Who Do You Think You Are? with Chris Ramsey will be on BBC One on Thursday 20 July, 2023. Stream it later on BBC iPlayer.

Comedian Chris Ramsey draws huge audiences to his live comedy shows and also presents a podcast and TV show with his wife Rosie about the trials and tribulations of being married with children.

From a South Shields working-class family, Chris feels he has a charmed and lucky life and wonders if his ancestors were so fortunate.

He starts by investigating his great grandad, Dryden Gordon Young, who fought in WW1. A trip to the military base in Dorset where Dryden trained, reveals he fought at Gallipoli, one of the deadliest campaigns of the war. After surviving Gallipoli, Dryden’s luck takes a different turn as he avoids fighting on the Western Front due to a nasty case of scabies and, after being captured becomes a Prisoner of War in Germany. Despite being involved in some of the most dangerous events of the war, incredibly Dryden survived to continue the family line.

Chris discovers more good fortune in his family when he learns about his Grandad Alf Ramsey, who served in the Navy in WW2. A trip to HMS Belfast reveals the freezing and dangerous conditions that Alf endured during his work on the Arctic Convoys, transporting vital supplies from Britain to Russia via the Arctic Ocean. After surviving German bombers and sub-zero temperatures, Alf later became one of the first British servicemen to witness the devastating aftermath of atomic warfare in Japan.

By tracing his family further back, Chris discovers his lucky streak goes back centuries with the curious story of his 5 x great grandparents Gabriel & Ann’s experiences at London’s British Lying-In Hospital. One of the few places where poorer women could give birth in safer and more sanitary conditions, it was extremely difficult to secure a place there. In the late 18th century when his 5-x great grandmother Ann was pregnant, only those lucky enough to pass a rigorous interview and then win a lottery were able to give birth there and help ensure their children a better start in life.

By the end of his journey, Chris’s sense of good fortune is firmer than ever. He’s here because of a long line of brave and determined ancestors, all helped along by a healthy dose of good luck.