Bloomin' Legends with Johnny Vaughan & Gavin Woods

Episod

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  Joan of Arc: The Saint Who Led an Army at 17 19.08.2026 58min

  She was 17, had never held a sword, and travelled 300 miles across France to find a king who was hiding among his own courtiers. She walked straight past the decoy, found him immediately, then told him something privately that apparently only he could have known. Within moments, the sceptical future king was visibly shaken, and Joan was given an army.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods take on Joan of Arc, the teenage peasant girl who claimed she was on a mission from God, lifted the Siege of Orléans, crowned a king, outsmarted France's most educated theologians and became one of history's most extraordinary saints.What You'll Hear in This Episode:👑 The secret meeting – how Joan spotted the real Charles among a crowd of courtiers and told him something that apparently turned him from sceptic into believer. But what did she actually say?🐎 300 miles on horseback – how a 17-year-old girl travelled across France to find the future King after claiming she'd been ordered to drive the English out.📚 Joan vs the professors – how an uneducated teenager went head-to-head with France's top theologians and left them struggling for answers.⚔️ The teenage general – how Joan helped lift the Siege of Orléans, led French armies into battle, took a cannonball to the helmet and carried only a banner rather than a weapon.👑 Crowning a king – how Joan marched Charles to Reims and helped turn the supposedly illegitimate Dauphin into the crowned King of France.🔥 The trial – how Joan was interrogated, accused of heresy and condemned at just 19, with wearing men's clothes becoming part of the case against her.👻 The fake Joan – how, five years after her death, another woman appeared claiming to be Joan of Arc — and somehow even Joan's own brothers went along with it.If you love history, saints, medieval warfare, unbelievable true stories and comedy, this episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.Got a legend you want us to cover?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube.Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: Why All Guard Dogs Are German Soldiers 16.08.2026 15min

  Johnny has gone full barking mad this week, realising that all three of the world's top guard dogs are German, you can imagine every one of them in a helmet, and that Alsatians are only called Alsatians because nobody in Britain would buy a German dog after World War I.The Extra Legendary Bit is where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into your messages and uncover the gloriously unhinged tales sent in by the Bloomin' Legends nation.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🐕 Johnny's German dog theory – Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds: all guards, all German, all looking like they should be wearing a helmet. Plus the true story of why Alsatians are called Alsatians (only in Britain) 🐟 The Doberman who saved a koi carp – one listener's dog bangs on the back door "like the Gestapo demanding entry" while gently holding a 14-inch fish in her mouth 🏛️ The pharaoh's curse update – Tertius returns to Egypt with a fedora and a stolen pyramid shard, hoping to undo a curse, and ends up bribing his way into sealed tombs 🦈 The naked shark swim – four drunk Australian teenagers strip off to swim across Sydney Harbor in the dark, nearly get hit by a speedboat, and later discover bull sharks had moved inIf you love funny true stories, listener tales, dog nonsense, Australian chaos and comedy podcasts, this bonus episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.Got a story that can top this week's madness?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  "The Worst Woman Who Ever Lived?" Elizabeth Báthory 12.08.2026 44min

  She spoke four languages, owned more land than the King of Hungary, and may have tortured and murdered up to 650 young women over 25 years. When they finally caught her, she was so powerful they couldn't even put her on trial - so they bricked her up inside her own castle and left her there until she died.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods tackle Elizabeth Báthory - the 16th century Hungarian countess considered the most prolific female serial killer in recorded history, and the first true villain Bloomin' Legends has ever covered.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🏰 The Blood Countess – how one of Europe's most powerful noblewomen allegedly used her wealth, land, and total impunity to torture and kill for over two decades🐴 The most horrific execution ever? – as a child, Báthory witnessed a man sewn alive into a dying horse with his head left poking out, and it may have shaped everything that followed🩸 The blood-bathing myth – did she really bathe in the blood of virgins? Almost certainly not — that detail was invented by a Jesuit writer over 100 years later🤴 Too powerful to punish – why the King of Hungary wanted her gone, how her downfall was probably motivated by debt, and why she never stood trial🧱 Bricked up alive – her final punishment: walled into a room in her own castle with no doors, no windows, and no sunlight for three and a half years until she diedIf you love true crime, dark history, serial killers, medieval horror and comedy, this episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.Got a legend you want us to cover?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: A Beach Bar Brawl and a Christmas Plumber 09.08.2026 17min

