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Artwork for Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

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

History Hit
Henry VIII
Sex Work
Elizabeth I
Renaissance
Tudor Court
Ancient Egypt
Anne Boleyn
Victorian Era
Christianity
Sexuality
Catherine Of Aragon
Ancient Rome
Virginity
Beauty Standards
Women's Rights
Marie Antoinette
French Revolution
Medieval Period
Fashion
Women In History

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 middl... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes460Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Latest Episodes

Picture a dragon and its dragon slayer. What do you imagine?

It's likely going to be a giant, scaly, fire-breathing beast and a rugged knight with a massive sword. However, throughout history we have amazing myths of women dragon slayers.

What are ... more

With the Fourth of July and America's 250th around the corner we wanted to revisit an episode and take a look back at the presidents from the past what we know about their sex lives.

Which president was well-endowed and supposedly presented it to st... more

Why did 200 people queue to give blood in the San Diego summer heat on 16 July 1983?

During the AIDS crisis, many people living with HIV developed severe anaemia as a result of the disease and the treatments available at the time, leaving them depen... more

Marlene Dietrich was unapologetic in her love of sex, and she had a lot of it.

She took Hollywood by storm in the 1930s and slept with some of tinsel town's most famous men and women.

What made her so unique and create such a legacy? As a sexually ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Jennifer Breyer
Author of Infectious Ideas, US Political Response to the AIDS Crisis
University of Illinois, Chicago (Professor of History)
Episode: Lesbian Blood Sisters of the HIV Crisis
Brian Castner
Author; former Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer
Author; Klondike/Government history writer
Episode: Sex Work in the Klondike Gold Rush
Julie Wheelwright
Marvellous author and historian
University/independent historian mentioned in episode
Episode: Supersluts of History: First World War Spy Mata Hari
Marissa Vigneault
Art historian, Utah State University
Utah State University
Episode: A Teasing History Of Burlesque
Christine Adams
Professor of History, co-author of The Creation of the French Royal Mistress
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Episode: Supersluts of History: Royal Mistress Madam du Barry
Dylan Johnson
Dr. Dylan Johnson, Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Episode: The Truth about Adam & Eve
Stella Duffy
Author of Theodora Actress Empress Whore and The Purple Shroud
Author, Theodora works
Episode: Supersluts of History: Roman Empress Theodora
Jean Menzies
Academic author; researcher focusing on sex and pleasure in the ancient world
Author, Aphrodisia: Women, Sex and Pleasure in the Classical World
Episode: Sex & Pleasure in the Ancient World
Mick LaSalle
Film critic and writer discussed in episode
San Francisco Chronicle
Episode: How to Get Cancelled in Hollywood's Golden Age

Host

Kate Lister
Host of Betwixt The Sheets, History Hit.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 7.8k ratings
  • Conspicuously absent on trans life and features transphobes

    🙄

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    NcCartney
    Germany2 months ago
  • 😍

    Love this podcast, a new favourite!!! The topics are fascinating, Kate is a brilliant host and the guest speakers are well-informed. An engaging way to learn about some of history’s more sordid details.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    froglet77
    Australia3 months ago
  • Mostly great

    However not everything and everyone has to be made feminist and/or queer.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    printedvintage
    Canada3 months ago
  • Please don’t nitpick

    I love all the podcasts HH has. This was the first one I listened to. I have to say….the complaints about music and other arbitrary things are silly. You’re here to learn spicy history are you not? You’ll survive 30 seconds of music or a bit of banter between the host and guests. I adore Kate and always look forward to a new episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alexxi0494
    United States3 months ago
  • Hate the new show music!

    For the love of the Gods, can you please revert back to your original soundtrack? This newer one is atrocious and doesn’t fit at all!!

    Drives me crazy and it is sure to drive me away from a very good show.

    Whose bloody idea was it anyway?!!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    fotovitamina
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Education meets entertainment in a witty, accessible format.
Music and pacing can be divisive, but content is consistently strong.
Guests are well-chosen and topic variety is excellent.
Engaging and informative with great guests; host keeps it lively.
Open, funny, and feminist-leaning history with solid research.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Sex Lives of American Presidents [repeat]
Q: Have there been presidents who managed to balance power and personal fidelity?
Examples like Jimmy Carter and the Reagans are discussed as relatively more stable relationships, suggesting that happily married presidential couples exist but are less in the public eye.
Sex Lives of American Presidents [repeat]
Q: Is there a president who stands out as particularly emblematic of hubris and sexual recklessness?
While many presidents show varying degrees of hubris, JFK is highlighted as a prime example of pathological promiscuity that had both personal and national security implications.
Sex Lives of American Presidents [repeat]
Q: You have written a book called Sex with Presidents. What drew you to study this history?
Eleanor Herman explains her focus on love and power within the White House and how sexual dynamics intersect with political life, drawing on a range of presidents and eras to illustrate broader patterns.
Lesbian Blood Sisters of the HIV Crisis
Q: Can you describe what the environment was like when the illness started to take hold and it started to present itself?
The environment was marked by fear, stigma, and a government largely absent from action. Early narratives focused on gay men, while lesbians and other groups faced delayed recognition. Communities created care networks, pressure grew from mutual aid efforts, and activism eventually pushed for more organized public health responses.
Lesbian Blood Sisters of the HIV Crisis
Q: But before we even get to that, let's just do a real page one starter beginner question. What is HIV? What is AIDS?
Historically, HIV is the virus that attacks the body's immune system, while AIDS is the syndrome that can develop when the immune system is severely compromised. The discussion emphasizes how HIV spread through blood and blood products, and how early understanding was shaped by social and political contexts, with the virus present long before it was formally identified in 1981.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history-focused show that explores sexual culture, power, and society across eras, blending scholarly analysis with lively storytelling. Episodes cover topics from medieval court politics and Renaissance gender norms to Victorian mores and modern debates about female pleasure and sexuality. A standout is the host's ability to pair rigorous historical context with accessible, humor-infused conversation and engaging guest experts, making niche topics approachable for a broad audience.

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
2. Not Just the Tudors
3. Gone Medieval
4. Dan Snow's History Hit
5. Talking Tudors

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 4 years ago and published 460 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Jennifer Breyer
2. Brian Castner
3. Julie Wheelwright
4. Marissa Vigneault
5. Christine Adams
6. Dylan Johnson
7. Stella Duffy
8. Jean Menzies

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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