Who Do You Think You Are? backdrop
Documentary•Family

The Worst Episodes of Who Do You Think You Are?

Every episode of Who Do You Think You Are? ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Who Do You Think You Are?!

Binge this in 7d 23h•Peaking at 9.5/10

A British genealogy documentary series in which celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past.

Airs on
BBC OneBBC Two
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons23

All1234567891011121314151617181920212223

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Who Do You Think You Are? Season 8 Episode 10 - Tracey Emin
    3.0/10(46 votes)

    S8:E10

    Tracey knows very little of her maternal line, and is keen to find out more about her East End roots

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 9 Episode 9 - John Barnes
    3.0/10(46 votes)

    S9:E9

    Fifty years after Jamaica gained independence from Britain, former footballer and sports pundit John Barnes sets out to investigate the extraordinary role his grandfather, Frank Hill, played in the island's struggle for self-rule. John discovers how his grandfather became the subject of secret telegrams, and why he was interned by the British during World War Two. John also uncovers how, from being at the heart of Jamaican politics, Frank fell from grace among his political allies.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 10 Episode 7 - Nitin Ganatra
    3.0/10(43 votes)

    S10:E7

    EastEnders star Nitin Ganatra moved to England from Kenya when he was just three years old. Now Nitin has questions about his identity and wants to investigate why his family left Kenya, and why they immigrated to Africa from India in the first place. The trail leads Nitin to Gujurat and his family's ancestral home. Along the way, Nitin makes an emotional and shocking discovery about his mother's family.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 11 Episode 8 - Reggie Yates
    3.0/10(46 votes)

    S11:E8

    Presenter and DJ Reggie Yates grew up knowing very little about his father's side of the family. Reggie sets out on the trail of his grandfather, Harry Philip Yates. His journey takes him to Ghana, where he unravels a complex family history where Ghanaian culture and British colonialism collide.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 9 Episode 7 - William Roache
    3.1/10(38 votes)

    S9:E7

    Actor William Roache has always known that his grandmother, Zillah Waddicor, ran a cafe in Alton Towers in the 1920s and 1930s, long before it became a theme park. But as Bill sets out to discover more about Zillah, whom he remembers as a kindly elderly lady, he is astonished to find out that the cafe was a far more ambitious enterprise and that, while overcoming a challenging personal life, Zillah was a trailblazing entrepreneur. Bill discovers that his great-grandfather James was also an innovative business person, dealing in some very unusual wares in late 19th century Blackpool.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 14 Episode 4 - Adil Ray
    3.2/10(49 votes)

    S14:E4

    Citizen Khan star Adil Ray identifies as Brummie, British, Muslim, Pakistani and African - his mum came to England from newly independent Kenya with her family in 1967. Heading back to east Africa, Adil traces his mixed Asian and African ancestry across Kenya to Uganda. On the trail of rumours of a link to African royalty, Adil meets African relatives for the first time in the traditional kingdom of Buganda and is amazed to discover the truth about his lineage.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Who Do You Think You Are?

    READ
  7. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 7 Episode 3 - Dervla Kirwan
    3.3/10(48 votes)

    S7:E3

    Irish actress Dervla Kirwan became a household name in the hit series Ballykissangel. But she has never spoken about her great-uncle Michael Collins, a national figure who changed Irish history and fought to establish the Irish Free State. Dervla wants to find out how her grandfather Finian, Michael's nephew, fits into the events shaped by his famous uncle.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 7 Episode 8 - Hugh Quarshie
    3.5/10(47 votes)

    S7:E8

    Holby City actor Hugh Quarshie was born in Ghana, but moved to Britain with his parents as a child. He knows there is Dutch ancestry in his family, but doesn't know where the bloodline began. To find out, he visits his uncle in Ghana, where he discovers a new relative and learns some interesting facts about his mother. Finally, he travels to the Netherlands to unravel the truth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 15 Episode 6 - Marvin Humes
    3.6/10(52 votes)

    S15:E6

    DJ, presenter and former member of boy band JLS, Marvin Humes delves into his Jamaican and his English heritage, and finds exceptional stories on both sides of the family. Deep in the Jamaican countryside, Marvin's discoveries about the lives of his black ancestors during the time of slavery turn his expectations upside down. In England, Marvin's follows the trail of his great-grandfather about whom he knows almost nothing. But Marvin's research reveals a hero, who overcame a traumatic childhood to play a part in one of the most dramatic events of the Second World War.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 8 Episode 9 - Len Goodman
    3.7/10(42 votes)

    S8:E9

    Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman investigates his mother's family.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 12 Episode 4 - Jerry Hall
    3.7/10(55 votes)

    S12:E4

    Jerry Hall knows her father’s family originally came from Oldham, but wants to discover how they ended up in America.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 13 Episode 9 - Sunetra Sarker
    3.7/10(52 votes)

