Long Lost Families • 13/05/2010

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell are to front an ITV1 series that focuses on the process of discovering family history, Long Lost Families is about dramatic reunions with living relatives.The 6 episode series follows people who have spent years trying to track down a long-lost family member, usually as a result of adoption, but who have hit a brick wall.

They are interviewed about the circumstances of the separation, how it has affected their life and what it would mean to meet the missing person - before being reunited in stages. The show will visit the ‘found’ relative to deliver the news that there is someone searching for them, and then offer them the chance to see a photo and read a letter. The same process will happen with the person who is searching, and the programme will culminate with a face-to-face reunion.

Each episode follows two stories, and those filmed so far include identical twins adopted into different families. Only one of the pair knew she was a twin, even though they live just three miles apart.

The show is set to appear on our screens later this year so keep checking back to officialdavina.com for more details.

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  • Hi davina im 47 years ols i was born at st stephans hospital chelsea in 1964 my birth mother (age 36 susan ryan) iv reserched iv looked n im finding it hard to trace her. my daughter whos 25 is also seeking for her (nan) due to medical reasons and hertiage she looks nuffing like my 3 other child she is diffrent and not untill recently iv said there was a hole inside of me she agreed she felt the same.. She been sertching with no joy n im hoping u can help me i was born on 26/02/1964 i was called Hazel Christina elizabeth ryan sha left me at the hospital at 7days old.. i was then adopted in march 1966 in grays i was told in my papers that her birthday begings with J and she had a daughter 11 years older than than me she lived with her granma in 1964 in scotland ?? Susan went under ryan young grant and she is meant to have bin assosiated with a maurice penfold but she claims he died in 1954 my mother didnt turn up at my adpotion court.. i feel like i need something or some help for thes
    jane livingstone
  • I too sadly missed this series and have a story to tell which is happening right now. My dad was adopted and I started to trace his real family a few years ago. He had 4 brothers and sisters and I managed to find several links on genes plus doing research myself. To our amazement I found a real living brother Ian (who was living in Australia and didn't even know he had any more brothers or sisters except one) - we contacted and he arrived last night from Aussie to stay with Dad for 2 weeks. Its amazing!!! BUT there is another sister out there somewhere if she's still alive. She was born in 1939 and would be about 72 and we have a lot of details and we know where her records are but thats as far as we can go as they won't let us see the records. Ian is only over in England for 6 weeks - is there any way you can help for your next series this would be fantastic. My dad is 79 next week and Ian is 75. I am yet to meet him today and can't wait. There is quite a story to this also.
    Sally Butcher
  • Trying to locate my brother ANTHONY Mark - born october 1970 in oxford - may have tried looking but discovered our birth mother (Bernice) passed away and has not realised that he has 2 sisters - ANTHONY WE ARE TRYING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FIND YOU!!! x
    tracy lazarescu
  • Hi Davina,
    im looking for my father that i havent seen since i was a baby, his name is peter hoadley and he lived in east london, i know he was a builder and when i was registered he was registered at the same address, is there anything you can do to help me,
    thankyou
    Alison
    alison hoadley
  • Hi davina,
    My grandad who is 83 years old . Mum died when he was little & at the age of 4 his dad told him he loved him .
    He never saw him again . As u are aware we have no idea what ever happened to his dad at all . & even if he any other family that he never knew. I think it's haunted him all these years to think what happened to his dad. And if he has anymore family out there.
    Thanks mandy Maxted berkshiren
    Mandy maxted
  • l could'nt help but feel moved by your programme, and l'm sorry that l did'nt see most of the episodes however l wont miss one if you are to do a new series in the future. It amazes me how you find the information out about these people, like most of the comments on here l too have been searching for a very long time to locate my fathers family in the Ukraine, he was a displaced person who chose to live here in Britain when the concentration camps were liberated at the end of WWii, l know he had two surviving sisters back then who remained in the Ukraine, unfortunately my father passed away in 1975 and since then l have tried every avenue availiable to me to make contact yet l always seem to hit a brick wall. How do you do it ??, l'd really like to know, how hard can it be ?? any advice you or your team could offer would be greatly appriciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this message.
    Alexandra Harpin Nee: Milovsorov.
    Best regards and good luck with your future shows
    ALEXANDRA HARPIN
  • Hi Davina, love your programme. I too am having difficulty trying to trace my fathers family. All i know of him is that his name was David Black, he was born in Ireland, not a clue where, he had a brother, and his mother was a school teacher, apart from that my mother will tell me nothing more, i have been asking her for 50 years, can you help me please?
    Margaret Loftus
  • Davina, I was born in a Salvation Army Hospital 40 yrs ago in South Australia (Mindini? / Adelaide) I was 11 days old When adopted, still puzzles me this day as to why. My adoptive parents are British & they brought me to this country when I was 10/11. Love my British parents with all my heart but no I dont belong. Really hope you can help me. Must admit I havnt tried myself but friends & other family have persuaded me to try this avenue. Realy hoping you may be able to help. Kind regads
    Heather Muse
  • Dear Davina and Nicky, Im looking for my partners sister she was adopted at a very young age.They where all put in care due to abusive parents.there are 9 of them all together but his siser is the only one missing that hasnt been brought back together.he is desperate to find her i,ve done all i can to find her but with little success.Any help you can give me i would be extremely grateful .best wishes Dawn
    Dawn Gardner
  • Hi Davina great show im looking for my half sister she wud hve bn born 1971 approx id love to find her since our mum has past away at a very young age over 20yrs ago her name was emma johnson and put up for adoption at birth to give me a chance in life would be great if she ever came across this email if she knew about me i dont know good luck with future shows
    bonamy
  • Hi - I'm now 59 and adopted - found my birth mum but she had died in 2004 - found a half brother but he is not to keen on keeping in touch and he only lives approx three miles away ! I am looking for my Father but Jessie had relations with several men around Seaton Sluice but keep hitting brick walls. We think he was called Robert (Bob) Marshall and we think he was Jessie's cousin Sadie's husband ! But don't know where to go from here. He have left the South East and moved to the North East hoping to find out more but nothing. Can anyone help ? Jessie Wilkinson was my birth mum
    Foster Morton
  • Hello I am trying to trace my half brother who was born Anthony (or Antony) Mark and possibly the surname of Patrick. Born in Oxford and as far as I am aware had an upbringing in the Sydenham area of London. Father was Harvey Dobson ...... any help would be greatly appreciated!
    Tracy
  • Great programme - I was adopted and went through all that the families are going through - I found my family back in 2003 - it included both my birth mother and father and associated siblings 6 in all and their respective children as well.... However I do think that it should be pointed out that not all endings are that happy - I travelled to the other side of the world (New Zealand) to meet my parents - their were numerous phone calls prior to us meeting and there were feelings of euphoria etc that after 40 years I was to meet not just my birth mother but my father as well and that was reciprocated by my parents - however when we met it all went horribly horribly wrong - I was so devestated by it all I am still coming to terms with it now - to put it all in perspective I actually wrote a book about it which I self published in 2008. My wife tries to persuade me from watching this programme beacuse it brings back so many emotions. But I have to watch it because it makes me wonder what
    Andy Angus
  • I would appreciate any help in trying to find my half sister that I have recently discovered.I didnt even know she existed.but I am doing my tree and have found out about her.I am 73 so may not have much time left.Yours sincerely Gordon
    mr gordon kirkland
  • I've just seen the programme Long lost families, and it is so ironic due to the timing of the programme being aired, I was adopted at the age of 7 year's - prior to my adoption i was in and out of care due to my parents being abusive in all levels. I am a sibling of 5 i being the second youngest, at the age of 17 years one of my brothers wanted to meet me and to my astonishment he was also adopted and lived only 3 miles away from me. through this course we managed to locate and meet our other two brothers and sister, they werent adopted and left with the parents who gave birth to us. I have recently found my youngest brother and when i say recent i mean within the last two weeks- i found him by accident seeing his name pop on the internet, he has really had a shocking life where he is still getting counceling to help him overcome/accept all that had happened to him and us as children - my main goal now is to support and help George as much as i can, but also looking to understand how t
    Di Bonnar
  • Hello

