History is usually boring because of the way we’re taught it. You’re stuck in a dusty classroom, staring at a chalkboard while someone drones on about corn laws or naval treaties. It’s dry. It’s clinical. It feels like something that happened to other people in a different universe. But then you listen to the You're Dead To Me podcast, and suddenly, the past feels a lot more like a messy group chat that’s gone off the rails.
Greg Jenner is the brain behind it. You probably know him as the chief historian for Horrible Histories, which explains a lot about the vibe here. He’s figured out a magic formula that shouldn’t work but does: take one high-level academic, add one world-class comedian, and let them battle it out over a historical figure or era.
It’s "history for people who don't like history," and honestly? It’s also for people who love history but are tired of the gatekeeping.
The Chaos of the "Comedy-Academic Sandwich"
The structure of the You're Dead To Me podcast is its secret weapon. Every episode, Greg brings on two guests. One is a genuine expert—think professors from Oxford, Cambridge, or specialized research institutions—and the other is a comedian who usually knows absolutely nothing about the topic.
This creates a weirdly perfect tension. The academic provides the "nuance" and the "primary sources," while the comedian asks the questions we’re all thinking. Usually, those questions involve how people went to the bathroom or why everyone in the 1700s looked so incredibly sweaty.
It’s not just about the jokes, though. Greg acts as a sort of referee. He’s the bridge between the heavy intellectual lifting and the punchlines. You might start an episode laughing at a bit by Shappi Khorsandi or Nish Kumar, but by the thirty-minute mark, you’re suddenly deep into the socio-economic nuances of the Mughal Empire or the tactical blunders of the Golden Age of Piracy.
It works because it respects the listener's intelligence without being pretentious.
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Why This Isn't Just Another Fact-Checking Show
Most history podcasts fall into two camps. They’re either incredibly long-form and serious (looking at you, Dan Carlin) or they’re "shock-jock" history where they focus only on the blood and guts. The You're Dead To Me podcast sits in this third, much more interesting space.
It tackles the stuff that usually gets left out of the textbooks.
Take the episode on Josephine Baker. Most people know she was a dancer with a banana skirt. Cool. But did you know she was a literal spy for the French Resistance during WWII? She smuggled intelligence written in invisible ink on her sheet music. That’s the kind of detail Greg and his guests live for. They don't just give you the "Great Man" version of history; they give you the weird, the marginalized, and the genuinely heroic stories that got buried under centuries of bias.
They’ve covered everything.
- The history of Ice Cream (more dramatic than you'd think).
- The Haitian Revolution (a masterclass in subverting colonial narratives).
- Lord Byron (basically the 19th-century version of a chaotic rock star).
- The Maya Civilization (clearing up all those "end of the world" misconceptions).
The nuance is the point. When they talk about someone like Catherine the Great, they aren't just rehashing sexist myths from the 18th century. They’re looking at her political maneuvering, her Enlightenment ideals, and her massive role in Russian expansion. The comedian keeps it grounded, the academic keeps it accurate, and Greg keeps it moving.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
A common misconception is that because there’s a comedian involved, the history is "light" or unreliable. That’s actually a massive misunderstanding of how Greg Jenner works.
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The research is rigorous.
The academics aren't there as props; they are leading voices in their fields. When the You're Dead To Me podcast covers the Asante Empire, they aren't just reading a Wikipedia page. They’re talking to experts who have spent decades studying West African history. The "Nuance Window"—a recurring segment where the expert gets to nerd out on a specific, complex detail—is proof that the show cares about getting it right.
History is messy. It’s contradictory. One of the best things about the show is how often the expert says, "Well, we don't actually know for sure," or "The sources for this are actually quite biased." That honesty is refreshing. It teaches you how to think like a historian, not just how to memorize dates.
The Impact of Global History and Diverse Voices
One of the coolest things Greg has done with the You're Dead To Me podcast is expand the scope beyond just "Kings and Queens of England." While they do the occasional Henry VIII or Queen Victoria episode, the show shines when it goes global.
The episode on Mansa Musa, for example, is essential listening. Here was the richest man to ever live, a 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire, and yet he’s barely a footnote in many Western schools. The podcast brings these stories to the forefront. They’ve looked at the history of the Mongols, the Benin Bronzes, and the legendary life of Zheng He.
By bringing in comedians and academics from diverse backgrounds, the show avoids that stale, Eurocentric lens that has dominated history for so long. You get different perspectives. You get people who have a personal connection to the stories being told. It makes the history feel alive and, more importantly, relevant to the world we’re living in right now.
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How to Actually Start Listening
If you’re new to the show, don't feel like you have to start at episode one. It’s not serialized. You can hop around based on what interests you.
If you want something funny and slightly chaotic, the "Blackbeard" episode is a great entry point. If you want something that will genuinely change how you view the world, look for the episodes on "The Stonewall Uprising" or "The History of Disability."
The "Sofa Confession" at the end of each episode is a great touch, too. It’s where the comedian has to recap what they’ve learned under pressure. It’s usually a hilarious disaster, but it reinforces the idea that history is something we can all engage with, even if we don't get every single date right.
Honestly, the best way to consume this is during a commute or while doing chores. It’s the perfect length—usually around 45 to 55 minutes—and it leaves you feeling significantly smarter without the headache of a traditional lecture.
Actionable Takeaways for History Fans
If you want to get the most out of your history journey after binging the You're Dead To Me podcast, here’s what you should do:
- Check the Reading Lists: Greg usually posts or mentions the books written by the guest academics. If an episode sparks an interest, go to the source. These aren't just "textbooks"; they're often gripping narrative histories.
- Question the Source: Start looking at the history you see in movies or other media through the "Nuance Window" lens. Ask yourself: who wrote this? What was their agenda?
- Follow the Guests: The comedians on the show, like Fern Brady or Ed Gamble, often have their own podcasts or specials where they bring that same sharp wit to other topics.
- Support Public History: Programs like this are vital for keeping humanities alive. Share episodes that challenge your preconceived notions about a specific time period.
History isn't a dead subject. It's a constant conversation between the past and the present. Greg Jenner and his rotating cast of geniuses have managed to make that conversation the most entertaining thing in your podcast feed.