  A night out turns into a beachside evacuation. Thirty Royal Marines charge into the dark wearing boots, body armour and ballistic helmets, armed with whatever they could find in the galley, including a two-handled boiling pot.The Extra Legendary Bit is the bonus episode where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods leave the history books behind and dive into the unhinged, moving and brilliant stories sent in by you, the listeners.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:The Royal Navy Run Ashore That Got Out of Hand – Gareth remembers his late dad Sean: a teenage Navy recruit, a police-car-light heist in Pensacola, and the Caribbean night a beach bar bust-up required a full Marine rescue mission.Can a Dickhead Still Be a Legend? – Mary asks the big question: can one heroic act outweigh years of being difficult? Johnny answers with a surprisingly profound passage from Tolstoy about why human beings are like rivers.Uncle Dave, the Christmas Plumber – Jason nominates the man who has spent 40 years keeping elderly customers warm, fixing boilers for free and quietly being a bloomin legend.🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  Lachhiman Gurung: The Gurkha Who Took On 200 Men Alone 05.08.2026 46min

  He was 4 foot 11, weighed eight stone, came from a mountain village with no electricity, no roads, and no running water… and then held off 200 Japanese soldiers in a Burmese jungle trench after a grenade blew his hand off.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods take on take on Lachhiman Gurung, the Gurkha rifleman who became one of the most decorated soldiers of the Second World War. Four days after VE Day, while Britain was celebrating in the streets, Gurung was still fighting in the Burmese jungle. Half blind, badly wounded, and down to one usable hand, he spent four hours holding off wave after wave of Japanese attackers with a bolt-action rifle, a kukri, and pure bloody-minded courage.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:The trench stand - the astonishing night Gurung threw back grenades, lost his right hand, and still refused to give an inch“Come and fight a Gurkha” – the battle cry he reportedly shouted into the dark as 200 enemy troops closed inThe quiet hero – how one of the bravest men of the war went home, farmed in silence, and barely spoke about what he’d done...bloomin legend.🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: A Train Thief and a Secret Millionaire 02.08.2026 13min

  His grandfather was told to move a train up the line. The driver had wandered off, so he thought, how hard can it be? Twenty miles later, he found out.The Extra Legendary Bit is the bonus episode where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods leave the history books behind and dive into the gloriously unhinged stories sent in by you, the listeners.What You'll Hear in This Episode:The Man Who Accidentally Stole a Train – A 1960s signal technician gets an empty locomotive rolling with zero training and absolutely no idea how to stop it. Land Rovers give chase. His response when they finally catch up is magnificent.The Tightest Man Who Ever Bought a House – Uncle Ray never spent a penny in his life. Same flat for 40 years. Fiver in every birthday card. Then the solicitor's letter arrived.The Ford Focus of Justice – Someone parks across Dave's driveway. Dave parks directly behind them and puts the football on. Three hours later, he delivers one line that ends the whole situation.🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  Casanova: The World’s Greatest Lover Was a Prison-Breaking Spy 29.07.2026 44min

