Stephen Mangan's ancestors won't be featured on Who Do You Think You Are? because they're 'too boring'
Other celebrities scrapped from the show over "boring" ancestors include Michael Parkinson, Eamonn Holmes and Cherie Blair
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Stephen Mangan has joined an illustrious club of celebrities whose ancestor’s story was apparently “too boring” to fill an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?.
The comedian – best known for playing Dr Guillaume Secretan in Green Wing – was reportedly rejected after the BBC series’ production team discovered that his family all hail from the same location.
A source told the Mail on Sunday that “researchers had to give up when they found out all of his ancestors were from the same place in Ireland”.
Previous celebrities to have had their stories rejected by the series, which delves into a selected person’s ancestry, include Michael Parkinson, Eamonn Holmes and Cherie Blair.
Parkinson recalled in a 2009 interview: “When Who Do You Think You Are? called and asked if I was interested, I said I would be delighted, but warned that my own research had unearthed nothing of note. ’Oh, they all say that, but we always find something,’ they said.
"Six weeks later, they phoned to apologise. My story was so boring they had to cancel the entire project. I was gutted.”
Representatives for Mangan and the show’s production company Wall to Wall have been contacted for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments