Eight new prominent Australian personalities trek across the globe to delve into the mystery of their ancestral pasts in a brand-new season of Who Do You Think You Are?, which returns to SBS and SBS on Demand on Tuesday, 7 May at 7.30pm.
n the newest season, Manu Feildel, Miranda Otto and Pat Rafter join the cast of the much-loved genealogy series, following in the footsteps of their ancestors, to understand the global and personal events that shaped their family history. They are joined by Kathy Lette, Wayne Blair, Melissa Doyle, Stephen Curry and Heather Ewart.
Trekking to isolated parts of Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, the USA, New Zealand, and France, they unearth secrets and stories that profoundly change their understanding of their own family, and ultimately their sense of self. Our celebrities delve into a history that is deeply personal yet has universal reverberations.
In the heart-wrenching first episode of the new season, acclaimed chef and TV personality Manu Feildel travels back to France to discover generations of culinary excellence in his mother’s family and reconnects with his father in an emotional reunion.
"The fact that I’ve got that line of 175 years in the food industry, I can only be proud. It’s something that I would be happy to tell everyone about, it’s something I cherish," he says.
Manu Feildel at Chalonnes-sur-Loire, France. Credit: SBS
In episode two, internationally renowned actor, Miranda Otto, from one of Australia’s most celebrated acting dynasties, uncovers a life-changing secret about her dad, Barry Otto. "This journey has definitely changed my perception of my family. I learnt some things that kind of consolidated things I already thought, and there were other things that were shocks to me and certainly there were more secrets in my family than I thought.”
Fierce feminist author, Kathy Lette, sets out on a global quest from Norway to USA to find like-minded formidable female mavericks in her family tree in episode three.
Kathy Lette with historian Todd Braisted, in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. Credit: SBS
She says of the experience, “What surprised me the most was how complicated and interesting my ancestors were. You don’t tend to think of them as living, breathing people but they were dealing with all the same personal issues we deal with. Love, loss, lust and so to put the flesh on their bones as a writer particularly I found absolutely intriguing and compelling.”
In episode four, actor and director Wayne Blair uncovers the little-known story of his Woppaburra ancestors from Queensland’s Keppel Islands and discovers an extraordinary twist in his paternal ancestry. Wayne said, “I think this journey has made my perception evolve about my family and it has become more layered and that’s what I’ve loved the most.”
Wayne Blair explores his family history in 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Credit: Ryan McCurdy
Former World Number One tennis champion Pat Rafter looks to find some rapscallion ancestors in his family tree in episode five. Encountering a fiery troublemaker, he also confronts a violent past.
"On both sides of my family, I found surprises. On my mother’s side they made their way to Gympie and had a real go in the town. And then on my father’s side seeing a real character, a hot-headed Irishman who came to a hot and brutal part of Australia. Vanilla on one side, chaos on the other side," Rafter says.
In episode six, journalist Melissa Doyle sees her family tree come to life as she discovers the first of her paternal ancestors to cross the ocean to Australia, and on her maternal side, to travel to New Zealand. “It’s taken them (my ancestors) from being names in history and on the family tree to actual once upon a time living, breathing, working humans who were doing everything for their family. It’s just brought them to life; it’s definitely taken them from black and white to colour,” she says.
Actor Stephen Curry shakes down his maternal family tree, in episode seven, only to uncover more than he bargained for including a courageous, whistle-blowing goldrush banker. “I appreciate now having answers that I never even knew I was looking for,” he says of the experience.
Stephen Curry with historian Dr Liz Rushen, at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Credit: Ryan McCurdy
In the final episode of the season, award-winning journalist and popular host of the ABC’s Back Roads, Heather Ewart, takes a deep dive into her family’s roots and discovers a religious extremist and a shameful family secret.
Bernadine Lim, SBS Commissioning Editor for Documentaries says of the on-goingly loved series: “Who Do You Think You Are? is one of SBS’s most beloved and successful series. Through the deeply personal stories of some of Australia’s biggest stars, the program explores the universal desire of wanting to understand our past and where we came from. A fascinating and colourful journey that is often described as life-changing for those involved, the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? promises to captivate and entertain.”
Who Do You Think You Are? is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia for SBS.
The brand-new series airs at 7.30pm Tuesdays on SBS and SBS On Demand, starting 7 May. All eight episodes of Season 15 of Who Do You Think You Are? will be available to stream with subtitles in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. All episodes will also be available with audio description.
Head to SBS On Demand to catch up on previous seasons of Who Do You Think You Are?. All episodes have subtitles available in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.
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Who Do You Think You Are? Australia
