Bill Oddie is the first celebrity to undergo the family tree search, as he endeavours to find out more about his mother, who was institutionalised when he was a child.
Actress Amanda Redman explores her roots.
Actress Sue Johnston explores her roots.
Jeremy is determined to find out if his mother was descended from the Kilner Jar people, and if they were, where all the money had gone.
Ian finds out more about the part his grandfathers played in the wars of the 20th Century.
Moira Stuart's family tree exploration takes from the Highlands of Scotland to the West Indies.
David explores his Jewish roots and discovers some Orthodox Jewish relatives in London.
Lesley explores her family tree in Yorkshire.
Meera's exploration takes her to the Punjab.
Was Vic's father a bigamist?
The stern host of BBC2's Newsnight searches for his roots.
Sheila Hancock chases after a mysterious woman in a photograph in the search for her roots.
An emotional journey as Stephen investigates his European Jewish roots.
Julian Clary investigates his roots through Europe.
Jane looks into her Lancashire roots.
Gurinder investigates her roots in Kenya and India.
Barbara roots extend through East London and Suffolk.
Robert's roots take him back to Derbyshire.
Colin's roots extend to Panama, Jamaica and Scotland.
David's quest to discover his family take him to the Isle of Mull, and then on to Londonderry, to confront an unexpected side to his ancestors.
David's roots are in Armenia.
What will Nigella find in her family tree?
Does Jeremy have roots in Ireland?
Julia's journey takes her to France and Jordan.
TV and radio presenter Nicky Campbell was adopted a few days after being born in 1961. Having already traced his biological parents some years later, Nicky now decides to trace the history of his adoptive family. He learns about his father Frank's experiences as an officer in Burma during the Second World War, and travels to his grandfather's birthplace in Brisbane, Australia.
Natasha travels to Cape Town in search of information about her father's involvement with the anti-apartheid movement during the 1960s. Later, after researching a possible connection with King George the Third, she travels with her Australian cousin Benni to Belarus where some disturbing discoveries are made about the persecution of her Jewish ancestors.
John looks into his great grandmother's parentage.
Griff Rhys Jones looks at both sides of his family's history, learning about the early British railway workers and trying to work out whether relatives really died in a train crash or there might be darker family secrets.
Carol explores her family tree.
Alistair McGowan explores his heritage from his father's side, investigating what 'Anglo-Indian' means by a journey to India.
Patsy's late father was a villain. Jimmy Kensit was deeply involved with the most notorious gangsters of 1960s London: the Krays and the Richardsons. Reggie Kray was even godfather to Patsy's brother. Apprehensively, Patsy embarked on an investigation into her father's murky past, to understand the roots of his criminality and to discover how far back 'the family trade' goes. Patsy met up with a criminologist who had unearthed a copy of her father’s criminal record, revealing the true extent of his crimes. She was then shocked to uncover documents in the National Archives that show her grandfather was also a prolific criminal. After more research, Patsy was at last relieved to discover that her great-grandfather, though impoverished, was an honest walking stick maker. Tracing her roots even further back, an amazing document in Goldsmith's Hall revealed how the Kensit family, once affluent artisans, first fell into terrible poverty. Ultimately Patsy made the emotional discovery that rather than descending from a long line of villains, one of her ancestors was a remarkable vicar who dedicated his life to helping the poor.
Boris Johnson knew a certain amount about his diverse family background, but was intrigued by several family stories and mysteries. He was particularly keen to investigate stories associated with the relatives of his paternal grandparents. Boris's grandfather, Wilfred Johnson, had never spoken about the murder of his Turkish father in the 1920s. Boris’s grandmother Irene Johnson (née Williams), known as 'Granny Butter', had always been the subject of derision in the family due to her grandiose claims of an aristocratic French background. So Boris set out on an international journey of discovery to separate fact from fiction.
Jerry knows that if his parents had not fled Germany before the start of the Second World War he would almost certainly not be alive today. As Jewish refugees, they settled in London before moving to the United States. Tragically, Jerry’s grandmothers were not so lucky. Unable to escape from the Nazis, both died in the Holocaust. Jerry sets out on an emotional journey to discover what happened to them. How far back can he trace the Springer family in Germany and did any of them survive the war?
If Esther's family is as genteel and respectable as she's always believed, where do the rumours of bigamy, fraud and murder come from? Stories of a 'black sheep' have always intrigued her, as have the origins of the Rantzen side of the family. Her search for answers takes her from the slums of Spitalfields in London to the diamond mines of South Africa. Along the way she discovers the amazing story of a fugitive from justice.
