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Viewers have been left emotional by the first episode of the new BBC Two show reuniting people with others from their pasts, with one admitting the show left them in ‘full recovery mode’.
The Reunion Hotel, hosted by Alex Jones, gives people a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reunite with a pivotal person from their past, and the reunions aired on last night’s episode of the show proved to be emotional sightings for many.
According to the BBC: “Whether people want forgiveness, to say thank you, or to get the answers they’ve wanted for years, everyone has a life-changing experience.”
Among the reunions in the first installment of the show was a meeting between 21-year-old Tegan, who fell on the train tracks and the man who saved her, and five-year-old Pippa who wanted to thank the volunteer builders who installed the state-of-the-art bathroom. In her home that helps her to control her skin condition.
However, the story that seemed to elicit the most emotional reactions in viewers featured Lee, who wanted to find the older brother he didn’t know he had, who had been adopted as a child.
Lee appeared on last night’s episode of BBC2’s Reunion Hotel, meeting his older brother Stephen who was adopted as a child. He told me it was important to let his brother know about some of the circumstances of his adoption — and that he had always been loved
Speaking to Alex Jones, he revealed to me that he only recently found out he has an older brother.
He admitted that at first he was angry that he had not been told earlier about his brother, but said his family was respectful of the wishes of his mother, who did not want him to know, who died in 1999.
‘It was hard at the time,’ he said to me, discussing how he felt about his mother withholding this information, ’cause I think you should have told me.
But given the time period[in which]it happened, that was in the ’60s, it was a difficult period.
There was no way to take care of a child, no foster care system. I guess she didn’t have much of a choice.
It was very important for him to be reunited with his brother, he told me, explaining: ‘Obviously I knew who my mother was, but he doesn’t know me, he doesn’t know the hardships my mother went through.
There are so many things you need to tell him. There is a diary she has too, in which her birthday is marked, which was very personal to her, and no one else knew. So he was loved, and he was always thought of.
He told me that he did not know anything about his brother, and he hoped to build a relationship with him.
At times Stephen (pictured) seemed visibly emotional during his first meeting with Lee, as he began to get to know their mother, and how she wanted to keep him
The program’s adoption specialist Tanya managed to track down the brother — Stephen — who was placed in care at six months old, with no idea what had happened to him for the first year and a half of his life, and that he knew. She was adopted from the age of six.
Tanya told me that she had found his brother, and that the pair could meet that day if he wanted to.
Stephen described Lee’s discovery as ‘a shock, but a nice one’, saying he was delighted to be able to meet his family, but nervous and hopeful.
His wife Lorraine noted that Stephen always had questions about his family, but also had some fear that if he found them, he would be rejected.
Speaking to Alex Jones, he revealed that he was told “not in a very nice way” that he was adopted, as he was told his mother was a loose woman.
The episode left viewers emotional – with one Twitter user saying they’d be in ‘full slam mode’ any minute
The brothers (pictured) were quick to get off the show, and have been in regular contact since meeting on the show
In meeting with Lee, Stephen said he wanted to know more about his mother, and what she was up to.
When the guys met, they shook hands. Stephen gives Lee his birth certificate, and explains why his birth name was Richard (which was the name of a friend of their mother who died in an accident).
An emotional moment came when Stephen showed me their mother’s address book, which I had used for many years.
Lee noticed the asterisk on one of the dates in the calendar at the back of the book. Nobody knew what was flagged, as there was no other information. But Lee realized it was Stephen’s birthday.
Looking at the book, an emotional Stephen said, “Oh my God…. Fancy I’d tag that in there.”
He told me, “It was important to show you that, so you were never forgotten.”
He added, “My aunt used to say that every Christmas, she would sit by the front door, waiting for you to come back… She never gave up in vain.”
During their first meeting, Lee shows Stephen their mother’s phone book, which has a calendar on the back. Their mother had Stephen’s birthday celebrated with an asterisk, though no one knew for a while what the significance of the sign was
He added that their mother did everything she could at the time to try to keep Stephen, whom she had to give up for adoption when he was six months old.
Stephen regretted not looking for his mother earlier, while she was alive, and then added, “But, I do have a brother.”
Stephen then spoke of seeing his birthday recorded in his mother’s calendar, saying, ‘For everyone else, it’s just a sign on a piece of paper. For me, it’s a sign of love.
He added that he “feels like he’s known me his whole life.”
Lee said it was important to let Stephen know “how much he was loved … and cared for”, and that while he could not meet their mother, he could now meet their two aunts.
The brothers expressed how quickly they became comfortable with each other, and revealed their plans to meet again in the future.
Their emotional story touched viewers, who took to Twitter to discuss the episode.
Viewers opened up about the brothers’ story and the episode in general, which left a lot of emotional feelings behind
One wrote: ‘Steven and Lee’s story at the #reunionhotel properly impacted me tonight. As an adoptive person, you always have this idea in the back of your mind, you’re always wondering. My family means and always will mean the world to me… maybe one day I’ll look into it.
Another said: ‘How beautiful men are to me and his brother. It also shows what a good job the adoptive parents have done. The other story of course is what their mother and many others went through. Just heartbreaking and thinking of them all tonight. #ReunionHotel. “
A third wrote simply: “Brothers at the #ReunionHotel.”
Another admitted: “Any moment now I’ll be on full recovery.”
BBC series Reunion, broadcast Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Two, BBC One Wales and iPlayer.