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.
- Series 27, Episode 4 repeated Friday at 2pm on Radio 4 Extra
Episode menu
Series 29, Episode 2
The Truths
Phil Wang - Tea
- Tea bags were invented by mistake. In 1908, New York tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sent tea samples to his customers in small silk bags. Unsure how to open the bags, the customers used them as tea bags. Found by Lou.
- "The agony of the leaves" is an expression to describe the way a tea unfurls in hot water. Found by Kerry.
- Black and green tea are both made from the same plant, camellia sinensis. Black tea is made by rolling the leaves to expose them to the air. Green tea leaves are harvested and left to wither. Found by Neil.
- Kylie Minogue starts each day by turning a teapot three times clockwise and then once anticlockwise. Successfully smuggled.
- David Bowie had a tea phobia. When he was five, his parents took him on a Thames boat trip, where he drank some bad tea, which had been left stewing for seven years. He suffered from a phobia of British black tea for the rest of his life. Successfully smuggled.
Kerry Godliman - Dancing
- Will Young was so scared of doing Strictly Come Dancing that he even considered breaking his own legs to get out of it. Found by Neil.
- Stoats use dance moves to mesmerise rabbits. Found by Neil.
- Chubby Checker described "The Twist" as: "like putting out a cigarette with both feet, and wiping your bottom with a towel, to the beat of the music." Successfully smuggled.
- The shag is the state dance of South Carolina. Successfully smuggled.
- Most women are most impressed by men who move their upper bodies round a lot, making large varied movements with the neck and trunk, which take up a lot of space on the dance floor. Moving the left shoulder and right knee were also consider particular alluring, with researchers suggestions these could be signals of a man's reproductive quality. However, men who move their arms too much are less attractive, as were those men who did not move their arms enough. Successfully smuggled.
Lou Sanders - Beauty
- Women in 19th century Japan made their teeth black to look more beautiful. Found by Kerry.
- Antifreeze can be found in cosmetics. A chemical called propylene glycol can be found in lotions, shampoos and serums. Found by Neil.
- L'Oréal grows around five square metres of human skin per year to be used for pharmaceutical and cosmetic testing. Found by Kerry.
- In the USA, there are no legal definitions for the terms "cruelty free" and "not tested on animals" on make-up products. Found by Neil.
- China harvests collagen from the skin of executed prisoners, and sells it to the west for cosmetics and beauty products. Successfully smuggled.
Neil Delamere - Giraffes
- Queen Victoria had a very, very long reign. Found by Phil. Accidentally included by Neil.
- Before mating, male giraffes will taste the urine of the female to see if they are ovulating. Found by Lou.
- Giraffes are the only animals born with horns. Found by Kerry.
- The Ancient Greeks referred to giraffes as: "camel leopards". Successfully smuggled.
- Giraffes sleep for about 30 minutes a day, and often sleep standing up. Successfully smuggled.
- Many scientists believe the reason giraffe tongues are blue to stop them getting sunburnt while eating. Successfully smuggled.
Scores
- Kerry Godliman: 4 points
- Neil Delamere: 3 points
- Phil Wang: -2 points
- Lou Sanders: -4 points
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 5th June 2023
- Time
- 6:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Length
- 30 minutes
Catch-up
Cast & crew
David Mitchell | Host / Presenter |
Lou Sanders | Guest |
Phil Wang | Guest |
Neil Delamere | Guest |
Kerry Godliman | Guest |
Dan Gaster | Writer |
Colin Swash | Writer |
Jon Naismith | Producer |
Graeme Garden | Creator |
Jon Naismith | Creator |