Freddie and Jamie go on a real DNA Journey

Wednesday: DNA Journey; (ITV, 9pm)
Freddie Flintoff and Jamie RedknappFreddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp
Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp

In 2019, Ant and Dec explored their family trees in the two-part documentary Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey. Using a mix of genealogy and, as the title suggests, DNA, they learned more about their roots, uncovered relatives they never knew existed, and even found out that they are distant cousins.

It seems they enjoyed it so much, they are now giving other pairs of celebrity pals (and in once case relatives) the chance to do the same in this series, which has been coproduced by the duo’s own company.

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Ant and Dec said: “DNA Journey was such an incredible experience for us. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster of a show and this new series doesn’t disappoint.”

Over the coming weeks, we’ll see TV personalities Amanda Holden and Alan Carr and father-and-son duo Martin and Roman Kemp setting off on road trips to find out the secrets contained in their individual DNA. If you didn’t see Ant and Dec’s documentary, perhaps think of it as Who Do You Think You Are? with a dash of the new BBC2 series DNA Family Secrets, which began last week, thrown in.

We’re promised some fascinating revelations. We’ll find out whose family emigrated to Canada after just missing out on a place on the doomed Titanic, and which famous face’s ancestor was involved in the biggest robbery of 1840.

It also turns out that another celeb’s ancestor received a prestigious award from a King, while another is related to a former British strong man.

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According to Kathleen Larkin, Executive Producer at Voltage TV: “This series brings joy, warmth and a bit of escapism to the screen. You’ll laugh, cry and be gobsmacked at the spooky coincidences that run through our favourite celebs’ family DNA.”

The first celebrities to take the plunge are sporting legends Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp. The pair have hit the road together in the past for A League of Their Own spin-offs, but this programme will be unlike anything they’ve ever done before. They’ll be guided along by expert genealogists and historians who, using cutting edge DNA technology and research, will unlock the mysteries of their family history.

There’s always the danger they may discover something they would have preferred to stay hidden – Top Gear host and proud Lancastrian Freddie is most worried about finding a link to Yorkshire. So, should he be concerned when their north-south road trip takes them to the Wakefield Mining Museum, where a surprise and a royal connection lay in store?

Jamie’s history could contain an even bigger bombshell as he heads to the East End to learn more about a notorious mystery that has remained unsolved for generations. Of course, many viewers already have an insight into Jamie’s family background as his dad is former football manager Harry Redknapp. So, when the lads visit Tottenham Hotspur, a club that Harry once managed, some might think they know where this is going. However, there’s a revelation in store.

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