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

What do you think of when you think of birth control? Is it condoms, IUDs, the pill? What about vasectomies? From monkey testicles to possible cancer treatments to ties of honour, over the past 150 years ‘the snip’ has had a few variations and uses … not all of them scientifically sound. But what is it? And how did it come about? Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Georgia Grainger (https://twitt...

Using leeches to suck the blood from patients, mercury pills, and removing limbs with NO anaesthetic - healthcare throughout history hasn’t been the most…appealing. But have you ever thought about the difference in how men and women were treated? From witch trials to hysteria to wandering wombs, today Betwixt the Sheets Kate speaks to Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of 'Unwell Women' to find out a...

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Was sex always just for the love of their country and the want of an heir, or were some royals into different kinks? And what about outside marriage? From an official mistress who does not have sex with the king, to one who put laxatives in her rival’s food, what does it take to get and keep this position? Kate is Betwixt the  r...

Hidden in bedside tables or proudly displayed on mantelpieces, wherever you keep them ( if you do), sex toys have come a long way since the first phallic-shaped object was found around 30,000 years ago. But before they were arriving through our post boxes in unmarked, tracked packages, what did sex toys look like? What were they made from? And why were doctors using them to treat... back pain?! Ka...

Bedlam: a scene of uproar and confusion, a noisy situation with no order or, originally, the slang name for a mental hospital in London… which for a while also happened to be a popular tourist attraction. From chains on the wall to leeching - the history of mental health treatments is a lesson in questionable science and humanity. Bethlehem hospital, founded around the 11th century in London, is a...

WARNING: This episode includes adult themes and explicit words. Why did Henry VIII want everyone to know about his wet dreams? What animal product were condoms made from? And was coffee really ruining the sex lives of wives? Suzannah Lipscomb from our sister podcast, Not Just the Tudors, joins Kate Betwixt the Sheets to talk all things sex in the 16th century. Find out whether sex back then really...

*WARNING this episode includes adult themes and conversations about mental health and drug use.* In 2020, the UK government revealed that 17% of the adult population of Britain were prescribed medication for their mental health. But when were these drugs invented? How were they tested? And how have they become, in some cases, ‘mother’s little helper’? From antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicati...

I’m something that you wear, I always come in twos, I get put on your feet. I’m not socks, I am … SHOES. Humans have been protecting their feet for a very long time. But over the years the types of footwear we choose have developed and multiplied. Each new shoe has a new use, and often a new social meaning. So what is the history of shoes? To find out about the masculine beginnings of heels, the r...

Who had the very first boob job? Why were women injecting liquid paraffin into their chests? And, how has the procedure developed over time? Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Professor Ruth Holliday and cosmetic surgeon Professor Vikram Devaraj to find out the bumpy history of breast augmentation, involving lawsuits, pin-ups... and mattress foam. Find out how a sixties American housewife was pe...

Warning: There are adult themes, explicit language and references of disordered eating and diets in this episode. Did you know that before Queen Victoria married Albert she was a well-known party-animal, who could easily stay up until 5am, drunk on a concoction of red wine and whiskey? Or that she was notorious for being able to eat seven or eight courses in half an hour, and had a penchant for mu...

Warning: This episode includes strong language and some adult themes. What comes to mind when you see the word voodoo? Most people tend to think of horror movies, zombies, dolls and witchcraft - but Vodou is a hugely misunderstood religion and spiritual practice. Kate is joined by two experts Betwixt the Sheets on today's episode; Dr Kyrah Malika Daniels on Haitian Vodou and the part it played in...

*WARNING this episode includes explicit language and adult themes* What were your medieval ancestors getting up to in the bedroom? Join sex historian Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets, to find out. Medievalist and George Michael super-fan Dr Eleanor Janega is on the podcast to chat all things aphrodisiacs, sex diaries and religious rules. Hear about bizarre fertility treatments involving actual fish...

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced? Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class. Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures f...