Nicky Campbell has announced the death of his beloved mother. The Long Lost Family host shared the sad news with his fans on Twitter on Thursday, in a heartbreaking statement that read: "My mum Sheila died yesterday at 96. We made a BBC programme together about her services as a radar operator and she was immensely proud of her role on D Day. Her life's work was as a social worker helping others. The day she and Dad adopted me was the day I won the lottery. She doted on her grandchildren and my girls completely adored her. Everybody did. I am so lucky and proud to have had her as my mum and we will miss her more than we can ever express. She was my adoptive mum. She was my real mum."
Nicky Campbell has sadly announced the death of his mother, Sheila
Nicky, 58, was just a few days old when he was adopted by Sheila and Frank Campbell. His biological mother Stella Lackey was unmarried and had travelled from Ireland to give birth. Although she sent Christmas cards for the first five years of Nicky's life, they had no direct contact. When he was in his 20s, Nicky decided to try and track down Stella and his biological father Joseph. But, while he discovered that his biological heritage was Irish, Nicky considers himself to be a Scot and has always been closest to his adoptive family, the Campbells.
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For this reason the former Watchdog star chose to investigate his adoptive family's history when he took part in the hit BBC show, Who Do You Think You Are? in 2007. Explaining his unusual decision, Nicky shared: "I've traced my birth family, but this is the chance to find out more about the roots of my adoptive family, the people who I think of as my real mum and dad."