Rephonic
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
Ancient Egypt
Tudor Court
Ancient Rome
Anne Boleyn
Victorian Era
Christianity
Sexuality
Catherine Of Aragon
Women's Rights
Virginity
Beauty Standards
Marie Antoinette
Incest
French Revolution
Medieval Period
Fashion

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 weeklyEpisodes454Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

Listen to this Podcast

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

Latest Episodes

Mata Hari was a dancer and courtesan who was executed in 1917 for being a spy during the First World War.

How did she get involved in such dangerous business? Was she really a mastermind spy who used her sexuality to gain intelligence? Or a scapegoa... more

Has Burlesque always meant the same thing? Where did it come from? And how has it changed?

Kate is joined by Dr Marissa Vigneault, Associate Professor of Art History at Utah State University, to find out more about how burlesque has become the art f... more

Madam du Barry's life was remarkable: from rags, to riches, to... revolution. And she pi**ed off Marie Antoinette along the way, too.

How did this courtesan from a poor background make it to be royal mistress in Versailles? How did the French Revolu... more

What really went down in the Garden of Eden? Was there an apple? Was there a snake? Was the 'original sin' all that bad?

To answer these questions and more, Kate is joined by Dr Dylan Johnson, biblical scholar and historian of the Ancient Near East ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

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
Estelle Paranque
Historian and expert on Lettice Knollys
Episode: How to Get Cancelled in the Tudor Court
Dan Snow
Guest who discusses the history of the female orgasm and author
Television presenter/author
Episode: The Elusive Female Orgasm with Dan Snow
Eleanor Yarnagher
Guest portraying a medieval figure for discussion
Gone Medieval
Episode: How to Get Cancelled as a Medieval Mistress
Harry Tanner
Scholar of queer history, author of The Queer Thing About Sin
Independent researcher/Author
Episode: A History of Homophobia
Helen Bond
Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Episode: How to Get Cancelled in Ancient Judea

Host

Kate Lister
Host of Betwixt The Sheets, History Hit.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 7.7k ratings
  • Conspicuously absent on trans life and features transphobes

    🙄

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    NcCartney
    Germanya month 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
    Australia2 months ago
  • Mostly great

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

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    printedvintage
    Canada2 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 States2 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 States2 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.

Supersluts of History: Roman Empress Theodora
Q: Could you give us a bit of an overview of who Theodora is and why she's often described as 'from the brothel'?
Stella describes Theodora as a woman who rose from poverty and potentially a sex-working background to become empress, emphasizing her political acumen, religious alignment, and social reforms rather than reducing her to sensational rumors.
The Truth about Adam & Eve
Q: Why is Eve often framed as the primary agent in giving humanity consciousness, and how do modern scholars reinterpret this?
While traditional readings emphasizing Eve as the cause of original sin have been challenged, many scholars now view Eve's role as pivotal in bestowing consciousness and humanity, with feminist interpretations arguing against patriarchal readings and highlighting agency and knowledge as positive traits.
The Truth about Adam & Eve
Q: What does tradition say about Mosaic authorship of the Eden narrative?
Tradition attributes the first five books to Moses, but the historical-critical view attributes authorship to multiple Hebrew-speaking scribes writing and editing over centuries, with later layers and redactors shaping Genesis.
Supersluts of History: Royal Mistress Madam du Barry
Q: How did she become officially presented at court given her lack of noble birth?
A noble sponsor, Madame de Bihan, arranged her presentation after Louis agreed to settle debts and promote her husband's family, showing how access at court often depended on powerful patrons and favors.
Supersluts of History: Royal Mistress Madam du Barry
Q: Why did Louis fall for Jean?
Because she was not only beautiful but also more sexually experienced than his previous mistresses, and she fit into court life in a way that allowed him to be drawn to her while she leveraged social connections to gain influence.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

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.

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

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. The Ancients

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 4 years ago and published 454 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Christine Adams
2. Dylan Johnson
3. Stella Duffy
4. Jean Menzies
5. Estelle Paranque
6. Dan Snow
7. Eleanor Yarnagher
8. Harry Tanner

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days