Ainsley Harriott heads to the West Indies and discovers that Caribbean history isn't quite as 'black and white' as he'd imagined. In addition to harrowing stories of slavery, Ainsley discovers his ancestors include a soldier, a policemen, wealthy 'free blacks' and even white plantation owners.
Confusion reigns in David Suchet's family history. Was his father's father German, Russian or Estonian? Was his name Suchedowitz, Suchet or Shoket? David’s mother's family is equally confusing. Was her grandfather really a French photographer? And why did another ancestor's ship sink off Norfolk? David travels across Europe hoping to find some answers.
Jodie has often wondered why none of her family ever talked about her mother's grandfather, Sir Rowland Hodge. Although she grew up with many stories about her other great-grandfather Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Rowland's past remains a mystery. Investigations in Newcastle and London soon reveal why, as Jodie uncovers a tale of scandal and political corruption. An exploration of Beaverbrook's ancestors takes her across the Atlantic to Colonial America and a connection to some of the first Puritan settlers.
"Most people assume that I'm from a long line of gothic, castle-dwelling Welsh gentry", says Laurence, "but I don't think I am". However, an old family letter hints that some of these assumptions may in fact be correct. Following a tantalising clue left by great-aunt Kitty, Laurence sets out to investigate. Is there a long lost family estate and fortune somewhere in Somerset? Could Laurence really be a member of the landed gentry?
In Holland and Germany, Rory Bremner delves into the wartime experiences of the father he didn't know very well.
Fiona Bruce discovers the sad truth behind her great-grandfather's mysterious death, and returns to her family's ancestral home.
Rick Stein looks into his family history, from his father's troubled life during the First World War to his great-grandfather's missionary work in China.
Actress Zoe Wanamaker traces the roots of her family back to the Ukraine via America and the anti-communist witch-hunt that caused her father Sam to flee to the UK.
Actor Kevin Whately discovers that his ancestors were amongst the richest and most powerful men of the 17th century.
Davina McCall makes some intriguing and shocking discoveries as she delves into her family's past, hoping to learn more about her maternal French heritage.
Known for his outspoken views, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles finds himself getting unexpectedly emotional as he goes back to his Irish roots.
TV presenter Kate Humble investigates her paternal grandfather, a RAF test pilot, and her maternal grandfather, once a prisoner of war.
David Mitchell goes in search of his Scottish roots, and attempts to find out whether his family were involved in the Highland Clearances.
Liverpool-born Kim Cattrall sets out to solve a family mystery that has endured for more than seventy years, the disappearance of her grandfather.
With his dad having died when he was 10 and his parents having divorced some years before, Martin Freeman tries to find out the paternal side of his family history.
Entertainer Bruce Forsyth travels to America to investigate claims that his great-grandfather was married to two women at once.
Actor Rupert Everett traces his family tree to explore the lives of his ancestors, wanting to find out in particular why his grandfather Cyril was in Nigeria.
Irish actress Dervla Kirwan traces her family tree to explore the lives of her ancestors. Her great-uncle was Michael Collins, a figure who changed Irish history.
Gardener Monty Don traces his family tree. His efforts lead him to a port near Anglesey, where he learns of a national disaster that ended in a family tragedy.
Actor Rupert Penry-Jones traces his family tree to learn about his ancestors, an investigation which takes him all the way to Allahabad in India.
Comedian Alexander Armstrong traces his family tree. He knew his family background was likely to be privileged, but he's keen to find out how posh he is.
Jason Donovan was born in Australia and catapulted to fame in the soap opera Neighbours. Beginning in Melbourne, he attempts to trace his roots.
Holby City actor Hugh Quarshie traces his family tree to explore the lives of his ancestors, a journey which takes him to Ghana and then the Netherlands.
Award-winning actor and Broadway star Alan Cumming attempts to solve the mystery relating to his maternal grandfather, a soldier who died aged just 35 in Malaysia.
National treasure June Brown unravels her Jewish heritage, and discovers how momentous historical events shaped her family's destiny.
In a rare television appearance, best-selling Harry Potter author JK Rowling sets out to investigate her French roots.
Sebastian Coe sets out to discover if there is any truth in his grandmother's claims that the family's origins were quite grand.
Actor Larry Lamb sets out to learn about his biological grandparents, who gave his mother up for adoption as an infant.
Emilia Fox sets out to learn how far back her acting roots go, and uncovers an extraordinary rags-to-riches tale about a Victorian ancestor.
Alan Carr explores his family's connection to football and his grandfather's brush with fame, before investigating a mysterious name change.
Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb discovers how his paternal great-grandfather rose from poverty to become a decorated soldier, and heads to Paisley, Renfrewshire, to investigate a mysterious family breakdown.
Having reached a turning point in his life, Richard Madeley decides to learn more about the Canadian side of his family.
Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman investigates his mother's family, and looks into the mystery of an ancestor's descent into poverty.
Controversial artist Tracey Emin sets out to learn about her East End roots, and is shocked and delighted to discover an unusual heritage.
Actress Samantha Womack delves into her family history, uncovering the shocking truth about her great-grandfather's military career.
Gregg Wallace sets out to solve a long-standing mystery: what happened to his great-grandfather, who abandoned his family?
Sir Patrick Stewart's memory of his late father Alfred is scarred by recollections of domestic abuse. In this deeply personal and moving film, Patrick investigates his father's extraordinary war career, and discovers the shocking impact it had on his character.
Annie Lennox uncovers tangled family relationships blighted by illegitimacy and poverty on her late grandmother's branch of the family.
Comedian Hugh Dennis learns more about his two grandfathers, whose experiences of the First World War were very different.
Actress Alex Kingston sets out to learn more about her great-grandfather William Keevil, who died during the First World War.
Actor William Roache sets out to learn more about his grandmother, who ran a cafe in Alton Towers in the 1920s and 1930s.
Actress Celia Imrie uncovers tales ranging from political intrigue to impotence as she investigates her mother's side of the family.
John Barnes sets out to investigate the extraordinary role his grandfather, Frank Hill, played in Jamaica's struggle for self-rule.
John Bishop changed career from sales director to comedian and is astonished when he finds out what his great-great-grandfather, Charles Bishop, ended up doing.
Actress Una Stubbs sets out to discover the story of her paternal grandparents, uncovering a tale of illegitimacy and poverty in the process.
Nigel Havers' roots prove very different from his usual upper class roles; he discovers a tale of illegitimacy worthy of a period drama.
Hollywood actress Minnie Driver is on a mission to find out more about her late father, Ronnie, and his family's background.
Actress Lesley Sharp was adopted when she was five weeks old. She discovers that her great-great-grandfather fostered Barnardo's children.
Sports presenter Gary Lineker follows the trail of his great-great-great-grandfather, and discovers he was a poacher in Victorian England.
TV personality Nick Hewer traces his Irish roots on his mother's side, while his father's line goes all the way back to the English Civil War.
EastEnders star Nitin Ganatra has questions about his identity and wants to know why his family left Kenya when he was three years old.
Comedian Sarah Millican is astonished to discover that her three times great grandfather was one of the first ever divers in the world.
Singer Marianne Faithfull investigates the early life of her mother Eva, who she had a difficult relationship with, as a dancer in 1920s Berlin.
Reporter John Simpson follows the trail of his adventurous great grandmother and her life with Samuel F Cody, the cowboy turned aviator.
The genealogy show celebrates ten years and 100 episodes with a look back at the outstanding moments of the award-winning series. This one-off special features the shocks, surprises, tears and laughter that have marked the 100 celebrities' extraordinary journeys into their family histories. It remembers the dramatic highlights, from Jeremy Paxman's tears to Boris Johnson's astonishment at his incredible royal connections, as well as the sometimes inadvertently funny bits.
Actress and national treasure Julie Walters follows her roots back to rural Ireland on the trail of her great-grandfather.
Actor Brian Blessed has always loved his unusual name - but has no idea where his Blessed ancestors came from.
Tamzin Outhwaite journeys into her Italian past to uncover the rags-to-riches tale of her great-grandfather Adelmo.
Brendan O'Carroll ditches his alter ego Mrs Brown to turn detective, as he attempts to discover who murdered his grandfather.
Actress Sheridan Smith is keen to know where her musical talent comes from and is soon hot on the trail of her great-great-grandfather.
Bake Off star Mary Berry, still going strong at 79, believes she inherits her energy and drive from her father and sets off on a journey to find out more about his family. Along the way she discovers illegitimacy, bankruptcy, and even more astonishingly, a baker.
Actor Martin Shaw investigates the story of his grandfather, Edwin Shaw, who walked out on his family when Martin's father was just a boy.
Presenter and DJ Reggie Yates grew up knowing very little about his father's side of the family. Reggie sets out on the trail of his grandfather, Harry Philip Yates. His journey takes him to Ghana, where he unravels a complex family history where Ghanaian culture and British colonialism collide.
Scottish comedian and actor Billy Connolly travels to India in the footsteps of his army ancestors and makes an extraordinary discovery.
