Jerry Hall has returned to her Texan roots for the new series of BBC documentary Who Do You Think You Are?
The 59-year-old model and actress, who was formerly married to Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, discovered she is connected to US pioneer and explorer Daniel Boone when she took part in the 12th series of the genealogy show.
Jerry Hall appears in Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC)
The mother-of-four, who was born and raised in Texas, was inspired to find out more about her family history after the death of her mother Marjorie in 2013, with her interest sparked when she found a wooden chest full of papers and photographs.
Her investigations into her mother’s family uncovered her ancestors’ pioneering roots as they blazed a trail west across America at the time of the Frontier, before unveiling a connection to original pioneer and American hero Boone.
Jerry also found out how her father’s side ended up in Texas from Oldham in Lancashire, with her journey taking her from the cotton mills of Lancashire to the Texan plains.
Paul Hollywood (Ian West/PA)
She is one of the celebrities discovering her family’s past in Who Do You Think You Are? alongside The Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood, actors Derek Jacobi and Mark Gatiss, and actresses Anne Reid, Frances de la Tour and Jane Seymour.
Choirmaster Gareth Malone, BBC journalist Frank Gardner and TV presenter Anita Rani will also delve into their family histories.
Not sure what I was doing to Bezza pic.twitter.com/z8aQ4GLI1g
— Paul Hollywood (@PaulHollywood) July 19, 2015
Paul, who reprises his judging role alongside Mary Berry in the new series of the BBC baking show, got emotional as he found out more about his maternal grandfather, Norman Harman, who served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the Second World War.
The 49-year-old chef shed tears when he discovered that having survived extraordinary danger in Tunisia, his grandfather found himself in the middle of an even more treacherous battle when he was sent to Italy as part of the Allied invasion force.
Norman ended up stranded on the beaches at Anzio, surrounded by Germans – with nowhere to hide.
“For me that was quite moving. Because I knew him and he was very close to me so I think finding his story and what he did, because he rarely spoke about it really,” Paul said.
“I did break down in Anzio because it just touched a nerve with me about my granddad who has post traumatic [stress disorder]. That got to me because I didn’t realise… I didn’t realise he went through the whole of Italy. Literally he went through Anzio through the whole country. I just found that unbelievably shocking. It was emotional.”
The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? begins on BBC One on August 13.
