Paddy McGuinness is set to make a mind-boggling discovery about his name when he delves into his family history. This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of the BBC ’s most beloved and fascinating shows, Who Do You Think You Are? For two decades, the programme has enlightened viewers about just how brilliantly intriguing genealogy can be. Stars including acting legend Dame Judi Dench , EastEnders’ Danny Dyer and Oscar winner Kate Winslet have taken part in the past to learn more about their ancestry, with episodes ranging from awe-inspiring to tear-jerking.
In the upcoming new series, Paddy will be joining famous figures including Melanie Chisholm , Olly Murs , Rose Ayling-Ellis , Vicky McClure , Gemma Collins and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill as they all learn more about where they came from. As for the Top Gear and Take Me Out star, he’ll find out something about his identity that’ll come as a huge shock. It turns out that the 50-year-old will discover he came close to not being a McGuinness at all.
According to the website House of Names, the original Gaelic form of McGuinness is Mag Aonghusa or Mag Aonghuis, which mean ‘son of Angus’. The other celebrities in the line-up are also in for some big surprises. Singer Olly will find out that he’s not the only performer in his family, as some of his ancestors were actually involved in the circus, Mel C will learn about a political activist in her family, while former Strictly Come Dancing star Rose will be told about.