When you hear “Henry VIII” a few key words may come to mind, and “athlete” may not be one of them.

In this episode of Spill the Mead: Uncorked, I’m joined by Jackson Van Uden to look at this key aspect of Henry’s personality that often gets overlooked.

Sport wasn’t simply something Henry did for fun. It was a huge part of his identity, until one day it was all suddenly ripped away.

We explore what that loss may have meant for Henry, the impact of living with chronic pain, and whether those two things together can help us better understand some of the changes we see in him later in life.

Jackson also brings his own experience with serious sports injuries to the conversation, giving us a unique perspective on what it can feel like when injury takes away not only what you love doing, but a piece of who you understand yourself to be.

This is NOT about excusing Henry VIII, just looking deeper into why he was the way that so famously was.

For more from Jacskson Van Uden, visit historywithjackson.co.uk

Follow him on instagram and TikTok @historywithjackson

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Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

In Part B of the Pacificator, Mary is alive, but still absent from court. It feels like the moment to pay her a visit, so we open this episode with Jane and Henry doing exactly that. Jane (and the rest of us) hold our breath to see whether Henry will finally invite her back.

What if we told you that none of what has happened so far has been considered by historians the greatest political crisis of Henry’s reign? Not Catherine. Not Anne. Not Mary.

But the events of this episode.

Buckle up for the conclusion of Part 3. It is intense. It is stressful. It is uncertain.

It is Jane’s reign.

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Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

Anne Boleyn is dead. Jane Seymour is queen. And everyone expects England's problems to disappear.

Whoops.

As plans for Jane's coronation move forward, Henry VIII grows increasingly unpredictable, his health deteriorates, and the future of the Tudor dynasty remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Jane is tasked with an impossible mission: helping to reconcile Princess Mary with the father who declared her illegitimate. With imperial ambassadors watching, political factions maneuvering, and whispers that Mary's very life may be in danger, Jane finds herself carrying the burden of a peace that is fragile beyond all belief.

In Part A of The Pacificator, we explore the chaos, uncertainty, and high-stakes politics of Jane Seymour's first months as queen—and the fragile reconciliation that would define her legacy.

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Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

Was Jane Seymour trapped? Was she used? Or was she playing the game all along?

In Part Two of our Jane Seymour series, we follow Jane from Anne Boleyn's household to the threshold of queenship. Along the way, we explore the role of Elizabeth Seymour, trace the royal progress of 1535, examine Henry VIII's life-changing injury, and uncover what Jane's place at court may have really looked like.

Then we turn to the question at the heart of the episode: the scheme.

Was Jane a pawn in someone else's game, a woman caught in impossible circumstances, or an active participant in one of the most dramatic shifts in Tudor history?

As Anne Boleyn's world begins to collapse, Jane Seymour's rise is only just beginning.

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Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

Before the court, there was the country.

Episode 1/5 begins at Wolfhall, where ongoing archaeological excavations are still uncovering the world that Jane would have known. We talk about the fascinating (and not to be dramatic - but groundbreaking) finds they have uncovered as we attempt to understand the elusive Jane Seymour.

Meanwhile at court, Catherine of Aragon’s marriage begins to fracture under the growing influence of Anne Boleyn. Jane will eventually arrive to a household increasingly defined by tension, uncertainty, and divided loyalties. Themes that would prove to be ongoing in her life.

We will watch through Jane's eyes as Catherine’s household collapses around her, ultimately ending Jane's brief court career. Before she knows it, she will find herself back in the country once more, just waiting for her life to begin.

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Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

In this episode, Dr. Emerson returns to Spill the Mead to revisit the captivating Capturing a Queen exhibit at Hever castle and discuss some of the details he couldn’t fully speak on during our first conversation. We talk more about the exhibit itself, the portraits on display, and the stories surrounding Anne Boleyn.

Then, naturally, things descend slightly into chaos as we play a game assigning personalities to different Anne Boleyn portraits — including which Anne would have ACTUALLY worn yellow that day (IYKYK), and which Anne would be the most fun to get a drink with.

Part historical discussion, part portrait analysis, and part tavern chaos, this episode is a deeper and much more relaxed follow-up conversation exploring the many faces of Anne Boleyn.

Be sure to check out Hever Castle & Gardens for more information on this amazing, once in a lifetime exhibit.

Also check out Dr. Emmerson's website for more on his research, books, and upcoming events: Dr Owen Emmerson – Dr Owen Emmerson

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Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

This week on Uncorked, Dr. Erica Canela joins us to dive into the wild, weird, and unexpectedly chaotic world of Quaker history. Yes, the Quakers were unhinged, and yes, they’ve had a major glow up.

We break down the evolution from radical early Quaker antics to the modern-day Friends, some of whom are kind of attractive. Naturally, this leads to a very serious scholarly exercise we call “Quaker Hot or Not.”

And don’t miss the story of the MOST unhinged Quaker woman of them all... a legend of pure, unfiltered “mad whimsy.”

If you thought you knew the Quakers, think again.

Make sure you catch the visual of this episode on our YouTube channel!

For more from Dr. Erica Canela, check out her website for more on her upcoming classes and events, as well as how to access her book!

Visit her site here: Dr Erica Canela | Public Historian, Copywriter & Editor

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Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

Ok, yes, it's a football episode BUT DISCLAIMER: you do NOT have to be familiar with or like football for this episode! As long as you like a WIDE range of historical figures, people fighting for their lives to make a case over an imaginary scenario, and Nicholas Cage... you're in the right place.

Madi & Chris choose their historical dream team with potential "legends of the line" like Julius Caesar, Elizabeth I, Genghis Khan, and an absolute legendary woman with a cooking pot on her head (cheers to you if you know based off of just that!)

Buckle up, the Historical 2026 Draft is NOW OPEN!

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Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

"Ra-Ra-Rasputin, love of the of the Russian Queen!" Except he probably wasn't.

In this episode, we really get to know Rasputin. From what he preached, to his alleged healing abilities, to a trip to his apartment for tea... we give you the nitty gritty of all of the gossip surrounding the man who helped bring an end to the House of Romanov.

We also look at an alternate theory to what happened on the night of this murder.

The book used for this Episode is called "Rasputin, The Last Word" by Edvard Radzinsky

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Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

Welcome to our brand-new segment: Movies & Mead

In this series, Madi & Gabby watch a listener-chosen historical film and break down the real historical context, the key players, the cast, the gossip, and of course all the behind-the-scenes drama. We wrap it up by handing out our very official AcadeMEAD awards and rating the movie.

For our first episode, we’re diving into The VVitch — a spooky tale set in 1630s New England. We hope you also like to live deliciously HoneyBees, because we give this one 5/5!

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Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com