This is the story of a country told through the extraordinary family histories of popular celebrities. A groundbreaking TV event, that tells the story of who we are and how we came to be in an original format that for the first time on TV uses genealogy as an innovative way of unlocking history programming. Each celebrity is chosen so that this or her journey touches a key them in the country’s history.
In a series of self-contained films each star embarks on an intense personal journey to discover their family past. Our intention is to expose the real person behind the celebrity, as they come to understand who they truly are, the lives their ancestors lived, and their identity and place in their country’s history.
Each film reveals the surprising, extraordinary and often moving stories of our ancestors and offers a new way of producing history programming in an inspiring and narrative driven format that lead 7% of British adults to research their own family histories after watching Series 1!


“It’s gripping, surprising and frequently mesmerising.”
The Radio Times

“Fascinating and moving.”
Paul Hoggart, The Times

“BBC1's brilliant Who Do You Think You Are? returned and delivered the best programme of the year.”
Kevin O’Sullivan, Sunday Mirror

“One of those rare programmes that works on every level: humane, moving, fascinating and endlessly varied.”
The Independent

“Combining personal quest, social history and autobiography, it proved a triumphant mixture.”
The Daily Telegraph

“A fascinating series.”
The Sun

“An engaging and emotional reminder of the power of family history.”
The Daily Mail

Series 1: Meera Syal, Vic Reeves, Jeremy Clarkson, David Baddiel, Bill Oddie, Lesley Garett, Moira Stuart, Sue Johnston, Ian Hislop, Amanda Redman
Series 2: Jeremy Paxman, Julian Clary, Sheila Hancock, Jane Horrocks, Stephen Fry, Gurinder Chada
Series 3: Barbara Windsor, Julia Sawalha, Robert Lindsay, David Tennant, David Dickinson, Jeremy Irons, Nigella Lawson, Colin Jackson
Adoption Special: Nicky Campbell
Series 4: Alistair McGowan, Griff Rhys Jones, Carol Vorderman, John Hurt, Graham Norton, Matthew Pinsent, Natasha Kaplinsky
Series 5: Patsy Kensit, Esther Ranzen, Jodie Kidd, Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, Boris Johnson MP, Jerry Springer, Ainsley Harriot, David Suchet
Series 6: Rory Bremner, Fiona Bruce, Rick Stein, Zoe Wanamaker, Kevin Whately
Series 7: Davina McCall, Chris Moyles, Kate Humble, David Mitchell, Kim Cattrall, Martin Freeman

Visit the BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine website here.