ITV documentary programme Long Lost Family: What Happened Next has proved to be an emotional rollercoaster with viewers since it began earlier this month, and the finale episode was no different. The third and final instalment in the series, which is presented by Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall, saw the reunion of Marc Wolfe and his birth father, David, who he then introduced to his adoptive father Terry.
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Marc (centre) was reunited with his adoptive father and birth father
Viewers of the show will know that reunions are significant and often daunting, but luckily the cameras captured the moment they were brought together again, and many were left in tears watching the emotional moment. Taking to social media, one person wrote: "Well, that's another Monday night spent blubbing at Long Lost Family. Don't know how Davina does it. I would be wrecked." A second viewer simply wrote: "I always have a good cry," while a third person added: "Love the respect Marc has for both his adopted father and his natural father… He made it clear that both are his family."
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The reunion made viewers at home emotional
The three-part programme also inspired many on social media to share their own experiences of reunited with long lost family members. From a retiree reuniting with his daughter, to a 54-year-old meeting her father for the very first time, emotional watchers were keen to share their own stories. "In just over 36 hours I will meet my father for the very first time in Sardinia after a 35 year search ... I found him on Facebook, he is the oldest of 10, he has a huge family, I'm his only 'child'... I am 54 & scared."
Another commenter praised the "magic" of the show while sharing his journey. "I am a retired 68-year-old grumpy leftie wise [expletive]. When I very young I fathered a child who I met for a few minutes when she was newborn. She was adopted I had no say in this. I never saw her again. Until last week. This is real magic."
One fan of the show replied to host Davina McCall's tweet directly, explaining: "@ThisisDavina #longlostfamily watched the show this morning, just lovely, I'm adopted, and met birth family, father's side don't want to know me, mother's side do, one brother went off the rails at me appearing. The loyalty to birth parents, it's a double-edged sword..." Meanwhile, Davina marked the end of the show by tweeting: "I love this show. It's so honest. It's really important for people to see the possible fallout from these stories. We are so grateful to our contributors for their honesty. Thank you."
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