‘This is about real life’

Historians Dan Snow and Dr Kate Lister team up to dig deep into the dark past of doomed Pompeii

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Dan Snow has visited Pompeii many times, but in this new series, the historian explores a more intimate route into the past.

The four-parter delves into the everyday lives of citizens, from washing clothes in urine to eating rotting fish.

Dan, 46, says, “Previous shows have been about the big history of the Roman Empire. This one is about real life.”

To help him get the full picture, Dan teams up with fellow historian and broadcaster Dr Kate Lister, with the pair gaining exclusive access to the ruins.

“We got to explore Pompeii in the early morning, before it was open to the tourists,” says Kate, 43. “It was completely empty. That made it even more surreal. There was quite a haunting quality to it.”

Kate had also visited Pompeii before. “I went once when I was 18, but I was with my parents. I was more of a surly teenager,” she admits. “I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have done, but I remember still being hugely impressed.”

Kate and Dan have worked together on projects for streaming service History Hit TV, and the pair were thrilled to team up again.

Dan adds, “Kate specialises in the darker, dirtier side of our existence, the elements that feel real and human.”