Kate Winslet discovers Swedish roots on new series of Who Do You Think You Are?

The Oscar winner is among a handful of Hollywood stars to feature in the new line-up
Discovery: Kate Winslet heads to Sweden to learn more about her family history
Rich Fury/Getty Images

Kate Winslet, Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Whitehall are among the stars set to explore their family trees in the new series of Who Do You Think You Are?

The line-up for the 16th season of BBC One’s hit genealogical show also includes former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, James Bond star Naomie Harris and comedian Katherine Ryan.

Have I Got News For You’s Paul Merton and TV presenter Mark Wright, whose wife Michelle Keegan appeared in last year’s series, will also be taking part to learn more about their forebears.

Winslet will head to Sweden to explore her family’s Scandinavian roots, and learns about a relative who served as an army drummer boy, while Harry Potter star Radcliffe unveils his ancestor’s moving letters sent during World War One.

Emotional: Radliffe discovers moving letters sent by his ancestor (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for WarnerMedia)
Getty Images

Joined by his father Michael, Whitehall discovers that his family has a link to the Newport Rising, Great Britain’s last major armed rebellion, which took place in 1839.

Wright, meanwhile, learns that he has Spanish and Jewish heritage - and discovers that one of his ancestors was tortured by the Spanish Inquisition.

The series, which is produced by Wall to Wall, picked up the Features trophy at the BAFTA TV Awards earlier this year.

Double act: Jack and father Michael Whitehall will explore their roots
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Dogwoo

BBC Commissioning Editor Abigail Priddle said that she was “thrilled” that the programme is returning, promising “a real treat for viewers” and “another amazing line-up of celebrities.”

“We’re delighted to have this incredible line-up of stars and to have captured these journeys of discovery as they explore their extraordinary family trees,” Colette Flight, executive producer at Wall to Wall, said.

“What they uncover is revelatory, moving, often funny and always fascinating. Many of our celebrities’ ancestors were caught up in momentous historical events which we are covering for the first time in the series.”

Memorable episodes from recent series have featured the likes of Oscar winner Olivia Colman and Eastenders hard man Danny Dyer, who discovered an unexpected link to both William the Conqueror and King Edward III.

Who Do You Think You Are returns to BBC One this summer

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