Stranger in My Family
Luke discovers 'dad' is not his biological father and that he is mixed race. That triggers a search for a bartender called Carlos, who his mum met on a girls’ holiday in the 90s.
Luke grew up in a white working-class family in Rochdale but always felt like an outsider. He thought it might be because of his sexuality, but when he came out as gay aged 18, his parents were very supportive, and the feeling did not go away.
Persistent questions about his appearance eventually inspire him to take a DNA test. The result lays bare a secret Luke's mum has kept hidden since he was born – his dad is not his biological father, and he is mixed race.
To find out who he really is, Luke begins the difficult search for a man his mum Liz and her friend Yvonne befriended on a girls’ holiday in Portugal in the 1990s. All Liz remembers is that the man she had a holiday romance with in Albufeira three decades earlier was a bartender called Carlos, but the lack of information and big obstacles do not discourage Luke.
Luke is resolved to try and find out as much as he can, not only in the hope of tracking down his biological father Carlos, but also to understand his new ethnic heritage and culture. Enlisting the help of genealogists, family friends and distant relations he finds online because they share his DNA, he begins the search of a lifetime.
Manchester-based Luke’s extraordinary journey takes him back to Portugal with his mum’s holiday companion Yvonne, to see if she can remember which bar Carlos was working in 30 years previously.
They meet Ângela Campos, a Portuguese historian and forensic genealogist, who accompanies them on their search for any signs of Carlos and the answers Luke is looking for.
Luke’s search reveals much more than he ever imagined possible, uncovering six decades of family secrets and a brand new multiracial family. He also finds himself healing much more than just his own emotional pain.
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Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Production Manager | Nicole Hajimichael |
Executive Producer | Nic Guttridge |
Executive Producer | Jazz Gowans |
Executive Producer | Cat Lewis |
Broadcasts
- Tue 12 Sep 2023 21:00
- Wed 13 Sep 2023 00:20
- Wed 13 Sep 2023 02:50
- Thu 14 Sep 2023 23:40
- Sat 16 Sep 2023 01:55
- Mon 18 Sep 2023 23:35
- Tue 17 Oct 2023 22:40Â鶹Éç One except Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland HD, Scotland, Scotland HD, Wales & 1 more
- Tue 17 Oct 2023 23:15Â鶹Éç One Wales & Wales HD only
- Tue 17 Oct 2023 23:25Â鶹Éç One Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD only
- Tue 17 Oct 2023 23:55Â鶹Éç One Scotland HD & Scotland only
- Thu 28 Dec 2023 23:55
- Sat 30 Dec 2023 02:25
- Tue 27 Feb 2024 01:10
- Thu 11 Apr 2024 21:00
- Fri 12 Apr 2024 02:50
- Sun 14 Apr 2024 02:35
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