Who Do You Think You Are?: Series 23
Season 23 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Who Do You Think You Are? Season 22.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 23 Progress Shield
Zoë Ball
May 26, 2026 · 57 min
Zoe Ball follows in her ancestors’ footstep in a journey that takes her from Scotland to Cornwall as she uncovers stories of resilience and the importance of family over place.
Amy Dowden
Jun 2, 2026 · 57 min
Strictly dancer Amy Dowden turns amateur sleuth, travelling to west Wales to see if she can discover the truth behind a rumour of murder in her family history.
Joe Swash
Jun 9, 2026 · 58 min
Joe Swash goes in search of his Italian roots. Along the way, he finds stories of murder, banditry, an inspiring political activist and a family bar in southern Italy.
Ruth Madeley
Jul 9, 2026 · 58 min
Ruth Madeley unearths a long-buried family secret about an adoption, and a mystery that requires DNA testing and meticulous genealogical detective work to uncover a lost ancestor.
Toby Jones
Jul 16, 2026 · 57 min
Toby Jones explores an extraordinary acting dynasty on his mum’s side, and he is determined to discover whether his dad’s stories of a connection to India are fact or fiction.
Adeel Akhtar
Jul 23, 2026 · 58 min
Adeel Akhtar wants to know how his ancestors came from India to Kenya and makes a surprising discovery that his roots in the country run deeper than he ever imagined.
Dame Harriet Walter
Jul 30, 2026 · 57 min
In a journey from Whitehall to Italy and Australia, Harriet Walter discovers a colourful cast of ancestors, taking her from the debtor’s court to the opera house via Italian nobili
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Aug 6, 2026 · 58 min
Katarina Johnson-Thompson travels to The Bahamas and Miami in search of her ancestry. She discovers tales of resilience and courage during a period of shocking racial segregation.