Witness History
Hosted by Helen Ledwick and Jen Dale and Rowan Bridge and Tim O’Callaghan · BBC World Service
4.5from 1,168 ratings
- 2,576
- Episodes
- 651
- Transcribed
- 1,168
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2016
- First episode
- 130K
- YouTube views
About Witness History
Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories. When you subscribe to Witness History, you’ll be taken inside turning points in world affairs, from West Africa’s fight back against Boko Haram in 2015, to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba “thaw” and the surprise announcement of restored relations.You’ll discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.You’ll explore culture and ideas too: Sweden’s Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles’ George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy’s show to a sudden end.And if you’re curious about inventions, we’ll tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.If you’re new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.
- Publisher
- BBC World Service
- Category
- history · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 24 May 2016
- Latest episode
- 23 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
651 of 2,576 episodes have a transcript.
23 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
The gathering that helped shape decolonisation
22 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
‘Baby’ computer is invented
21 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
The nightclub that changed Manchester
Inside a recent episode
The gathering that helped shape decolonisation
Published 23 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] One day all of Africa would be free. Abrahams was one of around 200 people, many from Africa and the Caribbean, who'd gathered to attend the Fifth Pan-African Congress, being held in a town hall in Chaltern, Manchester, just months after the end of the Second World War. They were there to discuss common problems, racism, discrimination, economic inequality, and how to win independence for the colonies. The world had just gone through a major war, a war against fascism in which people from Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere had contributed their lives for self-determination, against racism and the ideologies of racism. […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on Witness History
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Hakim Adi
- Gill Kearsley
- Lisa Ayegun
- Juan Manuel Santos
- Pramod Bhasin
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 129,849
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.5 / 5
- 915 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.7 / 5
- 253 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 85 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 98
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 82
- Engagement
- 100
Pitching Witness History
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.
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Questions about Witness History
Who hosts Witness History?
Helen Ledwick and Jen Dale and Rowan Bridge and Tim O’Callaghan host the show. Published by BBC World Service.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does Witness History take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
651 of 2,576 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Witness History?
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