It’s possible that everyone born from a donor has many siblings they’ve never met. A new ITVX series provides a fresh chance to find these long-lost relatives.
ITVX’s first commission in the Factual format is a brand new four-part series called “Born From the Same Stranger,” which follows the incredible true stories of people who desperately want to learn more about their genetic backgrounds and uncover answers to long-held questions about their identities.
This new ITVX box set comes from the same Emmy-winning Wall To Wall Media company behind ITV’s Long Lost Family, and follows people as they try to find their biological siblings who all have the same nameless biological father.
Their investigations will be aided by DNA technology and a community of amateur, self-taught internet sleuths, and we can watch their progress as they investigate each clue. This pre-formed, organic social media network of donor-conceived specialists, many of whom have already undertaken their own personal searches, will be available to advise, encourage, tip, guide, and share their own exceptional experiences.
With the repeal of donor anonymity set to take effect in the United Kingdom in 2023, everyone born as a result of a sperm or egg donation after 2005 will be entitled to apply at the age of 18 for further information about their identity. This coincides with the production of Born From the Same Stranger.
Additionally, the documentary will show that people born earlier are still facing challenges and moral conundrums while trying to trace their ancestry.
A woman whose sperm donor’s sperm was transported across the world in her grandparents’ hand luggage and a man who found he is one of 14 siblings and counting are just two examples of the dramatic stories the series promises to uncover. It shows people who were born thanks to a sperm or egg donor reuniting with their biological family members and examines how genetics and environment shape our identities.
ITV’s Controller of Factual, Jo Clinton-Davis, commissioned Born From the Same Stranger for ITVX.