  He was a lawyer by 17, a priest who once fainted in the pulpit from a hangover, a professional violinist, a government spy, a prison escape artist, a con man, a duellist, and the man whose name became shorthand for the world’s greatest seducer.He blagged his way through 18th-century Europe, convinced a Venetian senator he had mystical powers, escaped from an “inescapable” prison through the roof, invented the French state lottery, and somehow still found time to get exiled from half the continent.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods take on Giacomo Casanova, the Venetian adventurer whose real life was far wilder than his reputation.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:The man behind the name - how Casanova became synonymous with seduction, even though his real life was much madder than just his love affairsThe prison break – Casanova’s legendary escape from Venice’s supposedly inescapable Leads prison by climbing out through the roof and strolling out dressed as a noblemanThe great European blag – how he convinced a senator he had magical powers, worked as a spy, and charmed his way into courts and palaces across the continentCasanova’s seduction formula – Johnny breaks down the four-act game plan that made him history’s most famous romantic operator🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: Drunken Sailors, Top Trumps & Plum Schnapps 26.07.2026 16min

  He jumped into freezing Portsmouth water after a few sherbets, swam to HMS Warrior, climbed to the very top of the mast, and tied his trousers up there like a denim flag. He got caught in his pants by security dogs and thawed out under a heater in the guard room. Somehow, that still wasn't the maddest part of the story.The Extra Legendary Bit is the bonus episode where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods leave the history books behind and dive into the gloriously unhinged stories sent in by you, the listeners.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:The Man Who Boarded HMS Warrior In His Underpants – Andy “Wing Commander” Wing takes a drunken strength bet far too seriously, scales a historic warship in the dead of night, and leaves his jeans fluttering from the mast for months.Johnny Fish vs a Flaming Rope – Inspired by his mate’s heroics, one listener casually mentions attempts at parachute-less jumps and plans to abseil down a rope he’s set on fire.The Kosovo Chunder Challenge – A hungover RAF medic, a puking Finnish soldier, a helicopter ride over Kosovo, and one very attractive army officer combine to create a truly heroic act of British self-control.🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben Fairclough and Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  Neil Armstrong: What He Actually Said on the Moon 22.07.2026 54min

  He learned to fly before he could drive. At 20, a cable strung across a Korean hillside ripped three feet off his wing at 350 miles an hour, and he nursed the plane to the sea before ejecting with half a second to spare. A decade later, he stopped a spacecraft spinning at one revolution per second using nothing but his nerve. Then NASA gave him a $678 pay rise and told him to go and land on the Moon.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods take on Neil Armstrong, the quiet kid from Ohio who became a naval aviator, a test pilot in a job with a one-in-four survival rate, the first civilian astronaut, and the first human being to set foot on another world. All while being described as the calmest man alive.What You'll Hear in This Episode:Flying before driving - How a kid from small-town Ohio got his pilot's license at 16, before he was even allowed behind a steering wheelThe Gemini 8 death spin – How Armstrong saved himself and David Scott from a spacecraft rotating once every second, and why NASA knew he was their man40 seconds of fuel - The terrifying final moments of the Apollo 11 landing, when Armstrong took manual control to dodge a boulder field🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben Fairclough and Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: Himalayan Cowboys & South African in Disguise 19.07.2026 16min

  He rode a horse through the Himalayas in a dinner jacket, got dragged 30 yards along a mountain path, stood up, brushed himself off, and told everyone he was fine. He wasn't fine. He was heavily medicated and privately terrified.The Extra Legendary Bit is the bonus episode where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods leave the history books behind and dive into the gloriously unhinged stories sent in by you, the listeners.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🐴 James Bond in the Himalayas - He turned up for a Tibetan horse trek in a dinner jacket. The horsemen gave him the wildest stallion and stuck him at the front. It went exactly as badly as you'd expect.🥃 The Welsh Smuggler Who Forgot His Own English – A WWI veteran smuggles booze across the Irish Sea in WWII. When caught, he pretends he can't speak English and uses the interpreter's translation time to think up better lies.🍺 Beer In, Ear Out, Australian Forever – A South African pours beer in his ear as a party trick, gets an infection, and accidentally lets the doctor think he's Australian. He has to keep up the accent at every appointment from then on.📩 Send it to bloominlegends@global.com — we're celebrating dads all month. 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.comThis is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough and Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  Butch Cassidy: He Blew Up a Bridge & Vanished Forever 15.07.2026 48min

