Davina McCall moved to tears by new 'complicated' Long Lost Family series

The new series of Long Lost Family kicks off on ITV on Monday night and Davina McCall has said that the show is as much about 'crying for every love you've lost yourself' as it is about reuniting families

By Karen Price, Assistant Editor, Kiesha Dosanjh

Davina Long Lost Family

Foundling Caroline Harris-Gray with Davina McCall (Image: ITV)

Davina McCall has shared her feelings about filming the new series of Long Lost Family, expressing that she feels "deeply honoured" to have spent 13 years reuniting families as the show's 14th season kicks off this week. In a chat with TV Times, she described the series as "brilliant", saying it's all about the human spirit and how viewers can relate to the pain experienced by those on the show.

The latest seven-part series features Davina and co-host Nicky Campbell guiding emotional searches, including a birth mother's attempt to find her daughter whom she hasn't seen in over six decades. Davina considers it an "unbelievable privilege" to share these experiences, despite the complex challenges they encounter.

This season will feature a 'special episode' on the Spanish stolen babies scandal that emerged in the 2000s. During General Francisco Franco's dictatorship from 1939 to 1975, hundreds of thousands of babies were taken from their parents, who were falsely told their children had died, and given to other families with forged birth certificates.

Davina expressed her sympathy for the birth mothers and their "terrible stories", adding that while there's hope some babies may be found, consideration must also be given to those who may never have known they were adopted and the potential harm this could cause. "It's complicated, but also an amazing story," Davina concluded, reports OK!.

Davina McCall and her co-host Nicky Campbell share a strong rapport both on-screen and off, as was evident when she appeared on ITV1's The Masked Singer. Despite their tight-knit connection, Davina was left stunned by Nicky's hidden talent, admitting she "didn't understand" how she failed to recognise his voice behind the Dippy Egg costume.

Moreover, it wasn't just his vocal abilities that took her by surprise; Davina initially found Nicky's personality quite intimidating. She reflected on her first impression, noting, "He's clever, funny witted and doesn't suffer fools. But I know him now as a completely different person from the one I thought."

Nicky and Davina

Davina with co-host Nicky Campbell (Image: ITV)

Davina also revealed a softer side of Nicky, saying, "There's something sweet and innocent about Nicky. He's this hard-nosed journalist, but he's so soft."

Her insights into Nicky's character are particularly poignant given his own experience with adoption, which she believes contributes to his 'sensitive and kind' nature.

Expressing deep admiration, Davina shared, "I have enormous respect for him and love him with all my heart."

Davina Long Lost Family

Davina admits the new series is very emotional (Image: ITV)

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