COMEDIAN Lizzy Hoo has always been asked where she comes from – a question she’s humorously addressed in her stand-up routines.
In her latest special, Hoo Cares!?, streaming on Amazon Prime, she dives into her experiences growing up as a mixed-race child in Brisbane, blending Malaysian, Chinese and Irish heritage.
But now, Hoo is exploring a different side of her roots in the new SBS travel documentary series, Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey.
Teaming up with host Shaun Micallef, Hoo travels to Ireland to uncover her Irish ancestry.
They share laughs while tracing Hoo’s family tree, and learning about her great-great-grandfather, Dan Connole, an Irishman who settled in Toowoomba in 1863.
Their journey through Ireland includes a visit to Cork, where they meet Ger Buckley, a fifth-generation cooper at Middleton Distillery.
There, Hoo learns about her family’s history in barrel making, showcasing her natural storytelling abilities that she inherited from her mother, Barbara.
Hoo’s Irish-Catholic upbringing, which included attending church every Sunday and celebrating Catholic sacraments, played a strong role in shaping her values and sense of social justice.
Her exploration of her Irish heritage in this series is both a humorous and heartfelt journey, revealing the deep connection she has with her family’s past.
Throughout the series, Hoo expresses her fascination with how modern Ireland is reclaiming its identity and language.
Catch Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey on SBS at 7.30pm on Tuesday nights for a unique blend of comedy, culture, and family history.
