Dame Harriet Walter among stars in new series of Who Do You Think You Are?

Dame Harriet Walter, Zoe Ball and Joe Swash are among the stars who will explore their family histories in a new series of Who Do You Think You Are?.

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden, Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson and award-winning actor Adeel Akhtar will also take part in the Bafta-winning genealogy show when it returns to BBC One this spring.

The documentary series will feature actors Ruth Madeley and Toby Jones in its latest instalment, and will follow the eight celebrities as they explore their ancestry and discover their family histories.

Dame Harriet will uncover a family member’s secret intelligence role during the Second World War as she digs into her history, and will also learn more about the life of one of her noble Italian ancestors.

Radio DJ Ball will explore her Scottish and Cornish roots as she discovers stories of hardship, tragedy and survival, while former EastEnders star Swash will explore his Italian heritage.

The actor will travel across the country, from Little Italy to southern Italy, as he unearths a family tale of outlaws and crime.

Strictly professional Dowden will try to crack the case of a family murder, with her investigation leading her to a west Wales farmhouse and a valley named after her ancestor.

As the Welsh dancer delves deeper into her roots, she will also uncover an emotional story with parallels to her own life.

Olympic athlete Johnson-Thompson will explore her Bahamian roots in the Exuma Islands, and will follow her family’s migration to Miami during a time of racial segregation amid the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.

Elsewhere, Akhtar will unearth a family secret as he traces his Indian-Kenyan roots to a sea voyage from Indian city state Gujarat.

The Murdered By My Father star, 45, will also discover his ancestors’ key role in the foundation of Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Meanwhile actress Madeley, known for Years And Years, will discover a family secret about an adoption, which entails DNA testing and genealogical work to uncover a lost ancestor.

Jones will investigate a family rumour, which will take him to Meerut in north India – the city where his great-great-grandfather was stationed with the British Army – as he makes a discovery about his lineage.

Simon Young, BBC head of commissioning, history, said: “This series never fails to astonish and surprise.

“And in all of the hidden histories it uncovers – aided by the generosity and openness of a simply exceptional cast – we can find a sample of the incredible richness and diversity that makes up modern Britain.

“Who Do You Think You Are? is social history that brings us all together.”

Colette Flight, executive producer for Wall to Wall Media, said: “Who Do You Think You Are? returns with eight more of our best-loved celebrities investigating secrets and solving mysteries in their family trees.

“Travelling across the UK and the globe, we see their astonishment, delight, laughter and tears as they discover how the incredible stories of their ancestors have shaped their family, and them.

“Along the way they learn about the dramatic social forces and historical events that impacted their families, from Victorian silent prisons to the American civil rights movement, from Italian brigands to bankruptcy.”

The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? launches on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this spring.