Who Do You Think You Are? (UK) Episode Guide

Episode Guide

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 7

• Season 7 Episode 6: Martin Freeman

  Actor Martin Freeman traces his paternal roots, beginning by finding out if there is any truth in the story that his grandfather was killed while making a cup of tea at Dunkirk. He then delves farther back in time and enlists the help of a genealogist to find a marriage certificate for his great-grandparents, and his investigation into the death of six of the couple's 12 children uncovers a dark and hidden chapter of social history

• Season 7 Episode 5: Kim Cattrall

  Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall visits her birthplace of Liverpool to try to solve a mystery regarding her grandfather, who walked out on his wife and three daughters, never to be seen again. With no clues about the man apart from a newspaper article from the 1980s, the actor turns detective and follows a trail that leads to a painful truth

• Season 7 Episode 4: David Mitchell

  Comedian David Mitchell travels to his ancestors' former home in Sutherland, hoping to learn why his Scottish forebears abandoned generations of farming in 1933, before researching more distant events in an investigation of his family's possible role in the notorious Highland Clearances. Later, his delight at finding a heroic Church of Scotland minister in his past is tempered by his reading of the man's will

• Season 7 Episode 3: Kate Humble

  TV presenter Kate Humble finds out about her family history. She begins with a visit to the RAF Museum, where she discovers her grandfather was a test pilot during World War Two. She also investigates the story of her great-great-great grandfather, who was a colliery manager in Northumberland but mysteriously changed his career in his 60s. Her journey finishes at the National Archives, where she learns her maternal grandfather was a prisoner of war in the camp immortalised by the film The Great Escape

• Season 7 Episode 2: Chris Moyles

  Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles traces his Irish roots by travelling to Dublin and Ballina, Co Mayo, where he uncovers the trials and tribulations of his ancestors, including those of his maternal grandmother who was separated from her parents at a very early age. He also discovers the fate of his great-grandfather, who fought in the World War One

• Season 7 Episode 1: Davina McCall

  Big Brother presenter Davina McCall traces her French and English ancestry, and investigates whether one side of her family is descended illegitimately from royalty. The child of divorced parents, she heads to Paris in the hope of discovering more about her maternal heritage, then returns to England to explore a possible link with George IV

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 6

• Season 6 Episode 5: Kevin Whately

  Actor Kevin Whately researches his affluent family history, beginning in his home town of Newcastle to learn about his grandmother's career as a singer and her father's business empire. He then learns about an 18th-century ancestor who was a turkey trader, following a trail of information that leads him to the Bank of England and a country estate in Surrey. Finally, Kevin discovers a link in his family tree to associates of Oliver Cromwell. Last in the series

• Season 6 Episode 4: Zoe Wanamaker

  My Family star Zoe Wanamaker researches her ancestry, focusing on the roots of her father, American actor Sam Wanamaker, who fled to the UK to escape the anti-communist McCarthy witch-hunts. She travels to the FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, to learn about the risk of imprisonment he faced, before examining her grandfather's life as an emigre Russian Jew. Her quest also takes her to Ukraine, where she discovers the original form of her unusual surname

• Season 6 Episode 3: Rick Stein

  Television chef Rick Stein traces his family's roots, especially those of his father, who suffered from manic depression and committed suicide in the 1960s. He finds out about the racial discrimination his father encountered during the First World War and the electric shock therapy he received. Rick also learns of his mother's brief first marriage to a man she met while studying at Cambridge University, before travelling to China to retrace the footsteps of his great-grandfather

• Season 6 Episode 2: Fiona Bruce

  Journalist and television presenter Fiona Bruce traces her family's roots, focusing on those of her great-grandfather, who joined the army to escape from his parents but was killed in mysterious circumstances during World War One. She also learns about her great-great-grandfather, a highly respected Victorian photographer, before travelling to the Scottish fishing village of Hopeman to investigate the hardships suffered by her relatives

• Season 6 Episode 1: Rory Bremner

  New series of the ancestry programme. Rory Bremner traces his family's roots, focusing on those of his father, a distant figure who died when Rory was 18. The impressionist reads some of his father's wartime letters, which mention a battle for the Dutch city of 's-Hertogenbosch, and travels to Holland to meet a man who was with his dad during the conflict, and discovers the pivotal role Major Bremner played in it

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 5 (2008)

• Season 5 Episode 8: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

  Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen explores the life of his grandfather, a merchant sea captain whose ship was sunk by a German U-boat during World War One, and discovers his great-great grandfather was also a mariner, who landed in Melbourne at the height of the great gold rush. Laurence also investigates claims his family descend from wealthy squires whose lands were nefariously stolen. Last in series

