Tackling the truth

Former footballer Dominic Matteo on the search for his birth mother

- CAREN CLARK, HANNAH DAVIES, NATASHA HOLT, IAN MACEWAN

NEW FACTUAL

Long Lost Family

Monday, ITV HD, 9pm

Former Liverpool and Leeds United footballer Dominic Matteo has never spoken publicly about the fact that he was adopted as a baby.

But after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019, the former Premier League and Scotland star felt the time was right to search for his birth mother, Margaret.

Now, his moving story is told in the opening episode of a new 10-part series of ITV’s BAFTAwinning Long Lost Family.

‘I’ve kept my adoption quiet because it’s very personal, but I wanted to make sure Margaret was OK. It must have been hard to carry this around,’ says Matteo, 47, who is in remission following treatment.