This series was divided into two parts 6a (Feb 2009) and 6b (July 2009)
Rory Bremner – (Impressionist, Playwright, Comedian) Rory Bremner didn’t know his father very well. He was an older father, who was a little distant and died when Rory was 18. Rory knew he was an infantry officer in WW2 but thought he saw little action.
Fiona Bruce – (Journalist, Newsreader, Presenter) Fiona’s great-grandfather, Frederick Crouch, died in WW1 in mysterious circumstances. The family story is that Frederick failed to duck down when shells began falling nearby, despite the fact everyone else around him dived for cover. A letter, written by Frederick’s widow to her son’s school soon after the war, reveals the sad truth behind the story.
Kim Cattrall – (Actor) Liverpool born Kim Cattrall is determined to solve a family mystery that has endured for more than seventy years. When Kim’s mother, Shane, was 8 years old her father disappeared. George Baugh walked out on his wife and three young daughters and they never heard from him again. Now Kim wants to find out what happened to her grandfather and to resolve this mystery for her mother’s and aunts’ sake as well as her own.
Martin Freeman – (Actor) Martin Freeman’s father died when he was just 10 years old. His parents had divorced some years before and Martin knows virtually nothing about the paternal side of his family history. Now he wants to fill in the blanks.
Kate Humble – (Presenter) TV presenter Kate Humble knows little about her family history. What she does know is that her paternal grandfather was a test pilot and she believes her maternal grandfather ended up in Colditz.
Davina McCall – (TV Presenter) Davina McCall makes some intriguing and shocking discoveries as she delves into her family’s past. As a child of divorced parents, Davina, who is half-French, was brought up by her paternal grandmother in England and knows very little about her maternal French heritage. She also wants to find out if there is any truth behind the story, that has been passed down for generations, claiming that the English side of her family is decended illegitimately from royal blood.
David Mitchell – (Actor, Playwright, Comedian) David Mitchell goes in search of his Scottish roots. David knows that the Mitchells were wealthy sheep farmers in Sutherland. For almost a hundred years, three generations of the family held Ribigill farm but mysteriously gave up the lease in 1933. David wants to know why they abandoned a sheep farming tradition that went back so many years.
Chris Moyles – (Radio and TV Presenter) Known for his outspoken views, Radio 1 DJ, Chris Moyles, finds himself unexpectedly emotional as he goes back to his Irish roots. Chris’ mother originates from Dublin and, although born and bred in Leeds, his father’s family roots are in Ballina, West Ireland. Chris knows little about his Irish ancestry and is keen to explore the history on both sides of his family in Ireland.
Rick Stein – (Chef and Presenter) Rick’s father, Eric, suffered from manic depression and committed suicide in the 1960s. Rick sets out to explore his father’s life, from the abuse he suffered as a child during the First World War due to his German ancestry, to the electric shock therapy he received as an adult.
Zoe Wanamaker – (Actor) Zoe Wanamaker was born in New York but when she was three her father, American actor Sam Wanamaker, fled to the UK to escape the anti-communist McCarthy witch-hunts. Hoping to better understand her father’s decision, Zoe heads to Washington DC where she visits the FBI Headquarters.
Kevin Whatley – (Actor) Kevin Whately, famous for playing working-class characters, in fact has a surprisingly affluent family history. Kevin begins his journey in his home town of Newcastle where he investigates the career of his grandmother Doris, a singer who he believed failed to fulfil her true potential.
