Best Flea Style Podcasts (2025)

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Born in the Tower 5:08

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10h ago5:08

5:08

On this day in Tudor history, 24 September 1561, a baby with a claim and a cloud was born inside the Tower of London. Meet Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, son of Lady Katherine Grey (Jane Grey’s sister) and Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, a couple who secretly married without Elizabeth I’s permission. The queen refused to recognise the union,…

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“Truce”… then Cannon Fire: San Juan de Ulúa (1568) - The Road to the Armada 4:33

1d ago4:33

4:33

On this day in Tudor history, 23 September 1568, a tense “harbour truce” at San Juan de Ulúa (Veracruz) exploded into close-quarters battle. Spanish warships surged in; cannon roared; John Hawkins and his young kinsman Francis Drake barely escaped with the Minion and Judith as the flagship Jesus of Lübeck was wrecked. Many English sailors were capt…

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Potatoes in Shakespeare’s England 40:17

2d ago40:17

40:17

When Falstaff cries, “Let the sky rain potatoes” in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare’s audience heard more than a vegetable—they heard novelty, superstition, and even scandal. In Elizabethan and Jacobean England, the potato was still a strange newcomer from the Americas, rumored to be an aphrodisiac, a medicine, and an oddity of the garden. …

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| Ep 197 | Gizelle Shoots Her Shot! 47:28

2d ago47:28

47:28

Gizelle and Robyn talk about evading the cops, Nick Cannon, Steve Harvey, speaking with exes, cheating consequences, Beyonce v Michael Jackson, Dame Dash, Shaq, Gizelle in the DM’s, streaming shows, and more! +Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReasonablyShady +Get in touch with the show: whatsup (at) reasonablyshady (dot) com || Keep up with us on I…

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Who is King Henry?: A Conversation with Ricky Dukes 34:48

2d ago34:48

34:48

Episode 187: This episode is both an ending and a beginning. An ending because it is the last of the recent run of consecutive guest episodes – next time we will be returning to Shakespeare, Jonson and their plays – but it is also the first of what I hope will be a series of guest episodes attached to each of the very significant Shakespeare plays …

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The Carpenter Who Built Henry VIII’s World 5:02

2d ago5:02

5:02

Ever looked up at Hampton Court’s Great Hall and wondered who made that jaw-dropping roof? On this day in Tudor history, 22 September 1544, James Nedeham, master carpenter, architect and Surveyor of the King’s Works, died while on campaign with Henry VIII at Boulogne. You may not know his name, but you know his work: Hampton Court’s Great Hall roof…

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A Duchess’s Cry for Help 7:43

3d ago7:43

7:43

Content note: This video discusses historical allegations of domestic abuse. Imagine being one of the highest-ranking women in England, then writing that you were locked away, stripped of your jewels, pinned until you spat blood, and dragged from bed by your hair. Those are the claims of Elizabeth Howard, Duchess of Norfolk, set down in letters to …

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From “Looking for Richard” to Writing Richard III — Wendy Johnson Interview 48:33

4d ago48:33

48:33

Villain or maligned? In this interview, historical novelist Wendy Johnson—a founding member of Philippa Langley’s “Looking for Richard” project—joins me to discuss her debut novel, The Traitor’s Son, which traces Richard III’s formative decade (1461–1471). We explore: What being close to the 2012 discovery in Leicester changed for her as a writer a…

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Katherine Willoughby: Duchess, Exile, Survivor 5:09

5d ago5:09

5:09

On this day in Tudor history, 19 September 1580, Katherine Willoughby (Katherine Brandon, later Katherine Bertie), Duchess of Suffolk, died after a long illness and was laid to rest at Spilsby, Lincolnshire. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today I’m telling the story of one of my favourite Tudor women, a brilliant, resilient figure who…

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Heir, Hostage, Court Favourite… Dead at 15 - Henry Brandon’s Story 5:14

6d ago5:14

5:14

On this day in Tudor history, 18 September 1535, Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, was born at Chartley in Staffordshire. The eldest son of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and Catherine Willoughby, Henry’s life was full of promise, until it was heartbreakingly cut short. Educated alongside Prince Edward (the future Edward VI), Henry thrived at …

