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David Baddiel

Standing in a windswept, industrial Russian wasteland, writer and comedian David Baddiel surveys the insignificant remnants of his heritage - one blackened fragment of a factory wall.

"My mother's family were wealthy industrialists until 1933. But they were German Jews and the Nazis stripped them of everything," he reveals.

"They were amongst the last Jews to leave Germany - just three weeks before war was declared.

"This was their brick factory, in Kaliningrad, now in Russia. It's about as bleak as it could possibly be. I just wish there was a bit more of it - it makes me feel as if my past was blown out of existence."

Baddiel had already begun this poignant and emotional voyage of discovery by writing a novel about his grandparents' experiences during the war.

"My head was choc full of family history, and I'd also just turned 40," he explains. "When you're younger you think you're this self-enclosed short story, then you realise you're a chapter in a book and that you want to read the rest of the book.

"My history on both sides of my family involves persecution and people fleeing in horror.

"This creates mystery - and the human response to that is you want to crack the mystery."

Baddiel's mission was to try and uncover the truth about his mother's parentage - she had always believed herself to be adopted, possibly the daughter of her uncle.

But he also discovers huge amounts about his past, not least the fact that he is far from being the only David Baddiel in London!

"Let's face it, I've been famous for quite a long time, but they've not got in touch with me," he says wryly.

"They're very, very religious and don't watch television. Also, you have to consider that, if you contact your relatives - what do you do if you don't like them?

"It's a slightly dangerous thing to do…"