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No One Saw It Coming

ABC Australia
World War II
Berlin Wall
Stonewall Inn
LGBTQ+ Rights Movement
Igor Stravinsky
Absinthe
Radium Girls
Cholera
The Rite Of Spring
London
Mona Lisa
East Germany
World War I
John Snow
Paris
Cold War
Phineas Gage
History Of Absinthe
Mark Segal
French Revolution

The bit players, the unexpected twists, the turning point you missed. Join Walkley award-winner Marc Fennell as he uncovers the incredible moments that changed the course of history. New episodes out Tuesday.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes83Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for No One Saw It Coming

Latest Episodes

A warship born from panic. A cannon that was never fired. A shipwreck that's been lost for over a century. And one man determined to find it.

Dr James Hunter (Manager of Maritime Archaeology at the Australian National Maritime Museum) tells Marc Fe... more

In 1766, a "man" named Jean boarded a French naval ship as a botanist's valet. But Jean was hiding a secret. For years, that secret sailed around the world with them, until one day it was revealed that Jean was actually a woman and was sailing illega... more

A castle sits in the streets of American suburbia and from the outside it looks bizarre. But what’s on the inside is even weirder...

A dog named Cerberus, a basement nightclub with poles and cages, and a room full of princess costumes.

Jon Ronson... more

From the mid-1800s, more than 62,000 Pacific Islanders were kidnapped, tricked or coerced into labour on Queensland's sugar and cotton plantations.

Ryan Butta (Author, Blackbirding) and Emelda Davis, whose grandfather was taken from Vanuatu as a boy... 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.

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Recent Guests

Glynis Ridley
English professor at the University of Louisville and author of The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
University of Louisville
Episode: Fake names and forbidden love at sea
Jon Ronson
British author and filmmaker
Episode: Jon Ronson, the Manosphere and a Castle
Emelda Davis
Chair of Australian South Sea Islanders Port Jackson
Australian South Sea Islanders community
Episode: Australia's secret slave trade
Ryan Butta
Author, author of Blackbirding
Author, historian
Episode: Australia's secret slave trade
Seren Charrington-Hollins
Food historian and chef
Food historian and chef
Episode: The Pastry War: Half-baked diplomacy
Mike Vouri
Retired National Park Ranger historian
San Juan Island National Historical Park
Episode: The Pig War: Hogging the border
Fiontann O'Hara
Historian, London School of Economics
London School of Economics
Episode: The mythical football war
Ruth Morgan
Director of the ANU Center for Environmental History
Australian National University
Episode: Birds 1 - Humans 0
Tarun Nagesh
curatorial manager of Asian and Pacific Art at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
Episode: The man who gave the gods new faces

Host

Marc Fennell
Host of No One Saw It Coming

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.9k ratings
  • A great premise and very interesting topics - some well known events with surprising twists, some far less well known. Marc is an engaging host and so pleasant to listen to.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    LeobaL
    21 days ago
  • Pardon?

    •EPISODE: Marcus Garvey, in which it is claimed the subject received a posthumous presidential pardon from Joe Biden in 2005: GW Bush was president in 2005; Garvey was pardoned in 2025.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    (Gibberer)
    Australia2 months ago
  • Er

    J Edgar Hoover was never president of the United States.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    nisqui
    Australia2 months ago
  • Incredible for a family

    I’ve got a family of five and road trips. We all listen to this podcast together absolutely incredible full of information that everyone didn’t know about the wheel. Enjoy listening to it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Isslwissl
    Australia4 months ago
  • Fascinating!!

    I just love how much interesting and new information I am learning in such a short time. Marc’s interviewing is exceptional.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    J30azz
    Australia5 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Some criticism notes pacing or music choices in a few episodes.
Listeners praise the host's storytelling and interview quality as engaging and informative.
Episodes are described as well-produced with high-quality guests and deep, surprising historical details.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#157
Canada/History
Spotify
#11
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#65
Australia/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#5
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#61
New Zealand/History
Apple Podcasts
#69
Philippines/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jon Ronson, the Manosphere and a Castle
Q: Of the different ways in which men are reacting to the change in shape of society, what's the one that concerns you the most?
Ronson is concerned about the decline of institutions and social structures, which he says leaves people without purpose and encourages them to try to create new structures as content creators.
Jon Ronson, the Manosphere and a Castle
Q: So why would a grown man want to build a castle in the middle of American suburbia?
Mark said his daughters loved fairy tales and he wanted to make their princess dreams come true. By the time Ronson's son visited, Mark was inviting women he met on dating sites.
Fake names and forbidden love at sea
Q: Does she ever get recognized for the work that she did?
Baret returned to France in 1776 and later received an annual pension from the French government for her scientific contributions, but her work was largely forgotten.
Fake names and forbidden love at sea
Q: Why go to this effort?
Ridley argues that Baret was drawn by the chance to see more of the world, an opportunity rarely available to women of her class, as well as her relationship with Commerson.
What really happened at Pompeii?
Q: What personal stories from ordinary Pompeians illuminate the disaster best?
Dr. Venner highlights everyday lives—people who ran inns, bakeries, shops, and family households—showing how ordinary people experienced fear, sought shelter, and preserved a sense of livelihood even as the city crumbled.

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 No One Saw It Coming

What is No One Saw It Coming about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history-focused show that uses narrative storytelling, strong historical context, and expert guests to explore lesser-known moments that shifted events. Episodes blend archival framing, scholarly insight, and vivid storytelling to unpack big ideas—war, politics, culture, and technology—through human-centered angles and surprising twists. Noteworthy is the consistent pairing of a gifted host with subject-matter experts, offering accessible, entertaining, and well-researched histories that often connect global events to local or personal scales. This makes it appealing to listeners who enjoy deep-dive narratives with clear takeaways and engaging personalities, while also providing solid opportunities for brands seeking thoughtful, education... more

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Which podcasts are similar to No One Saw It Coming?

These podcasts share a similar audience with No One Saw It Coming:

1. Conversations
2. ABC Rewind
3. If You're Listening
4. What's That Rash?
5. The Dead Can't Sue

How many episodes of No One Saw It Coming are there?

No One Saw It Coming launched 2 years ago and published 83 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 No One Saw It Coming?

Recent guests on No One Saw It Coming include:

1. Glynis Ridley
2. Jon Ronson
3. Emelda Davis
4. Ryan Butta
5. Seren Charrington-Hollins
6. Mike Vouri
7. Fiontann O'Hara
8. Ruth Morgan

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