The BEST episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? (AU)
Every episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (AU) ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? (AU)!
Some of Australia's most well known faces trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past.
#1 - Toni Collette
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/11/2015
Actor Toni Collette delves into the enigma of her grandparents and uncovers a tale of abandonment and tragedy, a secret wartime affair, and an unexpected ancestor. A DNA test serves only to deepen the mystery.
#2 - Malcolm Turnbull
Season 12 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/15/2021
When Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull opens the book on his family history, curiosity turns to fascination when he discovers a mysterious unclaimed fortune. His family tree becomes an intriguing puzzle as he goes on a mission to answer the burning question, who got the money? Curious about unexplored family lines Malcolm delves into the history of his paternal great-grandmother’s life. Here he unearths a convict tale of survival and resilience. But uncovers a dark family secret that challenges his view on his own existence.
#3 - Liz Ellis
Season 13 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/2/2022
Netball champion Liz Ellis has long dreamed of finding the true identity of her dad's father. Was it the artist Ralph Malcolm Warner, as is rumoured in the family, or was it someone else? Determined to find out, Liz submits to a DNA test with surprising consequences. On her mother's side, Liz traces her great grandmother, Mary Jane Rigney, to an Irish convict who raised his family up from humble beginnings to become pioneers of wheat farming in western New South Wales.
#4 - Denise Drysdale
Season 12 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/22/2021
Denise Drysdale takes a DNA test, and it’s no surprise to find her family hails from Scotland. But it is a shock to discover she also has DNA links to Northern Ireland. Denise finds her maternal 3 times great grandparents, John and Mary Fanning, left Northern Ireland with their children, and miraculously survived an horrific voyage to Australia. On her father's side, Denise uncovers the humour she’s looking for, in her great grandmother Betsy Drysdale, but the flip side of Betsy’s life is one of a sad struggle with alcoholism and despair.
#5 - Jeff Fatt
Season 12 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/29/2021
Jeff Fatt, famous as the Purple Wiggle, knows his Chinese roots go back four generations into Australia’s history, but he wants details of why those ancestors came to Australia and what their lives were like.
#6 - Uncle Jack Charles
Season 12 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/6/2021
Actor, former self-described 'serial pest', and member of the Stolen Generation, Uncle Jack Charles has never known the love of a parent. He will uncover details of the father he never knew, and make connections that will complete the jigsaw of his paternal family. His mother’s ancestral journey will take Jack to Tasmania, where he will discover a dark history and maternal ancestors whose resilience resonates with his own fighting spirit.
#7 - Grant Denyer
Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/13/2021
While looking into his father’s side of the family, television presenter Grant Denyer finds his three times great grandfather, Charles Kennard Ward, at the centre of a shocking secret buried deep in his family’s past. Exploring further on the paternal line, Grant traces roots to the Scottish Highlands where he finds his three times great grandmother, Ann Ross, at the centre of one the most brutal incidents of the Highland Clearances. Driven off their ancestral property, Grant’s ancestors settle in Victoria’s Western District before risking everything for the dream of owning their own land.
#8 - Chris Bath
Season 12 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/20/2021
Setting out to discover if a mysterious Spanish governess actually existed in her Mum’s family, Chris Bath finds instead an adventurer with an entrepreneurial spirit who wasn’t afraid to tread his own path. Chris ventures into country New South Wales and is shocked to discover she has German ancestry. Uncovering the life of her German ancestors, Chris finds solidarity in their mutual love of the land and is deeply moved by the tragic fate of her three times great grandfather.
#9 - Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Season 12 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/27/2021
Singer and actor Natalie Bassingthwaighte says members of her maternal family always hold their cards close to their chest. As a result, Natalie knows little of her family history and has heard only whispers of the uncertain lineage of her beloved Grandmother Gwen. Investigating the truth behind Gwen’s ancestry, Natalie discovers a wellspring of half-truths and heartache. Searching for other secrets in her family’s past, she uncovers tales of murder, suicide and the enduring strength of a mother’s love, while, on her paternal side, Natalie investigates a rumour that an ancestor played piano for Dame Nellie Melba.
#10 - Simon Baker
Season 13 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/21/2022
Exploring his Australian ancestry, actor and director Simon Baker discovers his 3x great grandfather on his mother's side was an Irish orphan who became a pioneering eye surgeon and left an incredible legacy to this nation. On his father's side, Simon traces his ancestry to South Australia's earliest settlers and learns of the epic journey made by his 3x great grandmother as she follows her heart to forge a new future for herself and her children.
#11 - Myf Warhurst
Season 13 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/28/2022
Radio and television broadcaster Myf Warhurst is determined to learn the truth about a 'handshake adoption' in her paternal line. Myf is humbled and proud to learn that although her ancestor's early life was characterised by institutions and, later in life, separation from her own children, she was finally able to find some contentment and security. Myf then delves into her mother's family to discover two bold, adventurous ancestors - her 3x great grandfather who was a vocalist and entertainer during the gold rush, and his daughter, a pioneering entrepreneur who outsmarted her greedy second husband.
