5 MINUTES WITH...
Presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, returning to reunite more family members with their missing loved ones…
This series feels more poignant than ever?
DAVINA, 53: Yes, I really feel that with everything that’s gone on in this past year, the idea of physical contact, closeness and intimacy with people is so intense. There is something so beautiful about being able to hug each other.
NICKY, 59: Most of the series was filmed before COVID restrictions and only two of the reunions had to be delayed or distanced. And seeing the hugs is so powerful. But actually, the lack of hugs will be powerful, too. That has its own emotional potency.
What can we expect?
DAVINA: There are so many twists and turns. Relatives found on the other side of the world and others just down the road…
Are there any ‘firsts’?
NICKY: There’s an amazing story where we find a daughter on behalf of her birth mother, and it turns out that she had actually found her mum already on social media – but had been too terrified to contact her. You’ve made ten series – what does the show mean to you?
DAVINA: I’ve never watched an episode and thought, ‘I can’t connect with this story.’ We can all relate to what it would feel like to yearn for somebody, and you can’t settle until that’s sorted.
NICKY: I’ve never been involved with anything else like this. Long Lost Family has affected me in more ways than I can mention. It drags you in and you can’t help but care about the people you meet and the people you see. Did you ever think it would run for so long?
DAVINA: It’s not just about being lost and found – it’s about telling these people’s stories. No two shows are the same. You’d think we must have covered everything by now, but really? No.