Who Do You Think You Are?

Jeremy Paxman

The stern host of BBC2's Newsnight searches for his roots.

Sheila Hancock

Sheila Hancock chases after a mysterious woman in a photograph in the search for her roots.

Stephen Fry

An emotional journey as Stephen investigates his European Jewish roots.

Julian Clary

Julian Clary investigates his roots through Europe.

Jane Horrocks

Jane looks into her Lancashire roots.

Gurinder Chadha

Gurinder investigates her roots in Kenya and India.

Barbara Windsor

Barbara roots extend through East London and Suffolk.

Robert Lindsay

Robert's roots take him back to Derbyshire.

Colin Jackson

Colin's roots extend to Panama, Jamaica and Scotland.

David Tennant

David's quest to discover his family take him to the Isle of Mull, and then on to Londonderry, to confront an unexpected

David Dickinson

David's roots are in Armenia.

Nigella Lawson

What will Nigella find in her family tree?

Jeremy Irons

Does Jeremy have roots in Ireland?

Julia Sawalha

Julia's journey takes her to France and Jordan.

Natasha Kaplinsky

Natasha travels to Cape Town in search of information about her father's involvement with the anti-apartheid movement du

John Hurt

John looks into his great grandmother's parentage.

Griff Rhys Jones

Griff Rhys Jones looks at both sides of his family's history, learning about the early British railway workers and tryin

Carol Vorderman

Carol explores her family tree.

Alistair McGowan

Alistair McGowan explores his heritage from his father's side, investigating what 'Anglo-Indian' means by a journey to I

Graham Norton

Matthew Pinsent

Patsy Kensit

Patsy's late father was a villain. Jimmy Kensit was deeply involved with the most notorious gangsters of 1960s London: t

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson knew a certain amount about his diverse family background, but was intrigued by several family stories and

Jerry Springer

Jerry knows that if his parents had not fled Germany before the start of the Second World War he would almost certainly

Esther Rantzen

If Esther's family is as genteel and respectable as she's always believed, where do the rumours of bigamy, fraud and mur

Ainsley Harriott

Ainsley Harriott heads to the West Indies and discovers that Caribbean history isn't quite as 'black and white' as he'd

David Suchet

Confusion reigns in David Suchet's family history. Was his father's father German, Russian or Estonian? Was his name Suc

Jodie Kidd

Jodie has often wondered why none of her family ever talked about her mother's grandfather, Sir Rowland Hodge. Although

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

"Most people assume that I'm from a long line of gothic, castle-dwelling Welsh gentry", says Laurence, "but I don't thin

Rory Bremner

In Holland and Germany, Rory Bremner delves into the wartime experiences of the father he didn't know very well.

Fiona Bruce

Fiona Bruce discovers the sad truth behind her great-grandfather's mysterious death, and returns to her family's ancestr

Rick Stein

Zoe Wanamaker

Actress Zoe Wanamaker traces the roots of her family back to the Ukraine via America and the anti-communist witch-hunt t

Kevin Whately

Actor Kevin Whately discovers that his ancestors were amongst the richest and most powerful men of the 17th century.

Davina McCall

Davina McCall makes some intriguing and shocking discoveries as she delves into her family's past, hoping to learn more

Chris Moyles

Known for his outspoken views, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles finds himself getting unexpectedly emotional as he goes back to h

Kate Humble

TV presenter Kate Humble knows little about her family history. What she does know is that her paternal grandfather was

David Mitchell

Actor and comedian David Mitchell goes in search of his Scottish roots.

Kim Cattrall

Liverpool-born Kim Cattrall sets out to solve a family mystery that has endured for more than seventy years, the disappe

Martin Freeman

With his dad having died when he was 10 and his parents having divorced some years before, Martin Freeman tries to find

Bruce Forsyth

Bruce Forsyth receives a letter from America from a woman who claims to be related to Bruce through Bruce's great-grandf

Rupert Everett

Rupert Everett’s varied acting career has involved starring in Hollywood films as diverse as My Best Friend’s Weddin

Dervla Kirwan

Irish actress Dervla Kirwan became a household name in the hit series Ballykissangel. But she has never spoken about her