    Brilliant programme.

    I will be interested to see next weeks because sadly I can relate to the lady who had to give up her baby.

    Carole
    Carole Kellard
  • Hope they make another series! My mother-in-law thought she was an only child until just before her dad died, when he told her that her mother had had an affair before she was born and so she had an older half sister. Apparently the child's father's parents brought her up. We have tried and tried to find her. It would be great if they could find each other before it's too late.
    viv burton
  • is it to late to apply for this programme as i have been looking for my sister for 40 years thanks,
    julie
    julia dovey
  • I would so love to be a part of this show. I spent my whole life looking for my Father and never found him. I also longed for a Sister. I found out that my Father had re married and lived in Singapore about 3 years ago I found a distant relative in the UK who told me I have a Sister......try as I might I could not find her but then last year in one last attempt I searched her name on Facebook ( I don't do Facebook) I found her and we swapped photos etc. She had no idea I existed or that our Father , who died a few years ago had been married before. I have no passport and am not well enough to travel to Singapore....if I could ever even afford it which is unlikely. Pauline has 2 kids and is not able to get here either. I long to meet her and let her meet my 2 kids and their 5 ....but fear it is never going to happen. At 57 years old I would love to hug my Sister just once. I wish I had known about this show sooner....oh and if you need a good researcher ...boy have I had a lot of practi
    Vicky
  • Davina I cant believe your age SERIOUSLY, not going to discuss it on this but wow you dont look a day over 30! Loving you on Got to Dance and of course Big Brother, gotta feeling Davina we might be hearing you say those famous words i.e "please do not swear" sooner than you think
    Ryan
  • I have fimed this with Davina to find my sister, the crew were the best and really looked after me and my family. x
    Sharon Gadd
  • My friend is in that programme! can't wait! its been great for her to meet her sister!
    jimmy
  • Would love to be involved with this new programme, on behalf of an elderly friend of mine, she is 80, lost touch with her only living relative, a younger sister, they were separated when Joan was 7 and Anne was 5, never seen each other since then. That was in 1935, have done research and found out lots but then couldnt get any further. Joan would love to meet her sister again.
    Jane Walker
  • Wicked Davina! No doubt this will be ace! Good luck with it x
    Mags MacRae
  • Really looking forward to seeing this programme, Davina. I thought yours and Nicky's WDYTYA were 2 of the best of the run, so you will be able to take that experience into this programme. Every good wish.
    Elaine/Freesia13

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