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The Unbelievable Truth
- Radio panel show
- BBC Radio 4
- 2006 - 2024
- 183 episodes (30 series)
David Mitchell hosts this Radio 4 panel game built on truth and lies. Contestants must try and smuggle truths into lie-filled speeches.
- Continues tomorrow on Radio 4 at 6:30pm with Series 30, Episode 6
- Catch-up on Series 30, Episode 5
Episode menu
Series 8, Episode 5
The Truths
Alex Horne - The Romans
- Julius Caesar was afraid of cows, or to be exact the massive and now extinct aurochs cow. Found by Roisin.
- There is no Latin word for "Interesting". Found by Mark.
- The Romans invented sausages. Successfully smuggled.
- The idea of toasting comes from the Roman practice of dipping toast in their wine before drinking it. Successfully smuggled.
- One Roman by the name of Soranus believed in a method of contraception which involved the woman holding her breath at the right moment and sneezing violently afterwards. Successfully smuggled.
Henning Wehn - Chickens
- The longest recorded flight time for a domestic chicken is 13 seconds. Found by Alex.
- For about 1,000 years Britons only farmed chickens for their eggs. It was not until the Romans came along that they started eating them. Found by Mark.
- Chickens are often the first animal to develop new types of flu. Found by Mark.
- The world eats 52 billion chickens a year. Found by Alex.
- A Colorado chicken called Mike lived for 18 months without a head. Found by Alex.
Roisin Conaty - Sweets and Confectionary
- Roald Dhal once put a dead mouse in a jar of sweets when he was eight. He and four of his friends were caned by their headmaster as punishment. Found by Alex.
- Rats like boiled sweets more than cheese. Found by Mark.
- In New Jersey, a van driver whose van was full of sweets discovered that a bear have got inside, dislodged the hand break and rode off. Found by Alex.
- In Alberta, Canada, a flock of mountain sheep are in danger of being killed of because they are neglecting their normal grass diet in favour of sweets offered to them by tourists. Successfully smuggled.
- Rabbits love liquorice, but it is bad for their health as they cannot digest sugars. Successfully smuggled.
Mark Watson - Competitions
- American Mary Esposito won a competition to see who had the most infested home. Her apartment contained 75,000 cockroaches. The prize was $1,000 and a supply of cockroach control products. Found by Alex.
- In 1992 Canada banned the Miss Canada Beauty Contest. Found by Alex.
- Jose Astoreka won the world's first "Cracking Walnuts in the Anus" competition, cracking 30 in 57 seconds. Found by Roisin.
- Alice Johnson from Santa Fe, New Mexico, won a car by kissing it for 32 hours and 20 minutes in 1994. She damaged four teeth in the process. Successfully smuggled.
- Graham Greene once came second in a "Write like Graham Greene contest". Successfully smuggled.
Scores
- Alex Horne: 4 points
- Roisin Conaty: 3 points
- Mark Watson: 2 points
- Henning Wehn: -4 points
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 23rd January 2012
- Time
- 6:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
David Mitchell | Host / Presenter |
Henning Wehn | Guest |
Mark Watson | Guest |
Alex Horne | Guest |
Roisin Conaty | Guest |
Colin Swash | Writer |
John Finnemore | Writer |
Jon Naismith | Producer |