Fred Sirieix fought back tears as he learned of his great-grandfather’s horrific ordeal in ‘the biggest battles of World War One’ on Who Do You Think You Are? 

The French TV chef, 53, will appear on next week’s episode of the BBC genealogy show, which sees celebrities explore their family tree with the help of experts. 

One segment of the episode, exclusively revealed to MailOnline, saw him explore his connections to his great-grandfather Leonard, who fought in the war from 1914 to 1918. 

The historian explained his ancestor fought the Germans at The First Battle of Champagne, from December 1914 to March 1915 – but ‘that wasn’t the end of his war’. 

Speaking to the First Dates host, she continued: ‘In fact, he moved on to many other areas in the frontline, most notably Verdun.’ 

Wide-eyed with shock his relative was at the longest, bloodiest battle of the war, lasting 300 days in 1916 and leaving around 800,000 soldiers ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, wounded or missing, Fred responded: ‘He was in Verdun? Oh my God.’ 

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Fred Sirieix fought back tears as he learnt of his great-grandfather’s horrific ordeal in ‘the biggest battles of World War One’ on Who Do You Think You Are?

The French TV chef, 53, will appear on next week’s episode of the BBC genealogy show, which sees celebrities explore their family tree with the help of experts

One segment of the episode, exclusively revealed to MailOnline, saw him explore his connections to his great-grandfather Leonard, who fought in the war from 1914 to 1918

The expert confirmed: ‘Yes, so your great-grandfather Leonard served at Verdun which became known as “the meat grinder”. 

‘The action at Verdun is well-known in France, of course, and it was where a million German soldiers attacked 200,000 French soldiers.’ 

Fred, born in the French city of Limoges and up on his national history, replied: ‘But the French resisted and eventually they won.’ 

The historian concluded: ‘They did. Leonard was there, your great-grandfather Leonard was there.’  

But that was not the end of her insights into the family history of Fred, best known for his job as the maitre d’ at the restaurant where Channel 4 dating reality show First Dates takes place. 

She continued: ‘And I think also, we need to consider the fact that after Verdun, the war continued, and your great-grandfather Leonard, his war continued. 

‘He then went to the Somme where he served in October 1916, so we’re well into the Battle of the Somme at that point.’ 

Fred was left utterly speechless by this – the costly and largely unsuccessful Allied offensive from July to November 1916, which saw enormous bloodshed.   

Wide-eyed with shock his relative was at the longest, bloodiest battle of the war, lasting 300 days in 1916 and leaving around 800,000 soldiers ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, wounded or missing, Fred responded: ‘He was in Verdun? Oh my God’

Fred is best known for his job as the maitre d’ at the restaurant where dating reality show First Dates takes place (pictured) 

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The emotional chef and TV personality continued: ‘But he did every single big battle, I mean, he was in the first battle where they were doing hand-to-hand combat, fighting with the bayonet. 

‘Then, he was in Verdun and then the Battle of the Somme. I mean, these are the biggest battles of World War One.’

The expert was just as impressed: ‘Your great-grandfather saw the evolution of the First World War, he lived that.’

It comes after Irish comedian and actress Aisling Bea also had an astonishing revelation about her family history on her recent episode of Who Do You Think You Are?. 

One segment of this week’s instalment of the BBC show saw her look through archival documents about her ancestry during a meet-up with historian Dr Richard McMahon in County Limerick, Ireland. 

Richard opened up to the comedian, from the town of Kildare, Ireland, about her great-grandmother Martha Sheehy and her time during the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1852.

Richard told Aisling: ‘The family have a larger farm by the end of the famine then they had [in] pre-famine Ireland. 

She asked in response: ‘So, during this devastating period in Irish history, which would have such a long terrible legacy for all of us afterwards, how does someone come to have more land if owned than renting so soon after the famine?’ 

It comes after Irish comedian and actress Aisling Bea also had an astonishing revelation about her family history on her recent episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (pictured) 

One segment of this week’s instalment of the BBC show saw her look through archival documents about her ancestry during a meet-up with historian Dr Richard McMahon (right) in County Limerick, Ireland 

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He explained: ‘During the famine, landlords would have evicted hundreds of thousands of people off the land and when they are moved off the land, the land is taken over by farmers like your great-, great-, great-grandmother Martha.’

Aisling tries to wrap her head around it, replying: ‘So, while she might not be evicting them, she maybe using it as an opportune moment.’

The historian confirmed: ‘Some people got larger farms on the back of people getting moved off the land.’ 

Aisling struggled to process the brutal realisation: ‘That is hard to hear. I’ll be honest.

‘Having spent all our childhood learning about the Irish famine in our history classes, anyone who, any terrible situation profited…

‘It does make me feel a little bit shameful to be honest.’

Who Do You Think You Are? is available to watch on BBC One on Tuesdays at 9pm and to stream on iPlayer.