Who Do You Think You Are? 2023: Release date, celebrity line-up and latest news
The documentary has been a staple on our screens since 2004.
One of the nation’s most beloved documentary series is returning for season 20.
That’s right, folks: Who Do You Think You Are? will soon be back on our screens.
And this time around, the hit BBC One documentary programme will feature a brand new line-up of celebrities embarking on personal journeys as they dive into unknown family ancestry and unearth shocking facts about their heritage.
Kicking off with Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the cast will also follow actress Lesley Manville, comedian Chris Ramsey and former Strictly Come Dancing star Kevin Clifton, to name but a few of the big names who are taking part.
But when exactly will the 20th season begin, and which other celebrities will be guided through their personal pasts? Read on for everything you need to know about the new series of Who Do You Think You Are?.
Who Do You Think You Are? 2023 release date
The first episode of Who Do You Think You Are? season 20 will air on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday 1st June 2023. Eight more episodes will follow every week, which will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer once they’ve been on our screens.
Who Do You Think You Are? 2023 line-up
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Age: 75
Instagram: @andrewlloydwebber
Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber is a composer who is responsible for hit musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Evita and Phantom of the Opera.
Over the years, he has been awarded six Tonys, three Grammys (as well as the Grammy Legend Award), an Academy Award, 14 Ivor Novello Awards, seven Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe, a BRIT Award, the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors, the 2008 Classic BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and an Emmy Award... phew!
Claire Foy
Age: 39
Viewers may know actress Claire Foy from her Emmy-winning role as a young Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix smash hit The Crown.
Last year, she starred in the Oscar-winning film Women Talking.
Bear Grylls
Age: 48
Instagram: @beargrylls
Adventurer Bear Grylls burst onto our screens in 2006 in his series Man vs. Wild, which aired until 2011.
Since then, he has starred in and presented many shows, including survival skills game show The Island, and Running Wild with Bear Grylls, where he took celebrity guests including Barack Obama, Kate Winslet and Ben Stiller on a two-day trip in the wilderness.
Kevin Clifton
Age: 40
Instagram: @keviclifton
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton bowed out of the show in 2020, after winning the series and lifting the Glitterball trophy in 2018 with his now partner Stacey Dooley, who gave birth to their first child in January.
Since leaving the show, Kevin has been enjoying a sparkling career in musical theatre, and has toured the UK in the likes of Rock of Ages, Strictly Ballroom and Singin' in the Rain.
Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Age: 44
Instagram: @drchris_drxand
Identical twin brothers Chris and Xand are medical doctors and science broadcasters.
They have appeared on numerous shows including Trust Me, I'm a Doctor.
Emily Atack
Age: 33
Instagram: @emilyatack
Bursting onto our screens in The Inbetweeners back in 2008, Emily has also appeared on programmes such as Dancing on Ice, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and several of Keith Lemon's comedy shows.
Since 2020, she has starred in her own sketch series, The Emily Atack Show, and will play Sarah Stratton in the upcoming adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel, Rivals.
Dev Griffin
Age: 38
Instagram: @dev
Dev is a British radio presenter, DJ and actor who is most commonly known for presenting Heart's evening show since January 2022.
He is also known for his former weekend afternoon shows on BBC Radio 1.
Chris Ramsey
Age: 36
Instagram: @iamchrisramsey
Comedian Chris's presenting credits include I'm a Celebrity: Extra Camp and the BBC talent series Little Mix: The Search - as well as hosting his own chat show with wife Rosie, with whom he also hosts their award-winning podcast, Sh**ged Married Annoyed.
Chris also went on to reach the semi-finals of Strictly in 2019, finishing in fourth place.
Lesley Manville
Age: 67
Acting royalty - literally, thanks to her role as Princess Margaret in The Crown! - Lesley will also be joining this year's line-up.
Beginning her career in 1972, she is a three-time Olivier winner, as well as being Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated for her work over the years.
Who Do You Think You Are? 2023 episode guide
Fans of Who Do You Think You Are? are no strangers to the programme’s award-winning format - and season 20 promises even more astonishing revelations for the celebrities.
Musical theatre superstar Andrew Lloyd Webber unearths uncanny parallels between his life and the lives of his ancestors, while actor and comedian Emily Atack discovers that she, Ryan Reynolds and a certain football club have a lot more in common than she might ever have guessed.
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Claire Foy finds out that her family were caught up in a murder trial, whereas Lesley Manville learns how an ancestor fighting for workers’ rights ended up paying a very heavy price.
Meanwhile, former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton ends up in one of the most remote places in Canada, and broadcaster and DJ Dev Griffin travels to Jamaica, where he’s surprised by some very personal records about his great-grandparents.
Comedian, podcaster and TV host Chris Ramsey 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.
Twin doctors and presenters Chris and Xand van Tulleken are hot on the trail of their Dutch ancestry, and adventurer Bear Grylls is delighted to end up in the wild, surprisingly through a royal connection.
Who Do You Think You Are? 2023 trailer
A trailer for the upcoming series isn’t available yet, but we’ll be sure to post it here once it is released.
Who Do You Think You Are? starts on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday 1st June at 9pm.
Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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