Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson compares himself to a jar of honey found on a supermarket shelf - 'the product of many countries'. He thinks he is part Jewish, part French, part English, part American, part pterodactyl and, unpredictably, part Turkish.

Boris' paternal grandparents played a central role in his upbringing. He knows that his grandfather, 'Johnny', was the son of a Turkish journalist and politician who was ultimately kidnapped and lynched in the early 1920s, but knows little about his life, reputation and the circumstances of his death.

Boris' half-French grandmother, 'Granny Butter', had always claimed to be of posh stock. Although Boris and his siblings have always been suspicious of this claim, they do recall their grandmother teaching them to eat crisps with a knife and fork.

Boris sets out to discover more about his roots in Turkey and the experiences of his great-grandfather, whose vocations were so similar to his own. He learns more about the political climate of his great-grandfather's era in Turkey and discovers personal details about his life and death.

Returning to western Europe, Boris sets off in search of the truth about Granny Butter's background, and follows an intriguing family trail that leads him to a surprising conclusion.

Find out how we did it