Who Do You Think You Are?

Actress Amanda Redman 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.

Moira Stuarts family tree exploration takes from the Highlands of Scotland to the West Indies.

Lesley explores her family tree in Yorkshire.

Was Vics father a bigamist?

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

Julian Clary investigates his roots through Europe.

Gurinder investigates her roots in Kenya and India.

Patsys 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 Patsys brother. Apprehensively, Patsy embarked on an investigation into her fathers 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 Goldsmiths 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.

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?

Ainsley Harriott heads to the West Indies and discovers that Caribbean history isnt quite as black and white as hed 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.

Jodie has often wondered why none of her family ever talked about her mothers grandfather, Sir Rowland Hodge. Although she grew up with many stories about her other great-grandfather Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Rowlands 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 Beaverbrooks ancestors takes her across the Atlantic to Colonial America and a connection to some of the first Puritan settlers.

In Holland and Germany, Rory Bremner delves into the wartime experiences of the father he didnt know very well.

No description

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Alan Carr explores his familys football connection and his grandfathers brush with fame.

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

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

Gregg Wallace sets out to solve a long-standing family mystery: what happened to his great-grandfather, Henry Roland Springett, who abandoned his wife and children, including Greggs grandfather, and was thought to have deserted the Navy?

Eurythmics singer and political activist Annie Lennox, whose grandmothers father died when she was only three, knows little about this branch of the family. Annies episode uncovers an extraordinarily dark tale of tangled family relationships blighted by illegitimacy and poverty. On her journey, Annie also discovers the humiliation her unmarried great, great grandmother suffered before the Scottish church.

Actress Alex Kingston knows that her great-grandfather, William Keevil, died during the First World War, leaving behind a wife and young family - including Alexs then 4-year-old grandmother. Alex sets out to investigate exactly what happened to William, and discovers how his pre-war career as a photographer put him in an unusual position. Alex has also heard rumours of Jewish ancestry in her family tree. Her quest to discover if this is true takes an unexpected turn, leading to a story involving her four-times great-grandmother, Elizabeth Braham, another widow with young children. As Alex delves further into Elizabeths life, she is astonished to discover the unconventional enterprise Elizabeth undertook to avoid sliding into poverty.

Actress Celia Imrie knows that she comes from a long line of aristocrats on her mothers side, but has always resisted finding out any more about her illustrious heritage; her fear is that they will turn out to be privileged and boring, but she is quickly proved very wrong. In a film that ranges from political intrigue to impotence, Celia traces her family back to the 17th century. She discovers an ancestor who broke all the rules and ended up in the Tower of London, and investigates the extraordinary political legacy of another ancestor, who was accused of plotting to kill King Charles II.

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

Nigel Havers takes a look at his mothers line and travels to Cornwall to learn about a tale of illegitimacy worthy of a period drama. On his fathers side, he ends up in Colchester where he learns a tale of the Victorian equivalent of an Essex taxi driver made good, who ends up losing everything though.

Actress Lesley Sharp was adopted when she was just five weeks old. She traced her birth mother over twenty years ago and discovered that she was the result of her mothers affair with a married man. Now, knowing that her biological father has passed away, Lesley is ready to find out more about him. She traces her half siblings and follows her paternal line back to discover that her great great grandfather fostered Barnardos children. Lesley follows the trail of one of them, George Maybury, to Canada to meet Georges grandson and to find out what kind of home her great great grandfather provided.

TV personality Nick Hewer has fond memories of his maternal Irish grandfather but has always been intrigued about how a Catholic managed to reach the prestigious office of high sheriff in Protestant-dominated 1920s Belfast. On his fathers side, Nick goes further back - to his nine times great grandfather - and discovers how his familys fortunes were shaped by the English Civil War.

Comedian Sarah Millican is astonished to discover that her three times great grandfather was one of the first ever divers in the world. Sarah also follows the trail of her four times great grandfather, John Malcolm, to Canada where he worked for the Hudsons Bay Company. John was sent to a remote outpost involved in the fur trade. As Sarah follows in his footsteps, she makes a truly shocking discovery.

Veteran BBC news reporter and world affairs editor John Simpson always thought his great grandfather was Samuel F Cody, famous for being the first person to fly in Britain and a Wild West entertainer. It was only later that John discovered that his great grandmother, Lela King, had run off with Cody, taking her children with her. John follows the trail of his adventurous great grandmother and her life with Cody, the cowboy turned aviator. He also investigates what happened to the husband Lela left behind, Johns real great grandfather, and makes a shocking discovery.

Actor Brian Blessed has always loved his unusual name but has no idea where his Blessed ancestors came from. Born in Yorkshire, hed always assumed his family were northerners but, digging deeper, Brian discovers that his roots lie down south. Here he uncovers the story of his great-great-grandfather, Jabez Blessed - a tale of hardship, struggle and survival worthy of Oliver Twist.

Brendan OCarroll ditches his alter ego, Mrs Brown to turn detective, as he attempts to track down the men who murdered his grandfather at the height of the Irish War of Independence. Brendan never knew his grandfather, who was shot dead before he was born, and the only clues he has to go on are from a newspaper article of the time.

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.

Presenter and DJ Reggie Yates grew up knowing very little about his fathers 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.

Twiggy grew up in London but her parents told her nothing at all about her family. She finds out about a history of strong women as well as a hint of crime.

