In Thursday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, actress Ruth Madeley, 38, discovers a major family secret: her grandmother Beatrice was adopted. The revelation shocks her father, Geoff, who had no idea his mother was adopted.
Exclusive Clip Reveals the Discovery
In an exclusive first look clip obtained by the Mirror, Ruth tells her father: "So my grandma, your mum Beatrice, we found out she was adopted." Geoff reacts with disbelief: "When I got that phone call, I thought, 'what's going on?' You could have knocked me down with a feather." Ruth responds with a surprised "Wow!"
Geoff adds: "I'm dead surprised that my grandma never said anything. That's the only thing that I can't get my head around." Ruth then asks if he was like his mother, and Geoff replies: "No, my mum wasn't one for doing a lot with me. She'd never play games with you." Ruth teases him, joking she doesn't remember him playing with her, but he insists he always did.
Family Photos Spark More Questions
The family, including Ruth's mother and sister, later gather to look at photos of Beatrice. Geoff is struck by the images: "That's my mother? She never looked happy, she wasn't much of a smiler. My mother wasn't one for keeping photographs." Ruth's mother recalls asking Beatrice for medical history, especially about spina bifida, which Ruth was born with, but Beatrice was not forthcoming. Ruth's sister wonders if that secrecy was because Beatrice knew she was adopted. Geoff admits, "I don't know!"
Research Leads to Manchester and London
During the episode, Ruth traces her ancestry to uncover the identity of her biological great-grandmother, traveling between London and Manchester. Who Do You Think You Are? airs at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
