I have to say, ordinarily, I’m not a huge fan of this show. I’ve never quite seen the appeal of watching someone else discover their ancestral roots, but my opinion changed during last night’s first outing of the new series in which Davina McCall climbed her family tree and discovered some of the branches from which her own genetic acorn fell.

And what extraordinary branches they were! Davina’s mother – from whom she was sadly estranged – was French, and Davina’s maternal great grandfather, it turned out, was Celestin Hennion, who was not only Head of the French police but also an unwavering advocate for the morally right and just.

He unflinchingly defended a man who was accused of being a traitor, and even though that allegiance could’ve ultimately destroyed Celestin and all he’d built by way of a career, he stood for what he believed in and stood by those he believed in. Read more & comment »