The eagerly-awaited 2026 series of Who Do You Think You Are? has been announced, with a new line-up of eight celebrities discovering their family history, including actor Toby Jones who will make an "astonishing discovery" in India, radio presenter Zoe Ball who will see her family overcome "hardship and tragedy" and Strictly dancer Amy Dowden whose story leads to a murder investigation.
The 23rd series of the flagship genealogy TV show will air four episodes on BBC One this spring, followed by another four in the summer after a short break. Other stars featuring in the series include: actors Adeel Akhtar, Dame Harriet Walter, Joe Swash and Ruth Madeley as well as Olympic medallist and World Champion athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
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Simon Young, the BBC’s 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.”
Colette Flight, executive producer for Wall to Wall Media, said: “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.”
Who Do You Think You Are? 2026 celebrities
Toby Jones
Actor Toby Jones has starred in films including Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Dad's Army and TV programmes including Sherlock and Detectorists, before finding new fame in the powerful real-life drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. On Who Do You Think You Are? he will investigate a family rumour that will lead him from the Theatre Royal in Margate to Meerut in North India, where his 3x great grandfather was stationed with the British Army, and make an astonishing discovery about his lineage.
Adeel Akhtar
BAFTA-winning actor Adeel Akhtar (Murdered by My Father, Sherwood) will discover a family secret, trace his Indian-Kenyan roots to a sea voyage from Gujarat and stumble on his ancestors' pioneering role in the foundation of Nairobi.
Amy Dowden
Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Amy Dowden will trace her family history in rural Wales and investigate a murder in her family tree.
Harriet Walter
Award-winning actor Dame Harriet Walter (Downton Abbey, Succession) will uncover a family member who served with British intelligence in the Second World War and a scandalous aristocratic Italian ancestor.
Joe Swash
EastEnders star and I'm a Celebrity winner Joe Swash’s journey into his family history will take him from Little Italy to Southern Italy, where he will uncover a dramatic family tale of outlaws and crime.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Heptathlete and Olympic, Commonwealth and World Champion medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson will explore her Bahamian roots in the Exuma Islands, following her family’s courageous migration to Miami at a time of racial segregation and the terrifying rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
Ruth Madeley
Actor Ruth Madeley (Years and Years, Doctor Who) will unearth a long-buried family secret about an adoption and investigate her family history with the help of DNA testing.
Zoe Ball
BBC radio presenter Zoe Ball will explore her Scottish and Cornish roots and discover a tale of hardship, tragedy and survival.
