Emotional Who Do You Think You Are viewers call Olly Murs episode ‘saddest ever’

BBC viewers were left in tears after what they called the ‘saddest ever’ episode Who do you think you are?? Thursday (September 19).

The series follows a celebrity as she traces her ancestry, unearths family secrets and finds lost loved ones.

Olly Murs features in the latest installment as he travels to Latvia to find answers. The ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ singer, who first found fame on THE X Factorhoped to find information about his great-grandmother, Veronika Jankovska.

Murs revealed that his grandfather last saw his mother when he was just 12 years old and the unanswered questions surrounding her absence affected him throughout his life.

In this episode, the musician and TV presenter visits the Salamonska Circus in Riga, where his great-grandparents worked as circus performers. He discovers that his great-grandfather Eduards had an affair with Veronika while he was married to his wife, Katrine.

Struggling as a young mother, Veronika was forced to leave her son in the care of her own parents so she could continue working at the circus. However, when Nazi Germany took control of the country, Eduards Jr. had to flee as a refugee, along with his father and wife.

Murs discovered that her great-grandmother had been imprisoned in a labor camp for eight years. Veronika spent the rest of her days searching for her son, but never found him. She died in 1988, with no family around her, and was buried in an unmarked grave.

“World War II had a real impact on my family,” Murs said. “I think Veronika made a very bold decision that day, leaving her son knowing she might never see him again.”

He continued: “I wish my grandfather could understand his mother’s decisions.”

Murs said he was comforted by the fact that the cemetery was in a “beautiful” setting as he drove through a grove of trees.

“I’m happy to be able to give my father some answers about his life,” he added. “God bless my great-grandmother, she had such sad times in her life. I hope she is at peace now.”

Viewers were in tears at the tragic events.

“I just cried at Who do you think you are?” wrote one person. “This episode was brilliant but so sad. This poor mother and son.”

“This is one of the saddest scenes I’ve seen. Poor Veronika,” commented a second, while a third wrote: “Olly I’m crying.”

“I watched the episode last night, it was probably the most emotional episode I’ve seen, it was really heartbreaking and heartbreaking at the end,” another fan wrote on X/Twitter. “I’m glad they found a conclusion.”

Another added: “Great episode. I was in the floods…it was so emotional.”

A regular viewer and die-hard fan praised the show for its interest in women’s lives: “This is one of the best episodes and I’ve watched most of them. People rarely take an interest in the lives of our female ancestors.”

“I’m glad you got the answers you were looking for Olly Murs, what a great episode,” said another.