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The Quiet Power Behind the Reformation: Bullinger 5:07

7d ago5:07

5:07

On 17 September 1575, Zurich lost one of its great reformers: Heinrich (Henry) Bullinger. While Luther thundered, Calvin systematised, and Zwingli fought and died, Bullinger quietly anchored the Swiss Reformation, and his writings reached far beyond Switzerland, shaping the faith of Tudor England. In this episode, I explore: Bullinger’s rise from B…

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Walter Devereux: Poison Plot or Tragic Misfortune 4:51

8d ago4:51

4:51

On 16 September 1539, Walter Devereux was born at Chartley in Staffordshire. Nobleman, soldier, coloniser—and father to Robert Devereux, Elizabeth I’s brilliant but doomed favourite—Walter’s life was full of ambition, controversy, and whispers that outlived him. From his meteoric rise at Elizabeth’s court to his brutal and ill-fated campaign in Ire…

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The Holy Grail in Shakespeare’s England 22:42

9d ago22:42

22:42

For Shakespeare and his contemporaries, the line between history and myth was often delightfully blurred. Legends of King Arthur and the fabled Holy Grail captured the imaginations of 16th-century England, weaving their way into royal propaganda, courtly entertainments, and even the education of young scholars. Elizabeth I herself was likened to th…

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| Ep 196 | Now What Did We Say? 49:00

9d ago49:00

49:00

Gizelle and Robyn discuss shady vacations, missing birthdays, common birth-dates, French Montana, Robyn’s recent internet drama w/ K. Michelle, banned hairstyles, shady mailbag, Charlie Kirk, the Labubu craze, and more! +Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReasonablyShady +Get in touch with the show: whatsup (at) reasonablyshady (dot) com || Keep up w…

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Robert Armin – Shakespeare’s Other Clown: A Conversation with Tim Fitzhigham 27:07

9d ago27:07

27:07

Episode 186: In this continuing series of guest episodes, it is a very welcome return to the podcast for Tim Fitzhigham. You may remember I spoke to Tim in episode 140 about his work at the Kings Lynn Guildhall where the Elizabethan period Stage had recently been uncovered and hit the headlines in the UK as a stage that Shakespeare and the Queen’s …

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What did Henry VIII REALLY look like? 4:47

9d ago4:47

4:47

When you picture Henry VIII, do you see Holbein’s towering figure in furs and jewels—broad, bearded, and imposing? That image is iconic... but it’s not the full story. In this video, I’m going back to the start of Henry’s reign to ask: What did Henry VIII really look like when he took the throne in 1509? Before the tyranny, before the weight gain, …

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Tudor Quiz - 75 THOUSAND Youtube Subscribers - Play Along! 5:19

10d ago5:19

5:19

I can't believe that I've got over 75,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, and to celebrate it, my lovely husband, Tim, put together a "mastermind" style expert round quiz to test my knowledge on the Tudors and especially the Boleyn family. There's a quick-fire round of two minutes where I have to answer as many questions correctly as I can, and …

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Was Henry VIII Really Protestant? 7:38

11d ago7:38

7:38

The Truth About His Faith and the English Reformation He broke from Rome. He dissolved the monasteries. He declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England… So that makes Henry VIII Protestant, right? Not quite. In this video, we explore: Why Henry VIII broke with the Pope (spoiler: it wasn’t about theology) His 1521 book defending the Cathol…

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Who was Marten Micron? 5:33

12d ago5:33

5:33

We rarely hear about Marten Micron, a young Dutch pastor who came to London as a refugee, and helped organise one of the most radical experiments of Edward VI’s reign: the Stranger Church at Austin Friars. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video I’ll be sharing the remarkable story of Marten Micron: his ministry among London’s…

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The Pope Who Celebrated a Massacre 4:13

13d ago4:13

4:13

A medal for a massacre. A Te Deum for thousands of deaths. A celebration that still shocks centuries later. On this day in history—11 September 1572—Pope Gregory XIII ordered Rome to give thanks for not one, but two "victories": the Catholic triumph over the Ottomans at Lepanto and the mass slaughter of French Protestants during the St Bartholomew’…

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She Faced the Flames Cheerfully – The Martyrdom of Joyce Lewis 4:12

