Mark Wright has lived most of his life in the spotlight, and so fans could be forgiven for thinking they know everything about him. But the former TOWIE star had some surprising news in store when he appeared on This Morning on Wednesday. Mark is set to appear on Who Do You Think You Are? this week, and he shared some highlights from his experience during a chat with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Mark Wright appeared on This Morning to talk about his family history
During the exploration into his past, Mark discovered that his ancestors came from southern Spain – and not Italy as his family had previously believed. He also discovered that his nine times great-grandfather, David Antonio Mendoza, was a master swordsman, who was interrogated and tortured during the Spanish Inquisition. Mark, 32, later delved into the British side of his family, and spoke to Holly and Phil about his grandad’s grandfather, Edward Wright, who he described as an East End 'wide boy'. The TV star admitted he felt quite protective towards his ancestor, who resorted to stealing from others in order to provide for his family. Edward ended up lying about his age to join the Army and turned out to be an amazing soldier, and ultimately something of a hero.
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Mark was joined in the ITV studio by his grandfather, Eddie
Mark was joined in the This Morning studio by his own grandfather, Eddie, and revealed he wanted to delve into the family history for Eddie's sake. "He's done so much for our family," Mark explained. "He’' our king, and the best granddad you could ever have." He further revealed that his grandfather – who has always wanted to find out more about their ancestry – was over the moon with Mark’s appearance on the show, and would be joining Mark, his wife Michelle Keegan, and the rest of the Wright clan to watch the programme at the couple’s home.
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Catch Mark on Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday 11 September.