The latest series of genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? will return to BBC One and iPlayer this Spring. The 22nd series features Andrew Garfield, Diane Morgan, Mishal Husain, Ross Kemp, Aisling Bea, Will Young, Fred Sirieix and Layton Williams.
Comedian Diane Morgan steps away from her role as clueless historian Philomena Cunk to learn some history of her own from the experts, involving a poignant love story and her ancestor’s brave fight for the rights of her illegitimate children.
BAFTA-winning and RTS nominated actor and writer Aisling Bea discovers how her family’s been shaped by some of the most dramatic moments in Irish history, telling a tale of violent tragedy, female resilience and a passion for Irish independence.
British pop icon and actor Will Young uncovers his grandfather’s extraordinary experience as a Bomber Command pilot in World War Two and being captured as a Prisoner of War in Germany. Will then dives back further in time, discovering both villains and royalty in his family tree.
Elsewhere, TV personality and the UK’s number one matchmaker Fred Sirieix sets sail to France to explore his family roots where he discovers a wartime romance worthy of First Dates and is delighted by an unexpected connection to wine making.
Musical theatre and acting phenomenon Layton Williams investigates his London roots, revealing a surprising musical connection, before travelling to Jamaica where he uncovers some distressing family history.
Journalist and broadcaster Mishal Husain traces an illustrious family history, in India she discovers an ancestor who was a personal physician to a Maharaja, and in an unexpected twist finds herself travelling to the East Coast of the USA.
Simon Young, BBC Head of History, says: “The stellar line-up this year is a real treat for our audiences. But so is the history, from the shock of a royal ancestor to epic stories of survival. And that’s why this series endures, because it hints at the amazing family micro-histories that make all of us who we are.”
Pictures: Who Do You Think You Are?/Wall To Wall