Twiggy grew up in a close-knit family in London, but her mother told her almost nothing about her relations, not even her grandmother's name.
Baker Paul Hollywood finds out about his grandfather's experiences in World War II, serving as an anti-aircraft gunner.
Actress Jane Seymour discovers what happened to her Polish great-aunts, Jadwiga and Michaela, during the Second World War.
Actor Derek Jacobi grew up in Walthamstow, but a clue in his mother's family tree hints at a more colourful past in France.
Jerry Hall knows her father’s family originally came from Oldham, but wants to discover how they ended up in America.
Choirmaster Gareth Malone sets out to find out more about how far back his family's passion for music goes.
Actress Anne Reid was close to her father but knows very little about his family. She is on the trail of her great-great-grandfather.
Journalist Frank Gardner was told his family arrived in Britain with the Normans and investigates whether there is any truth in the rumour.
Journalist Anita Rani sets out to see if she can find out more about what happened to her grandfather during the Partition of India.
Actor and writer Mark Gatiss travels to Ireland, where he finds out that his family were storytellers and, allegedly, vampire slayers!
Frances de la Tour's family tree holds a tantalising clue which hints at aristocratic ancestors.
EastEnders actor Danny Dyer hopes that he will 'freak a few people out' with his family history. Danny sets out to discover the history of his tough working-class family in the East End of London, but in the process he unearths an extraordinary lineage stretching back to the Norman conquest.
Amanda Holden's investigation into rumoured French ancestry uncovers an extraordinary Napoleonic-era cross-channel romance.
Liz Bonnin investigates her parents' lineages on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Martinique. What she discovers is more complicated than she imagined.
Singer Cheryl discovers a sea-faring ancestor and a family tragedy. She also learns the story of her great-grandfather, who fought in WWI.
Actor Ricky Tomlinson is well known for playing the archetypal Scouser and it turns out that his Liverpool roots run deep.
As the 'last of the McKellens', Sir Ian admits to a degree of melancholy as he delves into his family history. But the results pay off richly for one of Britain's greatest actors and civil rights champions. Ian's journey uncovers a theatrical ancestor, a Victorian political activist and a link to an ancient Druidical landmark in the Lake District.
Greg Davies explores his Welsh ancestry, identifying a wayward great-grandfather and the deepest Welsh roots anyone could wish for.
Warwick Davis takes a non-judgemental approach as he researches the family line stretching back from his grandmother, finding humanity and humour in some uncomfortable stories.
Actor Sunetra Sarker sets out to explore the Bengali heritage she ignored when she was growing up in Liverpool.
BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth discovers a tragic but inspiring tale of ancestors who risked everything to move to America.
Actor Charles Dance has made his name playing aristocrats, including Tywin Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones. But the upstairs world Charles inhabits on screen is nothing like his own background as his mum was an under house parlour maid. Charles wants to know if he comes from a long line of servants or if he can uncover some grander origins. He is also determined to learn about his dad, who died when Charles was four. Charles knows hardly anything about him, not even when he was born. Charles's search for information takes him to the other side of the world to meet close relatives he never knew he had.
Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood reveals his softer side. Heading to his home town of Ballarat in Australia, Craig investigates what happened to his great-great-great-grandfather who risked everything in the Australian Gold Rush. A visit to his beloved 100-year-old grandmother sends Craig in pursuit of another maverick ancestor. Craig's great-great-grandfather Harry turns out to have been the life of the party and, better still, a fabulous dancer.
Sports presenter and broadcaster Clare Balding has always been curious about her maternal great-grandfather and the 'thing that has been sort of whispered in the family - could he have been gay?' Getting to the truth of the matter is a challenge when all the evidence comes from a time when homosexuality was illegal. Digging into her father's side of the family takes Clare to New Jersey and New York, where she uncovers an extraordinary dynasty and American roots stretching back generations.
Citizen Khan star Adil Ray identifies as Brummie, British, Muslim, Pakistani and African - his mum came to England from newly independent Kenya with her family in 1967. Heading back to east Africa, Adil traces his mixed Asian and African ancestry across Kenya to Uganda. On the trail of rumours of a link to African royalty, Adil meets African relatives for the first time in the traditional kingdom of Buganda and is amazed to discover the truth about his lineage.
Presenter Emma Willis grew up in Birmingham and loves the city and her fellow Brummies. She wants to find out how deep her roots are there. Further afield, an interfaith marriage in Ireland leads Emma down two very different paths. Violent events force her to confront disturbing truths about one ancestor, while the hard graft and determination of another lead Emma to draw parallels with her own life.
