You're Dead to Me

by BBC Radio 4
2,135
History #35

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 Arc to become a saint? And was Catherine the Great really all that great? Whether you want to explore ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, dance through the history of Broadway and Bollywood, or find out how the Tudors rose to power, Greg and his guests promise to teach you something new that you won’t have heard in history lessons.

Previous episodes of You’re Dead To Me have covered everything from royals to revolutionaries, actors to activists and divas to dictators. Take a stroll through the history of high-heeled shoes or get the scoop on the history of ice cream. Maybe you’d like to paint like the cave artists of the Palaeolithic era, work out like a Victorian bodybuilder, or fight like a Spartan? We’ve even hosted a special, live episode with the BBC Concert Orchestra to explore the dramatic life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Whatever your historical interests, Greg and his guests make even the trickiest topics easy to follow. Join them for a history lesson that’s as entertaining as it is enlightening - with no homework required.

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Recent Reviews
  • glorybower
    Knowledge
    I love listening to this show. I appreciate your efforts to keep it diverse!
  • AnnLisa90
    Playback Issue Subscription
    Love the show so giving a full 5 stars. But having issues with the subscriber edition. Continually getting notifications “this episode can’t be played on this device” despite have a full subscription. Unsure if this is a BBC issue or Apple?
  • Tajar218
    Excellent bits of history
    I really enjoy how Greg takes a specific topic and delves into it with an expert. Have I been excited by every episode? Of course not. But the detail and production are superior every time. A good listen that feels like 20 min, not 45
  • LivB.
    Love it!!
    A couple days ago I found this podcast and I LOVE IT!! Would recommend to history lovers
  • E=mc2/e=0.736
    Norse mythology
    I can only picture freya riding the squirrel I’m sorry but like she is so holy and blah blah blah and she is riding a squirrel 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
  • Far too unimpressed
    Loved this podcast at first.
    Originally found it funny, history and humor, different format which was great. Then it started with all the Radio Edits. The comedy went downhill after that. And then the subscriber only episodes started. Or everything that comes out is early access for subscribers. Unless you want to pay for a subscription you can’t get much from the podcast anymore. And the recent episodes haven’t provided enough entertainment to make me want to subscribe. Total Bummer!
  • paigebfriend
    Bringing history back to life!
    I love a good history lesson with a dose of humor, and Your Dead to Me does it so well.
  • hhhhaaapppyyy123
    Love the cover
    But I haven’t heard the episode’s
  • Dog Walker - Podcast Lover!
    Spontaneity, lightness, and well researched history!
    Amazing spontaneity and lightness coupled with a well researched historical narrative. How do they do it?
  • ALibraryHobbit
    A delight
    I absolutely love this podcast! I learn so much from each episode and laugh my backside off in the process. Thank you so much!
  • ErikOstebo
    I’m so upset
    I just found this podcast in March 2025 and I am so upset I didn’t find it sooner! Perfection. I would rate 10 if I could. -a new fan.
  • Ber1n2025
    The NUANCE WINDOW
    I enjoy this show and I have no idea why - in however many years it’s been running - that they haven’t fixed the jarring jump in volume that occurs when shifting to The NUANCE WINDOW!!!!!!!
  • Moky in AZ
    Making education fun, what a concept!
    I love history and I really appreciate this podcast take on it! It’s good to know that humans have hardly changed at all over the millennia😁
  • GertiserA
    A paywall seriously?
    I love this show and have listened to all the episodes so I was disappointed to see that the new season is behind a paywall. Come on, BBC… you can do better
  • Alpineburger
    Funny and Informative
    It’s a fun show.
  • RAKGB
    LOVE this podcast, but...
    ...please, please, please do not pronounce Medici Medeeeci. The accent is on the first syllable. It's MEdici. Anything else is cringeworthy!
  • KentuckyRobert
    Love it!
    Showtunes! Love it. Banger of an ending to a great show.
  • Ld1370
    Enjoyable Education
    Edutainment, they call em
  • Elbybara
    Simply the best!
    This show is perfect for you if you love humor but struggle with history (like me). I’ve been listening for years and thoroughly enjoy the interactions between Greg Jenner (the host), the guest historian, and the guest comedian. It’s a great way to laugh while learning.
  • Count 0
    So much fun. And I learn stuff too.
    Title says it all. Not much more I can add.
  • CTHOBC
    No Jonathan Larson?
    I love this show and I'm so happy you did an episode on Broadway, but how could you cover the history of Broadway and not mention Jonathan Larson's impact on the industry? Countless theatre artists cite Rent as the reason they got into theatre. Including Lin Manuel Miranda, who you brought up multiple times. To not mention it is irresponsible and does a huge disservice to his legacy. And erases the struggles and contributions of the queer community which helped to reinvigorate Broadway through works such as Rent, which paved the way for shows like Spring Awakening and Hamilton to be created in the first place.
  • Still Dry
    Lovely in virtually every way
    This is a really great show. Greg and his guests are charming and knowledgeable. My only gripe, and this is true of every BBC show (looking at you, Now Show), is that each segment is punctuated by an introduction like “THE NUANCE WINDOW” that is entirely too loud. I just don’t get how the BBC can’t balance the audio on any program, this included. I’m sorry that I’m complaining about this on your podcast, Greg.
  • BHG1!
    This makes me Happy
    This show is incredible. I love history but sometimes it can be dry. This show makes learning about a variety of topics interesting and funny. Several of the episodes are things I never thought to learn about. I’m hooked and always looking for were to get more of Greg and his guests.
  • Gretchie Love
    Best of both worlds
    The combination of expert historians and talented comedians along with Greg Jenner ( who is a lot of both) makes this podcast brilliant.
