Hello, Tim Hartford here. Thank you for downloading the longer radio for edition of More or Less.

This week is Danny Dyer Special. We don't think so.

Hello and welcome to More or Less, your ever faithful guide to the numbers all around us in the

news and in life. This week we'll ask how five-year-olds are assessed at school and why hundreds

of thousands of them just happen to be getting exactly the same scores. And we present good news about

lavatories. And what can mathematics tell us about why it's so difficult to give trap a football?

But first, it turns out that many more or less listeners are also keen fans of who do you think you are.

This BBC series traces the ancestors of famous people and it's just returned. Beginning with

the film and TV actor, Danny Dyer. Danny Dyer indeed, a man who plays the landlord of the

Vic in EastEnders and who, against all expectations, has royal blood flowing to his veins.

If you follow the line back up to the top, you'll see where that name, Edward III.

So, Edward III, yes, he's your 22 times great grandfather.

The Newspapers loved it. Splashes have Danny appeared next to his regal

ancestors, but it also prompted a number of loyal listeners to get in touch and ask,

is it really that special? If you go back far enough, are we all related to royalty?

One academic has had a go at trying to work out if you have English ancestry,

what are the chances that you are related to King Edward III?

He says this isn't such a new idea.

The idea that lots of people descend from Edward III seem to interact for quite a while.

It's sort of story I heard as a child and it appears in various things like biographies of Edward III.

We've consulted him for help on what is to follow.

As you will all remember, King Edward III ruled England from 1327 to 1377.

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