The Extra Legendary Bit: British Spy Names Gone Too Far

The First Man Ever to be Awarded the Victoria Cross Twice: Arthur Martin-Leake

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 others If 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 [bloominlegends@global.com] 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends [https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends] Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.com [http://www.globalplayer.com/] Bloomin’ Legends is a Global production Produced by Ben Fairclough New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!

The Extra Legendary Bit: Chased Down the Beach by a German Plane

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 show If 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 [bloominlegends@global.com] 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends [https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends] Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.com [http://www.globalplayer.com/] Bloomin’ Legends is a Global production Produced by Ben Fairclough New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!

Napoleon's Comeback That Should Never Have Happened: Bonaparte - Part 2

He conquered Europe… lost everything… and then came back for one last go. In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dive into Napoleon Part 2 — from exile and ego to one of the greatest (and most ridiculous) comebacks in history. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR: ⚔️ THE FALL OF NAPOLEON – HOW EUROPE FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH HIM 🏝️ EXILE… AND THE COMEBACK NOBODY STOPPED – THE MOMENT HISTORY BASICALLY SAID “THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA” 👑 THE HUNDRED DAYS MADNESS – NAPOLEON RETURNS AND EVERYONE JUST… LETS IT HAPPEN 💥 WATERLOO – THE FINAL SHOWDOWN AND ONE OF HISTORY’S MOST FAMOUS DEFEATS If you love history, warfare, ridiculous confidence, and unbelievable true stories, this episode is peak Bloomin’ Legends. Got a legend you want us to cover? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com [bloominlegends@global.com] 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends [https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends] Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.com [http://www.globalplayer.com/] Bloomin' Legends is a Global production Produced by Ben Fairclough New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!

The Extra Legendary Bit: The Great Made-Up Military Men Special

A man called Edith, a colonel archbishop, and yet more proof that the Bloomin’ Legends audience may be every bit as unhinged as the people on the main leaderboard. The Extra Legendary Bit is where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dive into your messages, your made-up masterpieces, and the gloriously absurd listener creations that somehow feel weirdly plausible. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE: 🎖️ Men with women’s names at war – listeners send in brilliantly overblown military heroes with names like Edith, Hilary and Anastasia 🪖 Fake military legends with very real detail – from Gallipoli to Monte Cassino, the backstories get more elaborate, more eccentric and more ridiculous by the minute 🥄 Billiard cues, horseradish and whiff-whaff paddles – the sort of detail that makes these invented war heroes feel alarmingly believable 📬 Listener legends at full power – Johnny and Gav celebrate the audience’s growing talent for creating the most absurd military men in British history If you love funny true stories, comedy podcasts, military history, absurd British humour, listener messages and made-up legends, this episode of Bloomin’ Legends is for you. Got a story that can top this week’s madness? 📩 Send it to: bloominlegends@global.com [bloominlegends@global.com] 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends [https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends] Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.com [http://www.globalplayer.com/] Bloomin’ Legends is a Global production Produced by Ben Fairclough New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!

Napoleon Wasn’t Short, Wasn’t French… So What ELSE Was A Lie?! - Napoleon Bonaparte: Part 1

British parents told their children the bogeyman would get them. That bogeyman was a real person, and he conquered most of Europe before crowning himself Emperor. Welcome back to Bloomin' Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history. In this episode, part one of a massive two-parter, we take on Napoleon Bonaparte, the Corsican outsider who went from bullied schoolboy to the most feared man in Europe. He wasn't actually French, he wasn't actually short, and British parents literally used him as the bogeyman to scare their children. From an artillery genius at 16, to crossing the Alps and crowning himself Emperor while the Pope just stood there watching, this is the story of how one man forced every royal house in Europe to gang up just to try and stop him. What You'll Hear in This Episode: 🇫🇷 The Corsican Outsider – How a swarthy kid with an Italian accent became France's greatest military mind 💣 The Siege of Toulon – Horse shot, leg slashed, and he still fought for 10 hours straight ⛰️ Crossing the Alps – 10,500 feet, six days, no stopping, and the most overblown painting in history 👑 The Self-Crowning – Why he invited the Pope to his coronation, then told him he wasn't needed ⚔️ Austerlitz – The genius trap that confirmed him as Europe's most formidable commander If you love history, military legends, the French Revolution 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 [bloominlegends@global.com] 📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends [https://www.youtube.com/@bloominlegends] Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download the app, or visit www.globalplayer.com [http://www.globalplayer.com/] Bloomin' Legends is a Global production Produced by Ben Fairclough New episodes are released every Wednesday & Sunday. Subscribe to never miss an episode!