While we're used to seeing celebrities discover surprising things about their ancestors on shows like DNA Journey and Who Do You Think You Are?, Wednesday evening's episode of DNA Journey was a truly shocking one, as it revealed that John Simm's biological father was not the man who had raised him – much to the actor's surprise.
The star, best known for his roles in Life on Mars and Doctor Who, discovered that his biological father was actually a man named Terry Smith, whom his mother Brenda met in the 1960s before returning to her serious boyfriend, Ron, who raised John.
ITV researchers discovered that John didn’t share the same DNA as the man he believed to be his biological father after the actor agreed to take part in the show to support his Life on Mars co-star and close friend, Philip Glenister. He added that he had considered dropping out after the revelation as he is a "private person", but wanted to utilise the experts and discover his history properly.
© PhotographerSpeaking about what he thought he knew about his parents' relationship, John said: "When they had me, in the sixties, they were both young… they were together, and then they split up and were both with other people, and then they got back together and had me. And I’d never heard this story before, my mum had never told me this… Everything I thought I knew wasn’t real." His mother Brenda had told him when he decided to do the heritage-based show that there was some confusion about the date of conception when she was pregnant, but the doctors had reassured them.
© PhotographerHe told MailOnline: "It’s turned out to be such a massive thing in my life, and all I was doing was a favour for Phil so he didn’t have to do it on his own. It spun my world, and everything I thought I knew, wasn’t real."
Furthermore, it appears that John might have even crossed paths with his biological father, Terry, who passed away in 1998. Ron Simm, who died in 2015, was a performer in working men’s clubs, with John joining the act from the age of 11. He said: "The thing that blows my mind is me and my dad, we played around here loads of times. We definitely played here a lot, and he might have been in the same pub one night and watched me play."
© PhotographerPhilip was a supportive friend during the episode, telling John: "Even this, you have to upstage me… Put that in a drama, and no one would believe you," with the episode concluding with John meeting his half-sister, Karen, for the first time.
Taking to X to discuss, one person wrote: "Just bring back Life on Mars for one more season. Love these two. Brilliant pair and brilliant TV. #DNAJourney." Another person added: "Great seeing @PhilipGNews and John Simm together in DNA Journey with Ancestry. You can tell they’re great real-life pals.
"Like the best friendships, they banter like a married couple. Very touching hearing John talk about learning about his biological father. Must have been hard."
