Ten new celebrity guests for the BBC version of the television programme Who Do You Think You Are? have been announced. (NOTE: This is the BBC version of the programme, not the U.S. version nor the versions broadcast in other countries.) Some of these celebrities had been announced earlier, but now the complete list has been published in the Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine web site at http://goo.gl/0w7Mc. The celebrities are:
| JK Rowling |
Across the course of seven books and eight films, Jo Rowling's Harry Potter series has captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world. Who Do You Think You Are? sets out to explore the French ancestry of the author's mother. |
| June Brown |
At 84, the actor behind EastEnders' Dot Cotton (now Branning) is the oldest person ever to have enjoyed the Who Do You Think You Are? experience. She explores her family's migration from Africa, tracing generations of ancestors forced to move from country to country. |
| Alan Carr |
Comedian Alan Carr has brought his sparkling style to a range of TV and radio shows, including The Friday Night Project and his Chatty Man talkshow on Channel 4. His episode of WDYTYA? explores his maternal great-grandfather, who changed his name in mysterious circumstances. |
| Sebastian Coe |
Gold medal-winning athlete and London 2012 mastermind Lord Coe is famous for setting world records in a range of athletics events. His genealogical links span the globe from Jamaica to the United States, with a plantation owner involved in the sugar trade among the extraordinary stories waiting to be uncovered. |
| Larry Lamb |
From EastEnders' villainous Archie Mitchell to a key role in the phenomenally popular comedy Gavin and Stacey, Larry Lamb has played larger-than-life characters in some of the UK's biggest TV shows – and investigates some similarly colourful personalities in his quest to learn more about his mother’s biological family. |
| Emilia Fox |
Famous for her roles as pathologist Nikki Alexander in the long-running crime drama Silent Witness and evil witch Morgause in the BBC's Merlin, Emilia Fox is part of a celebrated acting dynasty. As she discovers in her episode, though, her theatrical lineage goes back further than she thought... |
| Richard Madeley |
Having already explored the difficult early lives of his father and grandfather in the moving account Fathers and Sons, TV personality Richard Madeley delves further into his family tree, tracing his maternal line back to Canada and America’s founding fathers. |
| Len Goodman |
Born in Bethnal Green in 1944, Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Len Goodman has enjoyed a successful showbiz career since starting dancing at the age of 19. He soon learns that the stories of his ancestors were very different, with poverty and the workhouse playing an unhappy part in their lives. |
| Tracey Emin |
As one of the most well-known of the current generation of modern British artists, Tracey Emin is famous for her unique artworks and headline-grabbing installations – and her family tree also turns out to be full of unorthodox characters. |
| Robin Gibb |
As one third of the hit pop group the Bee Gees, Isle of Man-born Robin Gibb has enjoyed a hugely successful music career spanning more than four decades. He sets out to learn more about an ancestor who played an important role in a 19th-century war in Afghanistan. |
The date of each show has not yet been announced.
If you enjoyed this article, Tweet it, share it on Facebook or on your preferred social network. Republishing of this article in newsletters, blogs, and elsewhere is allowed and encouraged. Details may be found at http://goo.gl/hoHH1.
Of course, if you haven’t done so already, you should join my email newsletter mailing list to stay current on my latest articles and announcements. You can also cancel at any time within seconds. I promise to never, ever send you any unrequested e-mail, other than newsletter updates.
