30 March 2026
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The much-loved genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? is set to return to BBC this spring with a brand-new line-up of well-known faces ready to explore their family histories, including Adeel Akhtar, Amy Dowden, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Ruth Madeley, Toby Jones, and Zoe Ball.
The latest series of the popular genealogy show will see another eight celebrities explore their roots to discover their incredible family histories.
Spanning centuries of time, the stars uncover extraordinary stories of strength, love, tragedy, rebellion, and resilience as they journey across the UK from London to Glasgow and global destinations including Australia, Tasmania, Italy, India, the Bahamas and Kenya in search of their ancestry.
The full line-up for the show is as follows:
- Adeel Akhtar
- Amy Dowden
- Dame Harriet Walter
- Katarina Johnson-Thompson
- Ruth Madeley
- Toby Jones
- Zoe Ball
- Joe Swash
BAFTA and multi-award-winning actor Adeel Akhtar discovers an amazing family secret, traces his Indian-Kenyan roots to a sea voyage from Gujarat and stumbles on his ancestors' pioneering role in the foundation of Nairobi.
Professional dancer and Strictly Come Dancing favourite Amy Dowden steps away from the dance floor to solve a family murder, with the investigation leading her to a West Wales farmhouse and a valley named after her ancestor, as well as unravelling an emotional story with powerful parallels to her own life.
Olivier and Emmy award-winning actor Dame Harriet Walter uncovers a family member's secret intelligence role during the Second World War and delves into the scandalous life of one of her noble Italian ancestors.
Heptathlete and Olympic, Commonwealth and World Champion medalist Katarina Johnson-Thompson explores her Bahamian roots in the Exuma Islands, tracing her family’s courageous migration to Miami at a time of racial segregation and the terrifying rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
Elsewhere, actor and writer Ruth Madeley unearths a long-buried family secret about an adoption, a mystery that requires DNA testing and meticulous genealogical detective work to uncover a lost ancestor.
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Veteran stage and screen actor and British national treasure Toby Jones investigates a family rumour that leads him from the Theatre Royal in Margate to Meerut in North India, where his great‑great‑grandfather was stationed with the British Army, and makes an astonishing discovery about his lineage.
Additionally, renowned TV & radio personality Zoe Ball explores her Scottish and Cornish roots and discovers a tale of hardship, tragedy and survival, and Joe Swash family history takes him from Little Italy to Southern Italy, where he uncovers a dramatic family tale of outlaws and crime.
Simon Young, BBC Head of Commissioning, History, said:
“This series never fails to astonish and surprise. And in all of the hidden histories it uncovers - aided by the generosity and openness of a simply exceptional cast - we can find a sample of the incredible richness and diversity that makes up modern Britain. Who Do You Think You Are? is social history that brings us all together.”
The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? launches on BBC One and iPlayer this Spring. Produced by Wall to Wall Media, executive produced by Colette Flight and series produced by Lucy Swingler. The format is distributed by Warner Bros. International Television Production.