The Gift

After one of the biggest brands in at-home DNA testing is put up for sale - along with the genetic codes of millions of its customers - Jenny decides if she wants to continue to belong to the global DNA database.

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

It’s a criminal offence to take an at-home DNA test in France – and Audrey and Arthur must break the law if they want to unlock the truths hidden in their genes.

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

When the mystery of her past is solved, Kathy is confronted by a shocking true crime story that helps explain who she is.

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

*Archive reproduced with the permission of Idaho Falls Police Department*

The Gift is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

After discovering who she really is, Claire has decided to tell her side of the story.

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

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.

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.

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 - and the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database.

New episodes are available on BBC Sounds from Saturday 2 November, 2024.

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett Archive courtesy CNN

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.

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman Producer: Conor Garrett Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Executive Producer: Philip Sellars Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett

Have you ever been curious enough to try and find out who you really are?

Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after opening a box containing a DNA test.

A new six-part documentary series from BBC Radio 4, coming to BBC Sounds weekly on Mondays from 11 September 2023.