A University historian and genealogist helps trace the DNA ancestry of well-known celebrity pairs in a new prime-time ITV series.
Dr Michala Hulme, Lecturer in Public History at Manchester Metropolitan University, is history expert featuring in the three-part DNA Journey.
Famous duos embark on life-changing road trips to discover their family history using cutting-edge DNA technology and genealogy, as well as meeting living relatives they never knew existed.
Dr Hulme appears in the first episode featuring sporting legends Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp, revealing to the Lancashire and England cricket star his surprising Viking roots. She will also feature later in the series when TV personalities Amanda Holden and Alan Carr and father-son duo Martin and Roman Kemp discover more about their past.
Dr Hulme said: “It was fantastic to take part in ITV’s DNA Journey, which demonstrates in such an entertaining way the huge interest we all have in understanding where we come from. It was a pleasure to share new, sometimes shocking, discoveries with such high-profile names throughout the series. Viewers will enjoy the surprises and heart-warming moments that come as a result.
“We are all curious about our ancestors, and programmes like DNA Journey only increase that curiosity. I would encourage anyone thinking of starting to look into their family history to get online and get started.”
It is the latest expert TV appearance for Hulme, who has previously featured on BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are? and last year was a guest and historic consultant on Channel 4’s Great British Towns. Hulme’s personal research interests include living and dying in Victorian Britain, with a particular focus on the experience of the working classes, crime and street gangs, and she has published two books on the ‘grim’ side of Manchester history.
It was a pleasure to share new, sometimes shocking, discoveries with such high-profile names throughout the series. Viewers will enjoy the surprises and heart-warming moments that come as a result
In the first DNA Journey episode, Flintoff and Redknapp travel across the North and to London’s East End, revealing the cricketer’s surprising links to Tottenham Hotspur – before Dr Hulme finally reveals how Flintoff’s DNA explains how Lancastrian he really is.
The episode is available via catch-up on the ITV Hub, and episode two featuring Holden and Carr airs at 9pm on Wednesday March 17.
