Who Do You Think You Are?

Famous Families

Nigella Lawson's dad was the Chancellor of the Exchequer and her mum was heiress to the Lyons Coffee House dynasty. This relatively prominent background meant that Nigella already knew quite a bit about her heritage. Nevertheless, her research rapidly drew her into a fascinating journey across Europe to uncover her Jewish roots. Nigella also learned that her ancestors were a disparate lot. They included upstanding members of the community and fugitives from the law.

Testing Time

A DNA test was the lynchpin of Colin Jackson's investigation into his family background. Colin's parents emigrated to Britain from Jamaica in the 1960s. The DNA test revealed how complex a Jamaican heritage can be. As well as Sub-Saharan African and European blood, Colin's genetic make-up also contained a "native American" element. His research in Jamaica suggested that this derived from the Taino people, who were the island's indigenous inhabitants. Colin's emotional family odyssey also revealed a 19th-century freed slave and a man who helped build the Panama Canal.

Desert Heritage

Julia Sawalha's father settled in Britain during the 1950s after emigrating from Jordan. His forbears were Bedouins – nomadic tribespeople who lived in the desert. Julia's maternal lineage is just as fascinating. She was able to document several generations, confirming a long-held suspicion that her mother's family were Huguenots, Protestant refugees who fled France to avoid persecution. Julia's ancestor, Daniel Dubock, escaped from Normandy at the end of the 17th century. His descendants made their home in east London, first as silk weavers and then as grocers.