{{Short description|British author and historian (born 1982)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use British English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Greg Jenner | image = File:Greg Jenner, February 2026 - 01 (cropped).jpg | caption = Jenner in 2026 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|09|10|df=y}} | birth_place = Kent, England | occupation = Author, Public Historian | education = University of York * (BA in Archaeology and History, 2004) * (MA in Medieval Studies, 2006) | known_for = * Horrible Histories (2009 TV series) * ''You’re Dead To Me'' podcast | honours = Fellow of the Royal Historical Society }}
'''Greg Jenner''' (born 10 September 1982) is a British author and public historian with a particular interest in communicating history through pop culture and humour.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/online-trolls-digital-societies-science-mary-beard-twitter-facebook-hate-speech-a8279596.html |title=This is why good people turn bad online |first=Gaia |last=Vince |date=2 April 2018 |work=The Independent }}</ref>
==Early life== Jenner studied for a History and Archaeology BA and a Medieval Studies MA at the University of York.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/greg-jenner/ |title=Greg Jenner |website=HuffPost }}</ref>
==Career== Jenner has worked as an historical consultant on the ''Horrible Histories'' books and television shows.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9857326/Horrible-Histories-20-years-of-entertaining-children.html |title=''Horrible Histories'': 20 years of entertaining children |first=Richard |last=Preston |date=21 February 2013 |work=The Daily Telegraph }}</ref> Jenner has credited the success of ''Horrible Histories'' to a non-patronising approach to children’s television.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bigissue.com/interviews/horrible-histories-greg-jenner-we-dont-treat-kids-like-theyre-stupid/ |title=''Horrible Histories''{{'}} Greg Jenner: "We don't treat kids like they're stupid" |work=The Big Issue |first=Vicky |last=Carroll |date=16 February 2018 }}</ref>
Jenner has written for ''GQ'' magazine<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/the-queen |title=Will the monarchy survive the death of the Queen? |work=GQ |date=3 May 2017 }}</ref> and has appeared as a guest on Richard Herring's interview podcasts<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0HIRuCGeFI |title=Greg Jenner — Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast #157 |work=Richard Herring's interview podcasts |first=Richard |last=Herring |date=6 December 2017 |via=YouTube }}</ref> and on the ''Art Detective'' podcast.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://podtail.com/en/podcast/dr-janina-ramirez-art-detective/bayeux-tapestry-with-greg-jenner/ |title=Bayeux Tapestry — with Greg Jenner |work=Art Detective podcast |date=31 May 2017 |via=Podtail }}</ref> He also featured on the BBC Radio 4 programme ''Great Lives'', discussing Gene Kelly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bgrhxx |title=Greg Jenner on Gene Kelly, Series 46 |series=Great Lives |work=BBC Radio 4 }}</ref>
He has appeared more than once as a guest on ''QI'' spin-off podcast ''No Such Thing as a Fish''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://qi.com/podcast-episodes-page-3 |title=No Such Thing as a Fish |publisher=QI }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/andrew-t/fish/wiki/List-of-No-Such-Thing-as-a-Fish-Episodes |title=List of ''No Such Thing as a Fish'' Episodes |via=GitHub }}</ref> and has made appearances on the Simon Mayo<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/rowan-atkinson-set-for-horrible-histories-70632/ |title=Rowan Atkinson set for ''Horrible Histories'' |work=What's on TV |date=6 January 2015 }}</ref> and the Steve Wright shows on BBC Radio 2.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b050xrm5 |title=Susan Calman and Greg Jenner |work=Steve Wright in the Afternoon |publisher=BBC Radio 2 }}</ref>
Jenner featured as an expert on the BBC2 television programme ''Inside Versailles'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/d9ymk4/inside-versailles--series-1-episode-10/ |title=''Inside Versailles'' – S1 – Episode 10 |website=Radio Times }}</ref> as well as for the ''Independent'' newspaper, discussing historical accuracy in television programmes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.inews.co.uk/culture/television/taboo-historically-accurate/ |title=Sex and swearing in the 1800s: ''Taboo'' is more historically accurate than you think |first=Mark |last=Butler |date=23 January 2017 |work=i }}</ref>
Jenner has been made an Honorary Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London.<ref>{{cite web |last=York |first=University of |title=Ask a Historian |url=https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/public-lectures/spring-2022/ask-historian/ |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=University of York }}</ref>
