Who DOES he think he is? Stars of Heir Hunters and Who Do You Think You Are locked in bitter legal row over ‘defamatory emails’

• TV ancestry stars Daniel Curran and Philip Turvey are locked in a bitter legal row
• Philip Turvey claims Heir Hunters star Curran sent ‘defamatory emails’ about him
• One email alleged that Philip Turvey stalked Curran’s seven-year-old daughter
• The Turveys strongly deny the allegations and are suing Curran for up to £100,000 in the High Court 

They are experts in genealogy, celebrated for their hit BBC shows investigating family histories.

But away from the genteel image of their profession, Daniel Curran, star of Heir Hunters, and Philip Turvey, the probate detective behind the popular Who Do You Think You Are?, are locked in a bitter legal battle.

Turvey claims that Curran and his colleagues sent their business associates defamatory emails about him and his father Peter. 

It is not the first time that Daniel Curran (above), who was once married to Elizabeth Hurley’s sister, has been accused of maligning Turvey. In 2014, Curran admitted using false names and accounts on social media to defame the Turveys [File photo]

One alleged that Turvey stalked Curran’s seven-year-old daughter, and another claimed that Peter had been convicted of sexual harassment.

The Turveys, who through their company Anglia Research helped the BBC trace the ancestral lines of double Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and actress Sheridan Smith, strongly deny the allegations and are suing Curran for up to £100,000 in the High Court.

It is not the first time that Curran, who was once married to Elizabeth Hurley’s sister, has been accused of maligning Turvey.

Three years ago, Curran, who runs a firm called Finders Geneaolgists, made a public apology and settled out of court for defamation against his rival. But the antagonism has rumbled on.

Philip Turvey, above, claims that Curran and his colleagues sent their business associates defamatory emails about him and his father Peter. One alleged that Turvey stalked Curran’s seven-year-old daughter, and another claimed that Peter had been convicted of sexual harassment [File photo]

According to legal papers in the new case, one email dated June 8, 2015, read: ‘Mr Turvey ran an abusive account on Twitter for over a year before Finders were able to have it closed down. 

This included stolen pictures from Finders staff personal Facebook accounts which they then posted online, and they followed Daniel Curran’s seven-year-old daughter’s school.’

Another email said: ‘We have established that Peter Turvey was convicted of sexual harassment and the bitterness of his attacks and persistent harassment of me & Finders is somewhat explained by his criminal record in my view.

‘We are also currently pursuing Anglia for a potentially fraudulent claim on an estate of approx £1 million in value.’

The business of heir hunting, in which probate detectives track down relatives of people who died without making a will, has become increasingly lucrative and competitive since the BBC1 show Heir Hunters launched in 2007.

Finders Genealogists has net assets of £4 million, while Anglia Research has assets of £1.2 million.

In 2014, Curran admitted using false names and accounts on social media to defame the Turveys.

Ancestors traced: Sheridan Smith in BBC family tree show ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’. The Turveys, through their company Anglia Research, helped the BBC trace the ancestral lines of actress Sheridan Smith, above [File photo]

Anonymous tweets made by a Curran employee branded Peter Turvey ‘Purvey’. In addition, an online petition defaming Turvey appeared under the headline: ‘Are heir hunters cheating us out of our inheritance?’

In 2016, the rivals released a joint statement which said: ‘Finders and Daniel Curran have apologised unreservedly to Philip Turvey.’

The Turveys declined to discuss the new court case. 

Curran said: ‘I have worked in this industry for 28 years and there is no doubt it is fiercely competitive. I acknowledge there is an ongoing legal issue.’

Liz Hurley was bridesmaid when Curran married her sister Kate in 1993. The couple divorced ten years later.

Curran now lives with second wife Annette in a £1.7 million house in Highgate, North London.

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