Fern Britton revealed her grandmother had a “secret child” that she hid from her family for years.
Deeply impacted by the experience, the 62-year-old presenter has gone on to write a book inspired by the story, titled Daughters of Cornwall.
Fern, who used to present This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield, discovered her nan had another son when she was contacted by a man, claiming to be her mum’s half-brother, at the beginning of her TV career.
Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Fern recalled: “I had started in TV, working in Plymouth, when I received a letter from a man who had seen me on screen, asking if I was Ruth Britton’s daughter.
Fern Britton revealed her grandmother Beryl had a “secret child” (Image: Twitter)
“When I wrote back to say that I was, he replied saying ‘I know this sounds extraordinary, but I think I am your mother’s half-brother’.”
Aged just 23 at the time, Fern soon discovered her grandmother Beryl had given birth to a son out of wedlock.
Fern said: “In secret, Beryl had arranged a private fostering for him and continued to see him, love him, and send whatever money she could spare for his keep.
Fern had recently begun her career in television when her mum’s half-brother reached out (Image: Getty Images)
“It must have been very difficult, because by then she had married my grandfather, Gerald, and went on to have three children.”
Raising three more children with Fern’s grandfather, Beryl kept her “secret” son’s existence to herself for decades.
Meanwhile, her son spent years searching for his mother, only to get closer to the truth after spotting Fern on the television.
Fern has a written a book inspired by the story, titled Daughters of Cornwall (Image: Getty Images)
After learning about her nan’s hidden past, Fern struggled to tell her mum the full story, only for her mother to react by saying: “I’m not surprised.”
Her mother Ruth recalled Beryl saying, “I’ve been a very wicked woman, I have done wicked things,” shortly before her death.
Reflecting on her grandmother’s anguish, Fern added: “It seemed awful to find out that she had carried this guilty secret around with her for years.”
A fictionalised take on the heartbreaking story, Fern’s new novel Daughters of Cornwall will be released later this month.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
