In season seven of Who Do You Think You Are, nine celebrities trace their family trees to explore the lives of their ancestors and uncover major themes in British social history. Who Do You Think You Are? tells the story of Britain through the extraordinary family histories of popular celebrities. In each episode, we join the star as they embark on an intense personal journey to discover their family past, and in turn understand who they truly are, the lives their ancestors lived, and their identity and place in their country’s history.
Celebrities featured in the series include one of Britain’s most durable entertainers; Bruce Forsyth, actor and singer Jason Donovan, who comes from showbiz parents who divorced when he was five and Hugh Quarshie, Holby City actor
Hugh Quarshie was born in Accra, Ghana, but moved to Britain with his parents as a small child. Hugh knows there is Dutch ancestry in his family, a reflection of centuries of Dutch influence on Ghana’s Gold Coast, but doesn’t know where that bloodline began.
Hugh starts by travelling to Ghana to find out more about this mixed heritage. He visits his Uncle Jimmy in Accra. Jimmy is the son of Hugh’s grandfather, William Reginald Phillips. He tells Hugh that his grandfather was a successful businessman, setting up a trading company. So where did he get the money to do this? Jimmy reveals that William’s mother was Anna Kamerling, who was half-Dutch and lived in a town called Elmina.
Hugh travels to Elmina to find the Kamerling House. He discovers a new relative, his Aunt Gertrude, who tells Hugh that his grandfather’s half brother became the chief of Abee. Hugh remembers that his mother used to call herself the Duchess of Abee. What did she mean? Hugh travels to Abee and meets the new chief, who tells him an interesting tale which could solve the mystery.
Hugh decides to travel to the Netherlands to find out if he can go any further with the Dutch side of his family. Here he encounters a whole line of the family tree he never knew he had. He uncovers a love story across time and race that is a microcosm of 19th-century coastal life on the Gold Coast.
Catch ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ on BBC Knowledge on Fridays at 6.30 and 7.30pm on DStv
I went on youtube trying to find this episode with Hugh Quarshie. I didn’t find it but I came across something very interesting. I came across some videos of “Holby City” a British medical drama television series which starrs Hugh Quarshie. One of the episode was set on location Ghana with more than 5 ghanaian actors in it.( Akorfa, Kwame owusu ansah, wakye, and others I can’t think of the name now) I was like wow. Amazing!! Link is below. it has 6 clips.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncOFMH2nPjI
If you are based in the UK I think you can catch the episodes on bbc iplayer. try and check it out. I really love this show makes you think your own back ground and ancestory might not be as straight foward as you think! Like am convinced that my pops ancestory is kinda muddled coz he has dodgey lookin curly hair even though he has cool dark complextion….hmmm who knows! yea I think i watched that Holby city episode when they travelled to Africa. Prob watch again, it’s an old one right?
Ya is an old episode. It was really nice to see some of our actors in there. My grandma used to tell me stories about our mixed heritage(don’t wanna say too much). Most of my aunt’s and uncles have curly hair which they got from my grandma. Most of my cousins too looks like dark-skinned fulanis because of their wavy curly hair and their beautiful smooth skin.
woww..i neva knew dey had dis show…its very interestin pls guys send more vidoes
you can find the other videos for this episode on youtube. It consist of 6 clips and they are right next to each other.
wow they should be showing this in gh. its nice
These are times I wish I had satelite telivision cause I doubt BBCAmerica will show ..the states have a version of this show but with American actors.
I find this history amazing, but very confusing for those who assume the white only came to pillage in Africa. This is why I will never used my last name here cause anytime I mention it people assume I am not an African and when I explain its genesis, I get looks…..my hope is that particular episode will settle and improve people’s knowlege once and for all.
omd!! i did not knw he was a ghanian. but yeah he is in holby city. i watch that every tuesday bbc1. lol