Joe Swash broke down in tears during the latest episode of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? after making an emotional family discovery. The former EastEnders star, known for playing Mickey Miller, appeared on the genealogy programme to explore his family history, following in the footsteps of Zoe Ball and Amy Dowden.
Joe Swash Opens Up About Grief and Vulnerability
At the start of the episode, Joe revealed that he had little interest in his past until now, saying: 'For me, the past has been something that I've, not avoided but I've had no interest in.' He opened up about losing his father at a young age, explaining: 'I lost my dad when I was quite young. He was quite young, only 39. I was only 12.'
Joe described how his father's death changed his home life: 'When my dad was alive, my house was full of life and laughter, and then when my dad died, for a long time, it was a house full of sadness and grief. A lot of the time it was just trying to get through that period.'
He also spoke about the challenges of growing up in London without a father figure, compounded by undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD. 'I was quite vulnerable, not having a father figure, and I had dyslexia and ADHD that wasn't diagnosed so I do struggle when I read something. A lot of the time I was misunderstood as being quite naughty and mischievous.'
Joe reflected on the negative influences around him: 'There was a lot of gang culture and a lot of people wanted to be my family and be my friends and induce me into this bad environment, so it was like a tug of war between right and wrong growing up, and thankfully I had some strong women in my life that helped me stay on track.'
Discovery of Great-Great Grandfather's Activism
During his research, Joe uncovered a remarkable link between his great-great grandfather, Giuseppe, and suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst. Giuseppe played a significant role in activism and the Communist Workers' movement during the 1920s, fighting against fascism alongside Sylvia after Mussolini's rise to power.
Hearing about his ancestor's work, Joe said: 'It really does fill me with a great deal of pride to think that he was struggling through life anyway, being Italian, living where they were living, but he was still concerned about what was happening in the world and fascism. He must have been a man of great moral compass and someone who stood by what he thought.'
Joe was particularly moved when he read a newspaper cutting containing his great-great grandfather's own words: 'If we desire peace, we must organise against this brutal system. We must abolish the greed of gain and unite in serving our neighbours. When we do that, armies will no longer exist. There shall be no bloodshed, joy and happiness shall be supreme and humanity will be the flower of spring.'
The TV star was reduced to tears, admitting: 'I think it's beautiful. I'm a bit more emotional than I thought I'd ever be about my relatives, I thought I could detach myself but there's something quite touching about reading something.'
Reflections on Family and Legacy
Joe also discussed his 'chaotic' family life with wife Stacey Solomon and their five children, noting that he finds solace in fishing: 'My life is quite chaotic. My work is quite chaotic... and when we get home, we've got five kids to look after. So every now and then, I don't do it enough, I like to go fishing. I'd say fishing is only 30% of it. The other 70% for me is chilling out next to the water, being a bit close to nature.'
Reflecting on his great-great grandfather's bravery, Joe tearfully added: 'It's very brave, he's a good guy. It's nice to know that I've got a little bit of him in my DNA. The more I hear about my great-great grandad Giuseppe, I'm just so proud and honoured to have him as one of my ancestors.'
He concluded: 'I started this journey thinking, what is my story going to be? Have I got a story, is it going to be interesting? Not in a million years would I have thought I'd be related to such a legend.'
Who Do You Think You Are? airs Tuesday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
