After five decades of searching, a woman has finally discovered the joy of meeting her previously unknown half-siblings.

Katherine Fletcher, a 61-year-old resident of Yorkshire, shares her life with her husband and their adult son. She enjoyed a nurturing childhood alongside her adoptive parents and two older brothers.

However, her life took a significant turn at the age of seven when her mother revealed that Katherine was adopted. This revelation left her feeling bewildered and, as she described, “ashamed of myself,” a memory that still evokes emotion.

As Katherine matured, her resolve to locate her biological mother strengthened. By her early teenage years, she had accessed her adoption records, providing her with crucial insights into her past.

From the documents, Katherine discovered that her biological mother was 19 when she conceived her in 1964. At the time, her mother was involved with an archaeology student attending a university in London.

Unfortunately, when her mother became pregnant, the student’s refusal to offer support left her mother feeling isolated and compelled to place Katherine for adoption.

After her search came to a dead end, she reached out to ITV’s Long Lost Family, who helped her learn more about her past. 

Though she was told her mother had sadly passed away in 2006, she came to realise she had two half-siblings based in Canada, and in an emotional scene, she finally got to meet them.

Katherine Fletcher, pictured, finally saw a picture of her birth mother, whom she has searched for her whole life, in tonight’s episode of Long Lost Family

She revisited the location at which her birth mother, who suffered from mental health issues, spent time during her pregnancy.

Standing outside the building and trying to comprehend her birth mother’s judgement, she questioned, ‘Why did she have to come here? Why couldn’t she go home?’

Attempting to reason with her birth mother’s logic, she added: ‘Was it such a big secret and such a big shame that she had to be hidden away?’

‘I know I was here with my mother,’ she continued while tearing up, ‘And that’s amazing. It means a great deal to me.’

In a quest to help Katherine learn about her roots, the Long Lost Family utilised DNA tracing and managed to find additional details about her birth mother.

The team found that her birth mother, called Adriane, had emigrated to Canada and, sadly, had passed away in 2006. Co-host Davina McCall informed Katherine of her birth mother’s passing off camera.

In a bittersweet scene, Katherine finally got the opportunity to see a photograph of her birth mother for the first time.

The mother-of-one said: ‘She looks beautiful, she looks lovely. I can definitely see myself in her.’

In a heartwarming scene, Katherine finally got to meet her half-siblings – Kirk and Lisa (pictured)

Katherine’s mother told her that she was adopted at the age of seven – and she’s wanted to know more about her past ever since 

The photograph also included another revelation for Katherine, because her birth mother stood smiling with her half-siblings in the image, and up until recently, neither party knew of the other’s existence. 

Katherine asked: ‘Who are these other people in the picture with her?’

Davina then responded, ‘That is what I wanted to speak to you about. They’re your brother and sister, Kirk and Lisa, they’re your half-brother and sister.’

‘Oh my god,’ she said, shocked. ‘That’s incredible.’

After Adriane emigrated to Canada, she had two children, Lisa and Kirk. When the Long Lost Family team got in touch, they were keen to learn more about Katherine.

Davina told her, ‘They can tell you everything. They had no idea about you’, which came as a shock to Katherine, causing her to tear up.

In the episode, Lisa and Kirk travelled from Toronto to London and told the co-hosts about their surprise at learning about Katherine. 

They told Nicky Campbell that they do, however, remember their aunt mentioning an archaeology student with whom Adriane had a relationship when she was younger.

Pictured from left to right: Katherine’s late birth mother Adriane and her son and daughter, Kirk and Lisa, who are based in Canada

Lisa and Kirk told Nicky of their mother’s mental health difficulties, saying: ‘She went through a lot…but she survived any way she could.’

In a heartwarming final scene, the birth siblings meet for the first time near Katherine’s home in Yorkshire.

Immediately, Lisa and Kirk marvelled over how similar Katherine’s appearance is to their mothers.

The trio instantly bonded and discussed Adriane, including her mental health difficulties.

‘When she was great she was great, but the lows were very difficult for her,’ Lisa said, adding: ‘Finding out about you, it’s been like therapy for us.’

In an emotional moment, Kirk and Lisa gifted Katherine a necklace, saying they believed it was a present their mother would’ve picked out for her, which Katherine said she would treasure.

She said: ‘I hope it would’ve given her great joy to think that the three of us have managed to make a connection after all these years.

‘Kirk and Lisa have just been absolutely amazing, they’re amazing people, and they’ve made me feel so welcome. It was very easy and natural.’

Lisa added: ‘It was wonderful, she was everything I thought she would be. The more she talked, the more it seemed she was like our mum.’

Long Lost Family is available to watch ITVX.