Who Did What Now – Episode 188: Violet Jessop (April 8, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this vibrant and humor-filled episode, host Katie Charlwood spotlights the astonishing life of Violet Jessop, known as “Miss Unsinkable.” The episode unravels the real story behind Violet—a stewardess and nurse who survived the sinking of the Titanic and Britannic, as well as an accident on Olympic—shedding light on her endurance, work ethic, and the everyday courage that defines her legend. Katie uses her signature irreverence and warmth to both dispel Titanic movie myths and celebrate an overlooked woman of resilience.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Record Straight on Titanic Lore (02:48–07:36)

• Katie addresses persistent misconceptions stemming from the Titanic films, particularly James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster, and the tendency for pop culture to distort historical fact.
• Quote: “I’m trying to talk about the Titanic, but people keep bringing up the movie like it’s fact. And it’s not. It is a work of fiction that is based around historical events.” (03:10 – Katie)
• She emphasizes the importance of drawing from reputable sources, listing works like Titanic: The Memoirs of Violet Jessop, Lost Voices from the Titanic, and primary documents.
• Introduces “Titanic Month” on the podcast, dedicating a block of episodes to the topic, while openly rejecting sensationalist or conspiracy-laden coverage.

2. Early Life: Hardship and Illness in Argentina (07:37–15:00)

• Violet’s background: Born in Argentina (1887) to Irish immigrants fleeing famine; family endured significant hardship.
• Recounts the succession of Irish famines and their impacts, delving into the nuanced politics of famine terminology.
• Details Violet’s childhood illnesses:
  • Survives diphtheria, scarlet fever, tuberculosis (then “consumption”), and typhoid. Her brother Ray dies of scarlet fever.
  • Quote: “So many things keep trying to, like, tuberculosis, typhoid, scarlet fever...she kept going anyway.” (55:37 – Katie)
• Family relocates to England after father’s death; poverty forces the children into Catholic convents/orphanages for education and basic care.

3. Starting Out as a Stewardess: Facing Sexism and Hard Work (25:18–33:39)

• Violet faces prejudice in job applications—repeatedly told she’s “too young and too pretty” for ship work and must “make herself look less attractive” to get hired.
  • Quote: “‘Sorry, honey, you’re too hot to travel. The men won’t be able to contain themselves. Okay, how about train your boys to have some basic fucking manners, perhaps?’” (25:30 – Katie)
• Despite harsh working conditions, she excels—praised by passengers for compassion, stamina, and competence, earning a paltry wage (£2 10s/month).
• Navigates sexual harassment and professional sabotage by a married ship captain, highlighting the vulnerability of women workers at the time.

4. The Olympic Incident (33:40–38:20)

• Katie describes Violet’s selection for the White Star Line and her survival of the Olympic’s 1911 collision with the HMS Hawke.
  • Olympic (Titanic’s sister) sustains a hull breach but returns safely to port—Violet is among the crew.

5. The Titanic Disaster: Survival and Aftermath (38:21–46:04)

• Violet is handpicked to join Titanic’s maiden voyage; shares a room with fellow stewardess Elizabeth Leather—1 of just 23 women among 900 crew.
• First-hand account: Violet is told to board Lifeboat 16 “to show passengers it’s safe”—given a baby to care for by Officer Moody.
  • “Ms. Jessop, take this baby with you.” (41:43 – Officer James Paul Moody, as paraphrased by Katie)
• Drifts for 8 hours in the North Atlantic, holding the baby until rescued by RMS Carpathia. The child's mother (allegedly) snatches the infant away without a word.
  • Katie’s commentary: “All she could think was that she’d left her toothbrush on board. Like, shock will do that to you.”
• Violet promptly resumes shipboard work within weeks of surviving the Titanic tragedy.

6. Wartime Service and the Britannic Sinking (47:44–54:32)

• With ocean liners pressed into wartime service, Violet becomes a nurse with the British Red Cross, serving on Titanic’s sister ship, HMHS Britannic.
• Details the 1916 sinking after the ship strikes a mine near Greece.
  • Violet, unable to reach a safe lifeboat, jumps into the water—suffers a fractured skull when struck by the keel but survives.
  • Quote: “There’s a tale that she saw a hand reach for her, but when she grabbed it, it was severed at the shoulder.” (51:28 – Katie)
• Notably, she couldn’t swim and credited her survival, in part, to her thick hair cushioning the blow.

7. Later Life: Work, Marriage, and Quiet Retirement (54:33–62:00)

• Continues to work at sea until WWII, serving on world cruises and returning to the Royal Mail Line.
• Brief, unhappy marriage to fellow steward John James Lewis (“brief and disastrous”).
• Pens memoirs in the 1930s, though not published until 1997.
• Retires to Suffolk, gardening and keeping chickens, staying close to her sister Eileen.
• Katie recounts the mysterious phone call Violet received late in life: “Ms. Jessop, you saved a baby on the Titanic. That baby was me.” (57:12 – recounted by Katie)
  • Suspicion it may have been a prank, but also a testament to the enduring myth of her role in Titanic history.
• Dies in 1971 at 83, “unbothered and unbroken.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My bullshit tolerance is so low, it’s doing shots with Beelzebub in Hades…I’m trying, I’m trying to talk about the Titanic, but people keep bringing up the movie like it’s fact.” (02:55–03:10 – Katie)
• “Don’t piss on your own doorstep. And two, he’s married. And again, she’s super Catholic.” (32:52 – Katie, on Violet declining a married captain’s advances)
• “Violet Jessop said, fuck this for a game of soldiers. And by June, she was back at sea aboard the Olympic.” (45:40 – Katie)
• “Always pack your toothbrush. Like, if we’ve learned anything from Violet Jessop. Always pack your toothbrush.” (61:18 – Katie, on lessons from Violet’s story)
• On Violet’s resilience: “God keeps trying to kill her, but she won’t go.” (57:42)

Timeline and Segment Timestamps

02:48 – Introduction, Titanic myths, and episode sources
07:37 – Violet Jessop’s childhood, illness, and Irish immigration context
15:01 – Family moves to England, convent/orphanage experience
25:18 – Sexism, job hunting, and stewardess work
33:40 – RMS Olympic collision
38:21 – Titanic assignment, disaster, and aftermath
47:44 – WWI, Britannic sinking, Violet’s injuries and survival
54:33 – Later career, marriage, memoirs.
57:12 – The mysterious phone call; Violet’s legacy and “Miss Unsinkable”
61:18 – “What have we learned today?” Key takeaways
63:26 – Recommendations (books, music, media)

Final Takeaways (61:18)

• “Always pack your toothbrush.”
• Violet Jessop typifies persistence, practicality, and the quiet heroism of “ordinary” women whose lives intersect with epic history.
• Katie’s closing: “She’s a fucking oak tree, you know. God keeps trying to kill her, but she won’t go…She kept going anyway.”

Additional Recommendations (63:26)

• Watch: The Other Bennett Sister
• Listen: “House Tour” by Sabrina Carpenter
• Read: Hooked by Asako Yuzuki

Tone and Style

Katie maintains her trademark witty, irreverent, conversational tone throughout, often interjecting with asides, sly humor (“Don’t piss on your own doorstep”), and personal reflections while ensuring respect for Violet Jessop’s achievements and struggles.

Useful for new listeners:
This episode offers a vivid, myth-busting, and highly relatable portrait of Violet Jessop, underscoring how she became an unsung survivor of three maritime disasters and a woman of remarkable grit. Listeners will gain both historical context and personal motivation from her story—along with tips such as never forgetting your toothbrush.