Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods bring you the most unbelievable, outrageous and downright heroic true stories from history!

In this episode, the boys dive into the explosive life of Lieutenant Colonel Blair “Paddy” Mayne, the hard-drinking, fist-swinging, ice-cold Irishman who became one of the founding legends of the SAS. A former rugby star turned wartime wrecking ball, Mayne carried out some of the most daring raids of World War II, destroying aircraft, blowing up enemy bases, and leading missions deep behind enemy lines.

Fierce, unpredictable, and unbelievably brave, Paddy Mayne is still considered one of the greatest special forces soldiers of all time, a man whose courage bordered on myth.

💥 The Birth of a Beast – From rugby international to unstoppable commando

🚙 Desert Raids of Chaos – The SAS missions that rewrote the rules of warfare

🔥 Lone Wolf Heroics – The legendary acts that earned him four DSOs

⚔️ The Controversial Legacy – Why Mayne remains both a hero and a mystery

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd or just plain bonkers?

Send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods unpick the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history!

In this episode, the boys dive headfirst into the extraordinary life of Harry Houdini, the Hungarian-born showman who became the world’s greatest escape artist. From breaking out of handcuffs, jail cells, milk cans and moving vehicles, Houdini turned danger into spectacle and built a career on doing the impossible.

But beyond the fame, the applause and the death-defying stunts, Houdini was also a crusader, spending his later years exposing fake mediums, fighting spiritualist scams, and taking on anyone who tried to deceive the public.

It’s the unbelievable story of the magician who refused to be trapped by anything, chains, locks, or even death itself.

🔐 The Birth of Houdini – How a penniless immigrant became a global superstar

🗝️ The Legendary Escapes – Milk cans, straitjackets, underwater challenges and near-disasters

✈️ His Flying Hobby – Houdini’s mission to become a pilot

💥 A Mysterious Death – The bizarre final days that fuelled a century of conspiracy theories

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd or just plain bonkers?

Send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen to all episodes on Global Player - download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

It’s a big moment here on Bloomin Legends, and you’re officially part of it.

As 2025 comes to a close, Johnny & Gav gearing up to crown our very first Bloomin' Legend of the Year, and we need you to help decide who takes the title.

Vote on our TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends or right here - https://linktr.ee/bloominlegends

From fearless warriors to unhinged mystics, rebellious pirates to unbelievable survivalists, this year has been packed with some truly unforgettable figures:

• Boudica
• Rasputin
• Bartholomew Roberts
• Reg Spiers (yes… the man who posted himself to Australia)
• Hugh Glass
• Vlad the Impaler
• Arthur Priest

They've laid out their legendary tales and moments in every episode, now it’s time to choose the one legend who stands above the rest.

Head to our socials and hit the link in our bio to cast your vote. You only get one, so choose wisely!

Vote on our TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends or right here - https://linktr.ee/bloominlegends

We’ll reveal the winner and officially crown the Bloomin Legend of the Year 2025 on December 29th. Don’t miss it!

Send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen to all episodes on Global Player — download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dig up the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history!

In this episode, the boys head to 18th-century Provence to meet Gaspard de Besse, the charming highwayman who became France’s very own Robin Hood. Born into poverty but blessed with charisma, speed, and a ridiculous streak of luck, Gaspard robbed stagecoaches, humiliated corrupt officials, and won over everyday people who saw him as a hero rather than a criminal.

Whether he was escaping impossible traps, distributing stolen wealth, or running rings around entire garrisons of soldiers, Gaspard’s short life burned bright, and his legend only grew after his dramatic final capture.

🏹 The Rise of a Rogue – How a poor kid from Besse became Provence’s most infamous outlaw

💰 Robbery With Style – Why Gaspard’s charm made him more loved than feared

🐎 Daring Escapes – The incredible ways he slipped through the fingers of the law

⚖️ A Folk Hero Is Born – How his execution only cemented his status as a French Robin Hood

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd, or just plain bonkers?

