Joe Lycett talks about taking part in genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?. In the programme he sets out to research his family history, starting out with his Edwardian great-grandad, a member of the fraternal RAOB organisation in Nottingham. Things get darker with his two-times great-grandad Robert Wilkinson, a boy chimney sweep in the 1850s. He learns his ancestor eventually joined the Royal Marines and travelled the world – but his story did not end well.

How did you find the experience of being on WDYTYA?

Terrifying and fascinating in equal measure. The producers are very smart in not telling you anything until you are on camera, so everything was a surprise. Sometimes surprises are nice. Sometimes they’re not!

Is tracing your family tree something you were interested in prior to coming on the show?

Absolutely. My family had done a little research already but hit a few walls. We learned some genuinely fascinating stuff.

Did you have any worries when coming onto the show about what you might uncover?

Obviously you worry you come from a long line of bad eggs. The reality is much more complicated.

Do you think it’s important for people to learn about their family history?

Learning about your own history gives you perspective on your own life and journey. It also gives you lessons in history you might not have had otherwise. I learned about things in the past that I’d probably never have known about.

One of the main figures you…