For 45 years Audrey Clifford watched as her son and daughter grew up without her – knowing they blamed her for their dad’s death.
Even when son Leon Towers became known to millions as a TV animal expert, Audrey believed she was the one person who would never be allowed to know him as she should.
She had fled home aged 20, blamed by her in-laws for the death of husband Brian and leaving six-week-old Leon and sister Nikki, two, in their care.
And all their lives, Leon and Nikki were told it had been Audrey’s fault their father was dead.
The truth only began to emerge when dog behaviourist Leon, adrift in a world where he “didn’t belong anywhere”, decided to research his past.
He asked on Facebook if anyone had known his dad and was amazed when old family friends started getting in touch.
Leon has been on shows including Channel 4 ’s Embarrassing Pets and the BBC ’s coverage of Crufts, and joined TV star Anthea Turner in an event about rescuing furniture wrecked by pets.
He admitted: “I’ve never really felt I belonged anywhere. I’ve moved all over but never saw anywhere as home.
“That’s why I decided to try and find out more. I went on Facebook asking if anyone knew my dad – I really didn’t expect what happened next.”
Leon learned his mum had been scapegoated by his dad’s family, forcing her to flee without him and Nikki.
When he finally traced her on social media, he got in touch with an emotional message telling her: “So sorry for the life you’ve gone through. You’ve had nothing but misery.”
Audrey replied four minutes later and they spoke for the first time ever.
She told him she had been too scared to try and contact him for all those years as she thought he hated her, his mind poisoned by her late husband’s family. Dad-of-three Leon, 46, said: “We began speaking every day. We had so much to catch up on.
“On my birthday last June she sent me 46 birthday cards.
“She’d never sent me one before so she sent me the full range – for a one-year-old, two-year-old… all the way.”
Leon and his mum had an emotional reunion last summer in Ireland, where Audrey has created a new life.
He said: “Mum lives alone and never celebrated Christmas or birthdays.
“She’s lived in solitude for 46 years – she’s had no family, no gifts and no gatherings. When I went to see her we didn’t go anywhere, we just sat and chatted for two weeks. It was amazing to be with her.”
Audrey, 66 – who has also been reunited with Nikki, now 48 – said: “My nerves were like jelly when I was waiting for him at the airport.
“It was a mixture of butterflies, excitement and shock. When he came through the doors he just ran over and hugged me. It was perfect.”
Leon, originally from Maryport, Cumbria, explained: “She was only 16 when they got married and she had me and my sister soon after that.
“For years we were told Mum was to blame for our dad’s death. We believed she killed him. He died when he was 20.
“From what I’ve been told it wasn’t a happy marriage. They were too young.
“Our grandad always told us she was to blame. But I’ve now found out he died of an overdose. That night when Mum got home she lay next to him all night not knowing she was sleeping next to Dad’s corpse.”
In the aftermath, the family fell out and he and his sister found themselves being fostered. Leon said: “It wasn’t a happy childhood. I ended up running away at 14.”
He moved all across the country, living in Manchester, London and Brighton and eventually building a successful TV career.
Then during lockdown he decided to explore his family’s history. He said: “I’ve always felt a bit of an alien, I’ve moved a lot.
“So I decided to find out about my past. When I went back to Maryport I didn’t know the truth about Mum and Dad. I still blamed her for his death.
“To my surprise there were loads of people who’d known Dad. What I found out shocked me.
“My paternal grandad was convinced she’d killed his son and was determined to make her pay. It drove a wedge through our family.
“Mum was young, vulnerable. She ended up leaving town and moved to Ireland. She believed we hated her for killing our dad and wouldn’t believe her if she told her side of the story.”
Leon was moved to find Audrey had kept a scrapbook and photo album of his life and career.
He said: “She kept tabs on us from afar. She found pictures online and kept them in a book. It shows she has always cared. She said she didn’t get in touch because she assumed we hated her, it was the big worry for her.
“Now I know what a wonderful person she is – we can’t get the last 46 years back, but we’re going to make the most of everything now.
“She has a whole family to get to know – grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We’re going to have a lot of fun together.
Audrey said: “I’m absolutely delighted he got in touch. I didn’t want to do it myself because I knew all the things he’s been told. He told me he’d been speaking to people who knew us years ago, old friends.
“I know my in-laws blamed me for my husband’s death. He was their golden boy and no one would ever have been good enough. Some of the things they said were vicious.
“We were too young and after he died I did blame myself. I started drinking, I had the kids taken off me.
“I always thought they’d want nothing to do with me, that they wouldn’t want to talk to me, to let me tell them the truth.” Ever the proud mum, she added: “He’s done so well in his career. I’ve missed him so much.
“In the Autumn he hired a holiday home in Devon and I came over. I got Covid, but we still had a wonderful time. I feel I’ve missed out on so much. My children growing up, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.
“I’d sometimes get depressed but now we’ve years of catching up to do. That’s something to look forward to.”
