Greg Jenner (born 10 September 1982) is a British author and public

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

with a particular interest in communicating history through pop culture and humour.

Early life

Jenner studied for a History and Archaeology BA and a Medieval Studies MA at The University of York.

Career

Jenner has worked as an historical consultant on the ''

Horrible Histories ''Horrible Histories'' is an educational entertainment franchise encompassing many media including books, magazines, audio books, stage shows, TV shows, and more. In 2013, Lisa Edwards, UK publishing and commercial director of Scholastic Corpo ...

books A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, mo ...

and television shows. Jenner has credited the success of ''Horrible Histories'' to a non-patronising approach to children’s television. Jenner has written for '' GQ'' magazine and has appeared as a guest on '' Richard Herring's interview podcasts'' and on the ''Art Detective'' podcast. He also featured on the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

programme ''

Great Lives ''Great Lives'' is a BBC Radio 4 biography series, produced in Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the re ...

'', discussing

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

. He has appeared more than once as a guest on '' QI'' spin-off podcast '' No Such Thing as a Fish''. and has made appearances on the Simon Mayo and the Steve Wright shows on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

. Jenner featured as an expert on the

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

television programme ''Inside Versailles'', as well as for the ''

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

'' newspaper, discussing historical accuracy in television programmes. Jenner has been made an Honorary Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London. Since 2019, Jenner has presented a

BBC Sounds BBC Sounds is an Over-the-top media service, over-the-top audio streaming media, streaming and download service from the BBC that includes live radio broadcasts, Streaming media, audio on demand, and podcasts. The service is available on a wide ...

podcast, ''You’re Dead To Me''. Each episode sees him talk to both a historian and comedian about a historical figure or time period. As well as the streamed edition, a radio-edit version is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. In February 2023 and 2024 the show won the ''Best Radio Entertainment Show'' category at the Comedy.co.uk Awards. In 2020, Jenner launched ''Homeschool History,'' an educational history podcast aimed at children, in response to the Coronavirus lockdown whereby children who were unable to attend school. ''Homeschool History'' ran for two series and was broadcast on

. In 2021 Jenner launched an Audible Original podcast ''A Somewhat Complete History of Sitting Down''.

Publications

* ''A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Daily Life, From The Stone Age To The Phone Age'' (2015, Weidenfeld & Nicolson; ISBN 9780297869788) * ''Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity from Bronze Age to Silver Screen'' (2020, Weidenfeld & Nicolson; ISBN 9780297869818) * ''Ask A Historian: 50 Surprising Answers to Things You Always Wanted to Know'' (2021, Orion; ISBN 9781474618625) * ''You Are History: From The Alarm Clock To The Toilet, The Amazing History of The Things You Use Every Day'' (2022, Welbeck Publishing Group; ISBN 9781406395679) * ''Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly!'' (2024, Walker Books; ISBN 9781406395655) * ''Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy!'' (2024, Walker Books; ISBN 9781406395662)

Personal life

Jenner is half French on his mother's side. He is an avid fan of heavy metal and alternative rock, and loves Thrice, the band. Jenner is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. He is teetotal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenner, Greg 1982 births Living people 21st-century British historians Alumni of the University of York English people of French descent 21st-century British male writers