Ancestry

Long Lost Family Special: Born Without Trace (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell pictured standing together smiling at the camera in front of an historic wall. Davina is wearing a denim jacket and nicky has a grey suit on.

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell Presenting Long Lost Family Special: Born Without Trace ©ITV

Starring: Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell
Production Company: ITV Studios
Kent Locations Used: Maidstone

In this special episode of the popular series, we see the real-life stories of three foundlings. There is the man who, as a newborn, was abandoned in a hospital car park, the five-day old baby left in a cardboard box in Manchester and the woman abandoned on a doorstep in Scotland. All three are desperately searching to identify their biological parents and find the answer as to why they were abandoned.

During production, the crew visited a family home in the county town of Maidstone, Allington Lock and The Museum of Kent Life.

The show is presented by Davina McCall (Long Lost Family – Born Without a Trace) and Nicky Campbell (The Big Questions), who continue to work together to bring solace to many families across the UK.

The Borough of Maidstone has been a popular site for filming, productions include Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020).

The Long Lost Family Special: Born Without will air on Monday 25th February 2019 at 9pm on ITV.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

Who Do You Think You Are? (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

Actress Michelle Keegan smiling at the camera in a pink jumper. Who do you think your are? written in white

Michelle Keegan ©BBC One

 

Writer: Stuart Elliot

Starring: Michelle Keegan, Olivia Coleman, Boy George, Shirley Ballas, Lee Mack, Marvin Humes, Judge Rinder and Jonnie Peacock.

Production Company: BBC One

Kent Locations Used: General Views in and around Margate.

Returning to our screens for its 15th series, the hit TV series Who Do You Think You are? focuses on tracing back our much-loved celebrities’ ancestry, giving them the opportunity to discover family secrets.

DJ, presenter and former member of band JLS, Marvin Humes, travelled to Margate to investigate the history of his great grandfather, Frederick Buckingham. Frederick, who suffered from Tuberculosis, was admitted to the Margate Metropolitan Infirmary from a workhouse. Marvin also visits the beach as the seawater in Margate was important, being part of the treatment for the illness.

Frederick served in the merchant navy, so Marvin Humes meets expert Harry Bennett at Chatham Historic Dockyard where they talk about the importance of the merchant navy to the economy.

Written by Stuart Elliot, the series will feature eight well known celebrities: Michelle Keegan (Our Girl and former Corrie Star), Olivia Coleman (The Crown), Boy George (Musician, DJ, fashion designer and British icon), Shirley Ballas (Strictly Come Dancing’s Head Judge), Lee Mack (Comedian/Not Going Out), Marvin Humes (Former JLS member/Presenter), Robert Rinder (Barrister/Judge Rinder) and Jonnie Peacock (Gold medal winning Paralympian).

Margate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in Kent, England. It is well known for its amusement park, Dreamland, which first opened in 1880. Having been closed for over seven years, Dreamland re-opened in June 2015 to the public, featuring retro seaside rides and amusements.

Dreamland and Margate haven used previously as a location in TV series The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) as well as Only Fools and Horses: The Jolly Boys’ Outing (1989).

Who Do You Think You Are? aired on 6 June 2018 at 9pm on BBC One. More episodes coming soon!

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

Who Do You Think You Are? (2014)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Twiggy standing with her arms crossed in a run down empty room

Twiggy – Who Do You Think You Are? © BBC/Wall to Wall/Stephen Perry

Production company: Wall to Wall

Kent Locations: Farningham in Sevenoaks and Darenth in Dartford

Who Do You Think You Are? is the hit BBC series where celebrities trace their ancestry and discover secrets and surprises from their past.

The eleventh series has featured actresses Julie Walters and Sheridan Smith, comedian Billy Connolly and Bake Off star Mary Berry, with the final episode of the series focusing on model and actress, Twiggy.

Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Lawson, takes a journey into discovering her family’s descent and visits Farningham and Darenth in Kent along the way.

Farningham is a quaint village located on the River Darent in the Sevenoaks district of Kent. The village is said to have been visited by Charles Dickens where he fished trout.

In neighbouring Dartford is Darenth which has a church, public halls as well as acres of woodland such as Darenth Woods and Darenth Country Park.

The Sevenoaks area has welcomed filming from productions such as Rush (2013) and Strawberry Fields (2012).

Dartford has hosted Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010).

Don’t miss Twiggy’s Who Do You Think You Are? episode which will be shown on Thursday 9th October 2014 at 21:00 on BBC One.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.