Last updated on August 21, 2024 – 10:15 AM
The Poisoners' Cabinet, a podcast that offers a unique combination of historical crime, comedy and well-crafted cocktails, has achieved 1 million downloads.
In each episode, hosts Nick Gordon and Sinead Hannah will reveal twisted tales, intriguing criminals and deliciously dark drinks.
Highlights from the recently launched fifth series include the mysterious and controversial death of famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, Elizabethan polymath John Dee, who dabbled in the occult and served as advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, one of America's most notorious unsolved mysteries – the Zodiac Killer – and the multiple assassination attempts that Queen Victoria faced throughout her life.
The podcast has grown around the world, with over 1,090,855 downloads since its launch in 2020. The show is particularly popular in the US (45% of listeners) and the UK (30%), with avid fans across Europe, Australia and South Africa.
Speaking about the series, presenter Sinead said: “As an independent podcast, I’ve been blown away by the response the show has received and the incredible fanbase it has.
“We were fascinated by the lives of the so-called great poisoners – Gira Tofana, Mary Ann Cotton, Adelaide Bartlett, William Palmer and Dr Crippen – but also by the legal and social changes that surrounded them.
“Why was poison so prevalent in Victorian times, with people literally putting poison all over the house?! It's such a rich and diverse history that I'll never tire of exploring it.
“The show has organically expanded with each season to feature all kinds of bizarre crimes across the centuries, from Roman and Tudor times to modern-day cases, and this format has attracted even more listeners from all over the world.”
“We are fortunate that this niche crime drama has found such a large and incredibly supportive community, and we look forward to engaging them even more in Season 5.”
Presenter Nick added: “Sinead and I met through theatre and bonded over our love of 'nice drinks'. The show started after downing a number of daiquiris one evening, Googling interesting uses for arsenic at home and discovering a treasure trove of lesser known poisoning stories from history. Here's a bit about why they started the podcast.”
“While we have a lot of fun creating the episodes, we always wanted to put the most effort into the research and format to bring our audience the best combination of quirky history, true crime and comedy.
“And that quality extends to the cocktails! Featuring classic and new recipes from the greatest mixologists of all time, and live tastings that show just how right and wrong you can be when it comes to dabbling in your drinks cabinet. An incident with the Golden Cadillac that you'll probably never forget… (Episode 29)”
“Putting our friendship on air every week is a big risk, so we knew we needed to not only have great storylines but also great drinks to keep viewers hooked. Luckily, our friendship has survived the 200+ extremely strong cocktails we've downed on the show!”
“The Poisoners' Cabinet” is available on all major podcast platforms.