Pop star Lulu has always wanted to get to the bottom of a family mystery. She knows that her mum, the middle child of seven, was the only one to be given up by her birth parents and raised by another family, but she has no idea why. Lulu travels home to Glasgow, where she uncovers the real-life Romeo and Juliet story of her Catholic grandfather and Protestant grandmother's love affair across the city's strict sectarian divide. Digging deeper, she discovers some dark secrets about her grandfather's past which force her to reassess what she thought she knew about her mum's story.
Fearne Cotton is intrigued by her Welsh great-grandfather Evan Meredith who, despite working down a coal mine from the age of 13, ended up as a chemist in the home counties. Evan never talked about what he did during World War I, and Fearne decides to investigate. She is shocked to discover that Evan risked both his freedom and his reputation by following his conscience, caught up in a catch-22 situation with the authorities which was only broken when Evan took dramatic action. On her mother's side, Fearne finds an ancestor whose extraordinary professional ambition led to an encounter with Queen Victoria but ended in career disaster.
Actor and film-maker Noel Clarke grew up in west London with his single-parent mum, and this left one side of his family tree a mystery to him. His search starts in Trinidad, where both his parents are from, but soon takes him on a trail to other islands, ending on one of the smallest and most beautiful in the Caribbean. There he learns of an extraordinary great-great-great-great-grandfather called Glasgow Bedeau, who was born into slavery. The music Glasgow's enslaved parents and grandparents passed down reveals the part of Africa from which Noel's ancestors were taken.
Best known as market trader Donna Yates in EastEnders, actress Lisa Hammond wants to get to the bottom of why her paternal grandfather Harry Hammond never spoke about his experiences in World War II. She uncovers the moving story of the trauma he endured and his efforts to overcome it. On her mother's side of the family, Lisa is reassured to discover many generations of London stock as she finds the countryside unsettling. But her relief is short lived as, going further back, her investigations plunge her deep into rural Wales.
Ruby Wax's Jewish parents fled Vienna and the Nazis for America in 1938. 'They took the war with them and brought it to our kitchen,' says the comedian and mental-health campaigner at the start of this remarkable episode. They raised their only daughter in a dramatically dysfunctional household - Ruby's father was volatile and her mother 'hysterical... screaming in the street.' Ruby wonders if her own mental illness had its origins in her upbringing and the trauma her parents went through, or whether it is in her family's genes. Ruby journeys to central Europe, where she learns about her parents' flight and the distressing fate of family who remained in Vienna during the war, and she makes a startling discovery about her great-aunt and great-grandmother, which is both harrowing and surprisingly affirming.
Our Girl actress Michelle Keegan uncovers some exceptional women on her family tree. On her mother's side Michelle discovers that her Gibraltarian great-grandmother Leonor had to up sticks when all women and children and the elderly were evacuated from harm's way in Gibraltar to the apparent safety of London during the Second World War, a month before the start of the Blitz.Further back, Michelle discovers her great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Kirwan living in poverty in Manchester at the start of the 20th century. Michelle unearths a special connection to suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and her great-great-grandmother's commitment to the cause that put her name on the electoral roll - voting for the very first time in 1918.
Actress Olivia Colman claims to be 'the least adventurous person I know.' As for her ancestors, apart from a rumour that there was a Frenchwoman somewhere in her family tree, Olivia thinks they are largely from Norfolk, so she is astonished to discover that she needs to travel to India to find out more about her great-great-great-grandmother Harriot. Olivia finds records that reveal Harriot was an orphan in 1811 on a ship bound for England from (then) Calcutta. Harriot's father was an Englishman, but the identity of her mother, who gave birth to her in a remote Indian village, is a mystery Olivia delights in solving.
Comedian Lee Mack was born Lee McKillop in the north of England, just like his McKillop great-grandfather, who was also a comedian, known as Billy Mac. Lee has a few playbills from Billy Mac's variety hall performances, but knows little more about him. Not long into his journey, Lee discovers that his great-grandfather was passionate about more than making people laugh. Billy Mac joined the first ever pals battalion in Liverpool at the start of the First World War and honed his act at the front lines in the Battle of the Somme. Lee is also curious about his maternal grandad Joe's upbringing - deserted by his unwed mother and raised by his grandparents in County Mayo at the time of the Irish Civil War.
