The Unbelievable Truth. David Mitchell. Copyright: BBC / Random Entertainment
The Unbelievable Truth

The Unbelievable Truth

  • Radio panel show
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2006 - 2024
  • 177 episodes (29 series)

David Mitchell hosts this Radio 4 panel game built on truth and lies. Contestants must try and smuggle truths into lie-filled speeches.

Episode menu

Series 13, Episode 6

David Mitchell is joined by Tony Hawks, Susan Calman, Phill Jupitus and Miles Jupp as they lie on the subjects of school, bears, underwear and bottles.

The Truths

Tony Hawks - School

- Prince Philip's nicknames at school included "Flop". Phill Jupitus is named after Prince Philip. Found by Phill.

- A School of Undressing was established for women in Manhattan in 1937 as it was believed that poor disrobing technique was driving up divorce rates. The course cost $30 for six lessons and used burlesque dancers as models. Found by Miles.

- Jarvis Cocker was made to wear lederhosen to school and got bullied as a result. Found by Susan.

- Vincent van Gogh once worked as a teacher in Ramsgate. He worked for bed and board, teaching maths, French and geography. Found by Phill.

- The word "school" comes the Greek word "schole", meaning "leisure". Successfully smuggled.

Susan Calman - Bears

- Bears don't speak. Found by Phill. Accidentally included by Susan.

- A "pisley" is a cross between a polar and grizzly bear. Found by Phill.

- Black people never mention a polar bear by name in case they offend it. They instead call it, "The old man in the fur coat." Found by Phill.

- You can tell the age of a bear by cutting one of its teeth in half and counting the rings inside. Found by Phill.

- Polar bears have Irish heritage. Successfully smuggled.

- Some bears sleep in nests. The Asian sun bear makes a nest in a tree and the dens of American black bears are classified as nests. Successfully smuggled.

Phill Jupitus - Underwear

- There is an underwear museum in Brussels. Found by Susan.

- Employees at Disney are not allowed to wear their own underwear while performing in character. Employees are provided with jock straps, cycling shorts and tights to wear instead. In 2001, after two months of negotiations, employees won the right to be assigned their own Disney underwear that they could take home themselves to wash, after concerns that shared clothing imposed a health risk. In a two year period at least three cases occurred where costumed workers got pubic lice or scabies from shared underwear. Found by Susan.

- In 1999 two women in London were killed when lightning hit the metal under-wiring in one of their bras. Found by Susan.

- Abraham Lincoln's widow was declared insane in 1875 and doctors found $56,000 in her underwear. Successfully smuggled.

- A bra has been invented that comes apart and can be used as a gasmask, with one cup for you and another for a passer-by. Dr. Elena Bodnar won the 2009 Ig Nobel Prize for Public Health for her invention. Successfully smuggled.

Miles Jupp - Bottles

- The earliest bottles were made out of cow horn and had leather teats. Found by Tony.

- The first bottle banks were introduced into Britain by Fat Boy Slim's father, Ron. Found by Susan.

- The Perrier bottle is modelled on a juggling club. Found by Susan.

- The Persians bottled tears as they believed they could be used as medicine. Victorian Britons also bottled tears. but for the purpose of mourning. Once the tears had evaporated the mourning stopped. Found by Phill.

- In Croatia there is a bottle of human tears on display in the Museum of Broken Relationships. Successfully smuggled.

Scores

- Phill Jupitus: 2 points
- Susan Calman: 1 point
- Tony Hawks: -3 points
- Miles Jupp: -4 points

Broadcast details

Date
Monday 12th May 2014
Time
6:30pm
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Sunday 18th May 2014 12:00pm Radio 4
Monday 19th May 2014 7:30am Radio 4 Extra
Monday 19th May 2014 10:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Wednesday 17th October 2018 9:00am Radio 4 Extra
Wednesday 17th October 2018 4:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Thursday 18th October 2018 4:00am Radio 4 Extra

Cast & crew

Cast
David Mitchell Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Tony Hawks Guest
Phill Jupitus Guest
Susan Calman Guest
Miles Jupp Guest
Writing team
Dan Gaster Writer
Colin Swash Writer
Production team
Jon Naismith Producer

Share this page