See the Emotional Moment Woman Reads Letter Written by Her Long-Lost Brother 23 Years Earlier (Exclusive)
See the Emotional Moment Woman Reads Letter Written by Her Long-Lost Brother 23 Years Earlier (Exclusive)
Becca LongmireThu, October 1, 2026 at 8:44 AM UTC
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Liz with host Davina McCall on ‘Lost Long Family’Credit: ITV -
A woman named Liz in England had an emotional reunion with her long-lost brother, John, over 20 years after he wrote her a letter searching for her
Liz was handed the note while searching for her sibling on the U.K. television show, Long Lost Family
“We could get on great, but if we never meet, we’ll never know, and I would hate to go all my life and never know,” John wrote in the letter, per a clip shared exclusively with PEOPLE ahead of the Thursday, Oct. 1 episode
A woman in England has been reunited with her brother on the U.K. television show Long Lost Family, 23 years after he wrote her a letter that she didn’t know existed.
Liz, a private cleaner who lives near the town of Blackburn in England, began searching for her birth mother 30 years ago, when she was expecting her first child, according to a press release obtained by PEOPLE.
She’d previously learned she’d been placed for adoption as a baby, as her mother was a patient at a local mental health facility called Calderstones.
Liz had been given a letter by her mom when she was 8 years old, after beginning to question why she didn’t look like her parents. The note explained the circumstances surrounding her adoption, as well as confirming that she had an older brother, who had been born two years before her.
In a clip shared exclusively with PEOPLE ahead of the Thursday, Oct. 1 episode of the show, Liz is handed a letter from her brother, John, that he’d written over two decades ago.
Host Davina McCall said, “When John was looking for your [mom], he found out about you, and he wrote you a letter 23 years ago, and he put it in your file.”
“Oh my God,” Liz responded, as McCall asked, “Would you mind reading it out loud for us?”
Liz on ‘Long Lost Family’Credit: ITV
The letter was dated Jan. 31, 2003, Liz shared, and John explained in it that he was 40 years old and happily married.
“I don’t know why I’ve left it so long to try and find you. I really would like to meet you, to find out about your life, and how things have been for you,” Liz read aloud.
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“We could get on great, but if we never meet, we’ll never know, and I would hate to go all my life and never know,” John continued in the note.
“I do hope too much time doesn’t pass before you get this letter. Love from your brother, John,” Liz concluded, clearly getting emotional.
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“What does it mean that he was looking as well?” McCall asked Liz, to which she replied, “That’s so strange, the parallel between us.”
“We didn’t know, it’s incredible,” she added.
The Long Lost Family team discovered that Liz and John’s birth mother died over 20 years ago.
John on ‘Long Lost Family’Credit: ITV
During the episode, John explained to host Nicky Campbell that he had met their mother around 30 years ago, but it hadn’t gone how he’d hoped.
“She was sort of like just, uh, watching the TV and not really wanting to know much about me,” he shared.
John added that his birth mother’s husband appeared to be controlling and seemed to only be interested in how much money he made.
John explained to Campbell that he’d made the difficult decision not to keep in contact with his birth mother after their meeting.
Liz was told the news about their birth mother dying off camera, before finding out that her brother wanted to meet her, and had tried to contact her all those years ago.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe this is happening. Blimey, you really do work miracles, don’t you,” Liz said on the show.
The siblings, who live less than 30 minutes apart in Lancashire in England, ended up reuniting at a local hotel.
“I couldn’t have wished it to go any better. I’ve got a younger sister now. Our Liz,” John insisted, as Liz said, “It’s just the best outcome that could have ever happened. I’m absolutely thrilled, over the moon.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