Jane Seymour was born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg and knows that there is Jewish ancestry on her father’s side of the family. She wants to find out about her Jewish great aunts Michaela and Jadwiga and their lives under Nazi occupation.

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

Actress Anne Reid was close to her father but knows very little about his family. She only has a couple of clues to go on - the name of a house in Scotland and a family story that her fathers side were ministers in the church. These clues soon put her on the trail of her great-great-grandfather John Reid - not a minister at all, but a schoolteacher in Fife with a sideline in forgery. When Johns forgeries land him in the dock his life takes an unexpected turn - to Tasmania, on a convict ship.

Journalist Anita Rani never met her maternal grandfather Sant Singh - all she has been told is that he suffered terrible tragedy at the time of Indias Partition. Anitas mother also tells her that Sant had another wife and family before marrying Anitas grandmother. Armed with this knowledge, Anita travels to India to see if she can find out more about her grandfathers first family - and discover what happened to them during Partition. Its an extraordinary and harrowing journey for Anita.

Frances de la Tours family tree holds a tantalising clue which hints at aristocratic ancestors. Hot on the trail of her three times great grandmother Frances uncovers a story of a secret lover, an illegitimate child and a landmark divorce case. But the scandal doesnt stop there. Tracing back another generation Frances uncovers the tragic story of Sophia Delaval - and traces her roots back to Seaton Delaval, the historic family residence.

Amanda Holden has always heard stories about a rumoured French ancestry on her mums side, and her investigation uncovers an extraordinary Napoleonic-era cross-channel romance. On her dads side, Amandas grandfathers suicide has always loomed large. But when his story takes Amanda to France once again, she is moved to discover how he helped others through a harrowing tragedy.

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

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 Britains greatest actors and civil rights champions. Ians journey uncovers a theatrical ancestor, a Victorian political activist and a link to an ancient Druidical landmark in the Lake District.

Actor Warwick Davis owes his big break aged 11 to his paternal grandmother Edith, who heard a radio ad looking for short people to appear in Return of the Jedi. Warwick takes a non-judgemental approach as he researches the family line stretching back from Edith, finding humanity and humour in some uncomfortable stories. On his maternal side, Warwick is equally open-minded when he finds out about his three-times-great-grandfather - a postman who lived a double life.

BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth investigates her fathers side of the family, and discovers a tragic but inspiring tale of ancestors who risked everything to move to America in search of religious freedom. Closer to home, she explores a family rumour that her great grandfather worked at Kew Gardens, and is astonished to uncover a horticultural heritage stretching back to the 1700s and pineapples.

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. Craigs great-great-grandfather Harry turns out to have been the life of the party and, better still, a fabulous dancer.

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.

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 grandmothers love affair across the citys strict sectarian divide. Digging deeper, she discovers some dark secrets about her grandfathers past which force her to reassess what she thought she knew about her mums story.

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 Glasgows enslaved parents and grandparents passed down reveals the part of Africa from which Noels ancestors were taken.

Ruby Waxs 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 - Rubys 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 familys 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.

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. Harriots 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.

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 childrens home and wants to find out how she came to be in such a dire situation. Hes also heard that another ancestor was hanged in Dublins 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.

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, Marvins discoveries about the lives of his black ancestors during the time of slavery turn his expectations upside down. In England, Marvins follows the trail of his great-grandfather about whom he knows almost nothing. But Marvins 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.

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 fathers side, Jonnie is captivated by his four-times-great-grandmother, branded a bad character in 1841 by a local village policeman. But Jonnies further research reveals a strong woman prepared to stand up in court and testify against the men who had wronged her.

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.

Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet follows a rumour of Scandinavian ancestry on her mothers side of the family and is delighted to find that she has Swedish heritage.

Paul Merton traces the life of his maternal grandfather and discovers that he was involved in some of the key events that led to Irish independence in the 1920s.

Former TOWIE star Mark Wright discovers that his ancestors included an Andalucian master swordsman and a Spaniard who was burned at the stake during the Inquisition.

David Walliams learns of his great-grandfather’s traumatic experiences during the First World War, which condemned him to a lifetime in what was then called a lunatic asylum.

Silent Witness actor Liz Carr gets forensic about her family history, discovering that her great-great-great-grandfather was involved in an attempted murder in rural Northern Ireland in the 1850s.

Shakespearean actor, movie star and national treasure Dame Judi Denchs 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Comedian and actor Emily Atack knows she is from a long line of larger-than-life entertainers. Her mum is singer, actor and comedian Kate Robbins and Paul McCartney is Emily’s grandmother’s cousin, making him Emily’s first cousin twice removed. Recalling fun days out with the McCartney family when she was little and how Grandad Mike turned every opportunity into a comedy show, Emily sets out to find out more about her showbiz genes.

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.

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 Two.

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.

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.

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.

In an unexpected twist, Mishal Husain’s journey into her family tree takes her from India to the east coast of the USA, where she discovers some revolutionary ancestors.

Actor Layton Williams finds generations of Londoners in his family and is delighted to find they walked the same streets as him. In Jamaica, he makes some distressing discoveries.

From the French battlefields of the First World War to a romance worthy of First Dates, maître d’ and presenter Fred Sirieix goes to France to explore his family tree.

Setting aside her clueless historian persona Philomena Cunk, Diane Morgan is unsettled and amused by having to genuinely go in search of the truth to reveal her family history.