Olivia Colman reduced to tears by story of her orphan ancestor on Who Do You Think You Are
She had no idea she had such an exotic background
Olivia Colman said she was sure she had a pretty boring ancestry but her turn in Who Do You Think You Are? proved her wrong.
The 44-year-old Broadchurch actress was convinced all her relatives hailed from Norfolk and told producers she is the "least interesting person I know".
However it transpires that Olivia had some very interesting Indian heritage she knew nothing about.
And one story in particular moved her to tears.
According to the show, the mum-of-three's great-great-great grandmother Harriot was an "orphan" in 1811.
It turns out that Harriot's dad was an Englishman working for the East India Company who married a local girl and had a daughter.
But the man died while he was still young so Harriot was sent to her English grandparents for a "better life".
The little girl would have only had been about four when she made the dangerous sea journey from Calcutta to England by herself.
Olivia was so moved by the thought of Harriot undertaking such a major crossing by herself, it made her cry.
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One show source said: “Olivia was heartbroken to think of such a young child making such a major journey alone.
“She couldn’t help but think how terrifying that must have been and it made her incredibly sad.
“She is also shocked to find out she has this incredible chapter in her past that she had no inkling about.
"She is thrilled to have a far more exotic past than she ever imagined.”
Who Do You Think You Are? returns for a 15th run this summer. Other stars include Boy George, who delves into his Irish past, and actress Michelle Keegan, who has connections to the Suffragettes.