Monty Don

Famous gardener Monty Don comes from a well-known dynasty of architects on his mother's side of the family, but knows li

Rupert Penry-Jones

Actor Rupert Penry-Jones has made his name playing dashing, quintessentially English heroes. But his family background i

Alexander Armstrong

Comedian Alexander Armstrong always knew his family background was likely to be privileged, but he's keen to find out ex

Jason Donovan

Jason comes from showbiz parents who divorced when he was five. His British born father won custody and brought him up a

Hugh Quarshie

Holby City actor Hugh Quarshie was born in Ghana, but moved to Britain with his parents as a child. He knows there is Du

Alan Cumming

Award-winning actor and Broadway star Alan Cumming made his name acting in films such as Goldeneye and X-Men, but grew u

June Brown

During her search to find out if she is a real EastEnder, June unravels her Jewish heritage, and discovers how momentous

JK Rowling

In a rare television appearance, best-selling Harry Potter author JK Rowling sets out to investigate her French roots.

Sebastian Coe

The former Olympic gold medal winner sets out to discover if there is any truth in his grandmother's claims that the fam

Larry Lamb

Actor Larry Lamb sets out to learn about his biological grandparents.

Emilia Fox

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox tries to find out how far back her family's acting roots go.

Alan Carr

Alan Carr explores his family's football connection and his grandfather's brush with fame.

Robin Gibb

Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb discovers how his paternal great-grandfather rose from poverty to become a decorated soldier,

Richard Madeley

Richard Madeley sets out to learn more about the Canadian side of his family.

Len Goodman

Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman investigates his mother's family.

Tracey Emin

Tracey knows very little of her maternal line, and is keen to find out more about her East End roots

Samantha Womack

Samantha Womack is best known for playing Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders. Sam's parents separated when she was young, and

Gregg Wallace

Gregg Wallace sets out to solve a long-standing family mystery: what happened to his great-grandfather, Henry Roland Spr

Patrick Stewart

Sir Patrick Stewart's memory of his late father, Alfred Stewart, is scarred by recollections of domestic abuse. In this

Annie Lennox

Eurythmics singer and political activist Annie Lennox, whose grandmother's father died when she was only three, knows li

Hugh Dennis

Comedian and actor Hugh Dennis's grandfathers both fought in the First World War, but rarely spoke about what they went

Alex Kingston

Actress Alex Kingston knows that her great-grandfather, William Keevil, died during the First World War, leaving behind

William Roache

Actor William Roache has always known that his grandmother, Zillah Waddicor, ran a cafe in Alton Towers in the 1920s and

Celia Imrie

Actress Celia Imrie knows that she comes from a long line of aristocrats on her mother's side, but has always resisted f

John Barnes

Fifty years after Jamaica gained independence from Britain, former footballer and sports pundit John Barnes sets out to

John Bishop

John Bishop finds out what happened to his great great grandfather, a POW in the Crimea.

Una Stubbs

Una Stubbs never got the chance to meet her paternal grandparents and learns that they didn't die until she was in her 2

Nigel Havers

Nigel Havers takes a look at his mother's line and travels to Cornwall to learn about a tale of illegitimacy worthy of a

Minnie Driver

Hollywood actress Minnie Driver is on a mission to find out more about her late father, Ronnie, and his family's backgro

Lesley Sharp

Actress Lesley Sharp was adopted when she was just five weeks old. She traced her birth mother over twenty years ago and

Gary Lineker

Sports presenter and former footballer Gary Lineker follows the trail of his great, great great grandfather James Pratt,

Nick Hewer

TV personality Nick Hewer has fond memories of his maternal Irish grandfather but has always been intrigued about how a

Nitin Ganatra

EastEnders star Nitin Ganatra moved to England from Kenya when he was just three years old. Now Nitin has questions abou

Sarah Millican

Comedian Sarah Millican is astonished to discover that her three times great grandfather was one of the first ever diver

Marianne Faithfull

Singer and '60s pop icon Marianne Faithfull had a difficult relationship with her mother, Eva. In this film Marianne inv

John Simpson

Veteran BBC news reporter and world affairs editor John Simpson always thought his great grandfather was Samuel F Cody,

