After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

On the night of Saturday the 9th of March, 1566, a pregnant Mary Queen of Scots was having a dinner party. It was a night that ended in the brutal murder of one of her closest friends, David Rizzio, led by her husband, Lord Darnley. How did this happen? How did Mary handle this traumatic moment? And did Mary have a Scottish or French accent?! Joining Anthony once more as special guest co-host is a...

The Victorians are seen as the ultimate guardians of rigid gender boundaries. When Fanny Park and Stella Boulton transgressed those imagined lines, they triggered a scandal that reached the length and breadth of Britain. To tell this story Anthony is joined by HRH Aphrodite , historian, artist and drag queen. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Edited by H...

He's known as one of history's most murderous kings, but was he always a monster? Or was he acting in ways expected of a king during his time. Joining Anthony as special guest co-host is author and historian Gareth Russell, to explore the theories that support the latter. Did the break from Rome set him off on a violent spiral? Did a fall from a horse in a jousting tournament really start his desc...

It was one of the most gruesome crimes of the Victorian era... and it ended up in David Attenborough's garden! Kate Webster, a servant, killed and dismembered her mistress, Julia Martha Thomas in 1879. It's a story that show us the everyday life of Victorian Londoners, and how that world can be turned upside down. Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long...

The book and TV series "Outlander" has introduced millions of fans to Scottish history and the story of the Jacobites. One of those fans is Maddy Pelling! Maddy is back (in a pre-recorded episode) to delve into the tragic story of the Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army. Joining her today is Dr. Alexandra Dold, expert and scholar in all things Outlander, to take you back to the 18th century Scottis...

Listener warning: this episode contains a description of cruelty to animals One of the strangest tales to emerge from Napoleonic France was that of Tarrare - the man who ate everything. The stories go that he ate corks, cats, snakes and was even guilty of cannibalism. Is this myth or reality? Anthony is joined by Dr Cat Byers, historian of the Paris Morgue to tell this tale. Edited by Tim Arstall....

It was the original modern ghost hunt, the one that set the template for all the haunted houses to come. When a wealthy plantation family moves into a crumbling Georgian mansion in the 1760's the haunting begins. By the end even royalty were on tenterhooks. Eleanor Janega joins Anthony Delaney for this episode. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. You can now watch After Dark on You...

The Ancient Celts: feared in battle, guided by Druids, and bound together by ritual. Long before Rome pushed north, Celtic peoples ruled forests, hilltops, and river valleys. But in this episode we'll be discussing the darker aspects of this ancient civilisation... We are very lucky to be joined by Professor Ronald Hutton as our guest. Ronald is a returning fan favourite having been on numerous ep...

It's one of history's greatest mysteries - 'what happened to the Princes in the Tower?' In 1483, young Edward V and his brother Richard were awaiting Edward's coronation. But next thing we know, they vanished and their uncle Richard III has taken the throne. So what happened? Eleanor Janega guides Anthony through this episode, with a special guest appearance by Eleanor's 'Gone Medieval' co-host Ma...

You might think the idea of “celebrity” is a modern invention. In reality, its roots stretch back centuries... perhaps even millennia. People have always been fascinated by the rare individuals who rise above the crowd and capture public attention. Whether admired or despised, the famous have always held a powerful grip on our curiosity. In this episode, we explore the dark origins of 'celebrity':...

Eyewitness accounts of life during the Black Death are surprising. Sure, there's horror. But there's also d*ck jokes, complicated scientific theories, and buttock-obsessed priests. Taking Anthony through it all is Dr Eleanor Janega, from our sister podcast 'Gone Medieval'. Edited by Hannah Feodorov and Anna Brant. Research by Phoebe Joyce. Produced by Freddy Chick. You can now watch After Dark on...

In 44 BCE, Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar to stop his ascent towards becoming a king. Dr Jess Venner takes Anthony blow-by-blow through the deadly events of the Ides of March. Dr Jess Venner's new book The Lost Voices of Pompeii: The Final Day in Seven Lives' will be out in April. This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chi...

