Joe Swash was moved to tears during the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? as he uncovered details about his family's past, 30 years after the tragic death of his father. The actor and TV presenter, aged 44, was just 12 when his father Ricky died at 39 from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), an undiagnosed heart condition.
Emotional Journey
In the episode aired on Tuesday, June 9, Joe admitted that the past had been something he avoided due to the grief of losing his father. He reflected on his childhood, saying: 'When my dad was alive, my house was full of life and laughter, and then when my dad died, for a long time, it was a house full of sadness and grief.'
Joe also spoke about his 'chaotic' family life with wife Stacey Solomon and their five children. He described finding solace in fishing, noting: 'I like to go fishing. I'd say fishing is only 30% of it. The other 70% for me is chilling out next to the water, being a bit close to nature.'
Historical Discovery
The emotional peak came when Joe learned about his great-great-grandfather, Giuseppe Raimo, who left Italy as a peasant farmer to settle in London, working as a street piano player. Giuseppe became deeply involved in activism and the Communist Workers' movement in the 1920s, linking him to Suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst. Together, they raised concerns about Benito Mussolini and the threat of fascism.
Joe expressed pride, saying: 'It really does fill me with a great deal of pride to think that he was struggling through life anyway... but he was still concerned about what was happening in the world and fascism.'
Reading his great-great-grandfather's words from a newspaper cutting, Joe became tearful: 'I think it's beautiful. I'm a bit more emotional than I thought I'd ever be about my relatives.' He added: 'I thought my grandad was illiterate because he signed everything with a cross, so even if he was illiterate, he wasn't stupid.'
The historian noted the risks Giuseppe took by putting down his name and address, calling it brave. Joe concluded: 'He's a good guy. It's just nice to know that I've got a little bit of him in my DNA.'
