Joe Sugg is the latest celebrity to trace his ancestral history in the BBC’s documentary show Who Do You Think You Are?
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Following in the footsteps of the likes of Judi Dench and Josh Widdicombe, who both made shocking discoveries on the show, Joe has uncovered a major revelation about one of his ancestors.
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While on the show, the Youtube star found out that his ten times great-grandfather survived the Great Fire of London. The tragedy occurred in 1666 when a fire started in a bakery and quickly spread through the central parts of London.
Joe’s ancestor was a goldsmith who lived in the city centre during the 17th century and managed to survive the devastating blaze which is thought to have destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the city’s 80,000 inhabitants.
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The actor also discovered that the same relative owned 16 fireplaces in his London home and would have employed servants. Upon learning this information, he said: "Who needs 16 fireplaces in their house? He was happy to be like, 'Yeh, just chuck 16 in there,'" he joked. "He’s just showing off at this point."
© Photo: Getty ImagesJoe, who is dating Strictly's Dianne Buswell, makes a big discovery on the show
When Joe learned that the Great Fire of London took place while his ancestor was living in the city, he jokingly questioned whether he may have been responsible. "He’s got 16 fireplaces. It wasn’t his fault, was it? There’s a good chance it could have been," he joked.
Before appearing on the popular BBC show, Joe admitted that he was worried to learn about his family history. Speaking to the BBC, the Youtuber explained that he was grateful for the opportunity to take part in the series but was apprehensive about what he might find.
"To begin with, I did have a worry that I may discover something negative," he said. "Then I reminded myself that times were very different in earlier history and you can’t change the past."
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