14d ago4:12

4:12

On this day in Tudor history—10 September 1557—Joyce Lewis was led to the stake at Lichfield for her Protestant faith. Eyewitnesses said she faced the flames with cheerfulness. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode, I share the powerful and heartbreaking story of a Tudor gentlewoman who chose faith and conscience over comp…

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“Near to Heaven by Sea”: Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s Last Voyage 7:23

15d ago7:23

7:23

We are as near to Heaven by sea as by land.” On this day, 9 September 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s tiny ship, the Squirrel, disappeared in an Atlantic storm, and an audacious Elizabethan life ended in a flash of foam and darkness. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we follow Gilbert’s extraordinary arc: Devon gentleman and half-brot…

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What the Anne Hathaway Epitaph Reveals About Her Legacy 24:26

16d ago24:26

24:26

This week, we explore the legacy of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, through the only epitaph in the Shakespeare family plot that’s written in Latin and engraved on brass. Our guest, Katherine Scheil, walks us through the historical significance of Anne’s burial placement, the meaning behind the poetic language of her epitaph, and what these choi…

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| Ep 195 | Chat Knows What's Up! 41:41

16d ago41:41

41:41

Gizelle and Robyn talk about mistaken identities, shady waiters, Atlanta, Walmart, Tillamook ice cream, Uber, washcloths, Chat GPT, Rashida tickets, and more! +Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReasonablyShady +Get in touch with the show: whatsup (at) reasonablyshady (dot) com || Keep up with us on IG: ReasonablyShady || Follow Robyn: robyndixon10 |…

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‘The Shakespeare Ladies Club’: A Conversation with Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth 46:37

17d ago46:37

46:37

Episode 185: For today’s guest episode it’s a warm welcome to the podcast for Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth, co-authors of the recently published book ‘The Shakespeare Ladies Club’. Their book explores the lives of four ladies who were crucial in ensuring the original work of Shakespeare was not forgotten in the 18th Century and beyond. In 1736…

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The Boleyn Grandson Who Backed Shakespeare 4:12

16d ago4:12

4:12

Grandson of Mary Boleyn. Cousin to Elizabeth I. Patron to Shakespeare’s company. On 8 September 1603, George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon, died, leaving a legacy that runs from court politics to the playhouse. Some even whispered he was Henry VIII’s grandson. Rumour or not, Carey stood right behind the stage that gave us Hamlet, Henry V and more. I’m h…

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Who was Anne Boleyn REALLY? 17:29

17d ago17:29

17:29

Who was Anne Boleyn...really? In this fast, source-based overview I cover her debated birth year, French education, rise to queenship, real influence on religion and politics, the 1536 downfall, and the biggest myths to bin (no, not a sixth finger). Perfect for newcomers and Tudor die-hards. What you’ll learn • How Mechelen & France shaped her poli…

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Mary Tudor’s Hidden Influence + How Tudors Learned - Claire Ridgway Interviews Amy McElroy 52:53

18d ago52:53

52:53

Join me for a lively deep-dive with historian and author Amy McElroy—whose books include Educating the Tudors and Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era, with Mary Tudor, Queen of France out next and a new project on Desiderius Erasmus underway. We talk Tudor education, women’s real power at home and court, Mary Tudor’s overlooked influence, and why Erasmu…

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Could You Really Get Away with Murder at Henry VIII's Court? - Tudor True Crime 11:07

19d ago11:07

11:07

In April 1532, Sir William Pennington was cut down on the very edge of Westminster sanctuary—and his killers walked away with a manslaughter verdict, a £1,000 pardon, and glittering careers. In this Tudor true-crime deep dive, I unpack the fight, the politics, and the legal loopholes that made it possible. What’s inside: The argument and fight, fro…

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The Reasonably Shady Mailbag #1 16:43

20d ago16:43

16:43

After all these years of Reasonably Shady, Robyn and Gizelle have gotten a LOT of listener letters. In this new series, the ladies catch up on older letters that they didn't have time for on the main show! +Send us an email! : whatsup (at) reasonablyshady (dot) com || Keep up with us on IG: ReasonablyShady || Follow Robyn: robyndixon10 || Follow Gi…

