The BAFTA-winning critically acclaimed genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? returns to iPlayer and BBC One in Spring 2026. Produced by Wall to Wall Media, the 23rd series features an unmissable line-up of stars including Adeel Akhtar, Amy Dowden, Harriet Walter, Joe Swash, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Ruth Madeley, Toby Jones, and Zoe Ball.
The next instalment of the hit genealogy show sees another eight celebrities delve into 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.
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. Whilst EastEnders star and I’m a Celebrity winner Joe Swash’s journey into his family history takes him from Little Italy to Southern Italy, where he uncovers a dramatic family tale of outlaws and crime.
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.
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.
Simon Young, BBC Head of Commissioning, History, says: “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.”
Colette Flight, Executive Producer for Wall to Wall Media, says: “Who Do You Think You Are? returns with eight more of our best-loved celebrities investigating secrets and solving mysteries in their family trees. Travelling across the UK and the globe, we see their astonishment, delight, laughter and tears as they discover how the incredible stories of their ancestors have shaped their family, and them. Along the way they learn about the dramatic social forces and historical events that impacted their families, from Victorian silent prisons to the American civil rights movement, from Italian brigands to bankruptcy.”
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.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bbc.com ’
