TalkTV star discovers hero World War II family by taking £27 test
TalkTV host Peter Cardwell has taken viewers on an unexpectedly moving journey after exploring his ancestry through a simple MyHeritage DNA test. What began as a curiosity quickly unfolded into a powerful story of ancient origins, wartime heroism and long lost family connections that stretched across centuries and continents.
With MyHeritage now offering a huge early Black Friday discount, it has reduced DNA kits to £27, a massive 65% off – and more people than ever have the opportunity to unlock their own hidden histories. The broadcaster, author and academic was educated in Northern Ireland but continued his studies at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, before settling in London and his results from the test revealed a fascinating reflection of the British Isles’ complex history.
His ethnicity estimate showed 55.7% Scottish/Welsh heritage, tracing back to the 17th century Ulster Plantation, when thousands of Scots settled in Northern Ireland. He learned that his mother’s McLaren family, from Sixmilecross, County Tyrone, are believed to descend from three McLaren brothers who arrived with King William of Orange in 1690.
The results revealed that Cardwell’s heritage included 22.6% Irish and 17.6% English ancestry, reflecting the blended identity typical of Northern Ireland. Through MyHeritage’s Ancient Origins feature, he traced his lineage back 10,000 years to Roman Britain, which was influenced by traders and soldiers.
His DNA also pointed to Germanic roots that later developed into the Anglo-Saxons after the fall of Rome, alongside a 32.8% Insular Celt component, linking him to the early peoples of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Beyond broad migrations, MyHeritage connected him to historical records and revealed his great uncle, Robert Charles McLaren, a Sergeant Navigator in the Royal Air Force.
Tragically, Robert was killed in action in January 1944 at the age of 20 during his second operational flight. For Cardwell, another exciting revelation came in the form of the worldwide genetic matches he discovered – 25,523 in total – including finding out he had relatives as far afield as New Zealand.
This included a second cousin Ange Pearson and her father Bob, as well as third cousin Russ McLaren, who had previously met Peter’s grandparents during a visit to Ireland in 1988. MyHeritage also went back eight generations and even provided him with a colourised photograph of his great-great grandmother, Annie Dunbar.
Cardwell told his audience: “I found it fascinating, I hope you did too. There’s a lot about my family I didn’t know, and of course a lot of relatives I didn’t know. And I was, to be honest, a little bit worried about where it was going to go. That was kind of an emotional experience for me.”
Viewers responded with equal excitement, and one, Penny, wrote: “Your DNA results are similar to mine, I get DNA matches by email every week, fascinating.” Michelle added: “Fantastic, I really enjoyed seeing this DNA testing, I hope you make new connections, I’m blown away.”
Alternative platforms such as AncestryDNA also provide tests starting from £39 currently, which deliver comprehensive insights about individuals’ family origins, encompassing 3,600+ geographical regions and ancestral journeys. It also provides DNA matches to help arrange and connect with relatives effortlessly. Another option is 23andMe, which has an Acnestry Composition report down to 0.1%. They are offering it for £69, down from £89.
MyHeritage has got a range of positive reviews on the website from users. One person said: “I can honestly say my DNA results from MyHeritage have been life-changing. I discovered close family I didn’t even know existed on another continent. It was incredible.” Another said: “Being an adopted person, I hadn’t known everything about my bloodline. With MyHeritage DNA, I was able to pick up pieces that I had never known about. It’s an incredible tool.”
On Trustpilot, some others said: “I have been able to find so many relatives I had heard of but never met and find genealogy fascinating. I do struggle with one or two facilities available like Privacy, as I do not want to offend living family.”
Most were pleased, however, as one said: “Through MyHeritage, I’ve not only found my grandmother’s family, but also was able to piece together who my grandfather was from DNA matches. I can’t recommend MyHeritage enough.”