  His first crime was stealing a pair of jeans and some pie. He left an IOU, got taken to court, and the jury let him off. Within a decade, he'd blown up a railroad bridge, robbed trains and banks across six states, and racked up the equivalent of $13.5 million, all while being described as charming, clever, and the least likely member of his gang to pull the trigger.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods tackle Butch Cassidy, the Mormon butcher's boy from Utah who assembled the Wild Bunch, pulled off the longest string of successful bank and train robberies in US history, fled to Argentina with the Sundance Kid, and may or may not have died in a Bolivian shootout.🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben Fairclough and Cassie MerrittNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: The Capsize King & Extraordinary Bastards 12.07.2026 14min

  A man so obsessed with the perfect racing finish on his dinghy that he moved it into the family hallway, sealed it inside a polytunnel, and was found at 4am, naked, still battling a mysterious dust problem he couldn't solve. That man was Johnny's dad. And this is Johnny's tribute to him.The Extra Legendary Bit is the episode where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods leave the history books behind and dive into the gloriously unhinged stories sent in by you, the listeners.Got a legendary dad story? A classic catchphrase? The thing he always said when something went wrong?📩 Send it to bloominlegends@global.com — we're celebrating dads all month. 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.comThis is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  She Stole a Dead Nun & Set a Convent on Fire: Julie D'Aubigny 08.07.2026 47min

  She was a swordswoman who could beat three men at once, an opera singer with the greatest voice Louis XIV had ever heard, and a woman so fearless she broke into a convent, stole a dead nun's body, set the place on fire, and escaped with her lover. She was 17 at the time.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods tackle Julie D'Aubigny, the 17th-century French hell-raiser who seduced counts, outfought noblemen, and became one of the most extraordinary figures you've never heard of, all before dying at 33.What You'll Hear in This Episode:⚔️ Sword-fighting child prodigy. By 12, she was fencing grown men, and by 14, she was the mistress of the Count of Armagnac🏃‍♀️ On the run: after her fencing instructor boyfriend killed a man, they fled Paris and toured France doing sword exhibitions by day and singing in taverns by night🔥 The convent escape: body snatching, arson, a dead nun used as a decoy, and a plan that almost worked… almost🎭 Opera stardom: spotted singing in a Marseille tavern like a French Elvis in King Creole, she became one of the most celebrated voices in Paris💔 The love that ended it all: she stole the most beautiful woman in France from the king's own son, fled to Belgium, and never recovered when her lover died two years laterIf you love outrageous true stories, legendary women, French chaos, duels, opera, and comedy podcasts, this episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin' Legends YouTube channel!Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: A blunderbuss, a bomb & Diamond White Cider 05.07.2026 13min

  He tried to flog an antique firearm to a dealer, kicked off over the price, stormed out — and was genuinely surprised when the police turned up. He wasn't bothered about nearly going to prison. He was fuming about losing the profit.The Extra Legendary Bit is the bonus episode where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods leave the history books behind and dive into the gloriously unhinged stories sent in by you, the listeners.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🔫 Dave & the Blunderbuss – A proper Del Boy character tries to sell an antique firearm, gets into a row with the dealer, and ends up having his door knocked on by the feds. His only complaint? The couple of quid he missed out on.💣 The Lottery of War – The same man served in Northern Ireland and swapped places with a terrified soldier moments before the IRA detonated a bomb. His bravery saved his own life — and the irony has haunted his family ever since.🍏 "It's Never Seen a F***ing Apple" – A beautiful tribute to a late friend, a brutal woodwork teacher with a mallet, a rope swing gone wrong, and the funniest thing anyone's ever said about a bottle of Diamond White.Got a story that can top this week's madness? 📩 Send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we'll decide if it's Bloomin' Legendary or just brilliantly bonkers. 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.comThis is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  Diego Maradona: Football God, Cheat & the Greatest Party Ever Thrown in a Prison 01.07.2026 43min

