About this season
Australian celebrities play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past. Along the way there will be scandal, adultery, pioneers, bushrangers, artists and royalty. Join the trail of discovery to uncover where these celebrities came from as they find out just who they think they are.
Episodes (6)
1. Ron Barassi
Aired 27 September 2009 • 50 min
Footy legend and latter day ‘Knight in Shining Armour’ Ron Barassi has always believed that actions speak louder than words. He embarks on a journey into his ancestry tracing the Barassi family line back to the Victorian Gold Rush and discovers a heart-rending tale of violence, tragedy and redemption.
2. Sigrid Thornton
Aired 4 October 2009 • 50 min
Australian film and TV industry luminary, actress Sigrid Thornton has cornered the market in feisty leading roles. Tonight she embarks on a journey into her ancestry uncovering a genetic tendency to get into trouble with the law.
3. Ben Mendelsohn
Aired 11 October 2009 • 50 min
Bad boy larrikin actor Ben Mendelsohn embarks on a journey into his ancestry to find out if he really is related to the famous composer of the Wedding March - Felix Mendelssohn. He traces the Mendelsohn family line back to the heart of Europe and discovers a thread of musical heritage in surprising quarters as well as a heart-rending tale of success, failure and heartbreak of Dickensian proportions.
4. Christine Anu
Aired 18 October 2009 • 50 min
Singer Christine Anu's ancestry is from the Torres Straits Islands. She’d like to understand why music is so important in her life. Her journey takes her not only to the Torres Straits but to England where she discovers a heritage of music and culture, beyond her wildest dreams.
5. Maggie Beer
Aired 25 October 2009 • 50 min
Celebrity “Country Cook" Maggie Beer is probably best known for being half of the TV duo The Cook and The Chef, as well as for her famous Pheasant Farm Pate. Tonight she embarks on a journey into her ancestry discovering a convict bigamist with a penchant for very tall tales.
6. John Butler
Aired 1 November 2009 • 50 min
Rock star and activist John Butler is searching for his heritage hoping to find poets, musicians and revolutionaries. In his WDYTYA journey John traces the Butler name back through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival. Then he follows his Bulgarian ancestry to the mountain town of Koprivshtitsa and to an ancestor caught up in a violent revolt, central to the birth of a nation.