The French connection

IT’S often best to take a deep breath before diving into the murky depths of your family’s dim and distant past. After all, even the mostdecent of citizens usually has enough skeletons in their closet to freak out everybody in Narnia.

But Davina McCall? Well, given that she’s been referred to in the past as the love child of Acorn Antiques’ Mrs Overall and Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout, she’s brave for even embarking on this journey of self-discovery.

She’s the first famous face to start picking nuts from her family tree in the returning hit documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?.

And she makes some intriguing and shocking discoveries as she delves into her family’s past.

As a child of divorced parents, Davina, pictured right, who is half- French, was brought up by her paternal grandmother in England and knows very little about her maternal French heritage.

She also wants to find out if there is any truth behind the story, that has been passed down for generations, claiming that the English side of her family is decended illegitimately from royal blood.

Davina’s grandmother reveals that she believes Davina’s great, great, great, great-grandfather, James Thomas Bedborough, is the illegitimate son of George IV.

The trail does indeed lead to Windsor, but not quite in the way she expected.

As Davina delves further into her family history she discovers that Bedborough rose to become an eminent member of Windsor society and an amazingly enterprising entrepreneur at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution.

But the story takes a turn for the worse as Davina uncovers the shocking truth behind the scandal that caused the family’s downfall.

On her French side, Davina wants to find out more about her great-grandfather, Celestin Hennion. Her starting point is a medal that was given to Hennion by George V in gratitude for organising security for the monarch’s trip to France in 1914.

Davina knows her great-grandfather was head of the French police at the time, and decides to head to Paris to find out more.

There, she’s amazed to discover that her ancestor was famous throughout France and responsible for revolutionising the French police service. She also finds out that he was at the centre of a case that rocked France politically and divided the nation bitterly.

It all makes a change from screaming “this is amazing” into the camera while trying to get us all excited about Big Brother.

THERE’S no doubt that watching Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones and the gang tell some aspiring tycoon that their big idea is a complete waste of their time, makes for some cracking television in Dragons’ Den.

It also throws up plenty of “Gosh, what a good idea” moments, and several of the goods and services the Dragons have invested in over the years are now a big part of our everyday lives.

The new series retains the familiar faces of old, and the format is the same as always. But has it ever been more relevant?

Who else is offering entrepreneurs hope of cash investments in the difficult economic climate?

Business pitches tonight include personalised romantic novels, a scary attraction, eco-friendly patio heaters and a device to end nuisance phone calls.

GIO returns and Betty tries to make amends in US comedy- drama series Ugly Betty, but he refuses to accept her apologies.

Meanwhile, Daniel has to deal with shocking family news. Bearing in mind that this was the man who discovered his brother, Alex, had become his sister, Alexis – and that she’d also forgotten to remind him that she was alive when he thought she was dead – you’d have thought he was pretty unshockable by now. So the news will have to be pretty astounding if it’s going to knock him for six.

The plots may sometimes be a little farfetched, but Ferrera claims fashion industry insiders tell her it’s more true to life than you might expect.

America Ferrera, Eric Mabius and Vanessa Williams star.