Jason Donovan Traces His Showbiz Roots | Who Do You Think You Are
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
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Jason Donovan was born in Australia and catapulted to fame in the soap opera Neighbours. He's had four UK number one singles and is a star of West End musicals.
Jason comes from showbiz parents who divorced when he was five. His British born father won custody and brought him up alone, but its Jason's mother's family line that holds the key to Jason's Australian heritage - up to now a complete mystery to him.
Starting in his hometown of Melbourne, Jason goes to meet his mother's cousin Judy and discovers that the showbusiness roots in his family go deeper than he thinks. As Jason unravels this mystery, he also tries to understand why his mother went missing from his life as a child.
Digging deeper into history, Jason uncovers a possible convict connection. He sets off to Tasmania to see how his ancestors ended up there - and uncovers a British miscarriage of justice. Returning to Sydney, Jason traces his family back to one of the earliest Australian settlers - a pioneer who opened up the entire continent to settlement. At the end of his journey, Jason feels reconnected to his Australian roots and realises his family story is no less than the story of the birth of a nation.
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In each episode one of Britain's best-loved celebrities traces their family tree to reveal the surprising, extraordinary and often moving stories of their ancestors. We publish new videos twice a week with the most memorable moments from the show. Subscribe now and click on the bell 🔔 to get notifications every time we upload a new video!
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Although he was born in Melbourne, actor and singer Jason Donovan has strong connections with the UK. His father, wife and two children were all born in England and he lives in West London.
But what about his Australian ancestry? While Jason has long heard stories about his father’s forebears from Notting Hill and Kensington, he knows little about his mother’s side of the family. “Maybe this is the opportunity in my life to go back a bit to my roots,” he says at the start of his episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, “but I’m going to this pretty blind and that’s maybe one of the reasons why I’m doing it.
First, Jason flies to Melbourne and a meeting with his father, actor Terence Donovan. Although Jason is estranged from his mother, actor turned TV presenter Sue McIntosh, Sue’s mother Joan was an important figure in Jason’s life and helped look after him when he was growing up. Joan put together a file of information on her family history for Jason, which Terence now keeps.
For a man from a showbiz family, the first figure that captures Jason’s imagination is his great grandmother, Eileen Lyons, “Australia’s charming soprano”. Visiting his mother’s cousin, Judy, he sees an early contract. In the early 1900s, she earned £2 a week with impresario JC Williamson, performing in musical theatre, and she also trod the boards in vaudeville. Her career ended with her marriage in 1913. She curtailed a comeback in 1941 because her eldest daughter’s marriage failed and Eileen stepped in to raise her granddaughter, Judy.
Going back further, Jason learns that, like many in Australia, he’s partly descended from convicts sent to the continent when it was first being colonised. Eileen’s grandfather, Joseph, was an East End scrap metal and junk dealer transported to Tasmania, an island off mainland Australia, for handling stolen goods.
Unusually, at a time when transportation often signalled the end of relationships, Joseph was eventually joined by his wife, Rosetta. Jewish, he was helped out by a Jewish family and eventually earned a pardon in 1849. Joseph and Rosetta eventually returned to London. Jason is both pleased to confirm family stories of Jewish roots and moved by the “camaraderie of the community” that helped Joseph re-build his life.
Next, Jason turns his attention to the family of his maternal grandfather. Going back seven generations, Jason’s forebear William Cox, who was born in Dorset in 1764, came out to Australia on a convict ship. The scene seems set for another tale of bad behaviour harshly punished.
But that’s not how things turn out. William, records show, was a military man who volunteered to go to Australia. On the ship Minerva, he was responsible for guarding and looking after the convicts. When he arrived in New South Wales, William became an important man, a landowner, property developer and magistrate.
You are a lovely person Jason. Your family loves you so much. It is an honour to know you :) I loved watching Neighbours as a primary school kid when you and Kylie were on the show.
I met his mum once. I was young and she was so kind to my sister and me... I am sorry he missed that.
Shame she can be nice to other people’s kids but abandon her own! 🙄
I always wonder at people in these stories who arrive at their parent’s house, even the house they grew up in and where their parent(s) still live and ring the doorbell… We were always free to just go in.
My stepmother needed to call first for permission before going to her own mother’s house. She also had to explain why she was visiting, how long she would be there, and couldn’t stay any longer than that. To say they are a weird family is an understatement!
@@Devila103 Thanks for the love and support ❤️🎼🎤
youre lucky! :-)
I always rang first to say I was coming & was it ok, for she was often out during the day. On arriving I would knock once then walk in & my parents would do the same when they came to see me. I just felt it was courteous that way. I too would love to see more of this one, don’t know how I missed it as I always recorded them to watch if I was out.
Jason is a role model to me, because I am gifted by my father too!
Sad to be estranged from his mother.
Sadly, some mothers are not very nice people and bring it upon themselves. This despite whatever the child might do to heal the rift.
@@johnbrereton5229 and she has the nerve to blame Jason for his coolness towards her. Er you deserted him love what do you expect?! 🙄
"Maybe I'm connected to Nigella...
I'd be happy with that"
😂
Sad 😔 when he asked his dad where he met his mother he didn't even call her mum
Great to see him looking good
Thanks for the love and support ❤️🎼🎤
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Hi. When will u be adding more of Jason?
Thanks for the love and support ❤️🎼🎤
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Would love to see the rest...
Wow. This is old. About 12 years old.jason is over 50
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So here is the thing about "who do you think you are" .. in how many seasons .. how many indigenous people have they done?
I don’t blame Jason for not wanting to be with his mother as she wasn’t there when he DID NEED HER!
Anybody find his speaking voice kinda soothing?
Makes my heart flip even now he was my 1st crush
Who knows, his parents' relationship is such a dump, because of they divorced!
i am
He was born in 68,,, how does that make him 42 old,, 😕
It does, if this show is from 2010.
It's years old..he was 42 at the time of the show Airing😐
As far as I know Donovan is a Irish name...Am I wrong..
No you are right !
Donovan is an anglocized version of a Gaelic Irish name originating in Cork. However, like most families they spread around the British isles first and then around the growing Empire.
So now you can get an English Donovan,an American Donovan, an Australian or many other nationalities.
Would love to see the rest...