Doctor Who star Ruth Madeley has shared her thoughts on taking part in the new season of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, saying the genealogy docuseries is the one show she's "always wanted to do".
Madeley, who starred as Shirley Anne Bingham on Doctor Who in 2023 and 2025, weighed in on her fascination for family trees and histories as she addressed her appearance on series 23 of Who Do You Think You Are?, revealing she was originally approached back in 2021.
"This is the one show I've always wanted to do. I'm fascinated by family trees and family histories. I was first approached in 2021, which feels like so long ago, and I remember saying to my dad, 'You'd better not have a boring heritage, or I'll be very upset'," she said.
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Madeley, who stars in an episode airing on 9 July, branded herself a "huge fan" of the show, adding that she "desperately" wanted to discover more about her family on her dad's side.
"I was already a huge fan and desperately wanted to do it. Growing up, me and my sister knew a lot about my mum's side. They were all really close. But on my dad's side, we didn’t really know anything. We weren't as close," she explained.
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"They were more spread out and the relationship felt a bit strange. My dad didn't know anything at all. He just said his mum was quite quiet and had some pictures, but we didn't know anything about her background."
Chiming in, her dad Geoff said that the show "answered a lot of questions".
"I'm also incredibly nosy, so being nosy into my own family is just great," Ruth added.
Prior to filming, the Who Do You Think You Are? team let Ruth and Geoff know that they'd uncovered "sensitive information" about her grandma, Beatrice.
"They told my dad first. The team were incredible and so supportive. When they said they'd found sensitive information, I thought somebody had murdered somebody, but they told my dad his mum was adopted and we had no idea," Ruth said, with Geoff adding: "The duty of care was incredible. We didn't worry about anything going into it."
Ruth said she was "an emotional wreck" when she uncovered the story of Beatrice's mother, her biological great-grandmother, who remained close to her father without revealing her identity.
"I felt really sorry for her. It must have been so hard to stay close and not be able to say who she was," Ruth said.
"But she was smart. As a domestic servant, she knew if she started showing she wouldn't get work. So she went into the workhouse to have Beatrice, where the care was actually very good, stayed for a while, then came out and worked again without anyone knowing. She made the best of it."
"It's really sad. It must have been very hard for her," George said.
Ruth concluded that filming the show was "the best thing I've ever done".
"I was an emotional wreck, but it meant everything to be able to give this to my dad." she said. "We come from a line of incredibly strong women, and it's nice to be able to honour them."
Who Do You Think You Are? airs on BBC One and streams on iPlayer. Ruth Madeley's episode airs on BBC One at 9pm on 9 July and will be available to stream shortly after broadcast.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
