TV tonight: the juicy truth about a royal sex scandal

Queen Victoria & the Groomsman: The Scandal That Nearly Brought Down the Empire (9.15pm, Channel 5) investigates the sovereign’s much rumoured romance with her servant John Brown. Experts including archaeologist Raksha Dave and Dr Amy Boyington share what they know about a scandal that could have seen the end of the monarchy.

“Even Queen Victoria’s own children start to call him mother’s lover.” Gladiators (7.15pm, BBC One) reaches this year’s semi-finals, with classics such as Hang Tough and newer challenges like Everest, a battle to push your opponent off a tilting 21ft platform. The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour (7.15pm, Channel 4) uses rare footage to place Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun amid rising Egyptian nationalism and western influence between the world wars.

United Kingdom

queen victoria, john brown, royal scandal, monarchy, gladiators, hang tough, everest, tutankhamun, howard carter, ancient egypt