Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | Bonus Episode: Hacked | 20240208 | 20240212 (R4) 20240321 (R4) 20241004 (R4) |  October 6th, 2023 - the day before Hamas launches its attack on Israel - a data set stolen from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe is posted on the dark web. A hacker under the username Golem claims it contains millions of data points relating to Ashkenazi Jews living globally. A vast repository of 23andMe's account holder's personal information is then offered to anyone willing to pay for it - including names, birth dates, genetic ancestry and location details. Not only is it 23andMe's biggest ever security breach but apparently it's been motivated by racism. Jenny Kleeman recently confirmed her Ashkenazi Jewish identity through a 23andMe test. Her mum and dad had done so a few years previously. In this bonus episode of The Gift, Jenny investigates the 23andMe breach to discover what happened, who was targeted and if information as sensitive as our genetic code - including her own - can ever be stored safely. Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett Jenny Kleeman asks if an unprecedented theft of DNA data was a racially motivated attack. Jenny Kleeman asks if an unprecedented data theft from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe was a racially motivated attack - and if our genetic code can ever be stored safely. Was a recent, unprecedented DNA data theft a racially motivated attack? October 6th, 2023 - the day before Hamas launches its attack on Israel - a data set stolen from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe is posted on the dark web. A hacker under the username Golem claims it contains millions of data points relating to Ashkenazi Jews living globally. A vast repository of 23andMe account holder's personal information is then offered to anyone willing to pay for it - including names, birth dates, location and genetic ancestry details. Not only is it 23andMe's the biggest ever security breach but apparently it's been motivated by racism. Jenny Kleeman recently confirmed her Ashkenazi Jewish identity through a 23andMe test. Her mum and dad had already done so a few years previously. In this bonus episode of The Gift, Jenny investigates the 23andMe breach to discover what happened, who was targeted and if information as sensitive as our genetic code can ever be stored safely. Jenny Kleeman asks if a recent, unprecedented DNA data theft was racially motivated. October 6th, 2023 - the day before Hamas launches its attack on Israel - a data set stolen from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe is posted on the dark web. A hacker under the username Golem claims it contains millions of data points relating to Ashkenazi Jews living globally. A vast repository of 23andMe account holder's personal information is then offered to anyone willing to pay for it - including names, birth dates, location and genetic ancestry details. Not only is it 23andMe's the biggest ever security breach but apparently it's been motivated by racism. Jenny Kleeman recently confirmed her Ashkenazi Jewish identity through a 23andMe test. Her mum and dad had already done so a few years previously. In this bonus episode of The Gift, Jenny investigates the 23andMe breach to discover what happened, who was targeted and if information as sensitive as our genetic code can ever be stored safely. |
| 01 | 01 | Fraud | 20230911 | 20240924 (R4) |  In this first episode, a scandal deep in the heart of London's Harley Street is exposed when a man in his eighties receives a DNA test Christmas present from his daughter. It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world. Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes. Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide. Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett A DNA test given as a birthday present exposes a scandal at the heart of Harley Street. Jenny Kleeman uncovers extraordinary truths that emerge when people take at-home DNA tests. In this first episode, a birthday gift exposes a scandal at the heart of Harley Street. |
| 01 | 02 | Justice | 20230918 | 20240925 (R4) | A son's quest to learn more about his late father unravels a mystery that's baffled US federal law enforcement for over four decades. It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world. Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes. Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide. Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett Archive courtesy CNN A son's quest to learn more about his late father unexpectedly reveals a shocking crime. Jenny Kleeman uncovers extraordinary truths that emerge when people take at-home DNA tests. A son's quest to learn more about his late father unexpectedly reveals a shocking crime. |
| 01 | 03 | Mistakes | 20230925 | 20240926 (R4) | The family that must turn detective to find the couple who had IVF at the same time as them. It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world. Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes. Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide. Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett A family must turn detective to find the couple who had IVF at the same time as them. Jenny Kleeman uncovers extraordinary truths that emerge when people take at-home DNA tests. A family must turn detective to find the couple who had IVF at the same time as them. |
| 01 | 04 | Race | 20231002 | 20241001 (R4) | The anxieties of navigating a newfound racial identity. It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world. Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes. Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide. Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett Jenny Kleeman uncovers extraordinary truths that emerge when people take at-home DNA tests. The anxieties of navigating a newfound racial identity. |
| 01 | 05 | Health | 20231009 | 20241002 (R4) | How can life change when a home DNA test reveals you may be predisposed to serious illness? It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world. Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes. Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide. Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett When a home DNA test reveals you may be predisposed to serious illness. Jenny Kleeman uncovers extraordinary truths that emerge when people take at-home DNA tests. What happens when a test result shows you may be predisposed to serious illness? How life changes when a home DNA test reveals you may be predisposed to serious illness. |