Iconic pop star Boy George grew up in south London in an Irish family. George expects to find a lot of sadness in his family tree. He knows that his maternal grandmother was found wandering the streets of Dublin as a small child and put in a children's home and wants to find out how she came to be in such a dire situation. He's also heard that another ancestor was hanged in Dublin's Mountjoy Gaol and is somehow connected to Kevin Barry who was commemorated in a well-known Irish rebel song. As George uncovers the grim details of what really happened to his grandmother and his great uncle, he also delights in a new sense of his family being truly part of Irish history.
Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Shirley Ballas investigates a family story that her maternal great-grandmother abandoned her husband and children for a more exciting life in America. What Shirley discovers casts her great-grandmother in a completely new light. On her father's side, Shirley pursues a rumour that she has black ancestors - a trail which leads her to colonial Cape Town and the era of slave trafficking to South Africa via the Indian Ocean.
DJ, presenter and former member of boy band JLS, Marvin Humes delves into his Jamaican and his English heritage, and finds exceptional stories on both sides of the family. Deep in the Jamaican countryside, Marvin's discoveries about the lives of his black ancestors during the time of slavery turn his expectations upside down. In England, Marvin's follows the trail of his great-grandfather about whom he knows almost nothing. But Marvin's research reveals a hero, who overcame a traumatic childhood to play a part in one of the most dramatic events of the Second World War.
Robert 'Judge' Rinder follows the story of his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, hearing first-hand testimony of the horror of Nazi forced labour camps as well as of the hope offered by a new life in Lake Windermere. Investigating the dark mystery surrounding his great-grandfather leads Robert to a small town in Latvia, where he uncovers a story of mental illness and trauma which will ultimately, he hopes, lay some ghosts to rest.
Paralympic gold medal winner Jonnie Peacock was named for his maternal grandad, who died the year before he was born. Like Jonnie, his grandad was a sportsman - an excellent amateur footballer scouted by a professional team, only to be thwarted by parental pressure to take a 'proper job' as a painter/decorator. Pushing back down the generations, Jonnie uncovers the legacy of poverty and unexpected disease that led the family to value job security over the beautiful game. On his father's side, Jonnie is captivated by his four-times-great-grandmother, branded a 'bad character' in 1841 by a local village policeman. But Jonnie's further research reveals a strong woman prepared to stand up in court and testify against the men who had wronged her.
Actor Daniel Radcliffe discovers that the Hatton Garden robbery of his great-grandfather’s jewellery business was far more dark and dramatic than he ever imagined, while an unseen cache of his great-great-uncle’s letters reveals a heart-wrenching First World War love story.
Actor Naomie Harris’s dramatic discoveries in this episode inspire her to anger, sadness and tears of joy. On a journey from Trinidad to Grenada to Jamaica, Naomie exposes her four-times-great grandfather’s involvement in the exploitation of so-called 'liberated Africans' shortly after the abolition of slavery, is delighted to discover the identify of her African five-times-great grandmother, and, in nearer generations, uncovers a family story of tragic poverty in Jamaica’s capital, Kingston.
In a first for the series, father-and-son comedy double-act Jack and Michael Whitehall join forces to investigate their family tree. They discover the tragedy that left Jack’s great grandfather (Michael’s grandfather) an orphan. And tracing their line back to Wales in the 1830s, they find out about a Tory ancestor's role in opposing the Chartist movement for wider voting rights.
Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet follows a rumour of Scandinavian ancestry on her late mum Sally’s side of the family and is delighted to find that she has Swedish heritage. But her joy turns to tears and anger when she uncovers the extreme hardships her ancestors endured, from famine to flogging and imprisonment. On her dad’s side, Kate finds a drummer boy in the Grenadier Guards and, this time, an unusually positive encounter with prison.
Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan’s investigation of her family history leads her to a Methodist minister and his family in colonial Nova Scotia, cod traders in Newfoundland, and eventually to her English roots in Dorset.
Comedian Paul Merton was very close to his late mum, and he knows that her Irish parents died when she was very young. Her father was a shadowy figure said to have been lost at sea. Paul pieces together his grandfather’s story and discovers that he was involved in some of the key events leading to Irish independence in the 1920s, and that the true circumstances of his death were different from the story that has been handed down. In London, on his father’s side, Paul traces a great-great-grandmother who was sent to prison for her part in an assault... involving a banjo.
Sharon Osbourne is open about her less-than-idyllic childhood and her remote relationship with her mother, but as she delves into her maternal family history and uncovers the difficult circumstances of her mother’s and grandmother’s lives, she is moved by what she discovers, from family break-up to a brush with the law. Further back, Sharon is astonished to discover that her great-grandmother was born in the United States, but as Sharon digs deeper in to the story she realises it’s a case of the American Dream gone wrong. Sharon’s great-great-grandparents, lured by the promise of work in a cotton mill town advertised as paradise, found the harsh reality very different.
