249 episodes

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced?
Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class.
Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures for impotence. The etymology of swear words, gender bias in medicine, and satanic panic and cults - there’s nothing off limits.
She'll be bed-hopping 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 yourself how much has actually changed.
So join Kate Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society - a podcast from History Hit.

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

    • History
    • 4.8 • 715 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced?
Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class.
Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures for impotence. The etymology of swear words, gender bias in medicine, and satanic panic and cults - there’s nothing off limits.
She'll be bed-hopping 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 yourself how much has actually changed.
So join Kate Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society - a podcast from History Hit.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Emperors & Scandals in Ancient Rome with Mary Beard

    Emperors & Scandals in Ancient Rome with Mary Beard

    What happens at a Roman emperor's dinner party? Why would you be lucky to get out alive? And how are emperors even chosen?
    Joining Kate today is the one, the only Mary Beard, to take us back to Ancient Rome and help separate the facts from the myths.
    Mary's latest book, Emperor of Rome, is out now in paperback.This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts.
    Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code BETWIXT.
    You can take part in our listener survey here.
    Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

    • 47 min
    Sex & Scandal in UK Politics

    Sex & Scandal in UK Politics

    With the UK election a mere few days away (at time of release), what better time to look back at some of the biggest scandals in our political history?
    In this episode, Kate's exploring the notorious Profumo affair of the early 1960s and the Thorpe Affair of the 1970s.
    They had it all: sex, espionage and corruption at the highest level of society. It's no wonder they caught the attention of the world's media.
    Joining Kate today is Richard Davenport-Hines, author of An English Affair: Sex, Class and Power in the Age of Profumo to find out more about them.
    This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
    Voting is open for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, so if you enjoy what we're doing, we'd love it if you took a quick follow this link and click on Betwixt the Sheets: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting
    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code BETWIXT
    You can take part in our listener survey here.
    Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

    • 35 min
    Origins of the Patriarchy

    Origins of the Patriarchy

    Whose idea was the patriarchy? How long has it been a part of our lives? And how do we even define it?
    For something that's so prevalent in most of our lives, it can sometimes feel like there's an inevitability to it.
    However, there are so many examples of alternatives, and surprising reasons to its origins.
    Exploring all of this with Kate today is Angela Saini, author of The Patriarchs: How Men Came To Rule.
    This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
    Voting is open for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, so if you enjoy what we're doing, we'd love it if you took a quick follow this link and click on Betwixt the Sheets: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting
    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/
    You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 45 min
    Incest in Ancient Egypt

    Incest in Ancient Egypt

    From recent research we know that the great boy king Tutankhamun was a result of incest.
    How did it effect him? And was incest in Ancient Egypt mostly for symbolic reasons of retaining power, or did it go further than that?
    Joining Kate today is the wonderful Sarah Parcak, archaeologist and Egyptologist, to help us find out more. Importantly, they also touch on why the Ancient Egyptians found lettuce sexy.
    This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
    Voting is open for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, so if you enjoy what we're doing, we'd love it if you took a quick follow this link and click on Betwixt the Sheets: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting
    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/
    You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 31 min
    Sex Life of Henry VIII

    Sex Life of Henry VIII

    When we think of Henry VIII we think of a big, blood thirsty tyrant.
    But was there more to this caricature of a king then we give him credit for? Joining Kate today to help us get to know this man better is the fantastic Tracy Borman, author of Henry VIII and the men who made him.
    Why did Henry love his daily horoscopes? How did his hypochondria affect his sex life? And was he in, in fact, a bit of a prude?
    This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
    Voting is open for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, so if you enjoy what we're doing, we'd love it if you took a quick follow this link and click on Betwixt the Sheets: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting
    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/
    You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 46 min
    The REAL Bridgerton: Historians React To Season 3

    The REAL Bridgerton: Historians React To Season 3

    *SPOILER ALERT: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS DETAILS OF SEASON 3 OF BRIDGERTON*
    With the second part of season 3 of Bridgerton dropping on Netflix in the last few days, Kate is joined by Catherine Curzon, author of Inside the World of Bridgerton: True Stories of Regency High Society, to break down how it stands up to historical accuracies of the era.
    How does season 3 match the historical goings on of the time? How did gossip become a form of power for women? Especially in a society that didn't allow them a voice in other areas of life. And who was the real Lady Whistledown?
    Also, if you'd like to find out more about this incredible period, you can watch Kate present a two-part documentary - Georgian Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll: Unbuttoning Bridgerton - over on History Hit. Simply click here for a free 14 day trial and watch now.
    This episode was edited by Tom Delargy, the producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
    Voting is open for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, so if you enjoy what we're doing, we'd love it if you took a quick follow this link and click on Betwixt the Sheets: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting
    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/
    You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 44 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
715 Ratings

715 Ratings

Theatrejen6 ,

Fantastic Show!

Love the host & adore how she makes all the stories almost come alive.

werdknerd ,

Love it!

The combo of sex and history is brilliant. The show is witty and informative.

mysterymach ,

Great. Funny. AND informative.

The Boudica episode had me rolling. This is a needed podcast and the host if wonderful and fun. Top drawer darling!

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