Cold Feet star uncovers relative's illegal past in stunning discovery
Irish actor James Nesbitt and British actress Sarah Parish are set to explore their roots in the exciting new series of DNA Journey With Ancestry. Known for their prolific careers on television, with James' renowned role in Cold Feet and Sarah's in Cutting It marking their first encounter, the duo have maintained a friendship for over two decades.
Both James and Sarah have weathered the loss of their parents recently, igniting a shared desire to connect deeper with their familial pasts. Sarah reminisces about her mother's wise words, "My mum always used to say, ‘Life will never give you anything that you can’t cope with’," reflecting a longing to understand her lineage better, "I so badly just want to dig a little bitdeeper to find out, where did that come from?".
James, having lost his mother in 2011 and his father in 2020, expresses a heartfelt wish: "In a way I wish my mum and dad were here to see me go on the journey, but I suppose they will be with me in a sense. But also they’re never that far away, if I look into the album of my memory, they’re there pretty bright."
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Admiration flows as Sarah recounts her late mother Thelma's career as a headteacher, only to discover through her journey that a penchant for education is deeply rooted within her family tree. Sarah learns about a great grand-uncle, eliciting an emotional response, "It’s such a shame my mum is not with us anymore because that would have made her life," she expresses earnestly, "She would have been so moved."
Meanwhile, James faces a mix of disappointment and lack of surprise when he uncovers his great grandfather's knack for skirting the law, having operated an illicit pub in Ireland in the late 1800s. Their adventure doesn't stop there, as they later venture to France to uncover more about their ancestry.
James' ancestors who fought in the Battle of the Somme. As they arrive at Ulster Tower and walk through the memorial, James becomes emotional, stating, "I’m literally walking in the footsteps of my grandfather."
James’ grandfather was held as a prisoner of war, and the final surprise for James is when he discovers that his own father created a written legacy of his grandfather’s experience and donated them to Linen Hall Library in Ireland.
"I’m overwhelmed," confesses James. "The eight year- old boy wondered, ‘Was he a hero? ’ and I’m delighted that that eight-year-old boy is now sitting in front of you finding out that he was indeed a heroic man."
Watch DNA Journey With Ancestry on Wednesday 23 October, 9pm, ITV1
