Its always good to welcome back Who Do You Think You Are? to our screens and last night kicked off the 18th series with Sue Perkins.
Now looking forward to the rest of the series after a one week break for the Platinum Jubilee.
Read all about the fortcoming episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? here.
Episode 6 of Who Do You Think You Are? will be Joe Sugg's family research and will be on Tuesday 23rd November 2021, BBC One 9 pm.
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 communication 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.
WARNING: SPOLIER ALERT! If you don't mind knowing what is going to be in the programme before you watch it then you can read all about it here: Joe Sugg – Who Do You Think You Are? Otherwise there are six days to go before its on your TV!
Look out for the broadcast which will be on BBC One Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 9 pm.
We are looking forward to watching the Pixie Lott episode of the UK series 18 of Who Do You Think You Are? Due to be broadcast on Tuesday 9th November on BBC One at 9pm it looks like it will be another very interesting one.
Singer-songwriter and talent-show judge Pixie Lott hopes to confirm the 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 Pixie an opportunity to sing with the band of the Household Cavalry.
If you want to read about what she finds out then you can here, but beware if you intend to watch it first as this article contains spoilers!
If you missed the really thrilling ride on the recent BBC One airing of the second programme in the UK series of Who Do You Think You Are? there is a precis of what you missed here:
The programme is available to watch for a short time in the UK on the BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0010st7/who-do-you-think-you-are-series-18-2-dame-judi-dench
Named Britain's best actor on multiple occasions. Her roles range from James Bond films to Shakespearean dramas and in the episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (that was broadcasted on BBC One on Tuesday 19 October 2021) Dame Judi told us how her parents were both incredibly full of life with lots of visits to theatre as a child. She discovers in the programme that her Irish ancestors link back to Denmark and an important family. Dame Judi, as a Shakespeare lover is thrilled to find a connection to the castle which The Bard used in Hamlet.
Warning! Article contains spoilers for the programme broadcasted in the UK on Tuesday 19th October 2021.
Two-time BAFTA award-winning genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?, produced by Wall to Wall, returns to BBC One this October with yet another star-studded line-up.
Exciting News! The BBC have announced the return of the genealogy TV series, Who Do You Think You Are? Expected to be on air this October, here are all the names of the stars taking part in this year’s UK series.
Expected to be aired in October 2021 on BBC One. The seven episodes of the UK series will feature the family histories of a host of celebrities including; Ed Balls, Dame Judi Dench, Pixie Lott, Joe Lycett, Alex Scott, Joe Sugg and Josh Widdicombe.
Dame Judi Dench is set to unearth her Danish roots and discover some intriguing Shakespearean connections, while former Labour MP and TV presenter Ed Balls uncovers great bravery, and some less-admirable conduct from his ancestors. Singer-songwriter Pixie Lott finds that in her family tree there is a musical legacy that is three-generations strong, whilst comedian Joe Lycett comes across a darker side to his family history story.
Alex Scott, the TV Pundit and former footballer, learns about her Jewish and Jamaican heritage, discovering that her ancestors had suffered enormous hardships in their lives. YouTuber Joe Sugg learns that his family history can be traced as far back as the Great Fire of London, and comedian Josh Widdicombe’s lineage will take viewers back to the Elizabethan and Tudor Courts.
Emily Smith, BBC Commissioning Editor for Documentaries, says: “We are very excited for this new series of Who Do You Think You Are? and for viewers to share in the extraordinary mix of personal celebrity histories taking us across the world, and which together reflect our rich collective history”.
Executive Producer for Wall to Wall, Colette Flight, says: “Who Do You Think You Are? is back with another line-up of Britain’s best-loved celebrities exploring their family histories across the UK, Ireland, Denmark and Jamaica. The incredible personal stories they unearth of their ancestors’ lives - from royal love triangles to labourers fighting for their rights, from Victorian child sweeps to battling fascists in London’s East end – reflect and illuminate all our collective history.”
Who Do You Think You Are? is produced by Wall to Wall Media for BBC One.
The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? launches on BBC One this October. Read more about the new UK series here
The Who Do You Think You Are? episode on BBC One this week was a fascinating programme.
Silent Witness actor Liz Carr, who is best known for her role in the crime drama as the forensic scientist Clarissa Mullery explored an ancestor involved in an assault. This made her smile as she admits that she loves crime!
The only thing that Liz knew about her paternal side of the family is that they had come from Ireland. On her maternal line Liz knew that her mother's father died when her mum was just seven or eight. This means that she has no sense of who her grandfather was. Liz feels that she has "a bit of the wanderlust" and so she was hoping to find out if there were adventurers amongst her ancestors. And as Liz is an activist she wondered if any of her forebears had the same passion to fight injustice. The Who Do You Think You Are? TV series was, therefore, an ideal way for Liz to explore her past family.
For a precis of Liz Carr's episode you can read one on TheGenealogist's site where they have found some of the records relating to her ancestors.
But just be warned, if you are thinking of watching the programme on Catchup this article contains spoliers!
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/who-do-you-think-you-are/liz-carr-1344/
The episode of the popular family history programme, Who Do You Think You Are? that was shown last night in the U.K. on BBC One went down really well with a lot of people if you look at the comments on social media.
It was a real lesson in using records to trace ancestors and ranged from the family bible (written in Welsh of course) to census, parish records, shipping lists and newspaper reports to name just a few.
