New Series of Who Do You Think You Are

[LaliqueSaltGrinder]

Anyone watching? I liked the Zoe Ball episode, interesting story on both sides ofher family and she came across very well.

The Amy Dowden one was interesting but there was a fair amount of her leaping to conclusions such as people being hard working, or the motives for murder when there was no evidence for it. She did come across as very engaged with it all though.

My grandmother (apparently, according to family gossip) got involved with a married man when she was 20. He promised he was going to marry her, and that's how he persuaded her into bed and I think this was hugely common. So the women and girls weren't so worried about getting pregnant because they thought they were getting married anyway.

My grandmother got pregnant in 1920, kept the baby even though the man was not to be seen for dust. I have no idea how she managed, because she was cut off by all her family (except her sisters who kept seeing her in secret).

I'd say that yes, that sounds like a fairly common story, but one which you will never be able to prove one way or the other.

I'm watching the Adeel Akhtar episode now. Why does he keep pronouncing Nairobi as narrowby? Took me a while to realise that's what he meant. The local historians seem to be saying Ny-robi.

I watched Adeel’s episode yesterday and was also a bit confused. I think he uses the Swahili pronunciation which he might have heard all his life from relatives who live in Kenya / his mum. The local historians might have been told to use the English pronunciation since the show was being made for an English audience. But producers can’t tell the subject of the show how to pronounce the name of the city where his ancestors were!

Perhaps someone on here with a Kenyan background can confirm the Swahili pronunciation?

I wondered too about the pronunciation of Nairobi while watching.

I was born there, it is NOT narrowby!

Oh! The it seems a very odd thing to mispronounce a city name that is a key part of the show’s content.

Have you ever heard anyone pronounce it like that before?

This is what I googled yesterday as I was curious when watching. I assumed Adeel was just mangling the Swahili pronunciation which says the a sound is short. Although this is an AI explanation and I didn’t spend 11 minutes watching the linked you tube video.

this evening’s episode (Dame Harriet Walker) is one of my favourites ever has a bit of everything and just a fascinating family history. And some beautiful interior decoration

I never knew she was so well connected. Christopher Lee being your uncle.

My dad was born there and never pronounced it like that. He left in the 60s though so I was wondering if they had changed it to a less anglicised pronunciation since then. My mum was born in Mumbai and still calls it Bombay!

Harriet Walker’s WDYTYA was so interesting and that was just her mother’s side.
I am sure her father’s side with iThe Times newspaper background would also be very interesting.
The interiors of places she visited were stunningly beautiful.
I would have liked to have learned more about Maria’s life back in the UK when she retired.
Wasn’t Harriet’s mother so beautiful. And what secrets re the war she held through her life.

I missed the bit about HW’s mother — what was the secret? (I’m outside the UK so no access to iplayer so can’t rewatch!)

She worked in Naval Intelligence and was very involved in the planning and helping in the execution of the DDay Landings. She was, iirc in her early twenties at the time. She never spoke of it - Official Secrets Act and all that. She said she had done secretarial work there. Harriet felt her father and stepfather never credited her mother for her intelligence. But Harriet now is in awe of what she did during the war.

Thank you!

Where are all the old WDYTYA episodes?

You can find the last 5 years of episodes or so on Iplayer and there’s some of the American series on there too

Anyone watching Katarina Johnson Thompson? I've found this really interesting. What a fascinating family history she has.

Yes I watched it @SwedishEdith
It was very interesting.
Isn’t Katarina herself amazing.
As someone who who can hardly run for a bus or jump over a very low wall, I’m in awe of those who compete in a Heptathlon.

Having watched the series, I think it was, in comparison to previous ones, a bit dull.

Who would you like to see on it?

I think the focus on one small story can be risky as I often think 'what are they missing out in?'. I also don't think there were any Holocaust stories this time which, I think, may have been a deliberate choice as there was, at least, one in every series.

Assuming they'd agree to be on it, I'd like to see:
Cathy Burke
Claudia Winkleman
Cliff Richard
Charlie Stayt

I'm trying to think of bigger names with interesting surnames 😀

I thought Cliff Richard always strongly denied any Indian heritage so he's not going to go on it just in case the rumours are proved right!

I have always found the ones where people trace family lost in the Holocaust to be so so interesting. It makes a huge part of history feel very personal and relatable. I remember Jerry Springer in particular.

That's why I'd love Cliff to go on but, as you say, there's no way he would.

I’m sure he has Anglo Indian ancestry.

Yes I thought she is a very impressive young woman. Clara was also a beautiful and strong woman. She has her genes.