Intrigued by family stories from his granddad Eddie, former TOWIE star and presenter Mark Wright investigates his dad’s side of the family. Discovering Sephardi Jewish ancestry and a master swordsman living in late 17th-century Andalucía, Mark’s journey takes him to Spain where he’s astonished to finds out how his nine-times great-grandfather survived the terror of the Spanish Inquisition, while a less fortunate relative was burned at the stake.
Doctor Who and Broadchurch actor Jodie Whittaker investigates her family history. On her dad’s side, she looks into a romantic story she has been told about how her beloved grandmother Greta came to be given the middle name Verdun - also the name of a First World War battle fought shortly before Greta was born. The truth Jodie uncovers about Greta’s eldest brother’s sacrifice in that war is far more poignant than the family myth. On her mum’s side, Jodie gets to the bottom of how her great-great-grandfather worked his way up from child labourer in a Yorkshire coal mine to mine owner, and how his sons kept the family’s mines open during the biggest miners’ strikes of the 1920s.
Actor, comedian, talent show judge and children’s author David Walliams delves into his family history. First, he learns of his paternal great-grandfather’s prolonged and traumatic experiences on the battlefields of the First World War. The damage to his mental health condemned him to a lifetime in what was then known as a lunatic asylum. On his mother’s side, David uncovers the story of his great-great-grandfather, who was blind as the result of invasive eye surgery. David is amazed to find out that his ancestor became an entertainer - first a street musician and then a travelling showman, running fairground attractions with the help of his wife and children.
Actor and writer Ruth Jones - Nessa from Gavin and Stacey - investigates her Welsh family’s history. On her mum’s side, she discovers that her great-great-great-grandfather was a mariner who rose to the rank of captain in the domestic coastal trade. His son surpassed his father by carrying Welsh coal across the world. On Ruth’s dad’s side, she looks into the career of the grandfather she never met. Henry Richard Jones was a leading light in the Medical Aid Societies of south Wales, which provided a model for the National Health Service in 1948.
Silent Witness actor Liz Carr gets forensic about her family history. She investigates a rumour that an ancestor was involved in some sort of assault, discovering that her paternal great-great-great-grandfather was involved in the attempted murder of a prominent landlord in rural Northern Ireland in the 1850s. On her mother's side, she learns about her grandfather, who died when her mother was just two. Orphaned as a child, John Joseph Hughes took part in the Royal Navy's Northern Patrol during the First World War, then joined the merchant navy and travelled the world.
Comedian Josh Widdicombe embarks on a rollercoaster ride through his extraordinary family history. After a less than promising start with an ancestor who was cut out of the family fortune, Josh is delighted to discover a courtier with very personal access to King Charles I. From there it’s a dizzying journey back to Elizabethan and Tudor nobility by way of a royal love triangle, through an incredible ancestral line that prompts Josh to ask the expert he meets, 'Be honest. As a historian, are you really jealous?'
Shakespearean actor, movie star and national treasure Dame Judi Dench's journey begins with her father Reginald Dench, who never spoke of his experiences during the First World War, as she tries to find out how he won his gallantry medals. Judi’s investigations then take a truly epic turn, leading her to 16th-century Denmark and nobility. Judi also discovers, to her delight, some incredible Shakespearean links.
Presenter and former footballer Alex Scott delves into both sides of her family history. Having known nothing of her Jewish ancestry on her mum’s side, Alex is proud to discover that her great grandad was at the Battle of Cable Street in London’s East End in 1936, facing down fascist followers of Oswald Mosley. On the other side of her family, Alex’s Jamaican grandparents were part of the Windrush generation. Alex travels to Jamaica for the first time in her life, following her beloved nan Philicita’s line, and discovers the enormous hardship her great-great-grandmother Henrietta Coombs suffered. Two generations further back, Alex is shaken to learn about another ancestor whose lifetime began during the era of slavery and ended after its abolition.
Comedian and presenter Joe Lycett manages to find humour everywhere, but apart from his Edwardian great grandad – a member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffaloes in Nottingham – Joe uncovers a darker family history. Joe finds out that his two-times-great grandfather Robert Wilkinson was a boy chimney sweep in the 1850s. Joining the Royal Marines, Robert travelled the world; but his involvement in razing villages in China following the Opium Wars leads to alcoholism and a breakdown.
