Actor John Simm uncovers shocking 54 year old family secret during ITV's DNA Journey

The Doctor Who star has had his life turned upside down in a new ITV show DNA Journey as he discovers his dad is not his biological father and meets his half sister.

Renowned actor John Simm has been left reeling after a surprise discovery in a new ITV series which had him realising "everything I thought I knew wasn't real".

The esteemed Life On Mars and Doctor Who actor, 54, agreed to join the TV project DNA Journey With Ancestry alongside his friend and fellow star Phil Glenister to explore their respective familial histories, the Mirror reports.

However, for Simm, the investigation became personal and staggering when he discovered the man he believed was his father was not his biological dad. Reflecting on the revelation, he confessed: "So cut a long story short, the DNA results came back, and my dad, he's not my dad."

The show kicks off with Simm reminiscing about an email and subsequent talks with his mother Brenda before undergoing his DNA testing at the onset of filming last year. Ronald Simm, who John considered his dad, passed away back in 2015.

Recounting his parents' past, Simm said: "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."

Detailing further, John narrated how a doctor reassured his parents about their concerns: "And the doctor said: 'It's absolutely fine, the dates are fine.' But it turns out he isn't my biological father. Which is a bit of a shock."

Raised alongside two sisters, Simm admits to initially wanting to quit the documentary but chose instead to take advantage of the genealogy experts to learn more about his biological dad named Terence. Despite the upheaval, he expressed relief that his adoptive father Ron was not here to be confronted with the startling news, a development that has particularly "floored" his mother Brenda.

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The documentary witnesses John and Phil journey to Featherstone in Yorkshire, uncovering poignant details about John's biological father, who unfortunately passed in 1998.

A historian acquaints John with anecdotes of his father's life, including a surprising coincidence that both father and son frequented the same local working men's clubs.

Reflecting on the revelation, John remarked: "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."

Their quest leads them to a steward who shares memories revealing that John's biological father actually resided above one of these establishments.

Overwhelmed by this discovery, John said: "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."

Emotionally charged sequences follow as John absorbs images of his father and learns he had another family discovering a previously unknown half-sister, Karen.

After digesting all the new insights, a significant meeting unfolds with his newly found half-sister, who discloses their shared theatrical vein: Terence, affectionately called Tel, also enjoyed the spotlight for singing.

John has opened up about the bombshell revelations that have shed light on why he always "felt a bit different" during his younger years with sisters Carol and Nicola. He expressed his astonishment at the possibility that his biological father might have seen him perform live without either of them knowing.

In conversation with Karen, John reflected: "If he happened to be in on a Friday or a Saturday night in one of those clubs, he would have seen me play. Wow, that's mad, isn't it? Yeah, that's really bizarre. Mind blowing."

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When asked about his emotions following the discovery, he shared: "I mean, I was really close to my dad. He was like my best mate. But having said that, there was always something, I don't know what it was, I really felt different. And I always felt a bit guilty about it. But a lot of things sort of fall in this place. I kind of feel not guilty about feeling different."

John tied the knot with Kate Magowan in 2004, and they are proud parents to two children, son Ryan and daughter Mollie.

The much-anticipated DNA Journey featuring Ancestry is set to return to ITV1 and ITVX on October 9, with the first episode starring John Simm alongside Philip Glenister.

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