Who do You think You are?

I know what you mean Sparklefizz. I also wonder if it all comes as a complete shock to them, especially when they meet with their family members to look at old photos that they've 'never seen before'. I can't believe you get to middle age without ever having discussed your family and ancestors with your parents!

One thing I always wonder - do these people really not know that infant mortality rates were very high, even in our grandparents' days, let alone 200+ years ago? Do they not realise how difficult life was back then? 3 of my Dad's brothers died before he was born from things like Measles and Bronchitis .....they were hard up but not living in extremely poor circumstances which might have made the deaths more likely, but obviously far fewer medications and less access to doctors.

To give the celebrities the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they express surprise just for the cameras.

I thought it an interesting episode but oh dear! KW was needlessly over dramatic which spoilt it somewhat for me.

Yes, we said something on the lines of never would have guessed she was an actress. The large families and high infant mortality of old couldn’t have come as such a complete surprise to her, though of course some of the revelations were very sad. We still thought it was an interesting episode though.

Actually, DH said the same Luckygirl - "she's so dramatic"..I said "well, she is an actor, dahling"

Interesting - I must be a crabby old bat, as I found KW very irritating indeed and thought her responses to each revelation were OTT and contrived. Ah well; each to his own!

I enjoyed this episode much more than I thought I would too and found it very moving in parts.

It was funny when she dropped the drum stick - I thought 'oh, she's human like the rest of us!'

Forever known as Kate Windswept chez nous, since Titanic.

I am not a fan of Kate Winslet at all and imagined she would be all "luvvie", but actually I enjoyed this episode more than the others in this series. She was engaging and interesting, and made intelligent comments.

It really was. I'm not a fan of KW at all but it was very interesting and moving.

Kate Winslet tonight was so interesting. The English Rose par excellence, and she is Swedish and Irish. She is very natural and was quite moved.

Grandma - I’ve been back to the 1700s on my mum’s side. Maternal side lived in one small town for generations then moved to Glasgow. Paternal side lived as tenant farmers in the Highlands for generations then one son moved to Glasgow because the farm was being sold. Interesting enough for me but hardly riveting for anyone not connected to the family! When I get some spare time I’ll do my dads side - maybe there’s something more interesting there.

I so agree POGS

Another who surprised me was Jeremy Paxman, one moment of anger when an ancestor,a widow with children had her parish relief stopped because she became pregnant.

I find programmes such as WDYTYA easy viewing and there have been some very interesting family histories surfaced. I am thinking of Boris Johnson, Barbara Windsor, Jerry Springer, Carol Vorderman, Jeremy Clarkson and many more.

I think the history of the Whitehalls was another interesting programme not only for their family ties but in relation to the history of the politics of ' that era'. None of us can be held responsible for what our forebears did but they took it on the chin.

The fact is some who have watched the father son double act over time understand how they function, how they take the Micheal out of each other, usually Jack over his dad who is the dead pan character usually with strong views of which his son often does not share. They obviously have a strong bond humour wise and family wise.

If you know nothing of them you will judge by what you see and that can distort what was happening by them using their usual natural form of banter/dry humour to counterbalance the feeling of embarrassment about what the programme raised in relation to their forebears. It was patently clear to me for example Jack Whitehall was not ignorant of matters about the Transportation to a Penal Colony as somebody mentioned, it was his style of dry humour to ease the situation of what he had just heard about hang, drawn and quartered and what had happened. You either get that or you don't, as always each to his/her own.

I take my hat off to those who engage in the programme, for better or for worse!

No, not me, Grandma2213! Nor DH.

Anniebach and SirChenjin, as I said, I am sure I would be fascinated by your ancestors and many others interested in social history would be too. Our predecessors and ourselves make the world what it is after all! Only a few, through luck (or money) become celebrities and I remember programmes which have shown some of their ancestors rising and falling, often into the workhouse, in those days!)

As you say Callistemon 'You never know what (or who) you will find!' Are you famous, if you were selected for the programme?

You never know what (or who) you may find!

Mine wouldn’t be interesting either. I like finding out about the various celebrities and just switch off the ones I’m not keen on

I found mine fascinating, the country wouldn’t.

I wish they would have just members of the public, with an interest in tracing their ancestors. These stars have the cash to do their own searches. This weeks duo was not enjoyable for me, they made jokes and snide remarks, just a big joke, uncomfortable viewing.

I found both DH's and mine fascinating but some of that was discovered via research for a WDYTYA programme, never broadcast.
You may be surprised what you find if you search online newspapers.

Sparklefizz I honestly think I would still be interested in other people's lives especially as we go further back in time. Maybe this is just being nosy but times have changed so much it is fascinating to me to see how people lived and what was acceptable in their time. Perhaps I am so boring myself I need to identify with others who were the same! I am sure there would always be surprises if we looked deep enough.

Did he SirChenjin ? ? He has a great sense of humour.

‘Find My Past’ are recommending the programme for viewing,

Jack Whitehall has advertised the programme on his Twitter account as "if you hate social reform and voters rights but love syphilis and blood sports my ancestors are going to be right up your street"

I really enjoyed the Jack Whitehall one. I really do hope it is an act on Whitehall snr's part! He seemed quite put out about his lunatic relative.

I watched the Whitehall one last night and enjoyed it. I possibly watched a bit closer than normal due to reading the comments on here and noticed that many times Michael purposely tried to stop smiling or laughing.
I assume they play good cop bad cop with each other and they appear to be very close.
I was interested in the Chartist link and also had a look for Frost.
Quite good entertainment.