  • JennieDwy
    🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪😜😜😜😜🤪🤪🤪😜😜😜😜😜😜
    Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!!$&@&$🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
  • Maa@\
    Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
    Make an episode about skibidi toilet
  • tigress✌🏻🦋
    Very good producing and podcast
    This is a very great idea. It is made for history lovers who want it to be light and upbeat. But with the comedian and historian are really hit or miss.
  • Voltaire1694
    Too Woke
    “CE / BCE” - you still haven’t changed the starting date for the numbering, so renaming BC / AD is just annoying virtue-signalling. Most, but not everything, on the BBC is just as revisionist/PC. Give it a rest, will you?
  • SadieHawkins85
    Can’t stop listening!
    I love this podcast - I just discovered it and I’ve been marathoning all the episodes. Love the combination of scholarship and humor. And I love that they choose guests/scholars who embody the cultures they’re talking about! Really adds to the experience! Keep it up!
  • Mollie13189
    The Perfect Podcast Does Exist!
    I listen to this while I work in an archive. It’s the perfect balance of entertainment and education- a rare thing!
  • Iuch!
    Hilarious and Informative
    Always a delight! Learn something and be entertained.
  • guggutvjuf
    Very very good!
    Put this in when I go to sleep, during the day, anytime I can. Best episode is the Agatha Christie one.
  • ItsJohnBone
    Best History Pod, Bar None
    The best history pod, bar none. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, you’ll be entertained. OK?
  • The Friendly Podcast Guide
    Entertaining and Interesting
    I love learning about interesting history along side hilarious comedians. I get to learn and laugh, it’s the best of both worlds!
  • Alya O
    A masterpiece!
    Lighthearted, educational, humorous.. and lovely easy listening. I’m having a blast going through all past episodes. If only all history teachers would use this method to teach history, then we’d have a generation of historians and history lovers!
  • OneExpat
    Great show!
    I absolutely love this podcast! What a fun way to learn a bit more about history. Sometimes, the comedians are trying too hard to be funny and to be the centre of the show, but the majority of the episodes are really, really great! Greg Jenner is a wonderful host!
  • TammyTam
    Love this podcast!
    Fun, funny and you get to learn a little history, often about quirky or lessor known historical figures. You will laugh a lot and learn a lot!
  • Gandalf's Chocolate
    Amazing
    Excellent
  • starkravingchad
    So many dead people
    All of them fun!
  • Edmundo Carr
    Love this podcast
    Mozart podcast was fantastic!!!
  • TCheston81
    Absolutely Brilliant
    I cannot get enough
  • SSRipley
    LOVE this podcast, but bummed because…
    I really love this podcast. It is I think my favorite of all the podcasts I listen to. I am about to listen to the Mozart episode. Can’t wait! I note that this is the 11th episode, with new material, and final episode of this, the 7th season of the podcast. Perhaps I am mistaken, but this seems like a much shorter series than previous series? So for that reason I am bummed. I look forward to the next series and hope Mr. Jenner has time to give us more content as the year progresses. Thanks Steven
  • DrainDoo
    Mozart Episode
    Loved this pod for several years. This ep may be the best yet. Adding the orchestra was amazing. Hearing the music while it was being discussed made it come alive. As an American, I hadn’t had a lot of exposure to David O’Doherty, but he was hilarious while fitting in perfectly to the theme. Wow!
  • 18283749/73
    Historically funny and entertaining!
    I happened upon this podcast when searching up more information on Napoleon in his early years and was instantly hooked. Not only does it cover topics I don’t find very common, but it also covers topics that even though are well-known the historians always have new information that you won’t get from a book or documentary. I always learn something new. I love the comedians because they add an element of not only comedy but viewpoints and reactions you wouldn’t get from just straight forward historians talking history. And the historians they do find always have really good stories about the topic that you wouldn’t necessarily hear otherwise. I highly suggest this for any adult who wants to learn more about history and has a sense of humor.
  • HearFixr
    Tower of Babel
    Much potential but the podcast degenerates into gibberish and becomes silly
  • nucuplmnjuyh
    Ibn Batuta
    It was excruciating. Amira, the historian, never laughed at Nabil’s jokes. That should have been your clue to edit him out. It was truly offensive, I can only imagine what his shows are like, sexist and coprophiliac. And reading the reviews, it seems you’ve never learned your lesson. Edit: I tried again. Listened to the Queen of Sheba episode. It was unlistenable. Sadia was gross. Why do you keep bringing people of this low quality and pair them with serious scholars? They have no place here. Also you, the host, your laugh is forced and embarrassing. Expected better from the BBC. That’s it, I’m done.
  • Ms. Sissinghurst
    Superb, and hilarious!
    History made fascinating and funny in a smart, quickly paced format. Just can’t get enough of it! Have learned so much from this podcast, not the least of which is how narrow the lens I used to view the world. Somehow the comedians who comment on the episodes bring an edge that helps me see the ridiculous in things that have been revered for years. Thanks.
  • omggreekmythologynerd
    Amazing Podcasg
    I love this podcast but can you do a episode on Greek mythology? Also I think it would be fun to have Taylor Tomlinson or someone from Dude Perfect on a show as the comedian?🩵
  • Termaganti
    Love the show, but …
    Greg is brilliant but the choice of comedians isn’t always great. Sue Perkins was one of the best, but please don’t bring back Sadia from the Queen of Sheba episode!
  • Jehehedjemmasnsh
    Brilliant and Funny.
    I have not been able to find a podcast like this one. I have always found history fascinating, but to have a podcast with random focuses and both a comedic and educational element is truly brilliant. I wait for the new episodes and listen to the on my commute through Los Angeles. Love the content, love the accents, and cheers to you Greg!
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