A man who was abandoned and left in a bin at two weeks old by his mother has met his paternal half-brother for the first time on Long Lost Family.
In the ITV programme last night, Paul Connolly, who was born in east London in 1962, was searching for his father’s side of the family after spending his childhood in care. He had only periodic contact with his maternal Irish relatives.
Paul’s mother, who suffered a breakdown, ‘put him out with the rubbish’ when he was less than a month old. Thankfully, a neighbour heard his cries and called social services.
After his two sons gifted him a DNA test sampling kit, Paul discovered he was half Maltese – and thanks to Long Lost Family researchers, he eventually found his paternal half-brother Frankie Peroni, 62, who attended the same school as him at the same time.
But the pair’s astonishing similarities – including their resemblance to one another – weren’t what left viewers most distracted. Instead, they couldn’t get over Paul’s age with many in disbelief that the youthful-looking father-of-two was 60 years old.
One person wrote: ‘Can’t believe he is 60. He’s aged well. #LongLostFamily.’ While a second viewer added: ‘No way he’s 60.’
Another said: ‘Paul’s 60. He sure as hell doesn’t look it. Hubby said he’d have said he was in his 40s #LongLostFamily.’ A third added: ‘He looks amazing! Hope he gets some answers #LongLostFamily.’
The father-of-two was an amateur boxer before he set up his own successful fitness and rehabilitation business.
Paul said his loneliness as a child was ‘like a physical pain’, adding: ‘I’ve got a great life now, I’ve been able to give my kids everything I never had. With both of my sons it was paramount that they never felt insecure or lonely or that desperation I felt.’
In emotional scenes, which aired last night, Paul, based in Billericay, Essex, met his half-brother for the first time, with the pair shocked at their uncanny physical resemblance.
They were also astounded by other similarities, from both their mothers being Irish Catholic to also attending the same school in Essex at the same time. They now live just 14 miles away from one another.
Telling Paul about Frankie’s journey, co-presenter Davina McCall said: ‘His mother shipped him to Northern Ireland to live with the grandparents and when Frankie came back to the UK he ended up going into care and being fostered.
‘It’s so similar to your story. He became a bit of a bad boy but he did have a turning point in his life and he started working and he loved it, he’s done really well.’
In the ITV programme last night, Paul Connolly (pictured right, with his half-brother Frankie, left), was searching for his father’s side of the family after spending his childhood in care, having periodic contact with his maternal Irish relatives
Paul (pictured right) meeting his paternal half-brother Frankie for the first time
But the siblings’ astonishing similarities – including their resemblance to one another – weren’t what left viewers most distracted. Instead, fans couldn’t get over Paul’s age, with many in disbelief that the father-of-two was 60 years old
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Following their meeting, Paul said: ‘Of course it is later in life that we’ve found each other, but at the same time, I think you’ve just got to be grateful for everyday.
‘I started out looking for my father and instead I found a brother. So the future is bright as they say.’
Paul endured a tough childhood after being take into care. He was sent to St. Leonard’s Children’s Home in Hornchurch, Essex, at eight years old.
He recalled: ‘There was a lot of mental torture, there was a lot of physical beatings… I slept under the bed… my comfort was a kitchen knife with a wooden handle, I held on to that for dear life.’
On Paul’s birth certificate, his parents are listed as Matthew and Mary Connolly, who were Irish immigrants.
However, he recalled being aware that he looked different to his maternal brother, who would say to him: ‘You’re Pino’s son.’
Pino was a local Maltese businessman who ran a shop nearby his mother’s home.
Paul had always thought his brother was joking, however when his two sons gifted him a DNA test sampling kit, he was shocked to discovered that the results showed he was half Irish, half Maltese.
Paul’s ‘mother put him out with the rubbish’ when he was less than a month old. Thankfully a neighbour heard his cries and called social services. Pictured left, Paul as a young boy growing up in care
After his two sons gifted him a DNA test sampling kit, Paul discovered he was half Maltese – and thanks to Long Lost Family researchers, he found his paternal half-brother Frankie
Frankie told co-presenter Nicky Campbell that his father was a Maltese shop owner called Philip Psaila, also known as Pino
Thanks to DNA analysis, the Long Lost Family team discovered Frankie, who tells co-presenter Nicky Campbell that his father was a Maltese shop owner called Philip Psaila, also known as Pino.
Frankie spent his childhood with his mother, who died in 2017, with Pino visiting occasionally before the shop owner’s death in 1968.
During their childhoods both Frankie and Paul attended Bishop Ward, an all-boys Catholic school in Dagenham, Essex.
They also crossed paths later in life. With musician Frankie performing at a nightclub where Paul worked as a doorman.
Paul’s mother passed away a few years ago. Speaking about the reasons why his mother might’ve left him, Paul told The Sun: ‘My mum must have known I would look different to the rest of the kids.
‘I think she was embarrassed that I was illegitimate. In the 60s, that was a big deal. She had a tough upbringing and she had to do what she had to do to survive. It was probably the best thing she could have done really.’
He added on the programme: ‘I didn’t have any real contact with my mother, but I had a couple of conversations with her and this was never mentioned to me. Obviously this was the secret she probably took to the grave.’
