Sue Perkins, Richard Osman, Matt Lucas, Anna Maxwell Martin and Ralf Little are due to appear in the new series of Who Do You Think You Are?
The new series launches on BBC One on Thursday 26 May, followed by a week’s break for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, returning on Thursday 9 June.
Sue Perkins, Richard Osman, Matt Lucas, Anna Maxwell Martin and Ralf Little follow in their ancestors’ footsteps in this new five-part series with stories of bravery, loss, heartbreak, sacrifice, resilience and joy filtering down through the generations.
In the opening episode presenter, comedian and (we learn) enthusiastic boxer Sue Perkins investigates the poignant story of her orphaned grandfather and a great grandfather interned as an ‘enemy alien’ during the First World War.
In the second episode, quiz show presenter and crime novelist Richard Osman learns that one of his ancestors ended up entangled in a notorious murder trial.
Actor, comedian and presenter Matt Lucas wants to know more about his Jewish grandmother Margot, who came to the UK from Germany in 1939. The Holocaust looms large in what he discovers, in both Berlin and Amsterdam. Actress Anna Maxwell Martin discovers a harrowing story of separation in her grandfather’s childhood which is redeemed by family solidarity, and actor Ralf Little is delighted to discover a footballing legacy and a deeper connection to his hometown of Manchester.
Carl Callam, BBC Commissioning Editor for Documentaries, says: “We are pleased to be back with a brand new series of Who Do You Think You Are. It’s great to see some of our most loved celebrities trace their family history through these remarkable journeys, and their compelling stories. It’s such an extraordinary series, one that has story and heart at the centre, with a real resonance that brings history to life and shines a light on who and where we are now.”
Colette Flight, Executive Producer for Wall To Wall, says: “Who Do You Think You Are? is back with another line-up of Britain’s best loved celebrities delving into their family trees, taking us from Brighton to Berlin, Manchester to Amsterdam, and Scotland to Lithuania.
"In an extraordinary array of stories they uncover a Victorian murder trial, personal tragedy, sporting triumph, and families fleeing for their lives and caught up in the tide of war. The stories are at once unique and universal - a reminder of our shared history and how it has shaped who we are today.”
Who Do You Think You Are? is produced by Wall To Wall Media for BBC One.
Pictured: Matt Lucas at Golders Green Synagogue. Credit: BBC/Wall to Wall Media Ltd/Stephen Perry
