Exclusive: Kristin Chenoweth Uncovers Enterprising Ancestor in FINDING YOUR ROOTS
The new episode premieres Tuesday, February 24th, 2026, at 8/7c on PBS.
By: Josh Sharpe Feb. 23, 2026
In this exclusive clip from Tuesday's episode of Finding Your Roots, Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth discovers some shared qualities with a 19th-century Texas relative.
Chenoweth learns that her ancestor took out an illuminating advertisement in one of the local papers, promising the arrival of world-famous soprano Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale," at his oyster house. In actuality, however, the ad was likely a marketing scheme to simply get customers in the door.
Watch the clip, where Chenoweth connects with her relative's ambition as she learns that, in addition to being a restaurant owner, he raised a family, and also served as a lighthouse keeper. The episode of FINDING YOUR ROOTS Season 12 featuring Kristin Chenoweth and Spike Lee premieres Tuesday, February 24th, 2026, at 8/7c on PBS.
In the 12th season of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Chenoweth and 19 other celebrity guests sit down with Gates to dive into their ancestral history and family trees. Other guests this season include Darren Criss, Tracy Letts, Delroy Lindo, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan, Liza Colón-Zayas, Danielle Deadwyler, Barry Diller, America Ferrera, Flea, Rhiannon Giddens, Brittney Griner, Sara Haines, Wiz Khalifa, Sanaa Lathan, Spike Lee, Lizzo, Hasan Minhaj, and Chris Paul.
Photo Credit: PBS
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