• Season 5 Episode 7: Jodie Kidd

  Former model Jodie Kidd researches her family history, exploring the lives of her titled great-grandparents - Canadian-born newspaper magnate Lord Beaverbrook and Newcastle shipbuilder Rowland Hodge. Visiting Canada, she hopes to discover how far back her roots go on the other side of the Atlantic, while letters written by Winston Churchill and King George V shed further light on her forebears

• Season 5 Episode 6: David Suchet

  David Suchet uncovers a tale of tragedy and heroism while exploring his maternal grandmother's ancestry, before visiting London and Paris on the trail of his great-grandfather Arnold Jarche, a 19th-century photographer whose nationality is called into question. The actor's journey also takes him across eastern Europe in search of the birthplace of his grandfather and the origin of his unusual surname

• Season 5 Episode 5: Ainsley Harriott

  TV chef Ainsley Harriott travels to Jamaica and makes a surprising discovery about his grandmother's family, who he believes came to the Caribbean as indentured labourers from India. He also visits Barbados to explore his great-grandfather's career in the Army, learns his great-great-grandfather wasn't a black slave as he thought and finds out something interesting about a female ancestor

• Season 5 Episode 4: Esther Rantzen

  Esther Rantzen delves into her ancestry and uncovers a scandalous tale of fraud, bigamy and murder surrounding her great-grandfather, who abandoned his family and fled to America. The TV presenter also explores the origins of her unusual surname and is stunned to discover her wealthy stockbroker grandfather was born in an East End slum and had a connection to diamond magnate Barney Barnato, one of the 19th century's wealthiest men

• Season 5 Episode 3: Jerry Springer

  American chat show host Jerry Springer, whose parents escaped Nazi Germany three days before World War Two broke out, embarks on a painful and disturbing journey to find out how his two grandmothers died during the Holocaust, discovering documents detailing their deaths. He also learns how his great-grandfather overcame an anti-Semitic hate campaign in 19th-century Prussia

• Season 5 Episode 2: Boris Johnson

  Boris Johnson learns more about his Turkish great-grandfather, a journalist and politician who was kidnapped and murdered in the early 1920s, and encounters the ongoing effects of the political climate of his ancestor's era in contemporary Turkey. The Mayor of London also finds out whether his half-French grandmother really was descended from blue blood as she claimed

• Season 5 Episode 1: Patsy Kensit-Healy

  Holby City star Patsy Kensit-Healy traces her ancestry, looking at the life of her father Jimmy, who was involved with notorious gangsters the Krays and the Richardsons in the 1960s. She meets a criminologist who provides a copy of his criminal record, and is shocked to learn her grandfather was also a persistent offender. As her journey continues, she meets a vicar who reveals more about her family history

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 4

• Season 4 Episode 7: Matthew Pinsent

  Four-time Olympic gold medal-winner Matthew Pinsent researches his family tree, uncovering surprising links through his mother to several great characters in the shaping of British history. On his father's side, Matthew unearths a mystery surrounding his grandmother Kathleen's only brother George Macpherson, who died during the Battle of the Somme. Last in series

• Season 4 Episode 6: Graham Norton

  Graham Norton researches his family tree, uncovering surprising facts about his Protestant heritage and as he attempts to find out why his maternal great-grandmother used two different maiden names. When he digs deeper he uncovers a story of scandal and illegitimacy, but also one of courage and determination

• Season 4 Episode 5: Alistair McGowan

  Actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan travels to Calcutta to research his family tree, uncovering his father's roots and the roles his father's side of the family played in the history of the British empire. His investigations reveal that his Anglo-Indian heritage goes back almost 250 years and that the last six generations of McGowans were all born in India

• Season 4 Episode 4: Carol Vorderman

  Countdown co-presenter Carol Vorderman researches the ancestors of her Welsh mother and once-estranged father, whose intriguing Dutch heritage takes her to Holland. She also investigates a photograph in which her great-grandfather Daniel appeared alongside a woman who is claimed, through family myth, to be Queen Victoria

• Season 4 Episode 3: Griff Rhys Jones

  Actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones researches his family tree and uncovers surprising ancestral secrets. As a child, his mother Gwynneth was told her maternal grandparents had died in a train crash, but records for his great-grandfather reveal an altogether different cause of death. Attempts to find out what happened to his wife and children reveal a tale of poverty, the workhouse and Victorian truant schools

