Greg Jenner is a British public historian, broadcaster, and author with a particular interest in communicating History through pop culture and humour. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and an Honorary Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London. Greg is the creator and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s funny history podcast You’re Dead to Me which pairs up top comedians with expert historians to cover global history. It launched in 2019 as the number 1 show on Apple Podcasts, and has since grown to become a chart-topping, flagship show for BBC Sounds (90 million downloads and plays as of January 2024), plus it attracts a regular Saturday morning audience on BBC Radio 4. In 2023,...
Greg Jenner is a British public historian, broadcaster, and author with a particular interest in communicating History through pop culture and humour. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and an Honorary Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Greg is the creator and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s funny history podcast You’re Dead to Me which pairs up top comedians with expert historians to cover global history. It launched in 2019 as the number 1 show on Apple Podcasts, and has since grown to become a chart-topping, flagship show for BBC Sounds (90 million downloads and plays as of January 2024), plus it attracts a regular Saturday morning audience on BBC Radio 4. In 2023, You’re Dead to Me recorded a live episode about Leonardo Da Vinci at the BBC Radio Theatre, where Greg was joined by Dara Ó Briain, Prof Catherine Fletcher, and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Live episodes have also been recorded on Shakespeare and Mozart, again featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Greg has recently focused on audio projects, and his other BBC Radio 4 projects have included the acclaimed children’s educational series Homeschool History (made during Covid lockdown), the 20-part archive series Past Forward: A Century of Sound (which marked the BBC’s Centenary year), and his role as resident historian on The Origin of Stuff with Katy Brand. In 2021, he wrote and presented the 8-part podcast series A Somewhat Complete History of Sitting Down for Audible Originals. Previously, he had written and presented the Radio 4 Extra programme Hilarious History: What’s so Funny About the Past?
Greg also works as a historical consultant to Film/TV/Interactive. He was recently the expert adviser for YouTube Kids’ animated educational comedy series Corpse Talk, which was nominated for a RTS award. Most notably, from 2008-2019, he was a key part of CBBC’s phenomenally successful comedy sketch show Horrible Histories, which has won over 50 international awards, as well as its BAFTA-nominated spinoff movie Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans.
In front of the camera, Greg co-presented two series of Inside Versailles – each a 10-part historical companion piece to BBC Two’s lavish drama series Versailles – and was a panellist on BBC Two’s The Great History Quiz. He has also been an expert interviewee on several historical documentaries and news programmes.
Greg is the author (and audiobook narrator) of four published books: A Million Years In A Day, Dead Famous, Ask A Historian, and his first children’s book, You are History. The first of his series for children Totally Chaotic History! Was published in March 2024.
Greg is also the voice of the Sky Glass adverts.
Greg studied at the University of York from 2001-5, and abandoned dreams of a PhD in Medieval Literature. He does guest teaching at both the University of York and Royal Holloway, University of London.
