Ruth Jones gets emotional on Who Do You Think You Are? as she learns of a relatives’ death at sea.
During the third episode of the BBC documentary series, Gavin and Stacey star Ruth sets out to discover more about her family history.
Double tragedy in Ruth Jones’ episode of Who Do You Think You Are?
At one point on the programme, which airs next week, the actress gets a photo of her great-great grandfather David’s nine children.
And she fights back tears as she learns how two of his kids, Hannah and Thomas, both died within a few months of each other.
Hannah passed away at the age of 25, following a long battle with tuberculosis.
Read more: Who Do You Think You Are: David Walliams’ episode divides viewers
Ruth wells up as she reads how Hannah, in her final few minutes alive, called her parents into the room and sang hymns with them.
She then finds out that Thomas drowned, aged 23, when a ship was wrecked not long after.
The vessel was en route to Buenos Aires from Cardiff with a cargo of coal when it sank.
What does the Gavin and Stacey actress say?
Ruth says: “That’s horrendous isn’t it, the thought of losing two children anyway, them dying before you die yourself. But for them to die within a year of each other.
“You know what, I feel as if I was at a bit of a party with that photograph, seeing all those kids together.”
That’s horrendous isn’t it, the thought of losing two children anyway… for them to die within a year of each other.
Her voice breaks as she continues: “All, you know, having fun and messing around like siblings do, and then in such a short space of time, two of them are no longer around.
“I’ve got a few group photos of me and my brother and sister, where my dad had said, ‘Come on, let me get a photo of the four of you’.
“It’s that moment in time and I imagine them being the 1880s version of that, and the thought of them losing somebody, two of them going is just so sad.”
New series featuring Jodie Whittaker, David Walliams and Liz Carr
The series has so far featured Doctor Who actress Jodie Whittaker and Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams.
In Jodie’s episode, she found out about a ‘hero’ uncle who died during the First World War.
She learned how he had gone out to fight following a stint as a porter in a war hospital, where he would have witnessed the returning soldiers’ injuries first had.
Read more: Who Do You Think You Are: Jodie Whittaker in tears over ‘hero’ great-uncle killed in WWI
The star couldn’t believe he would have gone out to fight, knowing what he would likely face.
In David Walliams’ episode, the children’s author heard how his great-great-grandfather went from rags to riches after successfully launching a fairground business.
The final star of the series will be Silent Witness’ Liz Carr.
– Ruth Jones’ episode of Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Monday (October 26) evening at 9pm on BBC One
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