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From Paston Letters to Power 5:01

20d ago5:01

5:01

On this day in Tudor history, 4 September 1550, Sir Thomas Paston, a gentleman of the privy chamber under Henry VIII and Edward VI, died. If the name Paston rings a bell, it should: the Paston Letters gave us one of the richest pictures of late-medieval/early-Tudor gentry life. But Thomas Paston wasn’t just part of a famous family, he carved out hi…

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From Prison to Power to Poison? The Rise and Fall of Edward Courtenay 5:46

21d ago5:46

5:46

On this day in Tudor history, 3rd September 1553, Edward Courtenay was created Earl of Devon by Queen Mary I. It was a stunning reversal of fortune for a man who had spent 15 years imprisoned in the Tower of London after his father, the Marquess of Exeter, was executed for treason. In this podcast, I trace the extraordinary life of Edward Courtenay…

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Priest, Diplomat, Powerbroker: The Life of Archbishop Thomas Savage 4:45

22d ago4:45

4:45

On 2nd or 3rd September 1507, Thomas Savage, Archbishop of York, died at Cawood Castle in Yorkshire. Savage wasn’t just a churchman — he was one of Henry VII’s most trusted servants, a skilled diplomat, and a powerful royal official in the turbulent north of England. In this video, I uncover his remarkable story: - His family connections to the inf…

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Feathers in Dress and Costume for the 16th-17th Century 21:37

23d ago21:37

21:37

Shakespeare’s plays are rich with references to fashion and feathers. In All’s Well That Ends Well, he writes: “Faith, there’s a dozen of ’em, with delicate fine hats and most courteous feathers, which bow the head and nod at every man.” These plumed hats weren’t just theatrical flourishes—they were part of a broader story of global trade, Indigeno…

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A Labor Day Rap 4:05

23d ago4:05

4:05

Gizelle and Robyn check in briefly on Labor Day to share another Reasonably Shady rap! +Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReasonablyShady +Get in touch with the show: whatsup (at) reasonablyshady (dot) com || Keep up with us on IG: ReasonablyShady || Follow Robyn: robyndixon10 || Follow Gizelle: gizellebryant || See omnystudio.com/listener for priva…

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‘A Trojan Woman’: A Conversation with Sara Farrington 32:50

23d ago32:50

32:50

Episode 184: Today’s episode is part of my summer run of guest episodes and feels very special as rather than talking about a long dead playwright I got to talk to a living one. Sara Farrington is a New York based playwright who has written an adaptation of ‘The Trojan Women’ by Euripides, called ‘A Trojan Woman’, which has had several productions …

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Not Just a Lord Mayor’s Wife: Dorcas Martin’s Story 5:11

23d ago5:11

5:11

On 1st September 1599, Dorcas Martin — translator, bookseller, Puritan, and wife of Sir Richard Martin, twice Lord Mayor of London — was laid to rest at All Hallows, Tottenham. Though she lived much of her life in her husband’s shadow, Dorcas carved out a place of her own in Elizabethan London. She acted as a bookseller during the fierce “pulpit wa…

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Alien: Earth (2025): Ridley Scott's creation comes to TV 1:05:56

24d ago1:05:56

1:05:56

We look at one of Brett's favourite franchises with Alien:Earth. The TV show expands the universe and brings the alien to Earth for the first time but is it any good? There's also music from Astoria. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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What If Arthur Tudor Had Lived? | Interview with Leah Toole, Author of The Rose and The Pomegranate 28:25

24d ago28:25

28:25

What if Prince Arthur, Henry VIII’s elder brother, had survived? In this special interview, I sit down with novelist Leah Toole to talk about her fascinating book "The Rose and The Pomegranate" — an alternative history novel that asks one of Tudor history’s biggest “what ifs.” In Leah’s world, Arthur Tudor doesn’t die in 1502 — and the ripple effec…

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Henry VIII’s “Stolen Mistress” Scandal: Adultery, Gossip… or Something Darker? 12:55

25d ago12:55

12:55

In 1537, Cromwell had to investigate a sordid rumour about William Webbe's "pretty wench" and Henry VIII. It claimed the king had not only been unfaithful to his new queen, Jane Seymour, but had stolen another man’s mistress and kept her for himself. The story spread so widely it ended up in Alison Weir’s modern-day "Henry VIII: King and Court" and…