Ruth goes to New Quay where she is able to meet local historian Sue Passmore to find out about her ancestors that became ships' captains. Then it was the turn of Maritime expert Dr Elin Jones to help Ruth in the programme research into her mariner ancestors. This showed clearly what a fascinating subject area this is when we find seafarers in our family tree. If you have ancestors of your own that sailed the seas some of the records that we like are the Merchant Navy Apprenticeship records and Ship Crew Lists.
We particularly enjoyed seeing, in Ruth Jones' story, the photograph of the siblings set against a harbour wall. The techniques that Jayne Shrimpton, the fashion and photo dating expert, used to identify what period the photo was taken was very interesting to see... and what a simple, but great tip, she gave us to check for the photographer in two censuses to discover a time for when he had been operating.
Ruth hears in the show that one of her great uncles drowned at sea with a funeral service held in a nonconformist chapel. If you too have nonconformist ancestors, have you tried searching the official records from The National Archives? They are available online here https://www.thegenealogist.com/non-conformist-records/
But the family plot was not at the Chapel but at the Parish Church in Llanarth. Now that all the Anglican Parish Records for Wales have gone online we at Family History Social couldn't resist looking for Ruth's ancestors ourselves and were fascinated to see just how young some of them were when they were buried. You can check for your own Welsh ancestors at this website: http://thegenealogist.co.uk/welsh-parish-records
The parental line examined the life of her grandfather who had been a leading figure in the Medical Aid Societies in Wales before the birth of the NHS. We saw how from being a chemist's assistant, through wartime service as a Sick Berth Attendant in the Navy, he rose to be Secretary of the Alliance of South Wales & Monmouthshire Medical Aid Societies and attempted to persuade Aneurin Bevan that they should have a part in the new National Health Service. Sadly the societies were kept at arms length by the government and there was no place for Ruth's grandfather in the new NHS. Moving to Porthcawl he helped to run a convalescent home as his last job – proving that his entire life had been in the service of his fellow men and women.
If you missed the episode then for a short while it will be available on the BBC iPlayer or you can read a resume of what was in the programme here
ITV has commissioned a two-part special which will see the UK’s best loved duo embark on a surprisingly emotional journey of discovery in Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey.
A Voltage TV and Mitre Television co-production, viewers will see Ant and Dec navigate a tougher terrain than the Australian jungle. Guided by expert genealogists and historians, the pair will follow their maternal and paternal blood lines using their DNA to search their ancestral history.
As their travels take them to Ireland and the US, including The United Nations Headquarters, the pair will not only delve into their past but will also meet relatives they had no clue even existed, unveiling some truly shocking revelations that only their DNA could unlock.
Whose great grandfather is a celebrated war hero and whose DNA cousin is a former US female wrestling promoter? Whose ancestors’ bones were deemed ‘of historical importance’ and who discovers that they are a descendant from Royalty?
As Ant & Dec embark on their journey, viewers will be treated to a rare and personal glimpse into this truly remarkable friendship with their warmth and infectious humour that has not only captured the nation over the years, but has seen them achieve huge success resulting in a multitude of awards and accolades.
Ant said:
“I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to historical events, so to get the chance to research our family history using our DNA was too good an opportunity to pass up. What we find out is mind-blowing and nothing either of us could ever have imagined. It’s something that will stay with us both forever. "
Dec said:
“A huge part of this was to find out my heritage, especially on my dad’s side. I always thought I knew a fair bit about where I came from but it turns out I was wrong! Whilst it was incredible to find out about the past, what was hugely overwhelming was to meet relatives neither of us knew we had. It was a truly amazing experience."
Siobhan Greene, who commissioned the show when she was ITV’s Head of Entertainment Commissioned said:
“This documentary captured Ant and Dec at an intersection in their lives. I feel sure the ITV viewers will be on the edge of their seats watching twists and turns of their DNA journey unfold, and their honesty and openness, will leave a lasting heart print.”
Kathleen Larkin, Executive Produce from Voltage TV said:
“It’s been a privilege working with such talent as Ant & Dec. This is a film that celebrates friendship, showing two brilliantly funny best mates making a unique trip of a lifetime to find out about their heritage past and present. It’s been a passion for all involved and we’ve loved working with the fantastic team at ITV to make something we all believe in.”
Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey is a Voltage TV and Mitre Television co-production for ITV. It was commissioned by Siobhan Greene when she was ITV’s Head of Entertainment Commissioning and Louise Major Assistant Commissioner, Entertainment, ITV. The Executive Producers are Kathleen Larkin and Sanjay Singhal and the Director is Iain Thompson, Voltage TV.
https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/ant-decs-dna-journey
So the news is out!
The makers of the UK series of Who Do You Think You Are? have release the star studded line up for the 16th series and it looks exciting with some really big names.
The eight programmes set to air in 2019 will include the following personalities:
Kate Winslet, Daniel Radcliffe, Sharon Osbourne, Naomie Harris, Paul Merton, Mark Wright, Katherine Ryan and Jack Whitehall who will all be tracing their families’ histories and entertaining us along the way.
There is a run down of each celebrity on this page here courtesy of TheGenealogist: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/who-do-you-think-you-are/who-do-you-think-you-are-series-16-1113/
Image: Somewhere In Toronto [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
The 196 page bookazine contains new in-depth articles, research advice, social and general history, 'how to' features, case studies, places in focus, and much more! It is ideal for both experienced researchers and those just starting out.