In an extraordinary and emotionally charged episode of ITV's Long Lost Family, a man discovered the devastating truth that the people he called mum and dad were actually his grandparents, and his older 'sister' was his biological mother.
A Childhood Shattered by a Single Sentence
Scott Shearer, now a married business consultant, grew up in a large family home in Aldershot, Hampshire. He believed Ted and Sylvia were his parents and lived alongside three sisters and two brothers, unaware they were truly his aunts and uncles. He also knew of an older sister, Pauline, who had reportedly 'left home' when he was a baby.
Scott admits he always felt that 'something was off'. "I knew I didn't look like any member of my family. I was mixed and they were white," he confessed. The shocking revelation came during a childhood argument with his sister Kerry. When Scott threatened to 'tell my dad', Kerry retorted, "He's not your dad!"
The Complex Truth of a Teenage Mother
The full, complex family history then unfolded. Scott's real mother, Pauline, had married at 16 and quickly had a daughter, Tina. A year later, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. At 19, she had an affair with a married Nigerian man and became pregnant again, this time with Scott.
Struggling, alone, and unable to cope, Pauline made the heart-wrenching decision to put Tina and the twins up for adoption. Her parents, Ted and Sylvia, then stepped in and raised Scott as their own son, concealing his true parentage.
"It changed everything in my life because you find out your parents are your grandparents and your sister is your mum which is a mind blower," Scott said.
The Decades-Long Search for a Missing Sister
As an adult, Scott managed to reunite with his birth mother, Pauline. In 1994, he also successfully made contact with the twins, who had been adopted together. However, his eldest sibling, Tina, remained a mystery, her case handled by a different adoption agency.
Determined to complete his family puzzle, Scott enlisted the help of Long Lost Family hosts Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell. "She remains a mystery. An enigma," Scott said of Tina. "I want her to know she's always been in our minds... she needs to know she is loved."
The show's researchers made a breakthrough, discovering Tina had taken the surname Twiddy after her adoption. In a poignant twist, they found she was living in Southampton—just 40 miles from the family's original home in Aldershot.
A Life-Changing Reunion
Tina, a retired charity worker with two children and nine grandchildren, was utterly stunned by the news. She had no memory of another baby brother, only recalling 'tiny and gorgeous' twins. She described the revelation as a 'massive surprise' that gave her 'a warmth'.
Reflecting on Pauline's impossible situation as a teenage single mother with four young children, Tina said, "That's too many babies. Something had to give." She also revealed she had made a conscious decision years prior never to search for her birth mother, finding the legacy of rejection difficult.
When told that Pauline, who is now battling cancer, had always loved her and desperately wanted to keep her, Tina was deeply moved. "This does make a difference... that suggests somebody cares quite deeply," she responded.
The programme arranged the long-awaited first meeting between Scott and Tina. An emotional Scott told her, "It's like all your Christmases coming early... The most important thing is you were never forgotten." A tearful Tina, with her brightly streaked hair, said of her new brother, "I absolutely adore him."
The episode of Long Lost Family featuring this remarkable story aired on Thursday 22 January at 9pm on ITV.
