Family reunited thanks to help from Davina McCall

A NEWPORT woman has been reunited with her long lost step-sister thanks to the help of a new reality television programme.

Lynne Mason, and her sister Olwen Canfield and brother Keith Thomas, was contacted by step-sister Carol through the producers of Long Lost Families, a new six-part series hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell which starts in the autumn.

The producers whisked the trio off to Cardiff for a reunion with their long lost sibling in the exact spot where Lynne and Keith had met Carol, then 14, during their only ever meeting 54 years ago.

“It was an amazing experience, although very surreal,” said Lynne. “I was three the last time we met so didn’t remember Carol. But when we first saw each other I just knew we were related.”

After doing their bit for the cameras, the reunited quartet spent several hours off screen swapping family stories and looking through photographs.

Lynne said: “Carol only had one photograph of dad, taken on his wedding day. So we took lots of photos of him with us on the day for her to look at.

“The funny thing is, she knew about Keith and I, but not about Olwen – she had stayed behind with my mum all those years ago. So Carol was just looking for us two.

“She contacted Keith through the TV production company but we were orginially a bit hesitant about going on TV. Then we did some digging and thought, ‘why not?’ I am so glad we did.

“Davina McCall was brilliant – it was just like having an old friend round for tea – and it is a happy ending to quite a sad family story.

“Although we’ve got our own families, with children and grandchildren, we have got a lot of catching up to do.”