Hot Mess History Podcast

This week, we unravel the conspiracy that brought down Richard Nixon, from the bungled burglary at the Watergate complex to secret recordings, cover ups, investigative journalism, and the slow collapse of one of the most powerful administrations in American history. Along the way, we separate fact from myth, explain why Watergate changed American politics forever, and explore why its legacy still...

This week, Sarah and Alora explore three remarkable stories from antiquity that challenge the way we think about love, identity, and history. They uncover the legendary Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite military unit made up of 150 pairs of male lovers, examine the centuries long debate surrounding Alexander the Great and his closest companion Hephaestion, and tell the heartbreaking story of the Rom...

In honor of Pride Month, we are celebrating Sappho of Lesbos, known as the "gay poet of the ancient world". Sappho wrote with deep passion about her love for women, and her work was adored in her own time. They even put her face on coins while she was alive. Though most of her poetry is lost, the fragments we have still pulse with timeless desire and longing. Join Sarah and Alora as they explore t...

For Pride Month, we're doing something a little different. Instead of diving deep into a single historical figure or event, Sarah and Alora are shining a spotlight on several lesser-known people from history who were likely gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise part of what we'd now call the LGBTQ+ community. Spanning from the Stone Age to the 18th century, this episode explores the lives of poets,...

Step into one of history's most infamous true crime stories as we explore the dark and unsettling world of H. H. Holmes, the man often called America's first serial killer. At the center of the legend is the infamous Murder Castle, a strange building in Chicago that has inspired countless stories of hidden rooms, secret passages, and murder. But how much of the tale is fact, and how much is myth?...

What do you get when you combine a disputed border, a potato patch, and one extremely unfortunate pig? Apparently, an international crisis. In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast , Alora drags Sarah into the delightfully ridiculous story of the Pig War of 1859, when the United States and Great Britain came alarmingly close to armed conflict over a pig who was just trying to eat a snack. W...

In the final episode of our Katherine Parr saga, Sarah begins with Katherine’s death and the aftermath that followed. We discuss what happened to Thomas Seymour after Katherine’s passing, the scandal and downfall that consumed him, and how quickly power shifted around the young Edward VI of England. We also dive into the disturbing history of Katherine Parr’s body after her burial at Sudeley Castl...

490 years after her execution, we present an extra special episode spanning all five parts of our Anne Boleyn saga. From her early days at court to her tragic end at the Tower, this episode brings together every chapter of her life into one complete story. Discover how Anne defied a kingdom, gave birth to the future Elizabeth I, and left behind a legacy that continues to fascinate the world nearly...

In part four of our Katherine Parr episodes, we follow Katherine’s life after the death of Henry VIII as she finally reconnects with Thomas Seymour and steps into a new chapter of her life. But freedom from Henry does not mean freedom from chaos. We also discuss the growing tension surrounding the young Elizabeth I of England, the scandal brewing inside Katherine’s household, and the complicated f...

In this episode, we follow Katherine Parr as she settles into her new role as queen while attempting to navigate the increasingly dangerous world of Henry VIII’s court. We discuss Katherine’s relationship with Henry’s children, her growing influence, her deep involvement in religious reform, and the impossible balancing act required to survive Tudor politics. As Henry’s health declines and tension...

In this episode, Sarah dives into the Pilgrimage of Grace and the very real danger it posed to Katherine Parr. As rebellion spreads through the north, Katherine finds herself caught in the chaos, an experience that would shape her political awareness and survival instincts for the rest of her life. We also follow Katherine through the death of her second husband, John Neville (Lord Latimer), her r...

In this episode, Sarah takes us into the early life of Katherine Parr before she ever became the sixth wife of Henry VIII. We explore her upbringing in a well connected Tudor family, the humanist education that shaped her into one of the most intellectually formidable women at court, and why that education mattered so much for women in the early modern period. We also follow Katherine through her...

In this episode, Alora takes us into one of history’s darkest true crime cases as she tells the chilling story of Andrei Chikatilo, the man known as the Butcher of Rostov. We follow the investigation, the police failures that allowed him to keep killing, and the fear that spread across the Soviet Union as authorities struggled to stop him. It is a disturbing look at one of the most infamous serial...

