ACTOR Sir Patrick Stewart is to have his life story told in the hit BBC series Who Do You Think You Are?
The Mirfield-born star is one of the 10 celebrities who have been filmed for the new series, due to start later this month.
And it could well touch on some of the unhappy memories of growing up in Mirfield.
Sir Patrick revealed last year that he had witnessed domestic abuse in his own home as he grew up.
Who Do You Think You Are? is a British genealogy documentary series that has aired on the BBC since 2004.
It is Made by Wall to Wall, and in each episode, a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree.
The show regularly attracts an audience of more than six million viewers.
The line-up for the next series – due to start after the Olympics – includes actors Samantha Womack, Alex Kingston, Celia Imrie and William Roache as well as Sir Patrick.
The series will also feature comedians Hugh Dennis and John Bishop, musician Annie Lennox, former footballer John Barnes and Masterchef presenter Gregg Wallace.
Sir Patrick, best known for his role in Star Trek, was brought up in Mirfield.
He was born on July 13, 1940, and was the son of Gladys (née Barrowclough), a weaver and textile worker, and Alfred Stewart, a regimental sergeant major who served with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
His father had previously worked as a general labourer and as a postman.
The young Stewart went to Crowlees School and later Mirfield Secondary Modern School before landing a job as a local newspaper reporter.
Sir Patrick revealed many years later some of the troubled times he witnessed.
He said: “In civilian life it was a different story for my father.
“He was an angry, unhappy and frustrated man who was not able to control his emotions or his hands.
“As a child I witnessed his repeated violence against my mother, and the terror and misery he caused was such that, if I felt I could have succeeded, I would have killed him.”
The show is also expected to examine many of his triumphs on stage and on screen, as well as his latest campaign to promote the University of Huddersfield, where he is chancellor.
