A star-studded return
Who Do You Think You Are?
One of the recurring joys of WDYTYA? is the way individual celebrity’s family trees so often seem at odds with their public images. You think immediately of Kevin Whately back in series six, an actor who made his name playing working-class characters, yet learned he had some seriously posh forebears.
There’s a similar sense of displacement in the latest series when we meet Jerry Hall, the very epitome of jet-set glamour. It turns out the Texan supermodel’s family on her father’s side emigrated to the United States from Oldham. In context, it’s almost a relief to come across another connection to a figure from the history of the Wild West, as if the world were somehow righting itself.
Also featuring in the new run is Great British Bake Off judgee Paul Hollywood, who’s especially interested in the life of his maternal grandfather, Norman Harman. Norman served as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Second World War and, when sent to Europe as part of the invasion force, faced a truly hellish situation.
It’s a rich exploration of family history that begins with Paul’s discovery of his grandfather’s service medals and proves how much we can all find out when given a few clues to work with. See our feature on page 19 for more details.
Another episode planned for August features Last Tango in Halifax star Sir Derek Jacobi. With parents who ran a Walthamstow market stall, the actor thought he was from modest roots. In fact, he’s descended from a wealthy French Huguenot, who fled religious persecution in his home country.
As we went to press, the running order of the new series wasn’t 100 per cent confirmed. Check our website at whodoyouthinkyou aremagazine.com for more up-to-date news. Jonathan Wright