ITV's Long Lost Family: What Happened Next ended in heartbreak as a recent episode revisited Pearse Egan, who appeared on the programme in 2018 after spending 29 years searching for his biological father. Davina McCall helped Pearse track down his dad, Eddie Santos, who travelled from New York to London to meet his son for the first time.
A 29-Year Search
Pearse grew up in the Republic of Ireland with his mum, Anne, after she met Eddie while visiting New York. She was just 17-years-old at the time, while Eddie was working as a security guard. Anne returned to Ireland after discovering she was pregnant, choosing to raise Pearse there. As a result, Pearse never met his father until Davina tracked Eddie down in 2018.
The episode revisited the emotional moment Davina told Pearse that she had found his dad.
"I want a dad, you know, I want to say the world. I've never been able to say that to anyone," Pearse told the presenter.
Emotional Reunion
Eddie subsequently flew from New York to London to meet his son for the first time. Following their emotional reunion, Eddie was thrilled by how quickly he and Pearse had bonded, admitting they had "connected big time". The father and son continued getting to know each other while Eddie was in London before he returned to the US.
Pearse caught up with Davina again in 2022, revealing that he'd remained in contact with his father, but made the heartbreaking admission that the previous few years had been difficult for their relationship.
Health Struggles
It was revealed that Eddie had suffered a heart attack before contracting coronavirus, leaving him struggling to communicate. Pearse explained that he now does most of the talking during their conversations because Eddie can't speak much and becomes tired easily.
"To be honest, it's one of those things. I didn't know what I had until it went," he told Davina. Pearse said that he had still been able to visit his dad "three or four times", describing his first trip as "very emotional". Despite everything they've been through, Pearse said he is happy with where their relationship is at now.
A New Brother
Pearse also discovered that he had a half-brother, Nick Kucharski, who he met for the first time in London during the episode. Although Nick had grown up in New York, Pearse discovered that Eddie had also been absent from his childhood. Their shared experience helped the brothers connect, with Nick explaining that meeting Pearse had given him a sense of validation.
However, Nick was less keen than Pearse to build a relationship with Eddie, although he made clear that he did not hold any resentment towards his father. Despite their different feelings towards Eddie, the brothers developed a strong relationship of their own.
"The friendship that Nick and I have developed is something we both didn't ever see happening," Pearse said. "To have that connection is more than I could have ever imagined."
