Long Lost Family concludes its What Happened Next? series on ITV on Monday, August 22 with a look at what happened to the former football star who was reunited with his birth mother. In the third and final episode, the team revisit Dominic Matteo, the former Liverpool FC player, now 48, who was inspired to find his birth mother, Maggie, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in late 2019.
During his original episode, it was revealed that Dominic's adoption file helped the Long Lost Family team track down Maggie, as it had her name and original address stated as Glasgow. They discovered that she was still living in Scotland and host Nicky Campbell went to meet her.
Maggie told Nicky that she was 17 years old when she gave Dominic up and also revealed that she was “overwhelmed” to discover that he was a Premier League football player whom she had watched on television. Upon finding out from co-host Davina McCall about his birth mother, Dominic broke down in tears and called it “incredible news”. He said: “It means the world to me. All I ever wanted to know is that she was okay.”
Four days after finding out about her, Dominic was reunited with Maggie. He told her: “You being here today means the world to me,” with her replying that it was a “dream come true” for her.
In Long Lost Family: What Happened Next? the reunited mother and son discover that there's a chance that they may have crossed paths in person too. On a visit to Glasgow, Maggie tells her son that she used to work very near to where his old apartment was. She says of this: “He played for Scotland and made his debut just down the road. It is surreal.”
After being shown his old apartment, Maggie tells Dominic: “I used to pass by here all the time. Had I known, I’d have popped in for a glass of red wine.” Maggie reveals: “It is a bit mind-blowing but I see him as my son first and foremost and an amazingly positive, caring man.” However, there is a reality that overshadows her future with her son.
Despite being given the all-clear from cancer in April 2020, Dominic says “My life will never be the same." He then says that “finding [Maggie] was pivotal to [his] recovery,” before declaring that he’ll never “waste a day” of his life after his traumatic health problems.
Maggie says that “meeting Dom changed [her] life." She adds: "I did feel an emptiness over the years. Something was missing and now it is back.” Their story concludes with her being introduced to Dominic’s three children. A title card at the end of the episode reveals that Dominic’s health continues to improve and he continues to build a relationship with his mother.
Long Lost Family: What Happened Next? airs on ITV at 9pm on Monday, August 22
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