Julie Walters

Bafta-winning actress, Julie Walters of Educating Rita, Mamma Mia! and Harry Potter fame, traces her roots back to Count

Brian Blessed

Actor Brian Blessed has always loved his unusual name but has no idea where his Blessed ancestors came from. Born in Yor

Tamzin Outhwaite

New Tricks star Tamzin Outhwaite has always been intrigued by her Italian ancestry. Although she remembers her grandfath

Brendan O'Carroll

Brendan O'Carroll ditches his alter ego, Mrs Brown to turn detective, as he attempts to track down the men who murdered

Sheridan Smith

Actress Sheridan Smith has grown up surrounded by a musical family, singing with her country and western duo parents sin

Mary Berry

Bake Off star Mary Berry, still going strong at 79, believes she inherits her energy and drive from her father and sets

Martin Shaw

Actor Martin Shaw never knew his grandfather, Edwin Shaw, who walked out on his family when Martin's father was just a b

Reggie Yates

Presenter and DJ Reggie Yates grew up knowing very little about his father's side of the family. Reggie sets out on the

Billy Connolly

Scottish comedian and actor Billy Connolly has always considered himself Scottish through and through but as he travels

Twiggy

Twiggy grew up in London but her parents told her nothing at all about her family. She finds out about a history of stro

Paul Hollywood

Paul Hollywood looks into his family's past this week. His journey takes him first to North Africa where his grandfathe

Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour was born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg and knows that there is Jewish ancestry on her father’s si

Derek Jacobi

Actor Derek Jacobi discovers that he is descended from a Huguenot fleeing persecution.

Jerry Hall

Jerry Hall knows her father’s family originally came from Oldham, but wants to discover how they ended up in America.

Gareth Malone

Gareth Malone wants to know how far back his musical gene goes and he attempts to find out more. His investigations into

Anne Reid

Actress Anne Reid was close to her father but knows very little about his family. She only has a couple of clues to go o

Frank Gardner

Journalist Frank Gardner was very close to his late mother and is keen to know more about her side of the family. Frank'

Anita Rani

Journalist Anita Rani never met her maternal grandfather Sant Singh - all she has been told is that he suffered terrible

Mark Gatiss

Actor and writer Mark Gatiss has always had a love of storytelling and a passion for the ghastly and ghoulish but has al

Frances de la Tour

Frances de la Tour's family tree holds a tantalising clue which hints at aristocratic ancestors. Hot on the trail of her

Danny Dyer

EastEnders actor Danny Dyer hopes that he will 'freak a few people out' with his family history. Danny sets out to disco

Amanda Holden

Amanda Holden has always heard stories about a rumoured French ancestry on her mum's side, and her investigation uncover

Liz Bonnin

Wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin describes herself as 'a mongrel' - the result of her parents' lineages on the Caribbean is

Cheryl

Singer Cheryl traces her roots and discovers a sea-faring ancestor and a family tragedy.

Ricky Tomlinson

Celebrity genealogy series. Ricky Tomlinson is well-known for playing the archetypal Scouser and it turns out that his L

Ian McKellen

As the 'last of the McKellens', Sir Ian admits to a degree of melancholy as he delves into his family history. But the r

Greg Davies

Greg Davies uncovers the deepest Welsh roots anyone could wish for.

Warwick Davis

Actor Warwick Davis owes his big break aged 11 to his paternal grandmother Edith, who heard a radio ad 'looking for shor

Sunetra Sarker

Actor Sunetra Sarker sets out to explore her Bengali heritage.

Sophie Raworth

BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth investigates her father's side of the family, and discovers a tragic but inspiring tal

Charles Dance

Actor Charles Dance has made his name playing aristocrats, including Tywin Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones. But the u

Craig Revel Horwood

Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood reveals his softer side. Heading to his home town of Ballarat in Australia, Craig inv

Clare Balding

Sports presenter and broadcaster Clare Balding has always been curious about her maternal great-grandfather and the 'thi

Adil Ray

Citizen Khan star Adil Ray identifies as Brummie, British, Muslim, Pakistani and African - his mum came to England from

Emma Willis

Presenter Emma Willis grew up in Birmingham and loves the city and her fellow Brummies. She wants to find out how deep h