Since 2019, Jenner has presented a BBC Sounds podcast, ''You’re Dead To Me''. Each episode sees him talk to both a historian and comedian about a historical figure or time period.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07n5ghy |title=''You're Dead To Me'' |date=12 September 2019 |publisher=BBC Radio 4 |accessdate=12 March 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/news/7186/comedy-co-uk-awards-2022-winners/|title= Comedy.co.uk Awards Winners 2022|website=Comedy.co.uk|date= 8 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/ghosts-taskmaster-shows-of-the-year-newsupdate/|website=Radio Times|accessdate=12 February 2024|date=12 February 2024|first=David|last=Craig|title=Ghosts and Taskmaster named comedy and entertainment shows of the year}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Marriott |first=James |title=Homeschool History review — how to sell the Stuarts to children |newspaper=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/homeschool-history-review-a-tactful-approach-to-the-energetic-love-life-of-charles-ii-rlgvwq28x |access-date=23 April 2023 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Homeschool History |url=https://www.gregjenner.com/podcasts-radio/homeschool-history/ |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=Greg Jenner }}</ref> ''Homeschool History'' ran for two series and was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 – Homeschool History |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000hmmf |access-date=23 April 2023 |website=BBC }}</ref>
In 2021 Jenner launched an Audible Original podcast ''A Somewhat Complete History of Sitting Down''.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 May 2021 |title=Take a load off with a new podcast about sitting |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e6537a20-333e-4d75-9835-77582b573903 |access-date=23 April 2023}}</ref>
== 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)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/11627078/14-things-we-learned-from-Greg-Jenners-history-of-everyday-life.html |title=14 things we learned from Greg Jenner's history of everyday life |last=Vincent |first=Alice |date=25 May 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Rebecca|last=Rideal|author-link=Rebecca Rideal|url=https://www.thehistoryvault.co.uk/rebecca-rideal-reviews-a-million-years-in-a-day-by-greg-jenner/ |title=Rebecca Rideal reviews ''A Million Years in a Day'' by Greg Jenner |work=The History Vault}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/greg-jenner/history-of-menstruation_b_8899314.html |title=How Did Women Deal With Their Periods? The History of Menstruation |date=1 January 2016 |work=HuffPost }}</ref> * ''Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity from Bronze Age to Silver Screen'' (2020, Weidenfeld & Nicolson; ISBN 9780297869818)<ref>{{cite news |first=Fara |last=Dabhoiwala |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/18/dead-famous-by-greg-jenner-review |title=''Dead Famous'' by Greg Jenner review – a joyous history of celebrity |date=18 March 2020 |work=The Guardian |access-date=18 March 2020 }}</ref> * ''Ask A Historian: 50 Surprising Answers to Things You Always Wanted to Know'' (2021, Orion; ISBN 9781474618625)<ref>{{cite web |title=Ask a Historian |url=https://www.gregjenner.com/books/ask-a-historian/ |access-date=24 July 2022 |website=Greg Jenner }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jenner |first=Greg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5buDwAAQBAJ |title=Ask A Historian: 50 Surprising Answers to Things You Always Wanted to Know |date=28 October 2021 |publisher=Orion |isbn=978-1-4746-1863-2 }}</ref> * ''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)<ref>{{cite web |title=An interview with Greg Jenner |url=https://justimagine.co.uk/podcast/greg-jenner/ |access-date=6 April 2023 |website=Just Imagine |date=27 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=You Are History: a funny children's history book by Greg Jenner |url=https://www.gregjenner.com/books/you-are-history-childrens-book/ |access-date=30 March 2023 |website=Greg Jenner }}</ref> * ''Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly!'' (2024, Walker Books; ISBN 9781406395655)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/walker-books-snaps-up-riotously-funny-totally-chaotic-history-series|website=The Bookseller|accessdate=4 April 2024|title= Walker Books snaps up 'riotously funny' Totally Chaotic History series|date=30 June 2023}}</ref> * ''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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gregjenner.com/who-is-greg-jenner/ |title=Who is Greg Jenner – the Public Historian? |publisher=Greg Jenner }}</ref> He is teetotal.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jenner|first1=Greg|last2=Fletcher|first2=Catherine|last3=Wang|first3=Phil|date=12 February 2021|title=The Borgias|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p096pqt2|access-date=21 August 2021|website=You're Dead To Me|publisher=BBC Radio 4}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|last=Jenner|first=Greg|user=greg_jenner|number=808732204922707968|title=I should add, I've been teetotal since 2002. I find drinking culture fascinating, but it's not for me|date=13 December 2016|access-date=21 August 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenner, Greg}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century British historians Category:Alumni of the University of York Category:English people of French descent Category:21st-century British male writers