Bloomin' Legends with Johnny Vaughan & Gavin Woods

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history. In this episode, the boys head to the frozen trenches of World War One , where, against all odds, British and German soldiers did the unthinkable. On Christmas Day, 1914 , enemies laid down their weapons, climbed out of the...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dig into the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, the boys saddle up and ride into the dusty heart of the American frontier to meet Nat Love, the legendary Black cowboy whose adventures made him famous across the Wild West. Born into slavery, Nat reinvente...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods bring you the most unbelievable, outrageous and downright heroic true stories from history! In this episode, the boys dive into the explosive life of Lieutenant Colonel Blair “Paddy” Mayne, the hard-drinking, fist-swinging, ice-cold Irishman who became one of the founding legends of the SAS . A former...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods unpick the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, the boys dive headfirst into the extraordinary life of Harry Houdini, the Hungarian-born showman who became the world’s greatest escape artist. From breaking out of handcuffs, jail cells, milk cans and moving...

It’s a big moment here on Bloomin Legends, and you’re officially part of it. As 2025 comes to a close, Johnny & Gav gearing up to crown our very first Bloomin' Legend of the Year , and we need you to help decide who takes the title. Vote on our TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends or right here - https://linktr.ee/bloominlegends From fearless warriors to unhinged mystics, rebellious pirates...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dig up the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, the boys head to 18th-century Provence to meet Gaspard de Besse, the charming highwayman who became France’s very own Robin Hood . Born into poverty but blessed with charisma, speed, and a ridiculous streak o...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history. In this episode, we dive into the astonishing life of Fu Hao, the Shang Dynasty warrior queen, high priestess, military commander, and one-woman wrecking crew who became ancient China’s answer to Tutankhamun. Her tomb, untou...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history. In this episode, we dive into the extraordinary life of Patrick Leigh Fermor, the poet, adventurer, and World War II hero who lived like a character straight out of an epic novel. At just 18, he walked across Europe, survivi...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, most unbelievable, and downright legendary true stories from history. In this episode, we dive into the unbelievable life of Max Woosnam, the man who might just be the greatest British sportsman of all time . A gentleman athlete who captained Manchester City , won Olympic gold , li...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dig up the unbelievable, outrageous, and downright legendary stories from history. In this episode, we meet Arthur John Priest, the luckiest (or unluckiest) man to ever work at sea. A humble stoker from Southampton, Priest somehow survived five shipwrecks , including the Titanic , Britannic , and a ser...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods brave the freezing extremes of Antarctica with one of the greatest adventurers of all time, Sir Ernest Shackleton . When his ship, Endurance , was crushed by ice and his crew stranded in the most hostil...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods gallop headlong into the chaotic life of “Mad Jack” Mytton , the 19th-century aristocrat whose outrageous stunts, reckless spending, and wild eccentricities made him infamous. From hunting in his nights...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods enter the dark and brutal world of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Wallachian ruler who defended his land from the Ottomans with shocking cruelty. From forests of impaled enemies to his enduring lega...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods go full tilt into the unbelievable wartime adventures of “Mad” Jack Churchill, the British officer who stormed World War II battlefields armed with a longbow, broadsword, and bagpipes . From leading com...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods sail down the Nile into the dazzling, dangerous world of Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Egypt. Brilliant, multilingual and ruthlessly strategic, she ruled a crumbling kingdom, charmed Julius Caesar an...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the bizarre, hilarious and sometimes brilliant life of Timothy Dexter - the self-styled “Lord” from Massachusetts who somehow became rich through a series of “bad” business ideas that all paid...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods set sail with Bartholomew Roberts, better known as Black Bart, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age. With over 400 ships captured , he outdid even the infamous Blackbeard, rewrote the pirate cod...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods trek into the brutal frontier life of Marie Dorion , the fearless Indigenous woman who joined an expedition across the American wilderness, battled freezing winters, endured devastating loss, and still...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the bullet-riddled life of Legs Diamond, the Prohibition-era gangster who survived so many assassination attempts that he became known as the man who couldn’t be killed . From bootlegging and...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods unleash the blood-and-sand saga of Spartacus, the enslaved Thracian who fought his way out of the gladiator arena, built an army of tens of thousands of rebels, and sent shockwaves through the Roman Emp...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the jaw-dropping life of Charles Upham, the quiet New Zealand schoolteacher who became the only combat soldier to win the Victoria Cross twice . He took on tanks, leapt walls with a broken arm...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods explore the wildly inventive, mind-blowingly brilliant, and just a bit bizarre life of Leonardo da Vinci, the illegitimate son of a notary who went on to define the Renaissance. He painted the world’s m...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods unravel the absurd tale of Lambert Simnel, a pint-sized pretender who was plucked from obscurity and paraded across Europe as a royal heir. Backed by foreign armies and Yorkist plotters, this kitchen bo...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the jaw-dropping life of Charlemagne , the warrior king who went from Frankish prince to Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. With a sword in one hand and scripture in the other, he conquered kin...

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history! In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods set sail into the astonishing life of Zheng Yi Sao, the Cantonese sex worker turned pirate empress who built the most powerful naval empire in history. She didn’t just loot ships, she ran an entire ocea...