Have you discovered a (living) famous person in your extended family?

[little meg]

I got  prematurely excited when I discovered that John Jarrett, aussie actor, was a relo. 
Turned out that he was related to my distant cousins and not me.
Close but no cigars

John Jarrett, for those not in the know, played Ned Kelly after Mick Jagger and before Heath Ledger. 

Margaret

[Windsor87]

Rupert Murdoch descends from a Garden family of Rosehearty.
I descend from a Garden family of Aberdour (just down the road from Rosehearty).

Unfortunately I have been unable to prove a link, but I'm working on it. 

[stoney]

Depends how you categorise "famous" - my cousin's wife has a cookery show on American TV; Hubby's G Aunt knew the composer Holst; and Hubby's in "Who's Who".......

Will you share who has the cooking show? Is it on the Food Network. I love that channel. 

Kath

Have no idea what channel - given they have so many stations there! They live in New Hampshire so it may be just a local thing - think I'd have heard if they'd networked it! I think the programme's called "Cooking with Oonagh".

[kateblogs]

Apparently, I'm related to someone who canoodled with Princess Diana, but I have never met him.

We are also supposed to be related to the actor Ian McShane, but I have never found the connection. Having said, I can see a resemblance to some members of my family.

[suffolk*sue]

A direct descendant of Edwin Sandys who was Archbishop of York in the 1500s.

Also a link to Mr Boon who started the publishing company Mills and Boon.

[Josee]

On my fathers side we are supposed to be related to the actor who used to play Vince in Crossroads,
 I think he's stll alive

Jo

[nickgc]

Yes!  I am no more than the 50th cousin of every living famous person, regardless of how you define "fame" (and Paris Hilton doesn't count... in fact, she probably CAN'T count).  And so are all of you.

And so are we no more than that far distant in relation to all the dead famous people.   It is estimated that the common ancestor of everyone now living was alive 1000 years ago (30 generations).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin

[LoneyBones]

Yeah, well thay can say that can't they. How many people do you know who has a family tree that goes back 30 generations? 
The most I can claim is a doubtful 9th generation.
Leonie.

[behindthefrogs]

Yes!  I am no more than the 50th cousin of every living famous person, regardless of how you define "fame" (and Paris Hilton doesn't count... in fact, she probably CAN'T count).  And so are all of you.

And so are we no more than that far distant in relation to all the dead famous people.   It is estimated that the common ancestor of everyone now living was alive 1000 years ago (30 generations).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin

That should read a common ancestor.  This is hardly surprising since 30 generations ago you will have had up to two to the power of thirty ancestors.  This is in the order of one billion ancestors.  I say "up to"  because many of them will be ancestors on more than one line.  A tree which shows just your direct ancestors will be a little large.

David