#12 - Justin Hodges
Season 13 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/5/2022
On this episode of Who Do You Think You Are? legendary rugby league footballer, Justin Hodges is on a mission to learn more about his indigenous family history. On his mother's side, Justin traces the story of his mysterious great grandmother, from profound dislocation to an astounding family legacy. Following his father's family, Justin journeys to the Torres Strait Islands where he discovers a pioneering and heroic great uncle.
#13 - Dr Chris Brown
Season 13 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/12/2022
Popular vet and TV personality Dr Chris Brown solves a longstanding family mystery and, in the process, discovers a determined and gutsy character in the form of his maternal 3 x great grandmother, Dolean Gilmore. On the other side of his maternal family tree, Chris unearths his charismatic 3 x great grandfather, William Sedgley, whose life was a series of great highs and tremendous lows, culminating in an uplifting conclusion.
#14 - Paula Duncan
Season 13 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/19/2022
Actress and philanthropist Paula Duncan investigates an unexplored line of her paternal ancestry and is confronted by the brutal history of colonial Australia. Delving into her maternal history, Paula's investigation leads her to a mysterious family heirloom. Searching for the origin of the pure gold brooch owned by her great grandmother Margaret O'Brien reveals the moment a life of hardship is turned around by a defining period in Australian history - the Gold Rush.
#15 - Matt Moran
Season 13 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/26/2022
Chef Matt Moran uncovers a convict lineage hailing from Ireland and a disturbing criminal heritage that is broken by one heroic hard working ancestor. On his mother's side of the family, Matt delves into the memory of a 100 year old woman he met as a child. He soon comes to realise this woman was his 2x great grandmother and she lived a life veiled in secrets and lies.
#16 - Sandra Sully
Season 13 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/9/2022
Journalist and newsreader Sandra Sully seeks to understand her family's reverence for war service, and incredibly discovers her maternal grandfather had a previously unknown war experience. On her paternal side, Sandra is curious to find out where her father's strong working-class traits come from. She discovers generations of paternal ancestors whose lives were coloured by poverty and petty crime, but who managed to survive through grit, determination and the love of family.
#17 - Barry Humphries
Season 14 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/2/2023
On this episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are?', comedian Barry Humphries journeys back to 18th Century England and discovers how a royal scandal intersects with his ancestor, a humble, rural grocer. On his maternal side, Barry has long been curious as to why his mother's family history was never discussed. His investigations unearth characters and events that help Barry better understand his mother's difficult character.
#18 - Celia Pacquola
Season 12 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/8/2021
When Celia Pacquola digs into her beloved mum’s family, she finds her three times Scottish great grandfather, John Rae, was Sydney’s first Town Clerk, and his talent as a landscape painter was of historic significance. She learns of the romance and tragedy of John Rae’s life in Sydney, and how that spurs him on to create a lasting legacy for future generations of Australians.
#19 - Troy Cassar-Daley
Season 11 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/7/2020
On a quest to to find his ancestral homeland, country music icon Troy Cassar Daley will finally bridge the gap between his two cultural worlds.
#20 - Julie Bishop
Season 11 - Episode 7 - Aired 6/30/2020
Australia’s first female Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, has always had a love for the world, and she’s now on a mission to discover where she inherited her globetrotting, adventurous spirit from.
#21 - Kat Stewart
Season 11 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/23/2020
Kat Stewart’s stable and loving upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of ethics, and it’s with this belief that she goes on her ancestral journey, seeking characters who were both principled and just a little bit colourful. She’ll soon discover a strong Irish woman who experienced her fair share of tragedy, and an Englishman who had a pioneering role during a contentious time in Colonial Australia.
#22 - Denise Scott
Season 11 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/16/2020
Comedian Denise Scott’s search to find the truth about a dark family secret brings surprising results, while her Dad’s family tree produces a highly unconventional ancestor. On her maternal side, she uncovers dark secrets, and closes a chapter on a long-standing family cover-up.
#23 - Lisa Curry
Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/9/2020
When swimmer Lisa Curry delves into her maternal family past, she finds hard working German immigrants who risked everything to become the masters of their own destiny in Queensland. Lisa’s distant relationship with her late father had a profound effect on her life. But by tracing his life and her paternal ancestors in war-torn Ireland, Lisa comes to terms with who her father was, and finally gets to farewell him in her own way.
#24 - Cameron Daddo
Season 11 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/2/2020
Long intrigued by the origins of his surname, actor Cameron Daddo travels across the globe to the Channel Islands and discovers a thousand years of noble ancestors. Meanwhile, his mother’s lineage, though devoid of noble origins, reveals a surprising parallel to his father’s. Cameron will discover both sides of his family feature love stories of staggering proportions.
#25 - Bert Newton
Season 11 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/26/2020
Veteran entertainer Bert Newton discovers the father he never knew was a true patriot who devoted his life to his country. His maternal grandmother Alice leaves a lasting impression of a woman of great fortitude who fought for women’s rights and was surrounded by the love of her children, despite the criminal neglect of her husband.