A woman abandoned by her parents as a baby has shared her pure joy of finding her three long-lost brothers in a tear-jerking premiere of Long Lost Family.
And, in a shocking twist, she discovers one brother lives only a mile away and she had already crossed paths with another several times without knowing.
The popular ITV series returns for its sixteenth series tonight at 9pm, with Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell returning as hosts.
Appearing in Episode One is Marie, a Norfolk-based train conductor working for Greater Anglia railways.
Although Marie shares she has been a lifelong resident of Wymondham, Norfolk, her upbringing has been far from traditional.
As a baby she was taken in by grandparents after her 17-year-old mother was unable to look after her.
While growing up she maintained little contact with her mother. And though she had a ‘good childhood’ in a busy household, Marie revealed her grandparents already had six children still living at home when they took her in.
Marie, a Norfolk-based train conductor abandoned by her parents as a baby, appears in episode one of Long Lost Family’s sixteenth series, which returns to ITV and ITVX tonight at 9pm
In the episode Marie sits down with her aunt Rosie, who is just six years older than her, to discuss their shared childhood.
Marie tells Rosie, ‘You always called Nan “Mum” and Grandad “Pop”. I never really had that’, to which her aunt responds, ‘Because you were bought up with us I don’t think we appreciated that there was something missing.’
Throughout her childhood, Marie’s mother would visit her on occasion. But after turning sixteen, Marie found herself wanting to know more about her birth father, James, and confronted her mother about him.
She says: ‘I just blurted it all out. Where’s my Dad, I wanted to know about my father.’
Marie reveals her mother told her sparing details about her father, including his name and the fact he had visited her in hospital when she was born.
She is just as surprised to also learn that her birth father had chosen her name for her, as she adds: ‘That really touched me. Must have cared for me to do that.’
But the absence of her birth father has affected Marie greatly over the years, leading her to constantly question his whereabouts and whether he may have had more children.
She recalls: ‘Even on the train, even at work, I’m constantly looking at people all the time wondering are they related to me.’
In one particularly touching scene that sees Davina finally share the news of finding Marie’s three half-brothers with her, she sensationally announces: ‘They all live in Norfolk’
Now dreaming of meeting her birth father, she quizzes: ‘I too late? You just hope that one day it can happen and it will happen.’
While the show’s intermediaries are unable to find any trace of James in the UK, soon after uncovering his birth certificate they discover something that was about to change Marie’s life.
Before meeting Marie’s mother, James had been married and had three sons, Anthony, Paul and Ian, Marie’s half-brothers.
As the episode progresses, the team locate the brothers – and find they have all been living in the same county as their sister.
While Anthony wishes to meet Marie, he does not want to appear on camera, so Nicky goes to meet with Paul and Ian.
Paul and Ian explain to Nicky that they had no idea they had a sister due to not having a connection themselves with their father, but they would love to meet Marie.
Paul said: ‘I was only two when he left, so I haven’t really got any memories at all.’
The brothers reveal that they also lost track of their father and had been unable to find him despite their best efforts.
Visibly overcome with emotion, a teary-eyed Marie is left in shock as she discovers one of her brother’s lives only a mile away, while another has been a regular fixture on her daily commute
When Nicky mentions that Marie works as a Greater Anglia train conductor, Paul realises he takes that exact same train line to work every morning.
He says: ‘So she could well be on the train checking my ticket. Amazing!’
Nicky stares in disbelief as he pulls out a photo of Marie, to which Paul confirms he recognises her.
Paul says: ‘A couple of weeks ago, I actually had a slightly longer conversation with her.’
Excited to finally meet the sister they’d assumed they’d never had, Paul adds: ‘I’ve always wanted to have a sister.’
In one particularly touching scene that sees Davina finally share the big news with Marie, she announces: ‘They all live in Norfolk.’
Visibly overcome with emotion, a teary-eyed Marie responds: ‘Do they? Wow… Where do they live?’
Davina responds, ‘Ian lives in here… a mile away’ to which Marie quizzes, ‘In Windham?! No… Oh my God… I could have walked past… You’re joking.’
The host continues: ‘There’s something even more mad. Paul lives in Sheringham… and he takes the train… every day.
‘He saw your picture, and he went: “I know her.” You’ve met your brother.’
Marie, giggling through tears, exclaims: ‘Oh wow! I didn’t even realise.’
Long Lost Family returns at 9pm to ITV and ITVX on Thursday 3rd September
