For the first time, we are giving all the Rex Factor-winning consorts a final ranking for the series. In this episode, we are asking you to rank all of the consorts eliminated in the first round of the play-offs, ranking them from 1st to 7th (though they will be competing for positions 13th to 19th). Have a listen to our review of all 7 and then cast your vote here: https://forms.gle/NrCjh7mJtXE1p59o9 If you havent' done so yet, please also vote to decide the overall series winner in the Grand F...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr 22 min
It's crunch time! Just four consorts remain to do battle in the Grand Final for English consorts to be crowned the Series 3 champion of Rex Factor. Will it be Emma of Normandy, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France or Katherine of Aragon? The decision is entirely down to the public vote, so listen to this final run-down of the four finalists and then cast your vote via the link below: https://forms.gle/P4p25y7AYqxx6fwBA Come and see us live in Ludlow on Friday 15 August 19:30: https://ludlowa...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 21 min
We go through the stats from the public vote in the semi-finals of the play-offs, explaining how all of the groups finished as they did, plus go through the comments left by voters in the four semi-finals. Come and see us live in Ludlow on Friday 15 August 19:30: https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/show/fringe-rex-factor-battle-of-the-champions/ Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw for a Zoom chat with Ali and Graham, a mini-play-off for the consorts wh...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 12 min
Who will make it through to the Grand Final? Twelve will go down to four with today's results episode as we reveal the results of the four semi-finals as well as the Privy Council bonus play-offs for the Nearly Rexy consorts. Listen in or watch us reveal the results below: https://youtu.be/G8Q8RNWIO6M Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw for a Zoom chat with Ali and Graham, a mini-play-off for the consorts who nearly got the Rex Factor, and to vote fo...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr
We respond to some of your messages about all elements of the podcast, as well as share some previews of our bonus content. We are doing a live show! Join us in Ludlow on Friday 15 August 19:30 for the Battle of the Champions: https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/show/fringe-rex-factor-battle-of-the-champions/ On the day of release, there is one final day to vote for Semi-Final D in the play-offs: https://forms.gle/bSFXbecKNpueAFWJ9 Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras suc...
May 30, 2025•51 min
We are doing another live show! We are returning to the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 15 August 19:30 for The Battle of the Champions, as we pit our three series champions against each other: Henry II from series 1, Robert the Bruce from series 2 and whoever comes out on top in the consorts play-offs. Tickets are available now via the Ludlow Assembly Rooms website - we'd love to see you there! https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/show/fringe-rex-factor-battle-of-the-champions/ Learn more about ...
May 23, 2025•6 min
It's the last of the semi-finals - who will be the final consort to make it to the Grand Final? Your contenders this week: Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Caroline of Ansbach. Rank them in order and help decide who makes it to the final! You have until Friday 30 May 23:59 (BST) to vote. Cast your vote via the link below: https://forms.gle/w4nx1fxU86ZVeBME9 Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw for a Zoom chat with Ali and Grah...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 3 min
The semi-finals are underway and the stakes are getting higher: just three consorts in each group and only the winner to go through to the Grand Final. Your contenders this week: Ælfthryth, Isabella of France and Katherine Parr. Rank them in order and help decide who makes it to the final! You have until Friday 23 May 23:59 (BST) to vote. Cast your vote via the link below: https://forms.gle/8VhNdR7wfcBB3zqJ7 Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw for a ...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 9 min
The semi-finals are underway and the stakes are getting higher: just three consorts in each group and only the winner to go through to the Grand Final. Your contenders this week: Emma of Normandy, Matilda of Boulogne, and Anne Boleyn. Rank them in order and help decide who makes it to the final! You have until Friday 16 May 23:59 (BST) to vote. Cast your vote via the link below: https://forms.gle/cN2owtGg7RaC2ktK7 Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw ...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 10 min
The semi-finals begin and the stakes are getting higher: just three consorts in each group and only the winner to go through to the Grand Final. Your contenders this week: Margaret of Anjou, Katherine of Aragon, and Henrietta Maria. Rank them in order and help decide who makes it to the final! You have until Friday 09 May 23:59 (BST) to vote. Cast your vote via the link below: https://forms.gle/zWcSLeqtnadVvTzc8 Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw fo...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 12 min
We go through lots of your comments from the voting forms for the First Round Results of the play-offs, hearing your thoughts (good and bad) about all of the consorts, helping us to get a sense of how the consorts are viewed by you and (more to the point) the extent to which Ali understands who everybody is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Ahead of the semi-finals, we have a look at the voting stats from the First Round. We know who has gone through and who was placed where by the public, but how did they get there? Graham explains the voting percentages and all the preferential voting, Ali tries to remember who everybody is, and we consider who is looking well-set ahead of the semi-finals. Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw for a Zoom chat with Ali and Graham, a mini-play-off for the...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr
We have reviewed all the queen and prince consorts of England from Ealhswith to prince Philip, and now it's time to find our series champion! In this episode, we reveal the results from the First Round - who is going through to the Semi-Finals and who has been eliminated? Watch us reveal the results via the link below: https://youtu.be/jbO84TZnltc Sign up to become a Privy Councillor and access all the bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Mar 28, 2025•47 min
We respond to some of your messages about all elements of the podcast, as well as share some previews of our bonus content. On the day of release, there is one final day to vote for Group C and one more week to vote for Group D in the play-offs - all the links are available here: https://www.rexfactorpodcast.com/consort-vote Sign up for lots of bonus content, including play-off extras such as a prize draw for a Zoom chat with Ali and Graham, a mini-play-off for the consorts who nearly got the Re...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 5 min
The play-offs have begun! In the last of the first round contests, we pit Ælfthryth, Elizabeth Woodville, Matilda of Boulogne, and Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians against each other. All of them have the Rex Factor, but only three can make it through to the Semi-Finals, so who will it be? In this episode, we consider all four consorts in each factor, then at the end of the episode, Ali and Graham rank the consorts (secretly), and that is what you need to do as well. Follow the link below to cast...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 3 min
