A grandmother who was forced to give up her baby by her embarrassed mother after becoming pregnant at 16 broke down in tears before reuniting with her son on tonight’s Long Lost Family.
Diane Kerridge, 74, from Dorset, was visibly emotional on the final episode of the ITV program after learning that her son, Paul, had been found and was living in LA as a successful specialist audio engineer for the stars.
In heartbreaking scenes, the pair reunited 58 years after being forced apart, with Diane telling Paul she “never forgot him.”
The grandmother, who grew up in Norwich, met her teenage boyfriend at a youth club dance when they were both 14. Two years later, she found out she was pregnant.
Her mother gave her no choice but to give her baby, whom she named Paul, for adoption. She spent several days with him in the hospital after giving birth before a social worker came for him, despite Diane’s cries of “Please don’t take him.”
Diane Kerridge, 74, from Dorset, burst into tears after discovering her adult son had been tracked down by the Long Lost Family team on tonight’s episode
“When I gave birth to my son, I was 16. I really was a kid,” Diane recalls. ‘There was a stigma attached to being an unmarried mother at the time. It was not my choice that he was adopted. I wanted to keep my baby.
“I talked to my parents, and my mother was very angry. [My boyfriend’s] parents were very helpful.
“My father was, but my mother made all the decisions and decided that I would adopt the baby when he was born, and there was no doubt about it.”
She continued, “I’ve had quite a few days with him. I couldn’t stop looking at him. It was such a beautiful baby. I named my baby Paul.
“On the last day, a social worker came, I knew she would come and get him, and I asked her, ‘Please don’t take him,’ but she did.
“I was so traumatized about losing him. My feelings are exactly the same as the day I gave birth to him, and I’d like him to know that.’
Diane later married and had two more children. But she kept Paul’s birth a secret until her daughter was in her twenties.
“My mother, of course, was very ashamed of me and didn’t want anyone to know. Nobody knew, it was very tough,” she told her daughter in the program.
A grandmother who was forced to give up her baby boy by her embarrassed mother after becoming pregnant at 16 has reunited with her son (pictured together) in tonight’s Long Lost Family
Diane Kerridge (left in her early twenties, and right recently), 74, from Dorset, burst into tears on the ITV program after learning her son, Paul, had been found and was living in LA as a successful audio specialist. engineer to the stars
In emotional scenes, the couple reunited (pictured together, next to Diane’s granddaughter, left, and daughter, right) 58 years after being forced apart, with Diane telling Paul she “never forgot him.”
The grandmother, who grew up in Norwich, met her teenage boyfriend at a youth club dance when they were both 14. Two years later, she found out she was pregnant with Paul (pictured recently).
The Long Lost Family team discovered that Paul had been adopted by a couple living in Twickenham, southwest London.
But when they found no trace of Paul in the UK, they were eventually able to find him in America.
Paul moved to Los Angeles in the 1990s and built a career as a specialist audio engineer, working with some major international music stars, including Madonna and Stevie Wonder.
Presenter Nicky Campbell visited Paul at his home in the hills behind the Hollywood sign, where Diane’s son revealed how he had begun a 2010 search for his mother.
The agency conducting the investigation came to the wrong conclusion, with Paul revealing, “The end result was receiving an obituary. So I actually thought she was dead all along.’
Paul was delighted to learn that Diane is, in fact, alive and well – as was Diane when co-host Davina McCall informed her that Paul had been found.
“I’m most looking forward to telling him that I’ve never forgotten him and that I’ve always loved him,” said an emotional Diane.
Diane (pictured with daughter and co-host Davina McCall, center) was given no choice by her mother but to give her baby, whom she named Paul, up for adoption. She spent several days with him in the hospital after giving birth before a social worker came for him, despite Diane’s cries of “Please don’t take him.”
When they were finally reunited, they both explained how they thought of each other on Paul’s birthday and, for Diane, the sadness she felt.
“From today, we never have to have those feelings again,” said Paul, who added, “I definitely felt a connection. It’s a great feeling not to know something all this time and then it’s right in front of you.’
“I feel like I have a family now, it’s something that was missing,” he added, with Diane saying, “I just can’t get to it.”
“It’s just unbelievable,” she told Paul, saying, “I was always afraid you’d think I wanted to give you away, so I wanted to reassure you that wasn’t what happened, and that I hadn’t forgotten about you.” . ‘
“I’ve never held any grudges,” said Paul, to which his birth mother replied, “I’m so glad to hear that.” That is amazing.’