DNA Family Secrets
Professor Turi King (1993) is best known for her work in "cracking one of the biggest forensic DNA cases in history" during the exhumation and reburial of Richard III of England.
Professor King is Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics at the University of Leicester. She can currently be seen on BBC Twos DNA Family Secrets, which began airing on the BBC in March 2021. The programme is presented by Stacey Dooley and Professor King, and uses the latest DNA technology to solve family mysteries around ancestry, missing relatives and genetic disease.
The series follows people across the UK who want to unlock the mysteries hidden in their genetic code. Each episode focuses on three people: two of these trying to find out about their family history or ancestry and another who is seeking to find answers about a genetic disease in the family. Stacey and Professor King work with a large team of genealogists, social workers, and doctors to reveal unknown ancestry, find missing relatives and detect genetic disease before its too late. You can on BBC iPlayer.
The programme has received positive reviews both on social media and in print. Stuart Jeffries of praised the series as a touching, timely portrait of mixed-race Britain, stating that the show doesnt need celebrities to gild its drama. Sara Wallis of gave it a positive review, writing that it makes for gripping TV, emotional, with fascinating DNA facts with results delivered by King with wonderful empathy. Jane Rackham of the said the series has an interesting twist that taps into our fascination with our past.
Recently, Professor King featured on BBC Radio 4s The Reunion in a programme entitled 'Finding Richard III'. Professor King and her colleagues discussed the painstaking process of identifying the remains and matching the DNA of the last Plantagenet king. You can .