The play-offs have begun! In the third of the first round contests, we pit Isabella of France, Henrietta Maria, Caroline of Ansbach, Mary of Teck and Caroline of Brunswick against each other. All of them have the Rex Factor, but only three can make it through to the Semi-Finals, so who will it be? In this episode, we consider all five consorts in each factor, then at the end of the episode, Ali and Graham rank the consorts (secretly), and that is what you need to do as well. Follow the link belo...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 2 min
The play-offs have begun! In the first of the first round contests, we pit Eleanor of Aquitaine, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Eadgifu of Kent against each other. All of them have the Rex Factor, but only three can make it through to the Semi-Finals, so who will it be? In this episode, we consider all five consorts in each factor, then at the end of the episode, Ali and Graham rank the consorts (secretly), and that is what you need to do as well. Follow the link belo...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 9 min
The play-offs have begun! In the first of the first round contests, we pit Emma of Normandy, Prince Albert, Matilda of Scotland, Katherine Parr and Margaret of Anjou against each other. All of them have the Rex Factor, but only three can make it through to the Semi-Finals, so who will it be? In this episode, we consider all five consorts in each factor, then at the end of the episode, Ali and Graham rank the consorts (secretly), and that is what you need to do as well. Follow the link below to c...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Before we get started on the Play-Offs, we respond to your messages about the play-off draw - your thoughts on the process, who you are predicting/wanting to win, and what should win the vote for series 4. The first play-off episode (Group A) will be out next Friday. Sign up to join the Privy Council at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor to get the podcast ad-free, as well as over 350 bonus podcasts and lots of extras during the play-offs, including voting for Series 4, a Privy Council-only play-...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 7 min
We have reviewed all the queen and prince consorts of England from Ealhswith to prince Philip, and now it's time to find our series champion! In this episode, we reveal how the play-offs will work and do the draw to see which Rex Factor-winning consorts will be up against each other in the first round, as well as details about series 4 and bonuses for Privy Councillors. We also recorded this on video with extra graphics and a secondary camera, so check that out via the link below: https://youtu....
Jan 24, 2025•54 min
Before we get on to the play-offs in the new year, we read some of your messages relating to all aspects of the podcast (both recent and long ago) and share some previews of our bonus content on Patreon. If you would like to join the Privy Council and access the over 350 episodes of bonus content (plus ad-free versions of the main podcast) you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 18 min
We speak to Lucy Hughes-Hallett about her fascinating book Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham was a favourite of both James I and Charles I, lover to the former and mentor to the latter. Lucy tells us about his unlike rise to power and some of the dramatic (and sometimes farcical) stories from his life. Sign up for ad-free episodes and 350+ bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 18 min
We speak to Jane Tippett on the fascinating story of Edward VIII's memoir, with Jane telling us about how and why the book was written and the wealth of new material that she has found giving us further insight into Edward's views on his childhood, time as Prince of Wales and the Abdication Crisis. You can find out more about Jane at her website http://janemtippett.com/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jane_marguerite_tippett/ Her book is Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII Bec...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 5 min
After taking your messages on the first three Windsor consorts, today we deal respond to your messages about Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Philip - only two of them, but as the most recent and very much within living memory, they very much generated the most discussion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 06, 2024•43 min
We tackle your messages about the Windsor consorts, but because we had so many messages and so much to talk about, we've had to cut the episode in half! So in Part 1, we respond to your messages about Alexandra of Denmark, Mary of Teck and Wallis Simpson, with messages on Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Philip to follow next week. Sign up for ad-free episodes and bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor Find all our links at https://www.rexfactorpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad ch...
Nov 29, 2024•53 min
It's the end of the series - with this episode, we finish our review of all the consorts from Ealhswith to Prince Philip. With the war, gaffes galore and a record-breaking stint as consort, there's plenty to discuss. The question is, will Prince Philip, consort to Elizabeth II, take the final place on the Rex Factor mountain? Sign up for ad-free episodes and over 350 bonus podcasts at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 17 min
We reach the end of the series, or nearly the end, as we embark on the first of two episodes for Prince Philip, the consort to Elizabeth II. No reviewing this time, but instead we take a look at his life and consortship, particularly a dramatic start to life which sees flight from revolution, family tragedy and the Second World War before things settle down and he becomes consort. Sign up to get the podcast ad-free along with hundreds of bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor Learn ...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 14 min
In Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon's second episode, we review the consort of King George VI by all the factors and decide whether or not she had the Rex Factor. Subscribe at https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor for ad-free episodes and hundreds of bonus episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 4 min
In the first of two episodes, we look at the life and queenship of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (AKA the Queen Mother), consort to King George VI. From growing up in a Scottish castle to the First World War, becoming the Duchess of York, helping the monarchy through the Abdication Crisis and the Second World to a half-century as the Queen Mother, Elizabeth spanned the twentieth century. We tell the story of her long life in this episode, with the review to follow in the second of her episodes. Learn mor...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 1 min
This time we review Wallis Simpson, the wife-but-not-consort of Edward VIII. There's lots for us to get our teeth stuck into: an independent spirit but not able to become queen; myriad rumours of scandals across the world plus an unhealthy dose of Nazi associations. Famous, notorious and compelling - but does she have that certain something? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 13, 2024•1 hr 11 min