Lulu

Pop star Lulu has always wanted to get to the bottom of a family mystery. She knows that her mum, the middle child of se

Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton is intrigued by her Welsh great-grandfather Evan Meredith who, despite working down a coal mine from the a

Noel Clarke

Actor and film-maker Noel Clarke grew up in west London with his single-parent mum, and this left one side of his family

Lisa Hammond

Best known as market trader Donna Yates in EastEnders, actress Lisa Hammond wants to get to the bottom of why her patern

Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax's Jewish parents fled Vienna and the Nazis for America in 1938. 'They took the war with them and brought it to

Michelle Keegan

Our Girl actress Michelle Keegan uncovers some exceptional women on her family tree. On her mother's side Michelle disco

Olivia Colman

Actress Olivia Colman claims to be 'the least adventurous person I know.' As for her ancestors, apart from a rumour that

Lee Mack

Comedian Lee Mack was born Lee McKillop in the north of England, just like his McKillop great-grandfather, who was also

Boy George

Iconic pop star Boy George grew up in south London in an Irish family. George expects to find a lot of sadness in his fa

Shirley Ballas

Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Shirley Ballas investigates a family story that her maternal great-grandmother abando

Marvin Humes

DJ, presenter and former member of boy band JLS, Marvin Humes delves into his Jamaican and his English heritage, and fin

Robert Rinder

Robert 'Judge' Rinder follows the story of his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, hearing first-hand testimony of the ho

Jonnie Peacock

Paralympic gold medal winner Jonnie Peacock was named for his maternal grandad, who died the year before he was born. Li

Daniel Radcliffe

'Harry Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe discovers that the Hatton Garden robbery of his great-grandfather’s jewellery bus

Naomie Harris

Actor Naomie Harris’s dramatic discoveries in this episode inspire her to anger, sadness and tears of joy. On a journe

Jack and Michael Whitehall

In a first for the series, father-and-son comedy double-act Jack and Michael Whitehall join forces to investigate their

Kate Winslet

Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet follows a rumour of Scandinavian ancestry on her mother's side of the family and is del

Katherine Ryan

Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan’s investigation of her family history leads her to a Methodist minister and his famil

Paul Merton

Paul Merton traces the life of his maternal grandfather and discovers that he was involved in some of the key events tha

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne uncovers the difficult circumstances of her mother’s and grandmother’s lives, and is stunned to lear

Mark Wright

Former TOWIE star Mark Wright discovers that his ancestors included an Andalucian master swordsman and a Spaniard who wa

Jodie Whittaker

Doctor Who actor Jodie Whittaker finds out how her great-great-grandfather worked his way up from child labourer in a Yo

David Walliams

David Walliams learns of his great-grandfather’s traumatic experiences during the First World War, which condemned him

Ruth Jones

Actor Ruth Jones - Nessa from Gavin and Stacey - uncovers her grandfather's role in the Medical Aid Societies of south W

Liz Carr

Silent Witness actor Liz Carr gets forensic about her family history, discovering that her great-great-great-grandfather

Josh Widdicombe

Comedian Josh Widdicombe embarks on a rollercoaster ride through his extraordinary family history. After a less than pro

Dame Judi Dench

Shakespearean actor, movie star and national treasure Dame Judi Dench's journey begins with her father Reginald Dench, w

Alex Scott

Presenter and former footballer Alex Scott learns about her Jewish ancestry and travels to Jamaica for the first time in

Joe Lycett

Comedian and presenter Joe Lycett manages to find humour everywhere, but apart from his Edwardian great grandad – a me

Pixie Lott

Singer-songwriter and talent show judge Pixie Lott hopes to confirm a family story that she has Italian ancestry from Ve

Joe Sugg

YouTuber and actor Joe Sugg uncovers some incredible stories in his family tree, with a little help along the way from f

Ed Balls

Ed Balls, former Labour politician, sequinned Strictly dancer and TV presenter, grew up in a family that wanted to make

Sue Perkins

Sue Perkins delves into the German branch of her family, uncovering a harrowing tale of refugees fleeing back and forth

Richard Osman

Richard Osman delves into his Brighton roots and is astonished to learn that one of his ancestors turned amateur sleuth

