"The shocking moment a gay couple find out they’re half-brothers"

A few years ago, a same-sex couple went on the Jeremy Kyle show in the UK:

Paul and Lee appeared on the show so that they could take a DNA test to find out if they were related.

[...] But the couple, who said it was love at first sight when they eventually met in real life, were devastated to find out that they were actually half-brothers. The couple started to suspect they could be half-brothers after Lee took Paul home to meet his parents.

Members of his family started to remark that Paul looked a lot like his mum Ena’s ex-husband Ron – a man who Lee had no idea even existed up until then. It also turned out that Paul had the same surname as Ron while Ena later admitted to Lee that he did have a secret half-brother. Paul was taken into care when he was 18-months-old and adopted when he was three.

Kyle asked Lee: ‘You are having a physical sexual relationship with a man that you love and want to marry and at some point somebody might tell you that he could be your half-brother – what does that do to you?’

‘It makes me sick. It makes me basically horrible. I can’t describe it,’ he replied.

‘What’s the worst case scenario if it turns out you are brothers?’ Paul answered: ‘I’m hoping that it’s not true because I love you so much it’s unreal.’

Kyle then read out a statement from Ron where he revealed that he has four children including one called Paul who was taken into care. Lee’s mum said in her own statement that she would be ‘happy’ if Paul turned out to be her long lost son.

Paul ran off crying after the DNA test proved they were half-brothers. Lee said: ‘I’ve gained a half-brother. I told him I’ll be there for him.’ Paul added: ‘I just basically want to get to know you more as a brother.’

[...] Paul and Lee appeared on the show in 2012 and have since told Kyle that they are still close as brothers and have moved on with their lives.

I will never understand why people go on these shows. I looked it up, and it turns out that people don’t even get paid to appear on the show, they just get their expenses covered. I don’t see how a free hotel and a free DNA test are worth having your dirty laundry aired in public, especially when it’s potentially this damaging.

I’m glad that they managed to establish some kind of relationship, and didn’t let this revelation destroy them. Things like this happen all the time.