By Simon Duke TV & Showbiz Editor
13:36, 13 JUL 2021
Updated15:01, 13 JUL 2021
Debra Spark from Newcastle appeared on Monday's episode of moving ITV programme Long Lost Family in a bid to track down her dad
Long Lost Family viewers were left in tears as a Northumberland woman searched for the dad she'd never met on the ITV show, only to find out he'd passed away and she had two brothers she knew nothing about.
Series 11 of the programme, fronted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, made its debut last week and continued with more moving stories on Monday night.
And one of those involved was Northumberland's Debra Spark who got in touch with producers in a bid to track down the Italian born father she'd never met.
The only thing Debra had from her father was a letter he wrote to her mam, Olive, in which he wrote of his happiness that little Debra was doing well and urged her to give her plenty of "hugs and kisses."
Reading the note out, Debra turned to the camera and said: "I just want to know who he is. I just want my dad."
Debra's mam met her dad, Ernesto, in Milan while she was working there as a nanny, with Olive telling her daughter: "He was really lovely. He was definitely a gentleman."
Emotions ran high as Olive admitted that, after finding out she was expecting, was left "devastated" when she had to return to England after suffering medical complications during her pregnancy.
Olive then told Debra that had she not been poorly, she would have definitely stayed in Italy and given birth to her there.
After having Debra, Olive never returned to Italy and Debra had no photos of Ernesto at all.
Olive the birth mother of searcher Debra Sparks in Milan in the 1960s (Image: ITV)
And, when she was 18, she found out why - her grandma intercepted all of Ernesto's letters, with Debra explaining: "She used to put anything that was air mail on the fire.
"It upsets me to know that he wanted to know everything about us. It was a choice taken away from him as well.
"That's the bit that hurts me; he was offering to be part of my life and he was never given the chance."
Long Lost Family search teams reached out to communities in Milan as they searched for answers on Ernesto's whereabouts and received a vital reply from his son, Alessandro, who sadly broke the news that he'd died.
Debra Spark as a young girl (Image: ITV)
Debra was given the tragic news off camera before host Davina travelled up to the North East to tell her of Alessandro, 44, and his 43-year-old brother Massimiliano's eagerness to connect with her.
Reacting to her dad's death, Debra said: "I was ready for it. You're ready for any eventuality when you go into something like this.
"But it's closure and it's what I needed."
Davina then handed Debra pictures of Ernesto and his two sons, as well as a letter from Massimiliano in which he wrote about wanting to tell her all about her father adding that she was "the most unexpected gift" he'd left them.
(Image: ITV)
In the emotional final scenes of Monday's Long Lost Family, Debra and her husband Chris travelled to Italy as she met Alessandro and Massimiliano for the first time.
Sadly, due to Covid rules they weren't allowed to hug each other but, on hearing about what a lovely guy Ernesto was, Debra told her brothers: "I'm so pleased he had a happy life."
Alessandro told her: "What we can do is give you the part of our family that you missed for so many years."
Right before the credits rolled, viewers were told that the trio were in 'daily contact' with each other, with Debra planning to return to Italy later this year.
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