Chris O'Dowd cousin of pop legend?

With his new comedy series Family Tree set to begin on BBC Two in the coming weeks, Chris O'Dowd has been speaking about his discoveries about his own family - and how he might be related to a pop legend.

With his new comedy series Family Tree set to begin on BBC Two in the coming weeks, Chris O'Dowd has been speaking about his discoveries about his own family – and how he might be related to a pop legend.

In an interview with the BBC, O'Dowd was asked whether he had researched his own family tree.

"A little bit, especially as my parents get older," he said. "I found out that my great grandfather was a bigamist and a travelling salesman. We found out after his death - I never met him, it was before my time - but he had a second family in Birmingham and O'Dowd is quite an uncommon name."

O'Dowd added: "This is pure conjecture, but one strand of O'Dowds that came from Birmingham also spawned George O'Dowd, who people probably know better as Boy George. So we could be cousins."

Co-written and co-created by Christopher Guest (Best in Show, This Is Spinal Tap) and Jim Piddock (Too Much Sun), Family Tree follows the journey of Tom Chadwick (O'Dowd).

After losing his job and splitting up with his girlfriend, Tom starts looking at his family history, inheriting a mysterious box from a great aunt which reveals hidden family characters.