ITV’s documentary series Long Lost Family returned for a new series last night (June 10) and served up a big plateful of emotion as three sisters were reunited after decades apart – only to discover something amazing about their family.
It started when Christine Rose contacted the programme to track down her two younger sisters.
Speaking on the show, she revealed the traumatic moment the three of them were separated when she was just four years old.
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Describing the night social services intervened at the family home in Dewsbury, she said: “I just remember when they came to take us away. It was at night, there was a lot of screaming and my mother was crying.
“There were bulbs flashing in our faces as we were being carried out, it was just frightening. They took me to one children’ s home and they took my sisters to another one. I never saw them again.”
Christine was then adopted and wondered for years what had happened to her mother and sisters.
Long Lost Family, co-hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, tracked down one of her sisters, Catherine Mary, who was in touch with the other, Carol.
They had been looking for Christine for years, with Carol admitting the search had become “like an obsession”.
Emotional scenes ensued as the three were reunited. Christine was told their mum had died years ago, but long before she passed away she had six more children with the girls’ father.
The eldest of these, Janice, was eventually adopted, and the show’s investigators found her living in Scunthorpe.
Janice was amazed to see a photo of Christine, Catherine and Carol – and to find out she has another five siblings.
Emotional viewers reacted to the scenes on Twitter.
One said: “What a story on #longlostfamily… cried my way through.”
Another wrote: “I just watched Long Lost Family for the first time. I need to go and cuddle my mum and my kids, and drink a pint of water to replace the tears that just fell out of my face.”
A third commented: “@ThisisDavina tonight’s new series of #LongLostFamily was heartbreaking. So sad but a beautiful ending, thank you Davina, you do an incredible job of it.”
https://twitter.com/tdunn1298/status/1138205395732897798
https://twitter.com/Mairikmacb86/status/1138205288828407812
@ThisisDavina tonight’s new series of #LongLostFamily was heartbreaking 💔so sad but a beautiful ending thank you Davina you do an incredible job of it 🙏x
— Momotha Ali (Yasmin) (@MomothaA) June 10, 2019
Someone else tweeted: “Watching #longlostfamily and wishing I had a long lost twin sister I don’t know about, but I’m 100% sure I have not.”
Another said: “#LongLostFamily is just the best show. Tonight’s episode was so moving and heartwarming. Still wiping away tears.”
“@NickyAACampbell @ThisisDavina what a moving episode of #LongLostFamily,” tweeted a sixth, adding: “Must be so rewarding to be involved in bringing these siblings back together.”
https://twitter.com/savalentine/status/1138203898609623040
https://twitter.com/rayraydalton/status/1138208943812030464
. @NickyAACampbell @ThisisDavina what a moving episode of #LongLostFamily
Must be so rewarding to be involved in bringing these siblings back together.— Mike Jones (@M1keJone5) June 10, 2019
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The mother’s death was registered by another daughter, Amanda, who was in touch with another sister called Lorraine.
The two agreed to meet their siblings, albeit off camera, and reveal that it was their mother’s dying wish to for her children to all be together.
The ninth series of Long Lost Family is set to feature the show’s first ever famous searcher, as singer KT Tunstall – who will appear in episode three – looks to track down her missing dad.
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