Long Lost Family marks its 10th series on ITV as Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall oversee more remarkable reunions
For a decade, Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall have brought countless people back in touch with missing loved ones on ITV’s Long Lost Family 2021. Now, the heart-warming series returns for a 10th run featuring more emotional reunions.
Here’s everything we know about Long Lost Family 2021…
When is Long Lost Family 2021 on?
The 10th series of Long Lost Family begins on Monday 18 January on ITV at 9pm
What reunions will take place in Long Lost Family 2021?
The first instalment follows Irish guest house owners Phyllis and Kevin Haran, who ran away together as teenagers. Their son Sean was born in London in 1974 and they temporarily left him with a Catholic charity after becoming homeless. But, on their return, they learnt a Spanish family was adopting him. Phyllis and Kevin spent years searching for their son, but the show’s experts locate Sean, now called Ruben, in Spain, where he works as a mountain rescuer.
“For the parents to have lost him in that way is like having your heart ripped out,” says Davina. “They wanted to get their baby back.”
The episode also features Glasgow-born grandfather Michael O’Neil, who now lives in Teesside. He was told as a teenager that his birth mother had left him with the family who raised him. Although Michael’s mother has passed away, his birth sister, Lorraine, finally gives him some answers.
“This was mysterious because most adoptions were organised through official institutions,” says Davina. “But Michael was taken in informally, leaving him with no paper trail.”
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What’s new?
The 10th run features more examples of DNA matches being used to reunite families and, among several stories from around the globe, this time around there are unusual searches in Asia.
“We’ve covered a story in Sri Lanka, where a girl, Yasika, was searching for her birth family but we weren't allowed access to the records. So we had to send her out there. Having somebody physically search for their own family had never happened,” reveals Davina. “And we had Claire, who was abandoned in Hong Kong but adopted by a British couple and, 50 years later, she wants answers. So we fly her to Hong Kong to get information, we've never done that before.”
Is there a trailer?
Not yet but as soon as there is, you can find it here.