In this episode, Alora takes the lead and brings the chaos with a true crime story that feels almost too wild to be real. We dive into the terrifying tale of the Harpe Brothers, two of the earliest documented serial killers in American history, whose brutality left a trail of fear across the frontier. We follow their shocking crimes, the myths that grew around them, and the very real devastation t...

In our final episode on Catherine Howard, we step into what history left behind… and what did not fit neatly into our previous episodes. A ghost said to run through Hampton Court Palace, forever caught in a moment of panic. A face no one can truly confirm, with portraits that may or may not belong to her. And a Victorian excavation of the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula that raises more questi...

In this episode, everything finally catches up. As Thomas Culpepper and Francis Dereham face their brutal ends, the world around Catherine Howard begins to collapse in ways no one can control. Jane Boleyn unravels, the walls close in, and Catherine is taken to the Tower of London knowing exactly what’s waiting for her. There are whispers of a girl practicing with the execution block. Of fear, of i...

In this episode, everything begins to unravel with Francis Dereham under interrogation, setting off the chain of events that will destroy our girl, Catherine Howard. As the pressure builds, Catherine spirals, leading to her desperate run down the gallery at Hampton Court Palace before she’s pulled into questioning by Thomas Cranmer. We also dig into Catherine's relationship with Thomas Culpepper,...

In this episode, we begin by diving head first into the chaos. Catherine Howard’s secret affair with Thomas Culpeper intensifies with risky meetings and close calls, while the return of Francis Dereham brings her past dangerously close to the surface. As whispers spread through Mary Lascelles and reach Thomas Cranmer, a quiet investigation begins. By the end, the truth is closing in and Catherine’...

Catherine Howard is now queen, and the Tudor rumor mill is already in full swing. With Alora out sick this week, Sarah is flying solo as she explores how contemporaries actually described Catherine, the suspicious letter sent by her former roommate Joan Bulmer, and the complicated dynamics between Catherine and Henry VIII’s children. While Catherine clashes with Mary I of England, she forms a much...

From maid of honor to queen in a matter of months, Catherine Howard’s rise at the court of Henry VIII was as dazzling as it was dangerous. In this episode, we trace Catherine’s life serving Anne of Cleves, the moment Henry first noticed her, and the lightning fast fall of Thomas Cromwell, all as she is swept from the background of court into the center of the throne room. Intro music by Fantasy Mu...

In Part 2, we pick up as Catherine Howard leaves the Dowager Duchess’s household behind and steps into court as a lady in waiting to Anne of Cleves. But Catherine’s past is never far behind, and court life brings new attention, new risks, and new opportunities. Because once Henry VIII starts to notice you, everything changes. Fair Use Disclaimer: This podcast may contain excerpts of copyrighted ma...

Before she was queen, Catherine Howard was a teenage girl growing up in a chaotic noble household with very little supervision and a lot at stake. In this episode, we dig into her uncertain birth year, messy family dynamics, and life in the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk’s household where reputations were fragile and privacy barely existed. We unpack her early relationship with Henry Mannox, the power...

In Part 2 of Anna of Cleves, part of our Women Who Had to Put Up with Henry VIII’s BS series, we follow Anna on her journey to England, the painfully awkward first meeting with Henry VIII, the rushed marriage, and the annulment that followed. Sarah and Alora unpack how Anna managed to survive Henry’s chaos and walk away with her dignity and status intact. Fair Use Disclaimer: This podcast may cont...

In Part 1 of our Anna of Cleves series, we kick off Anna’s story with her early life, why we call her "Anna" instead of "Anne", and the political maneuvering behind her match with Henry VIII. We unpack the portraits, expectations, and how Anna ended up in Henry’s chaotic dating era. Join us for the chaotic context, intrigue, and first impressions as we dive into one of Henry’s most misunderstood m...

On this episode of The Hot Mess History Podcast, we take a break from our series “women who had to put up with Henry VIII’s BS” to switch things up. Alora takes over storytelling duties and walks Sarah through the chilling case of Peter Stumpp, the infamous werewolf of Bedburg, and the chaos that followed. In sixteenth century Germany, fear spread as livestock were slaughtered, children disappeare...