‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ reveals who’s taking part in Season 19

The next line-up of famous faces joining Who Do You Think You Are? has been confirmed.

BBC One’s hit genealogy series returns soon with a nineteenth season!

Exploring their family history this year are The Bletchley Circle star Anna Maxwell Martin, Pointless legend Richard Osman, Ralf Little from Death in Paradise, and not one but two Bake Off presenters, Sue Perkins and Matt Lucas.

We’re promised “stories of bravery, loss, heartbreak, sacrifice, resilience and joy filtering down through the generations” in the five new episodes.

Executive producer Colette Flight commented: “Who Do You Think You Are? is back with another line-up of Britain’s best loved celebrities delving into their family trees, taking us from Brighton to Berlin, Manchester to Amsterdam, and Scotland to Lithuania.

“In an extraordinary array of stories they uncover a Victorian murder trial, personal tragedy, sporting triumph, and families fleeing for their lives and caught up in the tide of war. The stories are at once unique and universal – a reminder of our shared history and how it has shaped who we are today.”

Carl Callam, BBC Commissioning Editor for Documentaries, added: “It’s great to see some of our most loved celebrities trace their family history through these remarkable journeys, and their compelling stories. It’s such an extraordinary series, one that has story and heart at the centre, with a real resonance that brings history to life and shines a light on who and where we are now.”

The first episode sees comedian Sue Perkins explore the poignant story of her orphaned grandfather and a great grandfather interned as an ‘enemy alien’ during World War I.

Coming up in the new season, Richard Osman discovers that one of his ancestors was entangled in a notorious murder trial, Matt Lucas retraces his Jewish grandmother’s journey to the UK from Germany in 1939, Anna Maxwell Martin finds out a harrowing story of separation in her grandfather’s childhood, and Ralf Little is thrilled to learn of a footballing legacy.

Season 19 begins in the UK at 9pm on Thursday 26th May on BBC One – although there’ll be a one-week gap due to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee the following week.

The new episodes are expected to premiere in the US later this year on BritBox.

The official Who Do You Think You Are? book ‘Encyclopedia of Genealogy’ is available on Amazon.