• Season 4 Episode 2: John Hurt

  Veteran actor John Hurt goes back to his roots to learn more about his ancestors. The journey uncovers a possible link to Irish aristocracy through his great-grandmother, as he and his brother travel to the home of the current Marquis of Sligo in Ireland. The connection fades when he finds out she was actually born in Croydon, but a lack of further records suggests he has identified a family tree cover-up

• Season 4 Episode 1: Natasha Kaplinsky

  BBC newsreader and presenter Natasha Kaplinsky researches her family tree. On her journey she uncovers links to the anti-apartheid movement and the Holocaust as she sheds light on her father's exile from South Africa and traces her ancestors' lives in Poland before they emigrated out of the Communist bloc

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 3

• Season 3 Episode 8: Julia Sawalha

  Julia Sawalha traces her roots, following her father's ancestry to Jordan, where she learns her grandmother challenged Bedouin tribal traditions to become a successful businesswoman. The actress also investigates her mother's belief that her family were Huguenots who fled French persecution, becoming silk workers in 19th-century London. Last in series

• Season 3 Episode 7: Jeremy Irons

  Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons embarks on an exploration of his ancestry. Now living in Ireland with his actress wife Sinead Cusack, he is keen to discover whether his sense of affinity with the country has a genetic basis. From policeman to prison and donkeys to drunkenness, he finally resolves two family myths in an enlightening journey which includes the Chartist rebellion

• Season 3 Episode 6: Nigella Lawson

  Celebrity cook Nigella Lawson explores her Jewish roots, tracing back from her father Nigel Lawson, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer. She finds ancestors in the Ashkenazi community of Amsterdam, and continues her surprising discoveries when she uncovers connections to the Lyons tea houses. Her son's light-hearted prediction that she would uncover a criminal heritage also proves accurate

• Season 3 Episode 5: David Dickinson

  Antiques expert David Dickinson, who discovered at the age of 11 that he was adopted at birth, explores his mother's Armenian roots. He uncovers similarities with his ancestors, both in looks and the work he undertook in the textile industry as a young man. He also meets a long-lost relative who is able to tell him more about his family

• Season 3 Episode 4: David Tennant

  Actor David Tennant sets out to trace his Scottish roots but finds there is also a link with Northern Ireland, resulting in a sometimes challenging personal journey. The Doctor Who star discovers previously unknown family links to the Highland Clearances. He hears stories about his famous football-playing grandfather and beauty queen grandmother, and meets cousins over the Irish Sea

• Season 3 Episode 3: Colin Jackson

  Cardiff-born former athlete Colin Jackson embarks on a journey of discovery encompassing slavery, emancipation and a link to the Panama Canal as he researches his family history. Although fascinated to find out more about his Jamaican roots, he takes a DNA test to ascertain his true origins and is surprised to discover he is seven per cent Native American

• Season 3 Episode 2: Robert Lindsay

  Actor Robert Lindsay researches his family tree to explore his Derbyshire roots. Keen to learn more about his grandfather's heroics in World War One, he travels to Gallipoli to investigate a legend and discovers his grandmother had two daughters who died very young. He is moved when he visits the grave of one of these relatives, only to learn it is the 67th anniversary of her burial, which took place in 1939

• Season 3 Episode 1: Barbara Windsor

  Actress Barbara Windsor attempts to trace her family tree. Her investigations lead her from pearly kings and queens to the workhouse and match girls, culminating in a trip across to Ireland, where she discovers her mother's ancestor left Cork after the potato famine. However, Suffolk yields the biggest surprise of all - she is distantly related to the painter John Constable

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 2

• Season 2 Episode 6: Gurinder Chadha

  Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha retraces the lives of her father and his forebears. The journey takes her from her home town of Southall, west London, to Kenya, India and Pakistan, painting an extraordinary picture of Asian life within the former British Empire. During the trip, Gurinder delves into the 1800s and discovers her family is linked to a great Sikh ruler

• Season 2 Episode 5: Jane Horrocks

  Actor Jane Horrocks explores the life of her maternal great-grandmother Sarah Cunliffe, a weaver in the Rawtenstall cotton mills, north of Manchester, in the late 19th century. She discovers Sarah had five additional siblings no one knew about, with one mystery brother emigrating to Australia. Jane is also intrigued to find she is related to wealthy mill owner John Horrocks, the 'Cotton King' of Lancashire

• Season 2 Episode 4: Julian Clary

  Julian Clary makes discoveries about his paternal grandfather at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, before tracing his German heritage through his great-grandparents. He visits Trier in Germany, the birthplace of his maternal great-grandmother, who was an artist and married to a photographer, but also hid a secret, which Julian and his sister endeavour to uncover

