‘I’M AFRICAN ROYALTY’
Citizen Khan star ADIL RAY discovers a surprising link to Ugandan chiefs
Who Do You Think You Are? Thursday, BBC1 HD, 9pm (10.40pm Wales)
WHEN CITIZEN KHAN and Ackley Bridge star Adil
Ray was growing up, he was told his ancestors were Ugandan kings. He always dismissed the rumours as just wishful thinking, so was in for something of a surprise when he travelled to Uganda for this week’s
Who Do You Think You Are?
Here, the 43-year-old tells us more about what he discovered…
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE PART IN
THE SERIES? I was always a big fan of the show and I had a real desire to find out more about my family. My father was from Pakistan and came to Britain in the 1960s, but my mum’s mother – my grandmother, Aisha – was actually African. She was the matriarch of our family, so I was intrigued to know more.
WAS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR YOU WANTED TO FIND OUT?
My mum mentioned that we were related to the Kabaka, who are Ugandan royalty from the kingdom of Buganda. I thought,
‘Yeah, whatever’. Nobody really spoke about it in my family, so I came to the conclusion that it couldn’t be true.
DID YOU LEARN ANY MORE ABOUT THE ROYALTY RUMOURS?
It transpired that my great-greatgreat-grandfather, Kamanyiro Magimbi, was a chieftain and his sister was the mother of
King Muteesa I of Buganda.
It’s incredible. Kamanyiro wasn’t just any chief, either. He was a pretty amazing man and had a huge impact on Ugandan history. He stood up to the English explorers and tried to maintain his African identity. In the end he didn’t succeed, but I thought it was a pretty incredible story.
WILL HAVING ROYAL STATUS CHANGE
YOU? No, I don’t think so. But I can’t wait for my family to watch the show and know more about their heritage. I haven’t even told my mum much about it because I want her to watch it. I think she’s going to absolutely love it.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO TRAVEL TO KENYA
AND UGANDA FOR THE SHOW? It was amazing. I met some cousins, Sarah and Yudaya, and when I sat and had a drink with them in their humble home I felt the same love I used to get with my grandmother, Aisha.
APART FROM HER ROYAL CONNECTIONS, WHAT ELSE DID YOU LEARN ABOUT
AISHA? Well, she had to marry my grandfather – an Indian guy living in Kenya – when she was just 13! She became the stepmother of seven children from his previous marriage. That must have been very hard, not only to be so young, but to cross cultures as well.
YOU GOT QUITE EMOTIONAL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT HOW MUCH PREJUDICE
SHE FACED… Yes, being African, Aisha suffered a lot of prejudice from the Asian community, which was really tough, but she managed to carry on with incredible dignity. She was a real inspiration to us all. When she died in 1983, I’d never seen so many people attend a funeral. That was a real testament to her character.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOUR COMIC ALTER EGO MR KHAN TOOK PART IN
Who Do You Think You Are? I think he’d find out he was actually Indian, which wouldn’t sit well with him at all, so it’s probably best that he’s never done the show!
Ackley Bridge IS RETURNING FOR A SECOND SERIES. ARE YOU EXCITED
ABOUT THAT? Really excited. It was such a departure from doing something like Citizen Khan because I’m involved in every single element of that show, whereas with Ackley
Bridge I just turn up, do my lines and go back to my hotel. So it’s been quite refreshing in that sense. It was also a real challenge for me and I’m thankful for that.