    S13:E9

    The actress sets out to explore her Bengali heritage. Starting in Kolkata she learns of her great-grandfather's activism in colonial Bengal. She also learns of her family's involvement in Bangladesh's war of independence.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 15 Episode 5 - Shirley Ballas
    3.8/10(57 votes)

    S15:E5

    Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Shirley Ballas investigates a family story that her maternal great-grandmother abandoned her husband and children for a more exciting life in America. What Shirley discovers casts her great-grandmother in a completely new light. On her father's side, Shirley pursues a rumour that she has black ancestors - a trail which leads her to colonial Cape Town and the era of slave trafficking to South Africa via the Indian Ocean.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 1 Episode 9 - Meera Syal
    3.9/10(55 votes)

    S1:E9

    Meera explores her grandfather's contributions to the struggle for Indian independence and delves into her family's history, including the fall of the Raj, the creation of India and Pakistan.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 2 Episode 6 - Gurinder Chadha
    3.9/10(53 votes)

    S2:E6

    Gurinder Chadha, director of Bend It Like Beckham, grew up in Southall in West London. But she was born in Kenya, and her family's story is tied up with that of the British Empire.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 14 Episode 2 - Craig Revel Horwood
    3.9/10(54 votes)

    S14:E2

    Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood reveals his softer side. Heading to his home town of Ballarat in Australia, Craig investigates what happened to his great-great-great-grandfather who risked everything in the Australian Gold Rush. A visit to his beloved 100-year-old grandmother sends Craig in pursuit of another maverick ancestor. Craig's great-great-grandfather Harry turns out to have been the life of the party and, better still, a fabulous dancer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 14 Episode 9 - Lisa Hammond
    3.9/10(50 votes)

    S14:E9

    Best known as market trader Donna Yates in EastEnders, actress Lisa Hammond wants to get to the bottom of why her paternal grandfather Harry Hammond never spoke about his experiences in World War II. She uncovers the moving story of the trauma he endured and his efforts to overcome it. On her mother's side of the family, Lisa is reassured to discover many generations of London stock as she finds the countryside unsettling. But her relief is short lived as, going further back, her investigations plunge her deep into rural Wales.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 3 Episode 3 - Colin Jackson
    4.1/10(53 votes)

    S3:E3

    Colin's roots extend to Panama, Jamaica and Scotland.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 13 Episode 5 - Ricky Tomlinson
    4.2/10(56 votes)

    S13:E5

    Celebrity genealogy series. Ricky Tomlinson is well-known for playing the archetypal Scouser and it turns out that his Liverpool roots run deep. Ricky discovers that he comes from generations of carters, who transported goods on Liverpool's docks when the city was the British Empire's busiest port. Ricky's rage and sorrow build as he discovers how dangerous conditions were for his ancestors, eerily echoing his own fight for workers' rights in the 1970s.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 16 Episode 7 - Sharon Osbourne
    4.2/10(66 votes)

    S16:E7

    Sharon Osbourne uncovers the difficult circumstances of her mother’s and grandmother’s lives, and is stunned to learn that her great-grandmother was born in the US.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 15 Episode 8 - Jonnie Peacock
    4.3/10(54 votes)

    S15:E8

    Paralympic gold medal winner Jonnie Peacock was named for his maternal grandad, who died the year before he was born. Like Jonnie, his grandad was a sportsman - an excellent amateur footballer scouted by a professional team, only to be thwarted by parental pressure to take a 'proper job' as a painter/decorator. Pushing back down the generations, Jonnie uncovers the legacy of poverty and unexpected disease that led the family to value job security over the beautiful game. On his father's side, Jonnie is captivated by his four-times-great-grandmother, branded a 'bad character' in 1841 by a local village policeman. But Jonnie's further research reveals a strong woman prepared to stand up in court and testify against the men who had wronged her.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 8 Episode 3 - Sebastian Coe
    4.5/10(41 votes)

    S8:E3

    The former Olympic gold medal winner sets out to discover if there is any truth in his grandmother's claims that the family's origins were once quite grand.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 11 Episode 4 - Brendan O'Carroll
    4.5/10(49 votes)

    S11:E4

    Brendan O'Carroll ditches his alter ego, Mrs Brown to turn detective, as he attempts to track down the men who murdered his grandfather at the height of the Irish War of Independence. Brendan never knew his grandfather, who was shot dead before he was born, and the only clues he has to go on are from a newspaper article of the time.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 3 Episode 1 - Barbara Windsor
    4.6/10(64 votes)

    S3:E1

    Barbara Windsor traces her maternal grandfather to the East London docks and finds that his mother was a matchgirl at the Bryant and May factory.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Who Do You Think You Are? Season 8 Episode 1 - June Brown
    4.6/10(59 votes)

    S8:E1

    During her search to find out if she is a real EastEnder, June unravels her Jewish heritage, and discovers how momentous historical events shaped her family's destiny, forcing them to migrate across Europe.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Tracey Emin" is the worst rated episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?". It scored 3/10 based on 46 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/12/2011. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "John Barnes".