DNA Journey delivered a huge emotional shock just minutes in to tonight's episode on ITV. Actors and best friends John Simm and Philip Glenister took DNA tests to examine their genealogy, but John was met with an unpleasant surprise.
The Life on Mars actor discovered that the dad he has always known was not in fact his biological father. While finding out more about his actual heritage, he also discovered that he has a half-sister he never knew existed.
As the news came to light John candidly exclaimed: "Everything I thought I knew wasn’t real." He added: "But it turns out he isn’t my biological father. Which is a bit of a shock."
Speaking about his mum's relationship with his biological dad, John explained: "When they had me, in the sixties, they were both young…they were together and then they split up and were both with other people and then they got back together and then they had me. And I’d never heard this story before."
His dad Ronald Simm died in 2015. The actor admitted that he was relieved that he wasn't about to learn of the shocking news that had left his mum "floored".
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However, a reunion with his biological dad wasn't meant to be either. John and Phil headed to Featherstone in Yorkshire where they met a historian, who revealed that John’s biological father sadly passed away in 1998.
But it did come to light that they could have crossed paths while he was still alive. The actor discovered that he used to live in the same area and drink at the same working men’s clubs that John and his dad used to play gigs at when John was a teenager.
He said: “The thing that blows my mind, me and my dad, we played around here loads of times, we definitely played here a lot and he might have been in the same pub one night and watched me play.”
The TV star added: “I can’t get it out of my head, because we played this area in the 80s and he was here and he was in working men’s clubs. It’s one of those mad, Back To The Future, Life On Mars things.”
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Fans at home were emotional watching John's story unfold. They took to social media to share that they were "trying not to cry" at the heart wrenching scenes.
On Twitter/X, one user posted: "Well, #DNAJourney, that’s quite a opener! Hopefully, all the parties involved are getting all the necessary support - that’s quite a shock to get!"
Another added: "As fascinating as the stories on #dnajourney always are, tonight's feels a little intrusive. I know he could have pulled out, but this is very raw."
"Massive fan of John Simm, so already trying not to cry barely five minutes into tonight's new #DNAjourney episode. Sigh," a third wrote, while a fourth added: "DNA Journey with John Simm & Philip Glenister has got me crying into me ‘oops… #DNAJourney."
