Our treasure HUNT

RULA LENSKA and DAME MAUREEN LIPMAN on their journey into the past

- TESSLAMACRAFT

DNA JOURNEY TUESDAY, 9 PM, ITV FACTUAL

Acquaintances on the showbiz circuit, Rula Lenska and Tipman became firm friends after getting to know each other on the set of Coronation Street and shared a flat together in Manchester during filming.

So the actors jumped at the opportunity to team up for a genealogy road trip to trace their respective family trees for the ITV series DNA Journey. As they visited the north of England and Poland, they unearthed some extraordinary connections.

“There were so many things that brought us together, which neither of us would have expected,' says Dame Maureen, 75, who is Jewish and was born and bred in Hull, East Yorkshire.

"It was like a treasure hunt!' adds Rula, 74, who's descended from Polish aristocracy.

In an exclusive interview, the pair tell TV Times more...

How much did you already know about your ancestors?

RULA I knew a lot more about my mother's side of the family. She had a horrendous war journey, escaping from Poland through Romania during World War Two and being sent to a concentration camp. I knew much less about my father's side.