| 01 | 06 | Secrets | 20231016 | 20241003 (R4) | In this last episode, as Jenny's own results land in her inbox, she hears how at home DNA tests have brought family secrets - once thought long buried - out into the light. It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world. Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes. Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide. Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett When home DNA tests bring family secrets - once thought long buried - into the light. Jenny Kleeman uncovers extraordinary truths that emerge when people take at-home DNA tests. In this last episode, test results bring long-buried family secrets out into the light. |
| 02 | 01 | Bonus Episode: Searching | 20250225 |  A family's race against time to find the baby they believe DNA testing proves was switched at birth. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the second series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. This included 'Switched'; the stories of two women who discovered they had been accidentally swapped at birth in a West Midlands hospital in 1967– all due to an Ancestry DNA test, received as a Christmas gift. As soon as the episode aired, people began to contact Jenny with tales of other incidences of accidental baby swaps - and one in particular stood out. Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Becca Bryers Executive Producer: Joe Kent Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 A family's race against time to find the baby they believe was switched at birth. What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? Jenny Kleeman meets the family in a race against time, to find the baby they believe was switched at birth. | |
| 02 | 01 | Switched - Part 1 | 20241106 | 20250114 (R4) | 
It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. In this second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - this is what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide. Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Jenny Kleeman meets more people whose lives have been changed forever by at-home DNA tests In this second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to that enormous global DNA database. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 One man and three women are forced to reassess everything they knew about their families. An at-home DNA test forces one man and three women to reassess everything they thought they knew about their families. |
| 02 | 02 | Switched - Part 2 | 20241101 | 20241113 (R4) 20250121 (R4) |
It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 |
| 02 | 03 | Sold | 20241104 | 20241120 (R4) 20250128 (R4) |
It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 The breast cancer survivor who investigates her genes and uncovers a black market in human life. |
| 02 | 04 | Taboo | 20241104 | 20241127 (R4) 20250204 (R4) | One man's determination to find his mother reveals an unbearable secret. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 Details of organisations providing support with mental health, adoption and feelings of despair are available at BBC.co.uk/actionline How one man's determination to find his mother reveals an unbearable secret. |
| 02 | 05 | 3. Sold | 20241104 | 20250128 (R4) | A breast cancer survivor investigates her genes and uncovers a black market in human life. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? The breast cancer survivor who investigates her genes and uncovers a black market in human life |
| 02 | 05 | Donor | 20241104 | 20241204 (R4) 20250211 (R4) | When testing your DNA becomes an obsession. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 |
| 02 | 06 | 4. Taboo | 20241104 | 20250204 (R4) | One man's determination to find his mother reveals an unbearable secret. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 Details of organisations providing support with mental health, adoption and feelings of despair are available at BBC.co.uk/actionline What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? How one man's determination to find his mother reveals an unbearable secret |
| 02 | 06 | Superdonor | 20241104 | 20241211 (R4) 20250218 (R4) | The donor conceived people turning to at-home DNA tests for answers. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 |
| 02 | 07 | 5. Donor | 20241104 | 20250211 (R4) | When testing your DNA becomes an obsession. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? |
| 02 | 08 | 6. Superdonor | 20241104 | 20250218 (R4) | The donor conceived people turning to at-home DNA tests for answers. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you're connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future. In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe. For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database. Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide? Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? |
| 03 | 02 | 1. Twins - Part 1 | 20260505 | 20260506 (R4) |  The special bond between twin sisters Michelle and Lavinia is tested in an almost inconceivable way. In The Gift, Jenny Kleeman has always looked at extraordinary truths that unravel when people take at-home DNA tests. For Series 3, Jenny is asking what it means to belong in a world where the global DNA database keeps expanding. Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Juliette Harvey Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 The special bond between two twin sisters is tested in an almost inconceivable way. What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? |
| 03 | 03 | 2. Twins - Part 2 | 20260512 | 20260513 (R4) | As they try to come to terms with their discovery, Michelle digs deeper into Lavinia's test results – but Lavinia doesn't want to know In The Gift, Jenny Kleeman has always looked at extraordinary truths that unravel when people take at-home DNA tests. For Series 3, Jenny is asking what it means to belong in a world where the global DNA database keeps expanding. Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Juliette Harvey Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? |
| 03 | 03 | Fathers | 20260519 | 20260520 (R4) | Technology catches up with sperm donors in ways they could never have imagined. In The Gift, Jenny Kleeman has always looked at extraordinary truths that unravel when people take at-home DNA tests. For Series 3, Jenny is asking what it means to belong in a world where the global DNA database keeps expanding. Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Production Coordinator: Juliette Harvey Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke The Gift is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 What happens when an online ancestry test reveals more than you bargained for? |
An at-home DNA test - taken by chance when a game of golf is rained off - forces one man and three women to reassess everything they thought they knew about their families.