After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
byHistory Hit
HistorySocietyCultureTrue Crime
This is After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal. The podcast that takes you to the shadiest corners of the past, unpicking history’s spookiest, strangest, and most sinister stories.Join historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, every Monday and Thursday to take a look at the darker side of history. From haunted pubs and Houdini, to witch trials and weird UFO sightings.After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal - a podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.Sign up to History Hi...
Episodes(40 episodes)
E247 - Dark Truth About Victorian 'Freak Shows'
Julia Pastrana was a Mexican woman exploited as a sideshow attraction in life and grotesquely exhibited even after her death because of her appearance. Her story is part of the dark history of the Victorian 'freak show'. Anthony tells Maddy the story.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith and researched by Phoebe Joyce.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free...
Published: Feb 2, 2026Duration: 49:16
E246 - Essex's Darkest Witch Hunt
This is the story of a 16th century cunning woman, a folk healer, who was found guilty of being a witch. Accusations spiralled until more than a dozen women faced the threat of death. The St Osyth witch hunt became a landmark case, setting a dark precedent for the witch hunts that would explode across the country in the century that followed.Our guest today is Marion Gibson, author of 'Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials'.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.<...
Published: Jan 29, 2026Duration: 45:11
E245 - Who Was the Witchfinder General?
Mathew Hopkins, also known as the ‘Witchfinder General,’ was responsible for a campaign of terror across 17th-century England. In just a few short feverish years, his witch hunts swept through East Anglia, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people… Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Tom Delargy, Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.his...
Published: Jan 26, 2026Duration: 50:21
E244 - Inside A Medieval Leper Colony
Come back with us to a Medieval leper colony.What was life really like for patients inside the gates? What did it mean when the 'leper bell' rang? And what happened at a 'living funeral'?Join Anthony and Maddy as they separate popular myth from fact, taking you through a typical day inside a leper colony in medieval Europe.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick and researched by Phoebe Joyce.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit<...
Published: Jan 22, 2026Duration: 33:17
E243 - The Victorian's Dark Obsession with Ancient Egypt
The Victorians had a lot of twisted fascinations, but their fixation on Ancient Egypt might be the darkest of the lot.From 'mummy unwrapping parties' (yes, really), to gothic stories of romances with mummified bodies and beetles that came to life.Was this a desire to connect with the past? Something darker? Or maybe both.Joining Anthony and Maddy today is historian and author Dr Jay Sullivan, to help us uncover the truth.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer...
Published: Jan 19, 2026Duration: 40:19
E242 - The Deadly Arctic Witch Trials
It all started when a huge storm drowned 40 men on Christmas Eve, 1617.The people of Vardø, northern Norway, needed someone to blame.What followed were devastating witch trials which featured one of the highest execution rates in Europe, and implicated the town's women and the surrounding indigenous population.Joining Anthony and Maddy to delve into this icy world is author and historian Marion Gibson.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.You can now w...
Published: Jan 15, 2026Duration: 40:56
E241 - The Great Fire of London As It Happened
The Fire that struck London in 1666 was one of the city's darkest chapters. In this episode, Anthony and Maddy examine the accounts of people who witnessed the disaster at the time, tracing the story from its origin in Pudding Lane right up until its dying embers...Who quickly did the Fire spread? How did the terrified population turn to scapegoating the innocent? And how did the aftermath of this catastrophe shape the city we know today?Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Tom Delargy, Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.You...
Published: Jan 12, 2026Duration: 50:10
E240 - Day in the Life of a Salem Puritan
What did it feel like to wake up Salem Village during the darkest days of the witch trials? Would you be able to swallow down your beer and pottage breakfast? As you walked towards the simple wooden Meetinghouse in the afternoon, what feeling would have been in your breast? Anthony & Maddy are on a quest to find out!Sign up to History Hit to watch this and hundreds of other original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Edited by...
Published: Jan 8, 2026Duration: 49:03
E239 - Inside the Victorian Asylum
One of the dark symbols of the Victorian age is the asylum. It struck fear into the mind but what was the reality of life inside its walls? Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story today.Edited by Richard Powers, Produced by Stuart Beckwith, Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. ...
Published: Jan 5, 2026Duration: 40:43
E238 - The Truth About the Conjuring's Ghost Hunters
Ghost hunting couple Ed and Lorraine Warren transformed twentieth century America into an enchanted land dotted with haunted houses, cursed objects, and portals to hell. Their exploits are the basis for the Conjuring movie franchise. They are the originators of the Annabelle doll. They are the most famous demon hunters ever. Who were the Warrens? Did they make it up? Or did they believe it all?Maddy and Anthony's guest today is Professor Joseph Laycock from Texas State University. He was our guest last week on our episode about the Amityville Horror. Joseph is the author...
