Sue's Royal connection

Liverpool legend related to a baronet... and a Tory MP

- MARK JEFFERIES

SHE'S loved by millions for her portrayal of Barbara, the matriarch of TV's The Royle Family. But now Sue Johnston has learned she has real aristocracy in her blood.

Sue has discovered she is related to 3rd Baronet Sir Mark Prescott, who trains horses for the King. And there is another shock for the 80-year-old, who has supported trade unions and the Labour Party, when she finds out that one of her ancestors was a Tory MP.

Sue and Ricky Tomlinson, who have starred together in Brookside and The Royle Family, use DNA and genealogy to reconnect with lost cousins and unearth long-held family secrets in ITV's DNA Journey with Ancestry.

After the show sends her to a former Conservative Club, Ricky, 85, jokes: "If it all goes wrong, can I get another car to go home in? You know, you get tarred with the same brush."