Four half-siblings who were previously unaware of each other’s existence have now met.
They are one of several persons conceived using sperm or egg donors who are looking for long-lost ancestors in an upcoming ITV programme.
Born From the Same Stranger, narrated by Davina McCall, follows a group of people who want to discover their undiscovered biological links and answer puzzles regarding their identity.
In 2023, a UK legal amendment will eliminate donor anonymity and allow anybody conceived by donation after 2005 to seek for further information about their identity at the age of 18.
Charlie, 28, Beth, 25, Mae, 27, and Liam, 28, are among those on the show looking for family members they had no idea they had.
The siblings, who all have the same sperm donor father, had never met before meeting on Born From the Same Stranger and bonding over drinks at a pub.
According to the synopsis, the programme focuses on Liam, who has always had suspicions about his biological father since his birth to a single mother on the island of Jersey in 1995.
Because of the year in which Liam was born, he cannot legally obtain his biological father’s identity, but he can be provided non-identifying information about him.
In the documentary, he is surprised to read a statement his sperm father donor used to characterise his personality, which Liam discovers is similar to his own.
Liam then chooses to enter his DNA into commercial genealogy websites to learn more about his father’s family tree, and is startled to discover three half-siblings, Beth, Mae, and Charlie.
Born From the Same Stranger also follows Sarah Smith, who realised she was donor-conceived four years ago.
Sarah, who grew up in Singapore with a Singaporean mother and a white British father, had no notion that her father was not her real father until after his death.
Speaking about Born From the Same Stranger, ITV controller of factual Jo Clinton-Davis said: ‘For many people born to anonymous donors, finding out the hidden stories of where they come from and who their blood relations are is a deep and long-held desire.
‘And as this series will show, their stories are moving, astonishing and reveal much about the human condition.’
Other upcoming ITV documentaries include a special on Fiona Phillips and coping with the realities of her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Last year, the 62-year-old was diagnosed with the condition after experiencing brain fog, anxiety, and forgetfulness for months.
Speaking about the project, she told The Mirror: ‘I want to go out and I want to work. I’ve just got to get on with it.
‘I mean, what’s the alternative, to lie down and give up?’
Born From The Same Stranger starts on ITV and ITVX on January 22 at 9pm.
Source My Celebrity Life.