Hit genealogy TV show Who Do You Think You Are? returns to our screens this June with nine celebrities exploring their family history, including composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, actor Claire Foy and adventurer Bear Grylls.
The first episode, starring Andrew Lloyd Webber, will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday 1 June 2023, followed by eight more episodes broadcast weekly.
Once again the two-time BAFTA award-winning series will follow celebrities on their personal journeys to uncover fascinating stories about their heritage. Series 20 of Who Do You Think You Are? will be packed with shocking revelations, tragic tales and uncanny parallels with the celebrities' lives.
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Simon Young, BBC Head of History, said “As one of Britain’s most beloved documentary series approaches 20 years on our screens, the line-up of household names, and the array of astonishing family histories, grow from strength to strength. This series is often imitated but never bettered, and this latest edition demonstrates why.”
The series is expected to start at the beginning of June. Read on to meet the celebrities who will be taking part in Who Do You Think You Are? 2023:
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer behind some of the most successful musicals in history, including Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar. The musical theatre master unearths uncanny parallels between his life and the lives of his ancestors.
Claire Foy
Claire Foy has won acclaim for playing historical figures including Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall and the young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. On Who Do You Think You Are?, she delves into her own family history and stumbles upon a story worthy of any TV drama.
Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls OBE is an adventurer, presenter of Born Survivor and Britain’s Chief Scout. On Who Do You Think You Are?, he traces the origins of his love of adventure and a surprisingly royal connection.
Kevin Clifton
Kevin Clifton was a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing from 2013 until he announced his departure in 2020 to concentrate on other aspects of his career including acting. In his episode he travels to one of the most remote places in Canada.
Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Chris and Xand van Tulleken are identical twins, medical doctors and science broadcasters. They have appeared on numerous shows including Trust me I'm a Doctor. They know they have Dutch ancestry and they’re keen to find out more.
Emily Atack
The Inbetweeners actor Emily Atack comes from a family of entertainers. On Who Do You Think You Are?, she discovers more performer ancestors as well as a Welsh footballing connection with Ryan Reynolds.
Dev Griffin
Born to an Irish mother and a Jamaican father, Heart radio presenter Dev Griffin travels to Ireland and Jamaica, where he is surprised by some very person records about his great grandparents.
Chris Ramsey
Comedian, actor and presenter Chris Ramsey is well known for The Chris Ramsey Show and presenting Little Mix: The Search as well as reaching the semifinals in the seventeenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. In his episode he comes to realise that the saying 'you make your own luck' might be one of the most apt phrases applied to his family's past as he discovers some extraordinary survival stories and an ancestor who won a very unusual lottery.
Lesley Manville
Star of The Crown and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris Lesley Manville is keen to uncover the truth about her grandparents. In her episode she learns how an ancestor fighting for workers' rights ended up paying a very heavy price.