Send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

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, we dive into the astonishing life of Fu Hao, the Shang Dynasty warrior queen, high priestess, military commander, and one-woman wrecking crew who became ancient China’s answer to Tutankhamun.

Her tomb, untouched for over 3,000 years, revealed treasures, weaponry, and secrets that rewrote everything we thought we knew about early Chinese civilisation. But long before archaeologists uncovered her legend, Fu Hao was out there leading armies, smashing enemies, and becoming one of the most powerful figures in Bronze Age Asia.

⚔️ China’s Ultimate Warrior Queen – A royal consort who became a battlefield legend

🐅 Slayer of the Tu-Fang Tribe – How Fu Hao crushed one of the Shang’s fiercest enemies

🔮 High Priestess Power – Why she was trusted to speak to the gods

💎 The Tomb of Treasures – The discovery that made her China’s “Tutankhamun”

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd, or just plain bonkers?

Send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen to all episodes on Global Player — download from your app store or head to www.globalplayer.com.

This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

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, we dive into the extraordinary life of Patrick Leigh Fermor, the poet, adventurer, and World War II hero who lived like a character straight out of an epic novel. At just 18, he walked across Europe, surviving on charm and sheer nerve. Later, he joined British special forces, and in one of the most daring operations of the war, kidnapped a German general right under the Nazis’ noses.

From monasteries to mountaintops, and war zones to wine cellars, Fermor lived life as both a warrior and a writer, a man who proved adventure isn’t just something you read about.

🥾 The Walk of a Lifetime – How an 18-year-old crossed an entire continent on foot

🕵️‍♂️ The Crete Kidnapping – The audacious plot that humiliated the Nazis

✍️ The Soldier Poet – The adventurer who turned his life into literature

⚔️ A Life of Legends – Why even Ian Fleming admired his style

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story? Whether it’s epic, absurd, or just plain bonkers, send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen now to all episodes on Global Player.

Download Global Player from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, most unbelievable, and downright legendary true stories from history.

In this episode, we dive into the unbelievable life of Max Woosnam, the man who might just be the greatest British sportsman of all time. A gentleman athlete who captained Manchester City, won Olympic gold, lifted the Davis Cup, scored a century at Lord’s, and even beat Charlie Chaplin at table tennis (using a butter knife).

Woosnam was the definition of a Bloomin’ Legend, a man who did it all, and somehow made it look easy.

⚽ Footballing Glory – From captaining Man City to facing off against England’s elite

🎾 A Racket and a Revolution – Olympic tennis champion and Wimbledon Doubles hero

🎬 The Chaplin Challenge – When Hollywood’s biggest star met his match

🏅 The Forgotten Legend – Why one of Britain’s greatest athletes vanished from fame

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story? Whether it’s epic, absurd, or just plain bonkers, send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends

Listen now to all episodes on Global Player.

Download Global Player from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods dig up the unbelievable, outrageous, and downright legendary stories from history.

In this episode, we meet Arthur John Priest, the luckiest (or unluckiest) man to ever work at sea. A humble stoker from Southampton, Priest somehow survived five shipwrecks, including the Titanic, Britannic, and a series of other naval disasters that should’ve finished him off for good. Yet every time, he crawled out of the wreckage alive, earning him the nickname “The Unsinkable Stoker.”

🚢 The Titanic Survivor – How Priest lived through the world’s most famous maritime disaster

💥 Explosion, Fire & Flood – The unbelievable run of ships he survived afterwards

💀 “Born Lucky” or “Cursed”? – The crew who refused to sail with him again

🔥 A Working-Class Legend – The man who just kept going, no matter what the sea threw at him

🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends

📩 Got your own legendary story? Whether it’s epic, absurd, or just plain bonkers — send it to bloominlegends@global.com and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!

Listen now to all episodes on Global Player.

Download Global Player from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com

This is a Global Original podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com