From almost the first season of the show, we’ve been tantalised by stories of the Burmese gangster Olive Yang. Now, to open season 8, we have their story: Olive was a lesbian — or possibly transmasculine — gangster born royal in 1927 British colonial Burma, who when first married off to a man threw a pot of their own urine at him to prevent the marriage from ... Show More
Feb 27
TRAILER: Extra Bad Gays February 2026: Mandelson, Gay Mafias, And Liza's Floor Mop
THIS IS A TRAILER! SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE OR PATREON TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE We have heard your pleas. The news has made them even more urgent. We're going to do a whole main feed Peter Mandelson episode in Season 10: but for now, here's a taste of our legally-bounded musings on his ... Show More
12m 44s
Feb 3
William Beckford
William Beckford, who was born not in Bath but in London in 1760, is someone for whom property, in every sense of the word, was the defining factor in his life. He was a novelist, a member of parliament, a collector of art, antiquities, and books, a travel writer, and a builder o ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 2025
Who was the Husband Poisoner of Renaissance Italy?
Odourless, tasteless, colourless, lethal. In the mid-17th century, men were dropping like flies in Italy. And this wasn't just the plague - it was the work of the poison Aqua Tofana.So what is Aqua Tofana? And who was its apocryphal purveyor, Giulia Tofana? In this episode we are ... Show More
35m 20s
Oct 2025
Inside Imperial Japan's Brothels
After the first licensed brothel opened in the 17th century, how was sex work thought of in Japan throughout the following centuries?From the brothels in the pleasure quarters, to the rise and popularity of male sex workers and where geishas fit into the picture, Kate is joined b ... Show More
50m 34s
Oct 2024
Nefertiti: The Greatest Ancient Egyptian Queen?
<p>Ancient Egyptian rulers, incest, the Nazis and female empowerment, all in one episode! 'But how?' You say. 'What story could possibly bring all of these things together?'</p><br><p>This is the story of Queen Nefertiti and her bust. Kate is joined by Joyce Tyldesley and Monica ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2024
Ancient Goddesses: Rebellion, Magic & Sexual Liberation
<p>Struggling for role models in the modern world? We've got your back, looking way back to the ancient world.</p><br><p>Join Kate and Jasmine Elmer, author of her new book, <a href="https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/goddess-with-a-thousand-faces/" rel="noopener noreferrer" tar ... Show More
44m 41s