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Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

BBC Radio 4 69 episodes Latest Jun 9, 2026

Lucy Worsley investigates women from the past being put on trial from a feminist perspective.

Episodes

Introducing Lady on Trial Jun 9, 2026 279 Welcome to a new series of Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley – Lady on Trial - where courtroom drama meets history, with a twist. We’ll be meeting women from the past hauled before the courts for crimes from murder, adultery and bigamy to the shocking offence of not knowing their place.
60. True Crime on Trial Feb 24, 2026 1700 In the final episode of the series, Lucy Worsley puts true crime itself on trial. Why are we so fascinated by stories of murder, violence, and scandal and was it ever thus? Is true crime guilty of sensationalism and stereotyping, or can it reveal something more profound about society, culture, and ourselves?Lucy is joined by her all-female team of detectives, in-house historian Professor Rosalind
59. Kitty Newton - Killer Daughter Feb 17, 2026 1706 Lucy Worsley meets Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of killing her very own mother. With her team of all female detectives, Lucy uncovers long buried secrets in the Newton family - but could these truly be the motive for such a terrible crime? Would a daughter really kill her very own mother? If so, why? It is 1848, in the chill depths of winter. In the early hours of the morning a servant, Mary C
58. Mary Pearcey - Murderous Lover Feb 10, 2026 1721 Join Lucy Worsley and her all-female team as she delves into the Hampstead Tragedy, one of the most notorious murder cases of the Victorian era. When the horrifically mutilated body of a young mother called Phoebe Hogg is found dumped by the side of a street in north London in October 1890, the press erupts into a frenzy of speculation that Jack the Ripper has struck again. But it soon becomes cle
57. Jessie McLachlan - Silenced Servant Feb 3, 2026 1725 Lucy Worsley meets Jessie McLachlan, a woman accused of murdering one of her friends in Glasgow in 1862. There’s no obvious motive, but if she didn’t do it, who did?To investigate this infamous case, Lucy is joined by stellar barrister Jennifer Robinson, co-author of Silenced Women: Why the Law Fails Women and How to Fight Back, who has represented actor Amber Heard and WikiLeaks founder Julian A
56. Elvira Barney - Accidental Killer Jan 27, 2026 1686 This time, Lucy is exploring the story of Elvira Barney, a rich socialite in 1930s London, living a life of fast cars, cocktail parties and nightclubs. When her boyfriend Michael dies of a gunshot wound during a drunken row with Elvira, she finds herself in the dock at the Old Bailey, accused of his murder. Can her barrister convince the court it was a tragic accident? With Lucy to find out more
55. Cloe - Forced Resistance Jan 20, 2026 1732 Lucy Worsley looks at the crimes of women from the 19th and early 20th centuries from a contemporary, feminist perspective.In this episode, we hear the story of Cloe, a black enslaved teenager who lives with the Carothers family, Andrew, Mary and their 11 children, on their farm in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.Cloe is worked to the bone, constantly beaten by her mistress and sneaked on by the c
54. Martha Brown - Domestic Violence Jan 13, 2026 1740 Lucy Worsley is back with a new series of Lady Killers, where true crime meets history - with a twist. This time Lucy heads to Dorset to explore the life of Martha Brown, a victim of domestic violence, accused of murdering her husband John in 1856. Martha’s story goes on to inspire Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Martha initially claims John was kicked to death by his horse, bu
53. Elizabeth Cook - Body Snatcher Jan 6, 2026 1775 Lucy Worsley is back with a new series of Lady Killers, where true crime meets history - with a twist. In this episode, Lucy travels back to 1831 to Aldgate, then a poor part of East London, to investigate Elizabeth Cook, an Irish woman with a dark criminal background. When Elizabeth’s new lodger, an elderly peddler called Caroline Walsh, goes missing with no sign of her body, suspicions are hi
52. Amelia Haslett - Lady Killer in My Family Dec 30, 2025 1788 Lucy Worsley is back with a brand new series of Lady Killers. Lucy and her team of all female detectives re-visit the unthinkable crimes, committed by murderesses, more than a hundred years ago. In this episode, Lucy looks at a case with a difference. It’s true crime meets family history - with a twist. The team receives an email from Lady Killers listener, Charlotte Godfrey, who says she has a Vi
51. Murder by the Book - Live from the Hay Festival Dec 23, 2025 1730 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley - the stories of women who kill - is back for a brand new series. This first episode is recorded in front of a live audience at the Hay Festival in 2025, with special guest Sarah Waters (bestselling author of Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith) and in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone. The team discovers which of our infamous lady killers inspired great writer
Coming soon - Lady Killers Series 4 Dec 16, 2025 258 Lucy Worsley returns to cover more cases of murder and intrigue in a brand new series of Lady Killers. Coming soon, first on BBC Sounds.

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