Anthony is joined by the iconic Eleanor Janega from our sister podcast 'Gone Medieval' to tell the story of the most famous murder of the medieval world - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Cantebury. How did a bromance between Thomas and his king turn into a deadly divide between church and crown? This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Ch...

Maddy and Anthony get their Tarot cards read by Melissa Mercury! As well as reading their cards, Melissa tells us about the history of Tarot cards and who is responsible for their iconic design. Find out why Swords aren't always bad and why the Death card can be good news! This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy and Vilde Oksnes. The senior producer was Freddy Chick. You...

We have an image in our heads of Victorian Homicide Detectives, but what was the reality? Who were they? What murder cases shaped their history? What methods did they use? Were they anything at all like Sherlock Holmes? Anthony Delaney takes Maddy Pelling on this journey through the history of the Victorian Homicide Detective. Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. You can now watch Afte...

For decades a mysterious figure was held prisoner by Louis XIV. His face was covered, his identity was a secret beyond all others. Why? Who was this figure? How much of the story is myth and how much is fact? Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story today. This episodes was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith and researched by Phoebe Joyce. The senior producer was Freddy Chick....

The Haitian Revolution is the only successful, permanent slave revolt in history, resulting in the creation of an independent state. Haiti is also the first modern nation of the world to permanently abolish slavery. So what happened the August night of 1791 when the enslaved people of what was known as Saint-Domingue, rose up and started burning plantations? It's a history that involves American a...

The French Revolution was famously inspired by ideals such as republicanism and individual liberty. Yet, for all its promises of freedom, the Revolution also descended into what is often considered its darkest chapter... the Reign of Terror. Today's guest is Dr Michael Rapport, a Reader in Modern European History at the University of Glasgow and is author of works including ‘ The Napoleonic Wars:...

Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Brontë in 1847, depicts a gothic world full of violence and passion, set against the wild Yorkshire Moors. So how did the daughter of a clergyman create such a story? How was it received at the time? And what darkness and intrigue happened in the Brontê's lives that could have influenced such stories? With a new Wuthering Heights film being released, Anthony and...

The Storming of the Bastille in 1789 marked the beginning of the French Revolution... the day a Parisian crowd stormed the royal fortress-prison that had come to embody absolutist power. This is the story of how mounting unrest erupted into full-scale revolution, and how one looming stone fortress became a lasting symbol of freedom, violence, and the power of the people. Today’s guest is Michael R...

Bootleg liquor. Tommy guns. Gangs ruling the city with crooked cops. The Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929 Chicago sounds cinematic, but the fear and the bloodshed was very real. What was the perfect storm that created this horrifying moment? How did it unfold? And how did the cops finally catch their man? Joining Anthony and Maddy today is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jonathan Eig , to take u...

Julia Pastrana was a Mexican woman exploited as a sideshow attraction in life and grotesquely exhibited even after her death because of her appearance. Her story is part of the dark history of the Victorian 'freak show'. Anthony tells Maddy the story. This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith and researched by Phoebe Joyce. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www...

This is the story of a 16th century cunning woman, a folk healer, who was found guilty of being a witch. Accusations spiralled until more than a dozen women faced the threat of death. The St Osyth witch hunt became a landmark case, setting a dark precedent for the witch hunts that would explode across the country in the century that followed. Our guest today is Marion Gibson, author of 'Witchcraft...

Mathew Hopkins, also known as the ‘Witchfinder General,’ was responsible for a campaign of terror across 17th-century England. In just a few short feverish years, his witch hunts swept through East Anglia, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people…  Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Tom Delargy, Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@aft...

Come back with us to a Medieval leper colony. What was life really like for patients inside the gates? What did it mean when the 'leper bell' rang? And what happened at a 'living funeral'? Join Anthony and Maddy as they separate popular myth from fact, taking you through a typical day inside a leper colony in medieval Europe. This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick and res...