Published: Jan 1, 2026Duration: 33:49
E237 - Banshees: Herald of Death
Today we're delving back into the After Dark vaults to revisit our episode on Banshees...Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) joins Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling for the story of the Banshee.The Banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by shrieking, or keening. Anthony tells us a story about one dying man in 1772 who is called to his death by her wailing cries.Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.You...
Published: Dec 29, 2025Duration: 41:58
E236 - Ghosts of Henry VIII's Palace
We’re re-running this episode because it’s one of our favourites — and it’s worth another listen!The ghost of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, screaming down a corridor. A nursemaid's spinning wheel clicking in the walls. Robed Tudor figures slamming open fire exits. A noisy group of ghosts haunt Hampton Court Palace.Tracy Borman, Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, joins Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney to guide them through the spectres of Hampton Court.Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charl...
Published: Dec 25, 2025Duration: 42:45
E235 - Dark Truth About Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street who beheads people and then sends their bodies through a trapdoor to be made into pies. It's just a story right? Right? There's not any real history to it....or is there? Like two food inspectors examining a particularly noxious looking pie, Maddy and Anthony dig into the dark truths that led to Sweeney Todd's creations.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Research was by Phoebe Joyce. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark...
Published: Dec 22, 2025Duration: 37:47
E234 - The Most Notorious Viking Raid
The Viking attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, a remote tidal island in North East England, sent psychological and cultural shockwaves through the history. It's a story of blood and terror, but there's more subtlety to it as well, as Maddy and Anthony learn today with returning guest Dr Eleanor Barraclough. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a n...
Published: Dec 18, 2025Duration: 43:01
E233 - Oscar Wilde's Very Victorian Scandal
In 1895, the world witnessed its first true celebrity trial when Oscar Wilde was charged with “Gross Indecency". To tell the powerful story of Wilde's life in its fullness, Anthony and Maddy are joined by Merlin Holland, grandson of Oscar Wilde. Anthony and Merlin met while Anthony was filming his new History Hit documentary A Very Victorian Scandal: The Trials of Oscar Wilde.Sign up to History Hit to watch this and hundreds of other original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Edit...
Published: Dec 15, 2025Duration: 1:06:15
E232 - Does Every Family Hold A Dark Past?
Maddy and Anthony dig into their own family history in collaboration with Ancestry! They find stories from the darker side of the past in their own family trees. Huge thanks to Ancestry's genealogists and family historians Jenn Utley, Joe Buggy and Christina Copland.If you haven’t yet, head to here to start your own family history journey today for free. The AncestryDNA kit makes an amazing stocking stuffer. Be sure to subscribe to the Ancestry YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@AncestryUS too!Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick, Peta Stamp...
Published: Dec 11, 2025Duration: 57:54
E231 - What Happened The Day Pompeii was Destroyed?
We all know the story of Pompeii: the Roman town reduced to ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Roughly two-thousand years later, archaeologists have been able to uncover the stories of its victims. What do we know of the lives of this city's inhabitants? Who were they? And what do we know about their terrible final moments?Today, Anthony and Maddy are joined by ancient historian Dr Jess Venner, whose book ‘The Lost Voices of Pompeii’ will be published in April 2026.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.<b...
Published: Dec 8, 2025Duration: 53:03
E230 - The Dark Side of the Vikings
How dark really were the Vikings? How much of a part did human sacrifice play in their world? And what was their relationship with magic?Joining Anthony and Maddy in today's episode is historian, author and all-round Viking expert Dr Eleanor Barraclough, to take us back to darkest corners of the Viking era.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit...
Published: Dec 4, 2025Duration: 56:57
E229 - The Only Prime Minister Ever Assassinated
Was this moment the closest Britain came to revolution? When Prime Minister Spencer Perceval lay dying on the floor of the Parliament, many feared it was the start of bloody revolt. We discover the assassin, John Bellingham, and what drove him to commit murder.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www...
Published: Dec 1, 2025Duration: 46:16
E228 - Who Was Medieval Europe's Most Evil Monarch?
Who was the very worst of all the Medieval monarchs? No spoilers but we've got monarchs driven psychopathic by love, terrible sadists, and egos that straddled a continent. They were the worst of the worst, but who was the worst of all?Our guest today is Dr Eleanor Janega, co-host of Gone Medieval from History Hit - if you are a fan of the medieval world, you need to be listening!This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.You...
Published: Nov 27, 2025Duration: 49:24