio Edit)

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/01/09

Greg Jenner is joined in Egypt by historian Professor Islam Issa and comedian Athena Kugblenu to learn all about the history of science and philosophy in the city of Alexandria.Founded by ancient conqueror Alexander the Great, Alexandria from its earliest days was a city at the forefront of scientific discoveries, philosophical enquiry and religious debate. At its height, the city’s famous library housed nearly one million texts, and attracted thinkers like Hypatia of Alexandria, Euclid and Heron

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14:06

The Brontës

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/01/02

Dead Funny History: The Brontës. Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the lives of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, three literary legends whose tragic family story inspired some of the greatest novels of the 19th century.This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From their Yorkshire parsonage to their tiny books written in

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13:48

Justinian and Theodora

You"re Dead to Me ·

2026/01/01

Dead Funny History: Justinian and Theodora. Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the lives of Justinian and Theodora; the ultimate Byzantine power couple who ruled an empire, survived riots, and reformed the law.This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From humble beginnings, he was the nephew of a pig farmer, she may have been the daughter of a

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14:09

Emma of Normandy

You"re Dead to Me ·

2025/12/31

Dead Funny History: Emma of Normandy. Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the life of Emma of Normandy - twice Queen of England, mother of kings, and the medieval Kris Jenner of royal politics.This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. Emma’s story is full of twists, betrayals and Viking invasions. Born in Normandy around 985 CE, she married King

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14:05

King John and the Magna Carta

You"re Dead to Me ·

2025/12/30

Dead Funny History: King John and the Magna Carta. King John was one of England’s least popular monarchs. In this episode of Dead Funny History, historian Greg Jenner explores how his chaotic reign led to one of the most important legal documents in history: Magna Carta.John wasn’t supposed to be king. As the youngest of eight children, he was nicknamed “John Lackland” and spent much of his early life overshadowed by his older brother, Richard the Lionheart. When Richard left for the Crusades, John

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14:12

Witch Craze

You"re Dead to Me ·

2025/12/29

Dead Funny History: Witch Craze. Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the Witch Craze, a terrifying period in European history when thousands were accused of witchcraft, and many paid the ultimate price.This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From the infamous Malleus Maleficarum to King James I’s witch-hunting book Daemonologie, Greg explores

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15:01

Marie Curie

You"re Dead to Me ·

2025/12/26

Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the life of Marie Curie; scientific legend, double Nobel Prize winner, war hero, and all-round icon.This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring Marie’s story to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From her rebellious education at the Flying University to her groundbreaking discoveries in radiation, Marie’s life was anything but ordinary.Learn how she defied

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