Who Do You Think You Are? Series 17

Dame Judi Dench begins her journey by trying to find out how her father won his gallantry medals during the First World War. Her investigations then lead her to 16th-century Denmark. Closer to home, comedian Josh Widdicombe embarks on a rollercoaster ride through his extraordinary family history, including a courtier with very personal access to King Charles I. Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker finds out how her great-great-grandfather worked his way up from child labourer in a Yorkshire coal mine to mine owner. Then, David Walliams learns of his great-grandfather’s traumatic experiences during the First World War, which condemned him to a lifetime in what was then called a lunatic asylum. Actor and Gavin and Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones looks to the sea for her family’s mariner history and uncovers her grandfather's role in the Medical Aid Societies of South Wales, a forerunner of the NHS. Silent Witness actor Liz Carr gets forensic about her family history, investigating her great-great-great-grandfather’s involvement in an attempted murder in rural Northern Ireland in the 1850s. Comedian and presenter Joe Lycett is famous for finding humour everywhere, but he uncovers a darker family history. Meanwhile, presenter and former footballer Alex Scott learns about her Jewish ancestry, and travels to Jamaica for the first time to find the truth about her great-great-grandmother. Across 8 epic episodes, Who Do You Think You Are? Series 17 travels the globe in search of the hidden and forgotten elements of Britain’s sprawling past.