Who Do You Think You Are on SBS season 16 details – Join eight prominent Australians in the adventure of a lifetime as they mine their family lineage for ancestral gold, in a brand-new season of Who Do You Think You Are? which returns to SBS and SBS On Demand on Tuesday 13 May at 7:30pm.
The cast of season 16 of this much-loved series includes Tom Gleeson, Patrick Brammall, Camilla Franks, Gina Chick, Matt Nable, Claudia Karvan, Mark Coles Smith and Marc Fennell. We join them on their individual journeys around Australia and overseas in search of previously undiscovered family histories.
From the wilds of the Kimberley, across Australia, New Zealand, and to central Europe where the first shots were fired in World War Two, our celebrity detectives dig deep and find profound stories of love, loss and survival.
“This journey has changed my perception of my family. I thought my family were a lot more dysfunctional and I’ve discovered the opposite. I have much more of a connection to the ancestors I met than I ever thought possible.”
– Claudia Karvan
In an emotionally tumultuous first episode, acclaimed actor and producer Claudia Karvan is moved by the tragedy and courage of her family’s past. Tracing her father’s family back to England and Cyprus she discovers the life of the elusive but free-spirited grandmother she never knew.
In New Zealand, following her mother’s line, Claudia solves the riddle of what became of her great grandfather, the mysterious ‘black sheep’ of the family.
“I came to the end of this journey feeling a newfound respect for every single one of my family members.”
– Mark Coles Smith
Award-winning actor Mark Coles Smith is a proud Nyikina man from the Fitzroy River region of Western Australia. Reflecting a rich, multicultural heritage of Indigenous and Indonesian on his mother’s side, and Anglo-Austrian on his father’s side, Mark solves a maternal family mystery, and travels to Poland and Germany where he makes a shocking discovery about his great grandfather.
“Looking into my ancestor’s pasts has been a great experience. I’ve realised that imperfection is everywhere, in the past and the present, I’ve often glorified people in the past and thought they were noble or great characters and when you look into it, they’re full of all the same flaws that we are.”
– Tom Gleeson
Comedian Tom Gleeson’s Who Do You Think You Are? journey sees him on the hunt to discover why an elusive ancestor changed the family’s name, but as Tom digs deeper, he finds the mystery is more complicated than he ever imagined.
“This journey has certainly woken up a whole bunch of ghosts that I didn’t know about, and it just makes things more interesting, real and visceral and it’s made me want to learn more about it.”
– Patrick Bramall
Internationally renowned actor Patrick Brammall goes on a quest to establish whether a long-held myth about his mother’s ancestry is true. Exploring his great grandfather’s history Patrick finds a passionate working-class activist and is deeply impressed by his public and private life.
“I cannot be told what to do, so that oppositional defiance which I really recognise I think I can track back.”
– Gina Chick
Curious about the source of her emotional fortitude and profound connection to nature, author, adventurer, inaugural winner of Season 1 of SBS’s Alone Australia and co-host of Great Australian Walks, Gina Chick sets out on the NSW South Coast to find the identity of the relatives she has inherited these qualities from.
“I have so much admiration for the women that have walked before me.”
– Camilla Franks
Fashion entrepreneur and kaftan queen Camilla Franks is on a quest to unearth her long-hidden cultural roots. Travelling from NSW’s Hunter Valley to Poland and London, Camilla is shocked and delighted to find a common theme across the generations.
“I’ve explored a lot of other people’s history over several tv shows and podcasts. None of it prepared me for the experience of being on the receiving end.”
– Marc Fennell
SBS documentary filmmaker and TV presenter Marc Fennell is keen to connect with his family history, specifically his unique Indian and Irish heritage. Travelling to Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland and England, Marc discovers surprising cultural connections and unearths extraordinary tales of his ancestors’ lives.
“I have great gratitude for those that came before me in my family and for my parents, knowing how they started off and how they came to be where they were.”
– Matt Nable
In the final episode of the season, actor, director and writer, Matt Nable makes a bombshell discovery after a DNA test, that re-writes his entire family story.
Tinzar Lwyn, SBS Commissioning Editor for Documentaries said:
“In SBS’s 50th year, Who Do You Think You Are? remains one of SBS’s most successful and beloved commissioned programs. It returns with an impressive lineup of guests, who travel the world in the footsteps of their ancestors, to solve family mysteries. Once again, the series taps into a rich vein of history, and fascinating personal stories, as Australia’s most familiar faces time travel, to discover who they really are.”
Who Do You Think You Are? is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia for SBS. The brand-new series airs at 7:30pm Tuesdays on SBS and SBS On Demand, starting 13 May.
All eight episodes of Season 16 of Who Do You Think You Are? will be available to stream on SBS On Demand with subtitles in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. All episodes will also be available with audio description. Head to SBS On Demand to catch up on previous seasons of Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are on SBS and SBS on Demand – New Episode – Tuesday, 13 May 2025 at 7.30pm
Media Release – SBS
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Who Do You Think You Are on SBS season 16 details
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