PBS’s long-running series Finding Your Roots continues to provide compelling discoveries with celebrities as they dive into family ancestry.

Hosted by writer and executive producer writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the series sees celebrity guests who sit down with Gates to dive into their ancestral history.

“Our ancestors’ genetic legacies cascade down the branches of our family trees informing who we are,” said Gates. “As Finding Your Roots enters its eleventh season, the team and I cherish deeply the bond we have with our guests and viewers to explore the history we have in common through personal stories of those who have shaped our world, one generation to the next. It’s a special honor to have our home on PBS, and we can’t wait to share this season’s amazing slate of guests with our audience.”

Which celebrities will be on this season of Finding Your Roots?

The new episodes will feature guests such as José Andrés, Joy Behar, Kristen Bell, Rubén Blades, Lonnie Bunch, Rita Dove, Laurence Fishburne, Debra Messing, Natalie Morales, Michael Imperioli, Melanie Lynskey, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lea Salonga, Amanda Seyfried, Dax Shepard, Sean Sherman, Sharon Stone, Amy Tan and Chrissy Teigen.

Gates also dives into a mystery from his own family ancestry when he becomes a guest himself during the season as well.

When does Season 11 of Finding Your Roots premiere?

Season 11 of Finding Your Roots premieres on Jan. 7, 2025 on PBS. Watch the trailer below:

Finding Your Roots Season 11 episode list

  • Jan. 7 – “Larger Than Life” – actors Lea Salonga and Amanda Seyfried 
  • Jan. 14 – “La Famiglia” – talk show host Joy Behar and actor Michael Imperioli
  • Jan. 21 – “Stranger Than Fiction”- novelist Amy Tan and poet Rita Dove
  • Jan. 28 – “Dreamers One and All” – actor Sharon Stone and model Chrissy Teigen
  • Feb. 4 – “Family Recipes” – celebrity chefs José Andrés and Sean Sherman
  • Feb. 11 – “Latin Roots” – musician Rubén Blades and journalist Natalie Morales
  • Feb. 18 – “The Ties That Bind” – actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard 
  • Feb. 25 – “The Butterfly Effect”- actors Debra Messing  and Melanie Lynskey 
  • April 1 – “Moving on Up” – historian Lonnie Bunch and actor Sheryl Lee Ralph 
  • April 8 – “Finding My Roots” – actor Laurence Fishburne and host and executive producer Henry Louis Gates, Jr.