Nicky Campbell is back with a new series of Long Lost Family, helping Brits reunite with their biological family. The presenter looked for his real mum when he was younger, but the heartbreak continued for years after
Nicky was put up for adoption in Scotland
When Nicky Campbell was born in April 1961, he was given up for adoption at a young age.
It wasn’t long before his adoptive parents found him and raised him as their own, but in his 20s he decided to search for his birth parents.
The presenter now helps other loved ones reconnect with their families in Long Lost Family, which is airing in ITV at 9pm tonight (August 1) for a new series.
It is always an emotional journey for people to discover family they never thought they’d see, and for Nicky, it's particularly close to home.
Years after finding his biological family, there was heartbreak back home.
Nicky Campbell was adopted at a young age
Nicky in 1974
Nicky was adopted at just four days old by Scottish couple Frank and Sheila Campbell.
His biological mother, Stella Lackey, gave him away as she was unmarried at the time.
She moved from Dublin to Edinburgh, hoping to escape the shame of being a single parent back in those days.
For the first five years of Nicky’s life, Stella sent Christmas cards to her son but it wasn’t for another 24 years that they would meet face to face.
What happened to Nicky Campbell's birth parents?
Nicky reconnected with his birth mother in 1990
When Nicky was in his 20s, he decided to look for his birth mother in 1989.
Eventually, he found her when he was 29 in 1990, though later admitted that he felt “no emotional connection” to his birth mother.
However, he did say he felt sorry about her “complicated, rather tragic life”.
In his new book One Of The Family, Nicky wrote: “I couldn’t magic up feelings that weren’t there. Maybe it was self-protection – subconsciously, I just couldn’t let the hurt she’d already caused go deeper.”
In 2008, Stella died, and Nicky flew over to attend the funeral in Dublin.
He was joined by his half-sister Esther, who Stella had given birth to with another man.
In an interview with OK! magazine, Nicky admitted in 2021 that he wished he could say sorry to his biological mother.
He said: “My birth mother Stella for not allowing her into my life and not understanding the troubles she had in her own life.”
In 2002, he also tracked down his biological dad for his 2004 autobiography, Blue-Eyed Son.
He discovered that his dad was a Belfast-born Irish Republican.
What happened to Nicky Campbell’s adoptive parents?
Nicky lost his adoptive dad and mum in 1996 and 2019, respectively
The presenter’s adoptive dad Frank died back in 1996 from pancreatic cancer.
In 2019, his mother Sheila passed away, with Nicky sharing an emotional message on Twitter.
He wrote: “My mum Sheila died yesterday at 96. We made a BBC programme together about her service as a radar operator and she was immensely proud of her role on D-Day.
“Her life’s work was as a social worker helping others. The day she and Dad adopted me was the day I won the lottery.
“She doted on her grandchildren and my girls completely adored her. Everyone did.
“I am so lucky and proud to have had her as my mum and we will miss her more than we can ever express. She was my adoptive mum.
“She was my real mum.”
He has also been thankful for the life his adoptive parents gave him, saying: “I’m incredibly grateful to my adoptive parents who selflessly provided a loving and stable family home.”
Today, Nicky is also an ambassador for Adoption UK, helping to support others that went through what he experienced.
He has recently opened up about the abuse he and his friends experienced and witnessed at school when he was just 10 years old and his fight for justice against a sadistic teacher who is still alive.
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