The History Gossip: How Katie Kennedy makes history fun on TikTok
Meet TikTok star Katie Kennedy as she brings the past to life in History Crush, a fresh, funny take on love, scandal and forgotten stories.
Image: Katie Kennedy has almost 600k followers on TikTok | History Crush
Katie Kennedy – better known as The History Gossip – is a viral sensation. With almost 600,000 followers on TikTok, she’s rapidly made a name for herself by combining a passion for history with cheeky humour and sharp northern wit.
Her refreshingly irreverent take on the past has struck a chord with younger audiences, helping bring the lives of ordinary people (and the scandals of the extraordinary ones) to life for a new generation.
Now, Katie is making her TV debut with History Crush, a brand-new Sky HISTORY series that dives into the love lives of historical figures – from red flags to full-on romantic disasters.
Sky HISTORY caught up with Katie to chat about her journey from reluctant museum goer to a viral history star, and why gossip might just be the best way to get people hooked on history.
From sulky museum trips to viral history star
Katie’s love of history wasn’t always obvious – least of all to her younger self. 'My parents used to drag me around National Trust sites across the North East from about the age of seven', she recalls.
'At the time, I hated it and would sulk my way around old manor houses. But I learned to like it!'
It was places like Beamish Museum – with its focus on everyday life in the North East – that first showed her how history could be personal and relatable. As she explains, her family has its own connection to the museum. 'My great-grandfather’s gardening tools are in the museum’s collection – and it’s these little personal things that really made history feel like something I belonged to.'
She also devoured historical fiction as a child – but it wasn’t tales of princesses and palaces that captured her imagination. Instead, it was stories of normal people that she connected with.
'I yearned to be a WWII evacuee or Victorian orphan,' she laughs. 'I had no interest in being a princess – I wanted to be scrubbing floors and writing tragic diary entries by candlelight.'
Katie has long held ambitions to work in the history world, but the route there wasn’t exactly clear. 'I don’t come from a background with connections or insider advice to give me a leg up,' she explains. So, she decided to try something different: sharing her love of history online.
'I figured I’d try building a profile myself, just to open a few doors. I never expected it to take off the way it did!'
Her first TikTok? A gleefully unfiltered history of the Covent Garden Ladies, 'basically a Yellow Pages for prostitutes.' But it was a later video that changed everything, and answered an age-old question: Was Anne of Cleves a minger?
The post went viral across social media, and marked a turning point in her style. 'Before this video, I presented myself in a way that I thought was the "proper" way to speak…I softened my accent a lot and was quite serious as I was always self-conscious that I’d be labelled "unprofessional" or "a thick northerner" because of the way I sound.'
But once she embraced her natural voice and sense of humour, her following exploded. 'When I really had fun with the content was when it properly took off, and I’m so happy how people have been so receptive to my presenting style.'
History, but not as you might expect
If there’s one thing Katie Kennedy has proven, it’s that history doesn’t have to be dry. Her storytelling blends sharp humour with solid research – a style that owes much to one key influence: Horrible Histories.
'That show had such an impact on my love for the subject,' she says. 'I just loved how it was presented in such a fun way, you’d never feel like you were learning. That’s the key – to entertain people, not lecture them.'
It’s a philosophy that runs through all her content – including a debut book – and now finds a perfect home in History Crush, her brand new Sky HISTORY series.
'It’s basically me being nosey about dead people’s love lives and judging whether they were absolute 10s or walking red flags. I sit down with another historian and we ask the hard-hitting questions: Were they fit? Were they toxic? Would you risk it all or ghost them?'
Image: Katie Kennedy discusses Napoleon Bonaparte with Dr Zack White | History Crush
Light-hearted, irreverent and unapologetically gossipy, the show is a natural extension of Katie’s TikTok tone – and one that’s designed to welcome viewers who might normally be turned off by traditional history programming.
'It was so much fun to film,' she adds. 'It’s all very light, very gossipy and zero pressure to remember dates.'
That ability to make the past feel alive and relatable is exactly what’s earned her such a devoted following online. Whether she’s dissecting scandalous love affairs or unpicking weird Victorian customs, Katie brings a warmth and wit to her content that never talks down to the audience. She doesn’t pretend to be a stiff, buttoned-up academic – and that’s the whole point.
Giving history back to the 'povos'
While she might be best known for her hilarious takes on historical love lives, Katie’s content is also rooted in a clear mission: to shine a light on the people often left out of the traditional narratives.
'I genuinely don’t set out thinking "today I shall spotlight forgotten women" – I just post what I find interesting', she says. 'It just so happens that the overlooked stuff tends to be about women, working-class people, or anyone not wearing a lice-ridden wig and declaring war every five minutes.'
That instinct to look beyond kings and battles has become a signature feature of her work, whether she’s uncovering the lives of scullery maids or championing 18th-century businesswomen.
This kind of storytelling, grounded in everyday experiences, is what makes Katie’s approach so unique and engaging. 'We hear the same stories about kings, wars and revolutions on repeat, but what about the povos? Justice for the povos!
For Katie, it’s these overlooked voices that bring history to life. 'When you start looking at the everyday – the scullery maids, the chimney sweeps – history suddenly feels alive. It’s way more interesting than memorising the dates of battles. Give me a good 18th-century feud over another treaty any day!'
'History is just gossip with footnotes'
Between filming History Crush, releasing her first book and studying for her dissertation at Oxford, Katie is proof that history isn’t just confined to dusty textbooks. It’s alive, entertaining and belongs to everyone.
When asked what advice she’d give to students thinking of studying history, either for GCSEs or at university, her answer is as refreshing as her videos.
'Do it! History’s basically just gossip with footnotes,' she says. 'Study what you love. If you’re obsessed with Tudor fashion, Victorian polite society or 18th-century fan-makers, lean into it. Don’t force yourself to write about Churchill because it’s seen as "respectable" if you’d rather be writing about Egyptians shagging their siblings.'
It’s this blend of passion, irreverence and inclusivity that makes History Crush unmissable television. So, if you’re interested in exploring the love lives of ancient royals and discovering whether historical figures were walking red flags, tune in to Sky HISTORY from Tuesday 27th May.
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