Marie Curie

You're Dead to Me

BBC

Comedy, History

4.7 • 11.8K Ratings

🗓️ 26 December 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dead Funny History: Marie Curie.

Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the life of Marie Curie; scientific legend, double Nobel Prize winner, war hero, and all-round icon.

This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring Marie’s story to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From her rebellious education at the Flying University to her groundbreaking discoveries in radiation, Marie’s life was anything but ordinary.

Learn how she defied the odds to study science in Paris, fell in love with fellow scientist Pierre Curie, and discovered two brand new elements: Polonium and Radium.

Discover how she coined the term “radioactive,” worked in a leaky shed, and became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize… then won another one.

But it wasn’t all lab coats and accolades. Marie faced sexism, heartbreak, and serious health risks from her research. After Pierre’s tragic death, she carried on their work, founded the Radium Institute, and developed mobile X-ray units, Petite Curies, to help soldiers in World War One. Her legacy lives on in cancer treatment, scientific innovation, and the radioactive glow of her still-dangerous notebook.

Expect musical parodies, sketch comedy, and a quiz to test what you’ve learned. It’s history with heart, humour and high production value. Perfect for curious kids, families, and fans of You’re Dead To Me.

Written by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Athena Kugblenu and Dr Emma Nagouse Host: Greg Jenner Performers: Mali Ann Rees and John-Luke Roberts Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Associate Producer: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch Audio Producer: Emma Weatherill Script Consultant: Professor Iwan Morus Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Production Manager: Jo Kyle Sound Designer: Peregrine Andrews

A BBC Studios Production

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.0	Ellis, our podcast is over 500 episodes old.
0:10.0	But what have we learnt?
0:11.0	Ellis James and John Robbins.
0:13.0	I've learnt that when you're doing live radio, if somebody texts in in block capitals, it's very really a good sign.
0:18.0	We've had a confused text and it says, I want to listen to this rubbish.
0:22.0	I learned that if you lose to lose Sanders in a board game
0:24.9	and don't mention her on the show,
0:26.3	you are going to get an unexpected call.
0:28.4	Oh, dear, oh dear.
0:31.1	Ellis James and John Robbins, 500 not out.
0:34.1	Lovely stuff.
0:35.5	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:39.9	Hello, and welcome to Dead Funny History.
0:42.3	I'm Greg Jenner.
0:43.3	I'm a historian and I want to tell you about someone cool.
0:47.0	Today we are talking about a woman who was as rock and roll as she was clever.
0:53.2	Mary Curie discovered brand new elements, won awards and used physics and chemistry
0:59.3	to completely change the way we understand science.
1:03.5	Marie was born Marie Sklodowska in 1867, in Warsaw, Poland, which at that point was part of the Russian Empire.
1:12.4	Marie was the youngest of five kids, Sophia, Joseph, Bronislava, known as Bronia, and Helena.
1:19.5	Both of her parents, Bronislava and Vladislav, were teachers and cared passionately about their education.
	...

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