FLORENCE Pugh was left emotional after uncovering a heartbreaking family connection — and opening up about her own childhood health struggles on new TV show No Taste Like Home.
The Oppenheimer star, 29, joins Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski in the series, where celebs trace their family roots through food.
Florence Pugh appears on No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski[/caption]
The Oppenheimer star revealed her childhood struggle[/caption]
But what started as a culinary journey turned into an emotional rollercoaster as Florence discovered the tragic fate of her namesake ancestor.
The pair kicked off the episode in Florence’s hometown of Oxford, cooking up her family’s beloved shepherd’s pie.
Food runs in the family — her dad Clinton Pugh is a restaurateur — but it was Florence’s Dutch roots that revealed an unexpected twist.
Antoni told Florence that her 3x great-grandparents, Mauritz and Anna, emigrated from the Netherlands to London in the 1860s, living in poverty and likely eating from street stalls.
The duo even visited an oyster farm to try the kind of dishes her ancestors might have eaten.
But the biggest shock came when Florence learned that Mauritz and Anna’s granddaughter — born in 1882 — was also named Florence Pugh.
“I’m so intrigued that there is another Florence,” the actress said.
“Where is she? Where did she go? Where did she live? Did she have children?”
Tragically, the other Florence died at just four years old, likely from tuberculosis.
The discovery hit the actress hard, as she revealed her own childhood battle with severe respiratory issues.
“I wasn’t supposed to live,” Florence admitted.
“When I was born they told my parents that it wasn’t going to happen, and just enjoy the time whilst you have it.”
She added: “I had many struggles growing up with my breathing, constantly being ill. Going in and out of hospital.”
The Dune: Part Two star has previously shared that she was diagnosed with tracheomalacia as a baby, a condition that causes the windpipe to collapse, making it difficult to breathe.
Her parents moved to Spain when she was three years old on doctors’ advice, hoping the warmer climate would help.
“We were in Spain because I have a breathing issue,” Florence told Yahoo in a past interview.
“I have asthma and this thing called tracheomalacia. From a young age, I’ve just had a different breathing system.”
The emotional episode is the first in the new Disney+ and National Geographic series, where Antoni helps guests rediscover their roots through food.
“It’s a beautiful adventure to discover our past through the great connector that is food,” Antoni said.
“I’m honoured to go on this journey of self-discovery with new and old friends.”
Florence’s powerful episode of No Taste Like Home aired on the National Geographic Channel on Wednesday February 26 and is available to stream now on Disney+.
Florence travels across England and learns about her family past in the episode[/caption]
Florence at Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party last year[/caption]