Matt Lucas

Matt Lucas learns what his late grandmother went through as a Jew in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and what happened to the

Anna Maxwell Martin

Motherland star Anna Maxwell Martin travels to the small town in Northern Ireland where her father grew up, discovering

Ralf Little

Ralf Little heads to Orkney to investigate his grandfather Arthur’s role in one of the most important battles of the S

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber is astonished to uncover stories from his family’s history that uncannily parallel his own life, i

Claire Foy

As actress Claire Foy delves into her family tree, the personal testimony she uncovers reveals stories of tragedy and an

Bear Grylls

Adventurer Bear Grylls discovers the stories behind the top secret documents hidden in his grandfather’s wartime trunk

Kevin Clifton

Kevin Clifton investigates the rumour of an ancestor from Canada’s First Nations, taking him on an extraordinary journ

Chris and Xand van Tulleken

Chris and Xand van Tulleken discover more about their Dutch heritage. Their research uncovers stories of ambition and tr

Emily Atack

Comedian and actor Emily Atack knows she is from a long line of larger-than-life entertainers. Her mum is singer, actor

Dev Griffin

Dev Griffin learns about his ancestry, including momentous stories from Ireland and some very personal details from his

Chris Ramsey

Chris Ramsey has always felt lucky, so he’s delighted to learn it runs in the family as he uncovers the stories of anc

Lesley Manville

Lesley Manville is moved to discover a family story of enduring love and is delighted when an ancestor’s involvement i

Vicky McClure

Vicky McClure goes on an emotional journey to Taiwan to find out what happened when her great-grandfather was captured a

Paddy McGuinness

Paddy McGuinness uncovers his grandfather’s vital work in World War Two, how his other grandfather was involved in the

Melanie Chisholm

Melanie Chisholm is fascinated to discover that her ancestors include a moneylender, a campaigner for social reform and

Rose Ayling-Ellis

Actor, presenter and deaf rights campaigner Rose Ayling-Ellis goes in search of her family history. She encounters a pub

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill

Jessica Ennis-Hill discovers the truth behind a family mystery and finds out about her Jamaican four-time great-grandfat

Olly Murs

Olly Murs explores his grandfather’s Latvian roots, discovers his great-grandparents were circus performers, and how a

Gemma Collins

Gemma Collins goes on an emotional journey discovering why her mother was fostered; connecting with a long-lost cousin;

Andrew Garfield

Worthy of a film plot line, Andrew Garfield’s family history takes him from Nazi-occupied Poland to early Hollywood gl

Mishal Husain

In an unexpected twist, Mishal Husain’s journey into her family tree takes her from India to the east coast of the USA

Ross Kemp

Ross Kemp's ancestral detective hunt leads to a marine drummer boy from the Napoleonic era and his great-grandfather’s

Layton Williams

Actor Layton Williams finds generations of Londoners in his family and is delighted to find they walked the same streets

Aisling Bea

Comedian Aisling Bea finds moments of genuine connection in her family tree, with stories of female resilience and a rel

Fred Sirieix

From the French battlefields of the First World War to a romance worthy of First Dates, maître d’ and presenter Fred

Will Young

Will Young learns about his grandfather’s time as a prisoner of war in World War II. Delving further back, Will finds

Diane Morgan

Setting aside her clueless historian persona Philomena Cunk, Diane Morgan is unsettled and amused by having to genuinely

Zoë Ball

Zoe Ball follows in her ancestors’ footstep in a journey that takes her from Scotland to Cornwall as she uncovers stor

Amy Dowden

Strictly dancer Amy Dowden turns amateur sleuth, travelling to west Wales to see if she can discover the truth behind a

Joe Swash

Joe Swash goes in search of his Italian roots. Along the way, he finds stories of murder, banditry, an inspiring politic

Ruth Madeley

Ruth Madeley unearths a long-buried family secret about an adoption, and a mystery that requires DNA testing and meticul

Toby Jones

Toby Jones explores an extraordinary acting dynasty on his mum’s side, and he is determined to discover whether his da

Adeel Akhtar

Adeel Akhtar wants to know how his ancestors came from India to Kenya and makes a surprising discovery that his roots in

Episode 7

Episode 8