  He grew up so poor his mum pretended she wasn't hungry so her kids could eat. By 15, he was playing professional football. By his mid-20s, he was the best player on earth, the most fouled man in the sport, and partying every single night in Naples with the mafia. He also threatened to shoot Liam and Noel Gallagher.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods take on Diego Armando Maradona, the dirt-poor kid from Buenos Aires who became the greatest footballer the world has ever seen, the most famous cheat in sporting history, and possibly the only man alive who could out-party Pablo Escobar.From breaking world transfer records twice, to brawling in front of the King of Spain, to scoring the greatest and most controversial World Cup goals in the same match, Maradona lived a life so outrageous it barely sounds real.What You'll Hear in This Episode:⚽ Pro at 15 – How a muscular kid from a family so poor his mum pretended she wasn't hungry got scouted at eight and was playing professional football by fifteen🤚 The Hand of God – The most infamous moment in World Cup history, and why no one blames Shilton🎉 Escobar's prison party – How Maradona ended up playing football with Pablo Escobar in a Colombian jail, and why he called it "the best party of his entire life"🎸 "I will shoot you" – The night Liam and Noel Gallagher met Maradona in Argentina and were told if they touched any of his women, he'd have them killed🇮🇹 The Naples years – Cocaine, the Camorra, partying every single night, and somehow still becoming the top scorer in Napoli's historyIf you love football stories, larger-than-life characters, sporting legends and unbelievable true stories, this episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: Dead Sheep, Blitz Heroines & Operation Village Green 28.06.2026 18min

  A bloated, rotting ram floating in a Cornish quarry, a 12-year-old boy bullied into dragging it out, a finger inserted into a decomposing eye socket, and a long, smelly walk home that nobody ever forgot.The Extra Legendary Bit is where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into your messages and uncover the gloriously unhinged tales sent in by the Bloomin' Legends nation.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🐑 Byron and the dead ram – a group of teenage boys find a decomposing sheep floating in their swimming quarry and send the youngest in to deal with it, with truly horrifying results✈️ Flight Lieutenant Willy Welsh – a six-foot Rand pilot who earned a DFC and bar for his complete disregard for danger flying Halifax and Whitley bombers🔥 The five sisters of Erith – all named after plants, all blonde, all under 5'5", and they formed what's believed to be the first all-woman fire brigade team in Britain during the Blitz😂 Randy George – a former Chief of Staff of the US Army with possibly the greatest name in military historyIf you love funny true stories, listener tales, childhood disasters, wartime legends and comedy podcasts, this bonus episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.Got a story that can top this week's madness?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  William Shakespeare: 1,700 Words, 6 Signatures & 7 Missing Years 24.06.2026 51min

  He's the most famous writer in the English language, the inventor of over 1,700 words we still use today, and a man so legendary he's known simply as The Bard. There's just one problem: almost nothing is known about him, only six of his signatures survive, and none of them suggest an educated hand.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods tackle William Shakespeare, the glove maker's son from Stratford who became Britain's greatest cultural export, and one of history's most debated figures. Johnny has a mind-blowing theory about who Shakespeare really was and what he actually did, and it might just change how you think about the most celebrated writer in history.What You'll Hear in This Episode:🎭 The mystery of Shakespeare – how so little is known about someone so famous, including 7 "lost years" where he vanished completely✍️ The greatest writer who couldn't write? – only 6 signatures exist, all different spellings, none showing an educated hand🧠 Johnny's controversial theory – was Shakespeare a "memory lovie" who collected and compiled plays from touring companies rather than writing from scratch?🗣️ 1,700 words invented – from "eyeball" to "hobnob" to "advertising," the everyday language Shakespeare gave us💰 The dodgy businessman – grain hoarding during a famine, a shady dad, and a monument that originally showed him holding a sack of grain, not a quillIf you love history mysteries, English literature, conspiracy theories, legendary figures and comedy podcasts, this episode of Bloomin' Legends is for you.Got a legend you want us to cover?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin' Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: Mad Grandads, Fast Cars and Family Legends 21.06.2026 19min