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The Forgotten Tudor Adventurer Who Went Down With His Ship - Maurice Browne 4:00

26d ago4:00

4:00

When we think of Elizabethan adventurers, names like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh usually come to mind. But on 29th August 1583, another Tudor mariner met a tragic fate — one whose name history has largely forgotten. His name was Maurice Browne. Browne wasn’t just an adventurer — he was a well-connected courtier who worked for Elizabeth…

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Tortured, Defiant, and Just 21 5:35

27d ago5:35

5:35

On 28th August 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, a young Franciscan friar named Thomas Felton was hanged near Brentford, Middlesex. Felton’s “crime”? His Catholic faith, and his refusal to acknowledge Elizabeth I as head of the Church. The son of Blessed John Felton (executed in 1570 for posting the papal bull of Elizabeth’s excommunication), y…

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Lady Anne Bacon - A Remarkable Tudor Woman 4:19

28d ago4:19

4:19

When you hear the name Bacon, you probably think of Sir Francis Bacon — philosopher, scientist, genius. But behind him stood an equally remarkable woman: his mother, Lady Anne Bacon (née Cooke). Born in the 1520s, Anne was one of the famous Cooke sisters of Gidea Hall, all of them classically educated at a level most Tudor men could only dream of. …

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A Tudor Bishop Whose Recorder Playing Annoyed a Martyr 5:03

29d ago5:03

5:03

Imagine being remembered not just as a bishop, diplomat, and court insider… but also as the student who annoyed a future martyr with your recorder practice! That was Thomas Thirlby, a man whose life saw the reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. He supported Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, helped …

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How Elizabethan England Managed the Flea 24:11

30d ago24:11

24:11

“I think this be the most villanous house in all London road for fleas..." - Henry IV Part I (II.1) So complains one of Shakespeare’s characters in The Merry Wives of Windsor, voicing what was surely a common frustration in the 16th and 17th centuries. Fleas were an ever-present part of daily life—so much so that they appeared in poems, jokes, love…

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| Ep 194 | Don't Delete This! 48:44

1M ago48:44

48:44

Gizelle and Robyn talk about deleting files, hotel stays, kids going to school, Ozempic update, Robyn’s travels, cultural erasure, the Menendez Brothers, Kris Jenner, the latest news and more! +Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReasonablyShady +Get in touch with the show: whatsup (at) reasonablyshady (dot) com || Keep up with us on IG: ReasonablySha…

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The Dream Factory: A Conversation With Daniel Swift 39:00

1M ago39:00

39:00

Episode 183: Today’s episode is the first of a short run of guest episodes to see us through the end of the English summer and first up is Daniel Swift, author of ‘The Dream Factory: London’s First Playhouse and the making of William Shakespeare’. Given that title I don’t think Daniel’s book needs any further introduction other than to say that I f…

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The Forgotten Tudor Powerhouse Behind William Cecil 5:19

1M ago5:19

5:19

When you hear the name Cecil in Tudor history, you probably think of William Cecil, Elizabeth I’s right-hand man. But behind him was his wife, Mildred Cecil, born Mildred Cooke on 25th August 1526 — a woman every bit as remarkable, and one of the most learned women of her age. In this video, I uncover the fascinating life of Mildred Cecil: - Her ex…

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Where Is Anne Boleyn REALLY Buried? 20:07

1M ago20:07

20:07

On 19th May 1536, Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I, was executed within the Tower of London. Contemporary sources say she was laid to rest in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, but legends place her hundreds of miles away, in Norfolk or Suffolk… and some even claim her heart was buried elsewhere. In this podcast, I, …

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Elizabeth Boleyn Revealed: Interview with Sophie Bacchus-Waterman on Anne Boleyn's Mother 56:16

1M ago56:16

56:16

What do we really know about Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire and mother of Anne Boleyn? Until now, she’s been little more than a shadow in history — remembered only as the wife of Thomas Boleyn and the mother of Anne, Mary, and George. But in a groundbreaking new biography, historian Sophie Bacchus-Waterman uncovers Elizabeth’s real story: …