A new series of Who Do You Think You Are? is coming in June starring Andrew Lloyd Webber, Claire Foy and Bear Grylls
Hit genealogy TV show Who Do You Think You Are? returns to our screens this June with nine celebrities exploring their family history, including composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, actor Claire Foy and adventurer Bear Grylls.
Once again the two-time BAFTA award-winning series will follow celebrities on their personal journeys to uncover fascinating stories about their heritage. Series 20 of Who Do You Think You Are? will be packed with shocking revelations, tragic tales and uncanny parallels with the celebrities’ lives.
Simon Young, BBC Head of History, said “As one of Britain’s most beloved documentary series approaches 20 years on our screens, the line-up of household names, and the array of astonishing family histories, grow from strength to strength. This series is often imitated but never bettered, and this latest edition demonstrates why.”
The series is expected to start at the beginning of June. Read on to meet the celebrities who will be taking part in Who Do You Think You Are? 2023:
Andrew Lloyd Webber
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Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer behind some of the most successful musicals in history, including Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar. He was made a baron in 1997, but he thought he came from humble origins – so he’s surprised to discover aristocratic ancestors on Who Do You Think You Are?, as well as a family with some uncanny parallels.
Claire Foy
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Claire Foy has won acclaim for playing historical figures including Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall and the young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. On Who Do You Think You Are?, she delves into her own family history and discovers one ancestor was a soldier who died in tragic circumstances, while another was caught up in a sensational murder trial.
Bear Grylls
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Bear Grylls OBE is an adventurer, presenter of Born Survivor and Britain’s Chief Scout. On Who Do You Think You Are?, he traces the origins of his love of adventure and discovers his grandfather’s involvement in a top-secret mission during the Second World War. He also traces his roots to Scotland – and discovers a very famous ancestor.
Kevin Clifton
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Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Kevin Clifton sets out to investigate a rumour that he’s descended from the First Nations people of Canada. In Canada, he discovers the poignant tale of an ancestor who was raised in an orphanage, and his family’s involvement in Canada’s fur industry. One theme all his stories have in common is brave women who survived and thrived against the odds.
Chris and Xand van Tulleken
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Chris and Xand van Tulleken are identical twins, medical doctors and science broadcasters. They know they have Dutch ancestry and they’re keen to find out more. They discover one ancestor was a seafaring adventurer, before confronting one of the darkest chapters of Europe’s history.
Emily Atack
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Emily Atack comes from a family of entertainers – she’s even related to Sir Paul McCartney. On Who Do You Think You Are?, she discovers more performer ancestors – including a connection to Butlin’s holiday camps – as well as a Welsh footballing connection with Ryan Reynolds. She also visits Yorkshire to find out more about the struggles of her coal miner ancestors.
Dev Griffin
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Born to an Irish mother and a Jamaican father, Heart radio presenter Dev Griffin grew up feeling he didn’t fit in with either community. On his first trip to Ireland, he learns how his ancestors fought for Irish independence, before travelling to Jamaica, where he meets a newly discovered aunt and discovers surprisingly intimate records of his great grandparents.
Chris Ramsey
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Chris Ramsey discovers that his great grandfather fought in one of the most dangerous campaigns of the First World War before being taken prisoner, while his grandfather faced equally dangerous circumstances serving in the Navy in the Second World War. He also traces his lineage back to the 18th century, where records show an ancestor gave birth in London’s British Lying-In Hospital.
Lesley Manville
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Star of The Crown and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris Lesley Manville is keen to uncover the truth about her grandparents, who had children out of wedlock despite the scandal. She uncovers a story of wartime separation, adultery and the inaccessibility of divorce. Going further back, she discovers an ancestor who was sentenced to transportation for his role in the 1830 Swing Riots.