  A Dutch resistance fighter with a taste for fast cars, a grandad who held a 40-year grudge, and a family tradition of driving so wildly it terrified everyone in the passenger seat.The Extra Legendary Bit is where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dive into your messages and uncover the gloriously unhinged tales sent in by the Bloomin’ Legends nation.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🚗 The Opa who drove like a lunatic – one listener nominates his extraordinary Dutch grandfather, a wartime resistance fighter who loved fast cars, held epic grudges and terrified the family behind the wheel⚔️ A proper wartime blooming legend – from forging papers and sabotaging the Nazis to being shot while escaping, this grandad’s life sounds too wild to be true🏎️ Johnny’s own family of speed freaks – Johnny shares stories of his dad and grandad treating the A1 like Le Mans and turning family visits into unofficial time trials📮 More extra legendary listener stories – including the sort of grandparent madness that becomes family folklore foreverIf you love funny true stories, listener tales, mad grandparents, fast cars and wartime legends this bonus episode of Bloomin’ Legends is for you.Got a story that can top this week’s madness?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin’ Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The First Man Ever to be Awarded the Victoria Cross Twice: Arthur Martin-Leake 17.06.2026 49min

  A doctor who kept treating the wounded after being shot three times, the first man in history to win the Victoria Cross twice, and a war record so extraordinary only two other men have ever matched it.In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods tell the story of Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Martin-Leake, the British Army medic who became the first ever recipient of a Victoria Cross and Bar, making him one of only three people in history to receive the honour twice.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🏅 The first ever Double VC – how Arthur Martin-Leake became the first man to win the Victoria Cross twice, a feat only three men have ever achieved🩺 The medic who would not stop – during the Boer War, Martin-Leake kept treating wounded soldiers under heavy fire, even after being shot three times himself💥 Bravery under constant fire – in the First World War, he repeatedly went out to rescue and treat men near enemy positions, earning the bar to his VC through days of relentless gallantry📜 Why the Victoria Cross matters so much – Johnny and Gav dig into the history, rarity and mystique of Britain’s most famous medal for bravery⚔️ An unbelievable military life – from South Africa to India, the Balkans, Ypres and beyond, Martin-Leake seemed to spend his life heading towards danger in order to save othersIf you love heroic true stories, military history, unbelievable acts of bravery and comedy podcasts, this episode of Bloomin’ Legends is for you.Got a legend we should cover?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin’ Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!
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  The Extra Legendary Bit: Chased Down the Beach by a German Plane 14.06.2026 14min

  A man chased down Weston-super-Mare beach by a low-flying enemy plane, a briefcase stuffed with the modern equivalent of £1 million, and a life so chaotic it sounds completely made up.The Extra Legendary Bit is where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dive into your messages and uncover the gloriously unhinged tales sent in by the Bloomin’ Legends nation.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✈️ The WW2 beach strafing story – one listener nominates his grandfather Fred Coombs, who somehow escaped unscathed after being chased down Weston-super-Mare beach by a low-flying enemy aircraft during the Second World War📻 The man who may have invented the BBC beeps – Fred’s wildly improbable life also includes a spell as a BBC engineer and family legend has it he created the pips before the radio news💼 The Jersey cash dash – convinced the 1983 election would go the wrong way, Fred withdrew what would now be roughly £1 million, packed it into a briefcase and took it to Jersey guarded by two Old English sheepdogs😂 More bonus madness from the Bloomin’ Legends inbox – including a ridiculous military character submission and a message demanding to know why Pablo Escobar still hasn’t made the main showIf you love funny true stories, wartime madness, unbelievable family legends, British eccentricity and comedy podcasts, this bonus episode of Bloomin’ Legends is for you.Got a story that can top this week’s madness?📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegendsListen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.comBloomin’ Legends is a Global productionProduced by Ben FaircloughNew episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!