In grandmother's footsteps...

Alex Scott on visiting Jamaica to find out more about her paternal ancestry

- CAREN CLARK

As Alex Scott was growing up in East London, her beloved paternal grandmother, Philicita, was one of the most important and influential figures in her life.

So when the presenter and former England footballer was asked to take part in BBC1’s genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?, she was determined to visit her late nan’s home country of Jamaica for the first time to find out about Philicita’s ancestry.

However, Alex was shocked to discover a story of hardship, tragedy and slave-ownership...

Meanwhile, as she researched her maternal roots, Alex was proud to learn that her Jewish great-grandfather Philip Gittleson, a bookie’s runner known as ‘Phil G’, fought courageously at the infamous Battle of Cable Street in the East End in 1936 against Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists and the police who were protecting the fascists as they marched through the area.

Here, Alex, 37, tells us more about her extraordinary journey into her family’s past...

What appealed to you about taking part in the show?

It’s a fantastic, fascinating series and I wanted to find out about my family’s history in detail.

It’s a special and unique opportunity and I just couldn’t let it pass. I now feel eternally grateful to have found out about my past to such a deep level. I have an immense respect for the research team who worked so hard.

Did you know much about your family history beforehand?