Kate Garraway has discovered she has a famous relative from deepest, darkest Peru and she reckons it explains her long-time love of marmalade sandwiches.
The Good Morning Britain host, 55, meets the daughter of Paddington creator Michael Bond as part of ITV documentary DNA Journey – and finds they are cousins.
As they meet for the first time, cousin Karen Jankel brings out a Paddington Bear toy and describes him as her brother.
She tells Kate: “I’m your cousin but the person I brought to meet you is my brother. Paddington and I grew up together.
“The reason is that my father was Michael Bond. Which means. of course, you are also related to Michael.”
Referring to the bear, she adds: “My father used to talk to him or talk through him.”
Kate tells her: “Paddington Bear is my favourite thing! I’m related to Paddington Bear!”
She reveals her student nickname was Paddington because of her love of marmalade sandwiches.
She says: “I put them in a little plastic bag and I’d have them in my bag and I’d live off that for the day. They’d say, ‘Get you, Paddington!’ It was in the DNA all along and I didn’t know!
Kate and This Morning presenter Alison Hammond travel to Jamaica to learn about their family histories.
There, Kate also finds a link to 007 – during the Second World War an ancestor was in the elite T-Force unit that inspired James Bond.
And Alison, 47, learns of a great-great-great grandad who helped win freedoms for people of colour by attracting attention in the Commons at great personal cost.
DNA Journey with Kate Garraway and Alison Hammond is on ITV tonight at 9pm.