• Season 2 Episode 3: Stephen Fry

  Stephen Fry delves into his European Jewish background as he traces his maternal grandfather, Martin Neumann, back to modern-day Slovakia. He uncovers what happened to the relatives who failed to escape before the Nazis invaded, and also solves a mystery surrounding his father's mother, whose roots were less than illustrious. At an emotional family gathering, Stephen reveals his feelings about the discoveries. Part of Stephen Fry weekend

• Season 2 Episode 2: Sheila Hancock

  Sheila Hancock travels to Milan, where her father Enrico was born, and embarks on an emotional journey exploring her ancestry. Back in London, she turns her attention to the portrait of a mystery lady. After poring over marriage, birth and death certificates, she discovers that one of her ancestors was a formidable businesswoman and the mother of at least 12 children

• Season 2 Episode 1: Jeremy Paxman

  Jeremy Paxman searches for records of his maternal grandmother, who was from Glasgow. He discovers she lived in poverty and died from exhaustion - a fate that causes him considerable distress. He also traces the origins of the Paxman name to Bradford, but is surprised to find the trail does not end there

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Season 1 (2004)

• Season 1 Episode 10: Vic Reeves

  Vic Reeves traces his ancestry, and announces he'd like nothing better than to find a big juicy scandal. He gets his wish when evidence emerges that his grandfather may have been a bigamist. The comedian also investigates his family's history of domestic service, which includes a butler and a gamekeeper, to which he attributes his belief in smartness and hard work, as well as a love of the countryside

• Season 1 Episode 9: Meera Syal

  Meera Syal visits the Punjab in India in search of her ancestry, discovering a family history of defying authority. Meera's father came from a Hindu family while her mother was a Sikh, and their relationship was considered scandalous at the time. Going back another generation, she learns her grandfather was involved in the struggle for Indian independence from the British Empire

• Season 1 Episode 8: Lesley Garrett

  Lesley Garrett explores her ancestry and discovers her great-grandmother died as a result of a fatal dose of carbolic acid administered by her husband Charlie, which she believes was a deliberate act on his part. Researching her mother's family, Lesley uncovers a strong musical heritage, beginning with great-grandfather Colin, a miner who was also a self-taught pianist

• Season 1 Episode 7: David Baddiel

  Comedian David Baddiel researches his ancestry, discovering how his mother's family escaped Nazi oppression during World War Two. His forebears were wealthy industrialists until 1933, when they were stripped of all their assets by the state, and the ruins of a factory in Russia are all that remains of their heritage

• Season 1 Episode 6: Moira Stuart

  Moira Stuart investigates the slave trade as she traces her ancestry. She begins by talking to her mother about her service as a nurse during World War Two and the factors that caused her marriage to collapse. Moira also discovers her grandmother was one of Britain's first female medical students and learns how her great-grandfather came to Britain from Dominica to study law

• Season 1 Episode 5: Ian Hislop

  Ian Hislop delves into his family history, discovering one of his grandfathers fought for Britain in the Boer War and the other in World War One. He also turns his attention to the German occupation of Jersey during World War Two, which his mother experienced at first hand

• Season 1 Episode 4: Jeremy Clarkson

  Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson explores his ancestry, unearthing the disappointing fact that most of his family seemed to have lived their lives in the slow lane in Yorkshire. Closer inspection reveals a more exciting connection to a high-flying glass manufacturer called Kilner, who invented the screw-topped, rubber-sealed jar for preserving food. Jeremy tries to discover what is left of his ancestor's once-mighty empire

• Season 1 Episode 3: Sue Johnston

  Actress Sue Johnston sets out to discover more about the grandfather she idolised as a child, making a trip to the National Railway Museum to find evidence supporting her belief that he drove the Flying Scotsman. During her journey, Sue is forced to reassess her feelings for her forebears and uncovers an emotional story of social class, sacrifice and choices

• Season 1 Episode 2: Amanda Redman

  Actress Amanda Redman explores her ancestry, uncovering surprising revelations about her grandfather William, a soldier stationed in India. She also attempts to trace a distant relative and discovers her Protestant heritage was entirely owing to a quirk of fate

• Season 1 Episode 1: Bill Oddie

  Bill Oddie learns about his mother's schizophrenia, a condition that led to his separation from her as a child. As well as filling in the blanks on his immediate forebears, Bill delves further back into history, discovering a wealth of information about ancestors whose existence he was previously unaware of

Who Do You Think You Are? (UK): Special

• Nicky Campbell

  Nicky Campbell traces the history of the family that adopted him soon after he was born