William Shakespeare: 1,700 Words, 6 Signatures & 7 Missing Years

William Shakespeare: 1,700 Words, 6 Signatures & 7 Missing Years

From Bloomin' Legends with Johnny Vaughan & Gavin Woods by Global

June 23, 2026 · 51 min · Season 1 · Episode 77

About this episode

This episode explores the enigmatic life of William Shakespeare, his contributions to the English language, and a controversial theory about his true identity and work.

He's the most famous writer in the English language, the inventor of over 1,700 words we still use today, and a man so legendary he's known simply as The Bard. There's just one problem: almost nothing is known about him, only six of his signatures survive, and none of them suggest an educated hand. In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods tackle William Shakespeare, the glove maker's son from Stratford who became Britain's greatest cultural export, and one of history's most debated figures. Johnny has a mind-blowing theory about who Shakespeare really was and what he actually did, and it might just change how you think about the most celebrated writer in history. What You'll Hear in This Episode: 🎭 The mystery of Shakespeare – how so little is known about someone so famous, including 7 "lost years" where he vanished completely ✍️ The greatest writer who couldn't write? – only 6 signatures exist, all different spellings, none showing an educated hand 🧠 Johnny's controversial theory – was Shakespeare a "memory lovie" who collected and compiled plays from touring companies rather than writing from scratch? 🗣️ 1,700 words invented – from "eyeball" to "hobnob"…

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