Who Do You Think You Are?

BBC1, 9pm

‘This is the first TV show I’ve ever done in which I didn’t know what’s going to happen next,’ exclaims comedian Josh Widdicombe in this returning series. For once, the star of The Last Leg (right) isn’t joking: he really has very little idea about the family history he’s about to unearth.

Joining his parents at their home in Devon, where he grew up, Widdicombe hears about his connection with the famous (and eventually infamous) Barings Bank through his great-grandmother. As he goes back further, Widdicombe learns of ancestors who enjoyed even more stupendous wealth in the era of the Tudors and Stuarts and the high-stakes power games of the day.

Make sure you stick around for the closing minutes, when some even more jaw-dropping facts about Widdicombe’s ancestry finally emerge. ★★★★★