Rachel Dinning

I’m Rachel, a digital editor at HistoryExtra and the producer behind our HistoryExtra Academy video strand. I spend much of my time dreaming up new ways to bring history to life through video – from working with expert presenters to developing scripts, directing shoots and shaping the final cut. I’m especially passionate about helping historians share their research in ways that feel vivid, accessible and genuinely fun for our audience. My enthusiasm for history has been with me since childhood, shaped by a lifelong love of historical fiction, documentaries and period dramas. That fascination continues to guide my work today: I’m driven by the idea that history should feel alive, human and full of compelling stories – and I’m always searching for new ways to help audiences experience it exactly that way! Whether I’m storyboarding a new Academy series, juggling a multi-platform campaign or jumping behind the camera myself, I love the creative challenge of turning big historical questions into stories that spark curiosity. I hold a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of the West of England and a BA in English Literature from the University of Bristol. Across eight years working in digital media, I’ve developed a specialism in video production and editorial strategy, recently overseeing video series that have reached millions of viewers on our YouTube channel. Before stepping into my current role, I spent seven years producing, commissioning and managing digital content for HistoryExtra. I previously was a news reporter for the Gloucestershire Gazette, where I covered local news stories and interviewed numerous politicians (but soon realised that I prefer telling stories about people from the past rather than the present!).

c1935: Beatrice Shilling sits astride her Norton motorcycle. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

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History heroCathy Newman chooses Beatrice Shilling (1909–1990). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Anne Boleyn (left) and her daughter, Elizabeth I. (Photos by Getty Images)

TudorvideoWhat did Elizabeth I think of her mother, Anne Boleyn? Historian Tracy Borman explains

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Working mothers. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Britain and the slave trade. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Dissection of human cadaver by physicians

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Ask the medieval doctor: 6 ailments and their treatments. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

What was a drunkard's cloak used for? This illustration shows a man wearing the archaic punishment tool designed to punish habitual drinkers. (Photo by Getty Images)

Stuart

Q&AWhat was a drunkard’s cloak used for?

Members of the royal family: Prince Louis; Prince George; Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Princess Charlotte; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; Princess Anne, Princess Royal; and Queen Elizabeth II during the Queen's annual birthday parade on 8 June 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

General Modern

From The Crown to Queen Elizabeth’s corgis: 24 history questions about the royal family for your home pub quiz

British author Bernard Cornwell, author of 'The Last Kingdom'

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Bernard Cornwell on writing historical fiction and his blockbuster series The Last Kingdom: your questions answered. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Madam CJ Walker, America's first female millionaire. (Photo courtesy of Madam Walker Family Archives/A'Lelia Bundles)

General Modern

Self Made: the real story of Madam CJ Walker, America’s first black female millionaire

Princess Margaret wearing a fur coat

20th Century

The Queen's "rebel sister": 13 facts about Princess Margaret

Nicola Tallis photographed by David Hampton in October 2019

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Nicola Tallis on Margaret Beaufort, mother of the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A scene from 'They Shall Not Grow Old', showing how film director Peter Jackson digitally remastered footage of the First World War. (Photo courtesy of THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD/ WingNut Films/ Peter Jackson. Original black and white film © IWM)

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"There was no feeling sorry for themselves": director Peter Jackson on the soldiers of the First World War. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Prince Albert

Victorian

8 fascinating facts about Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert

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Britain didn't "rule the waves" after the battle of Trafalgar, says historian Sam Willis. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Sergeant Stubby, an American dog who served as the mascot of America's 102nd Infantry Regiment during the First World War. (Photo by Bettmann via Getty Images)

First World War

Sergeant Stubby of the First World War: the heroic story of America’s most decorated war dog

Queen Elizabeth II driving her children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Windsor, 1957. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

20th Century

Why do Brits drive on the left-hand side of the road? Plus 4 other facts about the history of driving in Britain

A vintage colour lithograph depicting King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth. The battle of Bosworth (or Bosworth Field) was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the Houses of Lancaster and York. (Photo by Getty Images)

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The battle for Bosworth field: Historians react to decision to build on battlefield where Richard III died. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A statue of Robert the Bruce at Stirling Castle in Scotland. The castle "is in many ways like a bottleneck – so much of Scottish and British history passes through it and goes off to its eventual destination,” says Neil Oliver. (Photo by Iain Masterton via Getty Images)

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BBC presenter Neil Oliver on his top 5 must-visit places in Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Kate Middleton: a thoroughly modern mum. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A man sneezes into a handkerchief, c1936. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

General History

6 facts about the history of hay fever

Historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes. (Channel 5)

Roman

Eight Days That Made Rome: behind the scenes with historian Bettany Hughes

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Neville Chamberlain is underestimated, argues author Robert Harris. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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