Bloomin' Legends with Johnny Vaughan & Gavin Woods

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history.
This is Part Two of the Genghis Khan saga, and this is where everything goes completely off the scale.
Temüjin is now officially Genghis Khan, ruler of a united Mongol nation. What follows is one of the most astonishing power grabs in human history. Through ruthless intelligence, brutal innovation, and terrifying military brilliance, Genghis doesn’t just conquer land, he reinvents how empires work.
From tearing apart ancient clan loyalties to creating a brand-new army system, encouraging religious freedom, turning poetry into battlefield communication, and learning siege warfare on the fly, Genghis Khan builds an empire that stretches from Beijing to the edge of Europe, all on horseback.
This episode covers the destruction of northern China, the fall of Beijing, the rerouting of the Silk Road, the annihilation of entire empires in Central Asia, and the moment Genghis Khan becomes the ruler of the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever known.
It ends with his mysterious death, a secret burial, and a legacy so vast that millions of people alive today are believed to be descended from him.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
⚔️ Becoming Genghis Khan – The moment Temüjin becomes “Universal Ruler”
🔥 Rewriting Warfare – New armies, new rules, and zero tolerance for rebellion
🏯 The Fall of Beijing – Siege tactics, propaganda, and total destruction
🛣️ The Silk Road Hijack – How trade made the Mongols unimaginably rich
🌍 Empire Without Limits – From China to the Middle East in a single lifetime
☠️ The Mysterious Death – Horse accident, murder… or something stranger?
Bloomin’ Legend or Not?
At the end of the episode, the boys ask the obvious question:
Is Genghis Khan the ultimate Bloomin’ Legend, or the most terrifying human being who ever lived?
🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!
Join the Conversation!
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends
📩 Got your own legendary story — epic, absurd or just downright bonkers?
Email us at [email protected] and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends.
Listen to all episodes on Global Player — download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com
This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history.
In this 2 part series , the boys rewind the clock to the very beginning of the Genghis Khan story, before the empire, before the terror, before the world changed forever. Born as Temüjin, he was abandoned by his tribe, hunted by rivals, enslaved, and forced to fight simply to survive on the brutal Mongolian steppe.
This is the story of betrayal, brotherhood, and blood feuds of Temüjin’s rise from a powerless outcast to a feared and respected war leader. It all builds toward his looming confrontation with his former blood brother Jamukha, a clash that will decide the future of the Mongol tribes… and the fate of history itself.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
🔥 Abandoned as a Child – How Temüjin was left to die on the steppe
⚔️ Slavery & Survival – The years that forged a ruthless leader
🤝 Brotherhood and Betrayal – Temüjin and Jamukha’s deadly rivalry
🐎 The Birth of a Warlord – How loyalty, merit, and violence built his power
Bloomin’ Legend or Not?
At the end of the episode, we ask: Was Temüjin already a Bloomin’ Legend, or was the legend still waiting to be born?
🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!
Join the Conversation!
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends
📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd or just plain bonkers?
Send it to [email protected] and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!
Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com
This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history.
In this episode, the boys follow the astonishing lives of Maria and Varvara Rasputin, the daughters of the most notorious mystic in history. When their father, Grigori Rasputin, was murdered, their world collapsed overnight. Once surrounded by royalty and privilege, the sisters were suddenly hunted, exiled, and forced to survive in a world that hated their name.
While Varvara disappeared into a quiet life far from the spotlight, Maria embraced chaos, becoming a dancer, memoirist, and even a lion tamer in an American circus. From Imperial Russia to revolutionary terror, European exile, and the bright lights of the United States, their lives were every bit as extraordinary as their father’s legend.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
👨‍👧 Growing Up Rasputin – Life inside Russia’s most infamous household
🔥 After the Murder – How the sisters survived the collapse of Imperial Russia
🎪 From Royalty to Circus – Maria Rasputin’s unbelievable reinvention
🌍 Two Sisters, Two Fates – Why their lives took radically different paths
Bloomin’ Legend or Not?
At the end of the episode, we ask: Were Rasputin’s daughters Bloomin’ Legends in their own right, or simply survivors of history’s strangest legacy?
🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!
Join the Conversation!
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends
📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd or just plain bonkers?
Send it to [email protected] and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!
Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com
This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history.
In this episode, the boys set sail with Sir Francis Drake, England’s most famous sea dog. To the English, he was a national hero, a knight of the realm, and the man who helped defeat the Spanish Armada. To the Spanish, he was nothing more than a pirate, a ruthless raider who stole their gold and burned their ports.
From becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, to leading daring naval attacks and playing bowls as the Armada approached, Drake lived a life balanced between bravery, brutality, and outrageous luck.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
🏴‍☠️ From Nobody to Sea Dog – How Drake rose from humble beginnings
🌍 Around the World – The voyage that made him a global legend
🔥 Terror of the Spanish Empire – Raids, riches, and revenge
🎳 The Armada Moment – Why Drake supposedly finished his game before battle
Bloomin’ Legend or Not?
At the end of the episode, we ask: Was Sir Francis Drake a true Bloomin’ Legend, or history’s most successful state-sponsored pirate?
🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!
Join the Conversation!
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends
📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd or just plain bonkers?
Send it to [email protected] and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!
Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com
This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends for 2026! The podcast where Johnny Vaughan and Gavin “The Woodman” Woods uncover the wildest, boldest, and most unbelievable true stories from history.
In this episode, the boys march straight into ancient Rome to tackle Julius Caesar, general, politician, dictator… and the man whose ambition reshaped the ancient world. From conquering Gaul and crossing the Rubicon to ruling Rome and meeting a bloody end on the Senate floor, Caesar’s life was packed with power plays, betrayals, and world-changing decisions.
Loved by the people, feared by the elite, and murdered by his closest allies, Caesar didn’t just rise to the top, he tore the system apart on the way there.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
⚔️ The Making of a Conqueror – How Caesar became Rome’s greatest general
🌍 Gaul, Glory & Gold – The campaigns that made him unstoppable
🚶 Crossing the Rubicon – The moment that guaranteed civil war
🗡️ Et Tu, Brute? – The assassination that ended a republic
Bloomin’ Legend or Not?
At the end of the episode, we decide: Was Julius Caesar a true Bloomin’ Legend — or history’s most dangerous ego?
🎥 Watch the full episode now on the Bloomin’ Legends YouTube channel!
Join the Conversation!
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @BloominLegends
📩 Got your own legendary story, epic, absurd or just plain bonkers?
Send it to [email protected] and we’ll decide if it’s Bloomin’ Legendary or not!
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review to help more people discover Bloomin’ Legends!
Listen to all episodes on Global Player, download from your app store or visit www.globalplayer.com
This is a Global Original Podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.