“Some of the reluctance to look back in my history has been my wanting to disown my Chinese ancestry…racism that I experienced made me hate being Chinese.” – Charlie Teo
“I think all families have secrets but I have to say, this is a doozy.” – Patti Newton
“I would like to identify as an Irish Catholic Russian Jew…I mean that’s a good combination!” – Justine Clarke
Join eight of Australia’s most familiar faces as they trace back their ancestry to figure out who they really are.
Noni Hazlehurst, Patti Newton, Todd McKenney and Justine Clarke join the season nine cast of SBS’ celebrated genealogy series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? which investigates the ancestry of prominent Australians. The all-new eight-part series, also starring Charlie Teo, John Jarratt, Ernie Dingo and Natalie Imbruglia, premieres on SBS on Tuesday 17 April, 7.30 pm.
High-profile personalities hunt through global archives to uncover the stories of their ancestor’s pasts and piece together their own family tree. As the family histories of these outstanding Australians unfold, a rare insight into their lives behind the cameras, off-stage and outside of the operating room emerges.
The stories in season nine of WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? uncover surprising and unlikely tales of child stars performing in 19th Century India, working class heroes fighting battles against Napoleon and how the fall of the iron curtain divided a family. One performer discovers stories of romance and heartbreak in her family of travelling acrobats, while another’s unknown ties to Chinese ancestry is revealed, and another participant is shocked to learn of a dark family secret involving infanticide.
As the trail of their ancestry takes the eight Australian celebrities around the world to Belarus, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, the UK, and closer to home in Norfolk Island and all around Australia, these emotional tales reflect the diversity of Australia and our evolution into the cultural melting pot of today.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? discovers the unknown ancestry of eight well-known Australian personalities, and in turn the multicultural identity that continues to define Australia.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia for SBS.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? airs at 7.30pm Tuesdays on SBS, starting April 17, and on SBS On Demand.
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