ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Daniel Radcliffe Cries While Reading Suicide Note On Who Do You Think You Are?

Daniel Radcliffe Cries While Reading Suicide Note On Who Do You Think You Are?

The Harry Potter star took part in a particularly emotional episode of the hit series

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Daniel Radcliffe breaks down in tears during an upcoming episode of Who Do You Think You Are? after reading the suicide note left by a close family member.

In the highly charged episode, the Harry Potter star delves into his family's past and uncovers the tragic circumstances of his great-grandfather Samuel Gershon.

A robbery at the family's Hatton Garden jewellery business in 1936 left Mr Gershon with nothing, but when he reported the crime to the police, they accused him of faking the theft so he could claim insurance.

According to The Sun, the police report at the time said: "Jews are so frequently responsible for the bringing down of their own business premises."

Eventually, the insurance firm did payout, but only after Mr Gershon's death.

The Harry Potter star breaks down while reading the suicide note left by hist great grandfather.
BBC/Wall To Wall Media

Talking about the police reports, Daniel - whose family descends from Russian and German immigrants - says in the episode: "There's a lot to dig into in that one sentence. It's very jarring to see being a Jew to be taken as a piece of evidence in itself."

The 29-year-old added: "Everything he had worked for and that his father had worked for, has sort of been destroyed.

"You want to just reach into the past and just go, 'whatever you're going through, you have so much to offer the people who are around you still ... you have so much to give to them. And, they still would all have loved you'."

The death of Daniel's great-grandfather happened in the same year as the now infamous Battle of Cable Street in 1936, which saw a violent clash between fascists and local people, including local communist, anarchist, Jewish groups, in London's East End.

Daniel with his mum and dad in 1991.
BBC/Wall To Wall Media

According to reports, with rising tensions, Daniel's family later anglicised its name from Gershon to Gresham shortly after.

Mr Gershon's tragic death and the claims the robbery was an inside job became public knowledge, which his wife Raie had to face alone.

In the episode, Daniel praises his great-grandmother for protecting the family from the devastating period in the family's history. He says: "It's fascinating to find that maybe the strongest of all of them was this woman I knew almost nothing about."

In the upcoming episode, which will air on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 22 July, Daniel also uncovers a photograph of his great-great grandfather Louis, with whom he shares an uncanny resemblance.

Featured Image Credit: BBC/Wall To Wall Media

Topics: Harry Potter, UK News, TV and Film, BBC, Daniel Radcliffe, Interesting, UK Entertainment