Long Lost Family

[Mothership4two]

Anyone watching the current series? Have to have the tissues handy.

So sad about the mum who died at 20 and that she had to choose a child to keep.

The Welsh mum Paula was ecstatic to find Jim, but I did find it odd that there was only one mention of her having a daughter and nothing else. Normally it's one of the first things to come up when family meet and often a sibling will be involved or come along later. I wondered if they were estranged and what she would have thought about the programme. It obviously would have a major impact on her too. I don't think it was just a case of her not wanting to be on camera as that has happened lots throughout all the series but the relative is still mentioned and talked about.

@Mothership4two I thought that too about the Welsh woman's daughter, perhaps she didn't want to appear in the programme. LLF is one of my favourite programmes.

I’ve been feeling under the weather and watching this on catch up. Oh my goodness I’ve been sobbing and sobbing

I can’t find this on ITVX. Annoying!

I'll be honest and say I always find it odd that they never say and who is my dad?

I love this programme.

I can’t find it on catch up!!

The participants may well say that and the programme makers choose not to include those conversations. It may not fit with the heart warming narrative they are trying to create.

I wonder if it ever happens that they don't really get along after years of the build up?

I imagine it must, but again not sure it would make good TV.

My cousin was adopted, met her birth mum exactly once. Birth mum was a person with a lot of problems and it wasn't the happy reunion my cousin was hoping for.

Most of the episodes have what happened just after, so everyone will still be in the stunned rabbit in the headlights stage. They have done some further down the line episodes where people admitted that it didn't necessarily go like they hoped. One man's mum was in New Zealand and the time difference and inability to visit meant they pretty much lost touch again. A lady had been searching for a brother who it turned out had died years ago. She met with the man who was his adopted brother, but admitted that she got too intense for him as she wanted to know so much, so he cut off contact. I am sure there would be more, but they might not want to go on the where are they now episodes.

It must be hard, but ultimately I would rather know than forever wonder. I hope they get good support after.

I bloody love Ariel! I also think that Davina and Nicky were great choices as presenters, given their own childhoods (Davina’s drug-addicted mum emigrated and left her with her grandparents, and Nicky was adopted). Both have been divorced, too. They understand non-nuclear setups and have loads of empathy.

DNA Family Secrets (BBC) has some tales where things didn’t go as planned. The DNA scientist in that programme is amazing and presenter Stacey Dooley, who didn’t know her dad, is very good. I slightly prefer this to LLF because it’s a little bit harder-hitting but both are fascinating.

I remember one follow up programme when the mum said you are entirely focused on finding the baby that was given up and it doesn't always follow that you will feel the same about the actual middle aged person you eventually meet.

The update captions at the end are always so crap they'd be better off not having them. 'Sandra and Tim hope to meet in Hampshire soon'. They've just been sobbing for the cameras so the lukewarm unconfirmed plans detract rather than add to the moment.

I'm not a fan of the 'X factor' delay Davina does when telling them some news......

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<insert head tilt>
<insert smile>
<initiate Cadbury caramel bunny voice>

He/she's been found.........

And what a great name Ariel is! So unusual!

I'm adopted and my DDs keep saying they would love me to do this. But I just can't imagine something so personal and emotional being broadcast to the nation, I'd be rubbish at it.

Also, I can't imagine an instant bond with a stranger, but maybe I'm wrong, maybe you do feel something straight away.

Another thing that stops me, is she could have made herself easier to find if she wanted me to. I've got my adoption records but she didn't add any addresses or phone numbers. Which kind of makes me think she wouldn't want to be traced.

@FrenchandSaunders I'm adopted too. We had to trace my biological mother 5yrs ago due to a medical situation (I'm in my 40s btw) and since then we've been building a relationship via messaging.

I'm only now considering meeting her in person.

She hadn't gotten in touch sooner as always felt it would have been my choice to do so.

It's all been rather tentative, slow & baby steps rather than exposed and on television.

Which would horrify me too.

Haha! She’s got such an interesting, husky voice.

Wonder why you can’t find on itvx catch up?
Ive binge watched all of them. The lost without trace - Loved the lovely man who found his sister and became friends with the lady who found him

Yes - if anyone has seen the lost without a trace - the Liverpudlian girl found on the church steps. No update at all with her dad 🤔

Who's Ariel? Have watched every series but have no idea.

@ChocoChocoLatte that sounds a great way of doing it, slowly and less pressure. Hope all goes well when you do meet up.

She’s the social worker who brings updates