Radio Times: Review by:; Jane Rackham

Strictly Come Dancing head judge Len Goodman
is obviously proud of his East End roots, recalling jolly times during his childhood in Bethnal Green in London, riding on his much-loved grandfather’s market barrow and playing with all the other kids on the street. However, he discovers that his forefathers’ experiences in one of the poorest areas of London were much grimmer: conditions were filthy, children were sent out to work at the age of eight and one of his ancestors hanged himself rather than be sent to the workhouse.

His investigations into his grandmother’s Polish roots are initially more uplifting, although there’s more hardship there, too.

About this programme

9/10. Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Len Goodman traces his ancestry, particularly his mother's side of the family, in view of the fact that he spent much of his childhood with her parents in Bethnal Green, London. He discovers how the workhouse was a significant presence in his forebears' lives, and sets out to solve the mystery of one relative's descent into poverty. He also explores the history of his Polish grandfather Joseph Sosnowski, and why he ended up in Portsmouth in 1834.