Singer-songwriter and talent show judge Pixie Lott hopes to confirm a family story that she has Italian ancestry from Verona, but instead discovers ancestors battling poverty and hardship in London. On her dad’s side, Pixie learns of her great-grandfather’s harrowing and surprising experience in the First World War. And, wondering if she has any musical genes, Pixie is delighted to discover three generations of military musicians, whose legacy gives her an opportunity to sing with the band of the Household Cavalry.
YouTuber and actor Joe Sugg uncovers some incredible stories in his family tree, with a little help along the way from fellow social media star and big sister, Zoe. Joe, very aptly, discovers a great-great-great-grandfather who was involved in the earliest days of communications technology – in electrical telegraphs. Pushing further back, he finds seven-times-great-grandparents who fled religious persecution in France, and a goldsmith who survived the Great Fire of London.
Ed Balls, former Labour politician, sequinned Strictly dancer and TV presenter, grew up in a family that wanted to make the world a better place. His mother Carolyn’s dementia means she can’t share their family history with him, so he sets out to discover what kind of characters his ancestors were. Rumours on his paternal side about a link to Nelson’s ship HMS Victory lead Ed to Portsmouth and the story of his great-great-great-grandfather William Dunbar, an assistant surgeon. But as he unravels Dunbar’s medical career, he unearths a dark history of abuse and horror at a Kent workhouse. On his mother Carolyn’s side, he feels a deep connection with Christopher Green, an agricultural labourer put on trial at Norwich Castle after he stood up to defend his livelihood and community.
Sue Perkins delves into the German branch of her family, uncovering a harrowing tale of refugees fleeing back and forth across east European borders during the Second World War.
Richard Osman delves into his Brighton roots and is astonished to learn that one of his ancestors turned amateur sleuth and ended up entangled in one of Brighton’s most notorious murder trials.
Matt Lucas learns what his late grandmother went through as a Jew in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and what happened to the family she left behind. He also uncovers a connection to Anne Frank.
Motherland star Anna Maxwell Martin travels to the small town in Northern Ireland where her father grew up, discovering the dark story of her grandfather's childhood.
Ralf Little heads to Orkney to investigate his grandfather Arthur’s role in one of the most important battles of the Second World War. He also finds an international footballer in the family.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is astonished to uncover stories from his family’s history that uncannily parallel his own life, including an ancestor with a famous cello-playing brother!
As actress Claire Foy delves into her family tree, the personal testimony she uncovers reveals stories of tragedy and an accusation of murder that bring communities together.
Adventurer Bear Grylls discovers the stories behind the top secret documents hidden in his grandfather’s wartime trunk and is delighted by a Scottish royal connection.
Kevin Clifton investigates the rumour of an ancestor from Canada’s first nations, taking him on an extraordinary journey to the country’s remote 18th-century trading posts.
Chris and Xand van Tulleken discover more about their Dutch heritage. Their research uncovers stories of ambition and true love but also a connection to a shameful part of history.
Emily Atack has showbiz genes – Paul McCartney is her grandma’s cousin! Delving into her family tree reveals a rich musical heritage, a famous whistling aunt and a tragic accident.
Dev Griffin learns about his ancestry, including momentous stories from Ireland and some very personal details from his great-grandparents' lives in Jamaica.
Chris Ramsey has always felt lucky, so he’s delighted to learn it runs in the family as he uncovers the stories of ancestors who survived a deadly WWI battle and won a lottery.
Lesley Manville is moved to discover a family story of enduring love and is delighted when an ancestor’s involvement in a riot reveals new relatives in Australia.
Vicky McClure goes on an emotional journey to Taiwan to find out what happened when her great-grandfather was captured as a prisoner of war in World War II.
Paddy McGuinness uncovers his grandfather’s vital work in World War II, how his other grandfather was involved in the Boer War and the family’s journey from Ireland to Bolton.
Melanie Chisholm is fascinated to discover that her ancestors include a moneylender, a campaigner for social reform and a family fleeing the famine in Ireland.
Actor, presenter and deaf rights campaigner Rose Ayling-Ellis goes in search of her family history. She encounters a pub landlady and hunts for a rumoured Italian connection.
Jessica Ennis-Hill discovers the truth behind a family mystery and finds out about her Jamaican four-time great-grandfather’s journey from enslavement to land ownership.
Olly Murs explores his grandfather’s Latvian roots and discovers his great-grandparents were circus performers, and how a wartime decision led to a tragic family estrangement.
Gemma Collins goes on an emotional journey, discovering why her mother was fostered, connecting with a long-lost cousin and finding out her Essex roots go back over 200 years.
