WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? RETURNS TO BBC ONE THIS SPRING, CELEBRITY LINE-UP ANNOUNCED

The double BAFTA award-winning genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? will return to BBC One and iPlayer this Spring. Produced by Wall to Wall Media, the 22nd series features a show-stopping line-up of stars including Andrew Garfield, Diane Morgan, Mishal Husain, Ross Kemp, Aisling Bea, Will Young, Fred Sirieix and Layton Williams.

The latest series of the acclaimed genealogy show will see eight celebrities uncover astounding revelations as they dive into their families' heritage. Spanning almost 800 years of history, the celebrities unearth remarkable stories from tragic romances and early Hollywood glamour to harrowing revelations of war and slavery.

It will take viewers across the UK and around the world including Jamaica, Morocco, India, Poland, Germany, Ireland, the USA and France as the celebrities search for answers.

In the upcoming series of Who Do You Think You Are?, audiences will follow BAFTA-award winner and Oscar nominated actor Andrew Garfield as he embarks on a journey of emotional contrasts, from pre-War Poland; to the Treblinka Nazi death camp; to the sunshine and glamour of early Hollywood.

Actor, writer and comedian Diane Morgan steps away from her role as clueless historian Philomena Cunk to learn some history of her own from the experts, involving a poignant love story and her ancestor’s brave fight for the rights of her illegitimate children.

EastEnders legend and esteemed documentary maker Ross Kemp ends up in Casablanca trying to solve a family mystery, along the way finding out that his 4x great grandfather was a drummer boy during the Napoleonic wars. BAFTA-winning and RTS nominated actor and writer Aisling Bea discovers how her family’s been shaped by some of the most dramatic moments in Irish history, telling a tale of violent tragedy, female resilience and a passion for Irish independence.

British pop icon and actor Will Young uncovers his grandfather’s extraordinary experience as a Bomber Command pilot in World War Two and being captured as a Prisoner of War in Germany. Will then dives back further in time, discovering both villains and royalty in his family tree. 

Elsewhere, TV personality and the UK’s number one matchmaker Fred Sirieix sets sail to France to explore his family roots where he discovers a wartime romance worthy of First Dates and is delighted by an unexpected connection to wine making.

Musical theatre and acting phenomenon Layton Williams investigates his London roots, revealing a surprising musical connection, before travelling to Jamaica where he uncovers some distressing family history.

Journalist and broadcaster Mishal Husain traces an illustrious family history, in India she discovers an ancestor who was a personal physician to a Maharaja, and in an unexpected twist finds herself travelling to the East Coast of the USA.

Simon Young, BBC Head of History, says: “The stellar line-up this year is a real treat for our audiences. But so is the history, from the shock of a royal ancestor to epic stories of survival. And that’s why this series endures, because it hints at the amazing family micro-histories that make all of us who we are.”

Colette Flight, Executive Producer for Wall to Wall Media, says: “Spanning centuries and travelling the globe, Who Do You Think You Are? is back, with eight much-loved celebrities to entertain and captivate us as they delve into their family histories. As they discover their ancestors’ adventures, triumphs, trials and tribulations, their rich family stories reveal incredible snapshots of history, including one of the greatest villains of Medieval England, the evacuation at Dunkirk, rescuing art looted by the Nazis, and the birth of American Independence.”  

The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? launches on BBC One and iPlayer this Spring.