Radio 4’s Jenny Kleeman talks DNA journey: “We have a US president who will talk about good genes”

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Jenny Kleeman felt anxious while waiting for her DNA test results. She describes the experience as “really nerve-racking,” and for good reason. As an award-winning journalist researching her Radio 4 podcast, The Gift, she was aware that DNA tests could reveal surprising and unsettling truths – like cases of babies being switched at birth, issues with IVF treatments, and even previously unknown family connections involving incest.

As a true crime fan, I’ve been hooked on this series, and the title ‘The Gift’ is really clever. It seems to be about the popularity of at-home DNA kits like those from 23andMe and Ancestry, which people are giving as gifts. But honestly, it feels like a gift to the show’s creator, Kelly Kleeman, because each season delivers these unbelievably wild stories. The new season, starting this week, kicks off with a case so rare and shocking, it’s going to be all over the news – though I’m keeping the details under wraps for now!

It’s remarkable that everyone featured on the show feels good about taking a DNA test, even when the results are surprising. The host, Kleeman, stays in close contact with participants, respecting the trust they’ve placed in her. She describes their conversations as deeply personal, sometimes feeling like therapy, but always maintains her role as a journalist preparing a radio broadcast.

This journalist looks beyond individual stories to explore the broader history of reproductive technology – from the unregulated beginnings of IVF and the sale of babies in 1950s Canada, to the growing use of donor sperm. However, she finds the most troubling trend is our willingness to freely share personal genetic data online. When asked if at-home DNA tests could lead to a troubling future, she states plainly, “We’re already living in it.”

She’s aware of the risks, as 23andMe, the DNA testing company she used in 2023, experienced a data breach where information belonging to people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (like her family) was sold online. However, she’s even more worried about who legally owns this data now. When 23andMe went out of business in March 2025, a medical research institute purchased the company, and with it, the DNA information of millions of customers.

Kleeman wonders who might own her genetic information in the future and how it could be used. She believes current privacy safeguards won’t last forever and that we need to be more realistic about privacy in the digital age. While digitizing personal medical and genetic data offers valuable insights, we must acknowledge and prepare for the potential unintended consequences of doing so.

It’s important to remember that these tests aren’t a definitive measure of someone’s cultural or ethnic identity. They can only indicate a person’s ancestral origins – essentially, where their parents came from. Kleeman finds this particularly amusing, noting the irony of seeing people on white supremacist forums confused when their results show Jewish ancestry, and then trying to rationalize it.

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While misguided racists might entertain her, Kleeman understands they represent a troubling pattern. She points to the US president’s comments about genetics, explaining that in these difficult times, the seemingly straightforward results of genetic tests can be dangerously appealing. That’s why she’s determined to challenge and disprove the racist interpretations of genetic information.

At-home health tests are also causing concern because people are misinterpreting the results and demanding unnecessary medical procedures. Doctors with the NHS have reported patients requesting serious operations – like mastectomies – based on these tests, even when they aren’t needed, according to Kleeman.

Despite these worries, it’s doubtful people will stop buying at-home DNA tests for themselves or as gifts. Kleeman describes DNA tests as something people either love or hate, but points out our endless fascination with ourselves. Kleeman herself was relieved her results were unremarkable, happily admitting, “I was very happy to be boring.”

Authors

David Crawford

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2026-04-27 20:21