History's Greatest Scandals

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime minister. In the first series of History’s Greatest Scandals we’re delving into the murky underworld of the Victorians. Join journalist Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone, as they take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain. They’ll be sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, to uncover some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reveal about Victorian age.

Follow on

Episodes

Introducing History's Greatest Battles | New Podcast

Vicious civil wars. Gruelling sieges. Rebellious provinces, galling betrayals and tribes seeking revenge… Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Battles, where we’re heading back to the Roman empire. Emily Briffett is joined by historian Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to look back at five of the most fascinating clashes of this ancient civilisation, taking in the action blow by blow and identifying the major moments and key commanders that shaped events. They’ll also be uncovering what the mi...

Feb 26, 2025•1 min

Corruption down the coalmines

In 1840, an investigation was launched to inspect conditions in Britain’s coalmines. But what the inspectors found down the mines would soon become a national scandal. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. In this episode, they descend into Britain’s dark and dangerous coalpits to explore what this case can reveal about dire working conditions and child labour in 19th-cent...

Feb 04, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 5

The dark heart of Victorian London

In July 1885, the Pall Mall Gazette ran an exposé so shocking that ‘squeamish’ readers were encouraged not to read it. It followed undercover journalist WT Stead on a mission to expose child exploitation in London – and, as it turned out, Stead was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to get his story. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. This episode follows Stead’s i...

Jan 28, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Bone-crushing hunger in Britain’s workhouses

We all know the story of Oliver Twist begging for ‘more’ in the workhouse. But were these institutions really as nasty, grim and brutal as Dickens depicts? In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. And in this episode, they revisit an investigation into dire workhouse conditions, exploring what it can reveal about attitudes to the poor at the time. History’s Greatest Scandals ...

Jan 21, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 3

‘Little pills of sugared death’

On the day before Halloween in 1858, residents of Bradford flocked to the local market’s sweet stall of to get their hands on Humbug Billy’s peppermint lozenges. But before long, it became clear that something was very wrong with these sweets... In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. This episode revisits one of 19th-century Britain’s worst cases of accidental poisoning, ex...

Jan 14, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 2

The mother of all sex scandals

Divorce cases can be messy. But the epic court battle between Caroline and George Norton in 1836 took things to the next level, with salacious accusations of adultery with none other than the prime minister. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. This opening episode delves into the story of one of British history’s most bitter divorce cases, exploring what it can reveal ab...

Jan 07, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing History's Greatest Scandals: The Victorians

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister. Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, where we’re delving into the murky underworld of The Victorians.I’m Ellie Cawthorne, and, along with historian Professor Rosalind Crone, I’ll be taking a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian life. We’ll sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses...

Dec 03, 2024•1 min