Fern Riddell

Throughout history certain civilisations, events and objects have fascinated and inspired us, causing those involved to dig deeper and go further on a ceaseless quest to be the first to finally uncover the truth.

Emilia Fox and Britain’s top criminologist, Professor David Wilson, cast new light on the Jack the Ripper case. Together, they examine the Ripper’s modus operandi using modern technology to recreate the murder sites to help understand the extraordinary risks the Ripper took to kill his victims. Using the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES)—a bespoke computer system used by the police to help detect patterns in criminal activity—and evidence uncovered within the investigation, results strongly indicate another woman was, in fact, the first Ripper victim.

Does new evidence show that Queen Victoria and her Highland servant John Brown had a romantic relationship, secretly married and had a child? Rob Rinder and Dr Fern Riddell investigate.

Dr Fern Riddell is a young historian and author who goes back to the archives to challenge more traditional historical views of Victorian society. Her investigation into a sensational Victorian high court trial, which took place in 1877, sheds new light on the ‘no sex please, we are British’ cliché often associated with Victorian England.

JMW Turner's paintings are world famous, but what if they're not what they seem? This revealing documentary film could change the way we interpret some of Turner's most familiar works as two plucky enthusiasts, joined by art historians and academics, reveal the startling hidden codes they believe are woven into his paintings. Follow their Da Vinci Code-esque quest as they delve into the unseen images which have been staring out from their frames for centuries.

From vampires and werewolves to demons and Frankenstein, Monsters: The Truth Behind the Myths unpacks the origin story of our most legendary monsters and tracks their staying power across the centuries. It’s a historical journey to the mindsets that made them and how folklore and superstition has intersected with science and popular culture right up until today.

Throughout history certain civilisations, events and objects have fascinated and inspired us, causing those involved to dig deeper and go further on a ceaseless quest to be the first to finally uncover the truth.

From vampires and werewolves to demons and Frankenstein, Monsters: The Truth Behind the Myths unpacks the origin story of our most legendary monsters and tracks their staying power across the centuries. It’s a historical journey to the mindsets that made them and how folklore and superstition has intersected with science and popular culture right up until today.