Rowling's family surprise

Harry Potter author had to 'brace' herself for discoveries...

09:44 02 August 2011

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has revealed that she had to brace herself for the discoveries she made while appearing in BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?.

The billionaire author revealed that it was her mother's death that inspired her to find out more about her family history.

The mother-of-three told the Radio Times:

"There were a lot of big surprises, some wonderful, and one rather upsetting.

"However, I went into the programme wanting the truth, no matter what it was, because I knew so little about my French ancestry, and I don't regret a moment of it. I loved the whole experience.

After discovering that a family story was not all it lived up to be, Rowling said:

"The story both was, and wasn't, what I expected. It is inevitably a very emotional experience.

"I can't really explain why what happened to our ancestors means so much to us but I found myself so caught up in their stories, and so worried about them, even though they are beyond my help now."

The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? airs later this August on BBC One.