History Behind the Headlines – Details, episodes & analysis

Historian, author and broadcaster David Olusoga is among the famous faces to feature on new TV series The Celebrity Traitors, which launches in the UK next Wednesday, 8 October on BBC One. But what are the opportunities, and dangers, when historians become celebrities? And to what extent should history be entertainment? Regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter share their thoughts. Plus: history’s most incredible imposters. History Behind the Headlines is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠⁠. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: ⁠⁠⁠https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠ This episode was hosted by Matt Elton with regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following the killing of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk, tensions have been running high in the United States. But what parallels can history offer us to help make sense of recent events? Regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter are joined by fellow historian Adam IP Smith to discuss the key context. Plus, a historian's eye view of President Trump's recent state visit to the UK – and how it compares to a Tudor summit History Behind the Headlines is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠⁠. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: ⁠⁠⁠https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠ This episode was hosted by Matt Elton with regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recent weeks have seen thousands of St George's and union flags being flown in villages, towns and cities around England. But what's the real history behind those symbols? In this episode of our fortnightly podcast charting the history behind breaking news stories, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss their origins. Plus what a set of 17th-century diaries tell us about life during a tumultuous period of history. Read more about Alice Thornton's 17th-century diaries here: https://thornton.kdl.kcl.ac.uk History Behind the Headlines is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: ⁠⁠https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠ This episode was hosted by Matt Elton with regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does the past shape today's world? In HistoryExtra's fortnightly podcast History Behind the Headlines, Matt Elton is joined by regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter and guest experts to explore the historical context you need to understand the latest news History Behind the Headlines is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: ⁠https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/⁠ This episode was hosted by Matt Elton and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices