Ashley Walters calls out BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are for rejecting him after ‘year of research’

Ashley Walters has called out BBC show Who Do You Think You Are? for not allowing him on the series.

The British actor and rapper, 42, appeared on The One Show this evening alongside singer Will Young and Olympian Tom Daley, the former of which was sharing his experience on the BBC ancestry show.

When asked by host Roman Kemp if he’d ever want to take part in Who Do You Think You Are?, Adolescence star Ashley let out a knowing chuckle and responded: ‘I would love to, if they’d let me.’

He continued: ‘It’s an interesting story. They approached me about doing the show, went and did like a year’s worth of research and then said, “No, we’re not going to do it.”‘

Presenter Clara Amfo asked: ‘Any further feedback?’

Ashley responded: ‘Nope. They did give me all the documents. But I haven’t read them. I haven’t gone into the box yet, so I don’t know why. But I nearly got there, I was on the cusp.’

Since its inception in 2004, hordes of celebrities have gone on emotional journeys into the family history, and viewers have seen everything from graveside sobs from Andrew Garfield to Danny Dyer famously finding out he’s royalty.

However, there are celebrity stories that don’t make the cut, some of which were said to be too dull to make compelling TV.

The late Michael Parkinson revealed in a 2009 Radio Times interview that his ancestors were too ‘boring’ for the show – something he warned producers ahead of their six weeks of research, in which the chat show host was proven correct.

‘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,’ he recalled.

‘”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,’ he explained.

Meanwhile Dermot O’Leary told podcast Sweat, Snot And Tears: ‘They actually researched my family for about three months. They came back and said: “There’s just not enough interesting stuff about your family”.’

While Sir Michael and Dermot got a polite phone call rejection, Steph’s Packed Lunch star Steph McGovern said she never heard from producers again after an initial meeting with them.

Elsewhere on tonight’s The One Show, Ashley also opened up about how hit show Adolescence has changed his view of parenting.

‘It held a mirror up to myself. I’m a father of eight. I have three grandkids. I’ve had up and down relationships with some of them,’ he said.

The Top Boy actor, who first shot to fame as a member of garage group So Solid Crew under the nickname Asher D, welcomed his first child at the age of 20.

He is dad to sons Shayon, 22, and Panera, 19, and daughter China, 21, who he welcomed with ex-partner Natalie Williams.

The Missing You star also has daughters Antonia and Ashleigh with another unnamed woman, as well as Amaiya-Love, nine, and River, five, with his wife and actress Danielle Isaie, who he married in 2013.

The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One

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