Dr. Fern Riddell is a renowned historian and author, known for her captivating storytelling and in-depth exploration of historical events. As a cultural historian, Fern’s passion for history has led her to uncover fascinating narratives that bring the past to life, presenting her research on television, radio and across multiple books.

On July 31st, 2025, the release of her forthcoming book, Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen, with also see the same-day transmission of the Channel 4 documentary, Queen Victoria: Secret Marriage, Secret Child?, based on her research and co-hosted by Rob Rinder. 

Emily Shields, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 says: “It’s so rare to find brand new evidence relating to well-known figures in history, but Dr Fern Riddell’s research into the relationship between Queen Victoria and John Brown is extraordinary.”

Fern wrote her first book, A Victorian Guide To Sex, (2014) during her PhD at King's College London. This was followed by​ Death In Ten Minutes, (2018) an explosive account of the Suffragette bomber and birth control activist, Kitty Marion. Uncovering the sanitisation of the Suffragettes, those women who conducted a nationwide arson and bombing campaign during the fight for the vote, drastically altered our recognised history of the Suffragettes. Bringing these stories to life, the forgotten women and fascinating culture of the Victorian & Edwardian eras, has defined much of the work Fern does.

Fern’s unique research, taken from her PhD, Sex & Suffrage: Female Agency in the British Music Halls 1850-1910, was used in the BAFTA nominated documentary Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley, for which she was also the consultant. Her research is now used by teachers for KS3 and above, and is included in the Oxford KS3 Workbook Fight For Rights In Modern Britain. The themes of feminism, terrorism and radicalisation are important discussions for us to have today.

As an on-screen expert, Fern has appeared on documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky History, Sky Arts, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Curiosity and Discovery+, and as an expert historian for radio and television across the world. Presenter for Sky History’s global phenomenon, TruthSeekers, Seasons 1 &2, and BBC 4’s A Victorian Scandal, Fern also hosted both seasons of Sky History’s Not What You Thought You Knew podcast. Advising on dramas for the BBC, PBS and ITV2, she is well-known for her work on​ the BAFTA award-winning BBC and Amazon Prime drama Ripper Street. Working across both drama and factual, Fern enjoys finding new ways to help creative teams explore the past. To find out more, click here.

Working with some of our leading cultural institutions, Fern developed and led multiple adult-learning courses for the British Library, lectured at the National Gallery, and has run workshops for the Royal Shakespeare Company; as well as working with Audible and Spotify.

Fern has written for the Guardian, Huffington Post, iNews, Times Higher Education, the Telegraph, New Statesman, Prospect Magazine, History Today and was previously a columnist for BBC History Magazine. Her work has also appeared in the Daily Mail, Penthouse and Time.com. Fern’s third book, Sex: Lessons From History, was a Daily Mail Book of the Week in 2021.

Represented by Kirsty McLachlan, Morgan Green Creatives.